Shrouded Shay NY Central #1897

choodude · **Joined:** Wed Jun 29, 2016 11:58 am **Posts:** 310

I had no idea such a thing existed:

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https% ... 5534c05dee

from:

https://old.reddit.com/r/trains/comment ... tral_1897/

Talk about Toby.

Brian Helfrich

Overmod · **Joined:** Thu May 24, 2012 1:37 pm **Posts:** 2492

This approach was common on street railways, to prevent 'scaring the horses'. One normal term for small locomotives shrouded this was was 'steam dummies'.

The only unusual thing is that a locomotive the size of a Shay got the treatment. Most street running away from the freight lines on Death Avenue did not require as much effective TE.

After the Kaufman Act sank in, these Shays were relocated -- I believe I've seen pictures of one, still "enclosed", on the Ulster & Delaware or some such Catskill-related line.

Bad Order · **Joined:** Sun Jun 23, 2013 1:16 pm **Posts:** 225

I am pretty sure I ran across a picture of this engine on the Shorpy website just today, with a lot more detail in the background.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

The New York Central had five of these built in 1923. All were out of service by 1944 and scrapped by 1950. https://www.shaylocomotives.com/data/se ... aframe.htm

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 308

Overmod wrote:

After the Kaufman Act sank in, these Shays were relocated -- I believe I've seen pictures of one, still "enclosed", on the Ulster & Delaware or some such Catskill-related line.

A bit north of the Catskills, but I've seen photos of one leased to the Marcellus & Otisco Lake. They leased #7185 in 1942, and reportedely it was returned to the New York Central on 01/13/1943 with a broken frame and exchanged for #7187. The same site also mentions them being used on the Genessee Falls Railway in Rochester, and the Owasco River Railway around Auburn.

https://nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16694coll29/id/22/

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

7185
Owasco River RR #7185, Auburn, NY
(1942) Marcellus & Otisco Lake RR #7185, Marcellus, NY
(1-13-1943) New York Central RR, New York Central #7185, New York City, NY; returned with a broken frame
(4-14-1943) Lima Locomotive Works #4 (2nd), Lima, OH

7186 Scrapped 03-44
7187
(1-13-1943) Marcellus & Otisco Lake RR #7187, Marcellus, NY
(3-19-1948) Hurwitz Brothers Iron & Metal Co., Syracuse, NY; for scrap

7188 Scrapped 05-44

7189 Scrapped 05-44

mmi16 · **Joined:** Thu Oct 24, 2019 11:05 pm **Posts:** 177

choodude wrote:

I had no idea such a thing existed:

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https% ... 5534c05dee

from:

https://old.reddit.com/r/trains/comment ... tral_1897/

Talk about Toby.

Brian Helfrich

First glimpsed the picture on a FB feed. Initially, in a glance, thought it was a Shay rotary snow plow - then I looked closer.

philip.marshall · **Posted:** Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:42 pm

Previous threads on New York Central street running with steam dummies/shrouded engines on west side of Manhattan:

https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45255

https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40713

(The second thread starts with a dead Youtube link, but the same footage can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTpEIb-SuoM&t=751s

-Philip Marshall

Patrick Fahey · **Joined:** Tue Dec 06, 2022 8:31 am **Posts:** 69

Hi
Besides the New York Central using Steam Dummies, the Union Freight RR in Boston, Mass also used them, but instead of using Shay locomotives they used Climax type..
I found a photo on Ne Rail Photos,, you can find more information Union Freight RR and photos on the internet.

Attachment:

File comment: Photo from NeRail photos

Union Freight RR Boston, Ma Climax locomotive.jpg resize .jpg [ 20.21 KiB | Viewed 3320 times ]

brian budeit · **Joined:** Thu Feb 12, 2015 5:00 pm **Posts:** 36

On at least one of these railways you had real "urban cowboys" proceeding the street running trains on horseback with a red flag.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1264

Here is everything you ever wanted to know about the NYC street trackage and the locomotives used there. http://members.trainweb.com/bedt/indloc ... attan.html

Otto Vondrak · **Posted:** Wed Mar 12, 2025 7:13 pm

After the enclosed "dummy" Shays were no longer needed on Manhattan's West Side, they migrated to other parts of the NYC system.

NYC 7189 at Auburn, NY, 1937:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ottomatic77/53544561561

NYC 7188 at Auburn, NY, 1936:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rgvrrm/52553337158

-otto-

Shrouded Shay NY Central #1897

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