Dean Levin recently visited the National New York Central Railroad Musuem in Elkhart, Indiana and sent me a couple of photos of Mohawk 3001. One of the "elephant ears" is missing. Was this done on purpose to give photographers two different views of the engine? I know that other museums have done things like this. One example I can think of offhand is the 0-10-2 that is on display in Greenville, Pennsylvania lettered and numbered on one side as Union Railroad #304 and on the opposite side as DM&IR #604. So, did the Elkhart do this removal of one smoke deflector on purpose? Does anyone know for sure?

Thanks.

Les

Les,

That is all that has been put on so far. Bob Spaugh and Lee Goad are putting them on. It has come down to when the 2 of them can get together to do the work.

Mark A. Frazier

Reading between the lines, it sounds like one smoke deflector was removed for repair/restoration? I hope it isn't crackhead junkies scrapping the engine for drug money. You would be amazed at what they can pull off a locomotive...

EMD, The smoke lifters were removed by the Texas & Pacific in Marshall, TX in 1956. I presume that they were scrapped at that time along with the grates, stoker and coal bunker sides off the tender when it became the T&P 909.

Mark A. Frazier

Mark -

Thanks for the above info. So these are replicated smoke deflectors then. My hats off then to Mr. Spaugh and Mr. Goad for making the new ones, and for putting them on the locomotive. I don't think that these engines ran without "elephant ears" when in active service on the Central, so these are a nice addition. Thanks again.

Les

3001 and some od\f the very early L3a's were delivered without the smoke lifters and entered service that way they were soon added

Les ( and the forum )

Here is a close up of the front of the engine, that ilustrates the original subject matter .

Just out of curiousity.... perhaps someone could share ( as I don't know the answer ) .. Was this originally a private type museum, that somehow was taken over by the City of Elkhart ? An interesting twist to have a city run a railroad museum.


Dean

That is the first picture I have seen of them. It looks like the fabrication is accurate. I can also tell that the Indiana weather is taking its toll on the outdoor equipment a date with the spray gun will be needed again soon. The last time was 5 years ago now.

Here are a couple of pictures just after repainting in 2007.

Dean,

In answer as to how the City of Elkhart ended up owning the National New York Central Railroad Museum. It was a series of events over several years as to how it came to be. The freight house building that the museum is in was used by Miles Laboratories to ship their products Alka-Seltzer, Bayer Aspirin and other pharmaceuticals that were produced in Elkhart. That building was purchased by Bob Spaugh and he built truck campers in the building for a short time. Bob was in the RV repair business for years and had a love for the New York Central that started when he was a painter on the NYC as a young man. After the short lived camper business Bob bought a Union Pacific business car and refurbished it on the sight.

In December of 1976 Bob purchased the BC&G #13 and formed the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Society. They acquired several Rock Island passenger cars and began operating on the NYC Pumpkin Vine between Shipshewanna and Middlebury Indiana. This was right in the heart of the Northern Indiana Amish Community. However it was just before the tourism boom in that area by about 6 years. During the time that they ran there the Elkhart site was their base of operations. In 1980 the Conrail decided to remove the Pumpkin Vine and #13 now Lakeshore Central #1977 and the cars went to Logansport, IN.

Back in Elkhart, Bob had sold the UP car and the Rock Island #454 Minnesota along with an Illinois Central heavyweight were put in its place and the Freight House Restaurant was built by Bob at the front of the building. Bob and his wife Joanne ran the restaurant while the Lakeshore Historical Society continued to acquire more railcars at that point taking anything they could get. In July of 1983 they sold the 2-8-0 and cars to The Iron Horse Festival Committee in Logansport.

It was about that time they learned that the Texas & Pacific #909 at the Age of Steam Museum in Dallas, TX was really the NYC 3001. Lead by Bob Spaugh the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Society began working on negotiating a suitable trade for the 3001. It was finally decided that they would accept an Amtrak engine in trade. The Lakeshore owned Amtrak 904 nee PRR 4903 The GG1 that was the 2nd unit on Bobby Kennedy's Funeral Train. With the Kennedy connection the folks in Dallas agreed to the trade. In May of 1984 J. David Conrad had the 3001 ready to move, Conrail and Union Pacific donated the move of the GG1 to Dallas and 3001 to Elkhart with J. David accompanying the 3001 on her trip to Indiana.

Work on the 3001 began with hopes that it would be used for a Conrail Steam Program but the insurance crisis of 1985 ended those hopes. Work did continue on the 3001. One Saturday afternoon in 1986 a representative of the City of Elkhart drove in wondering what was going on. It was explained to him that they were working on restoring the locomotive with hopes that someday soon it would run again. He replied with, "Well this looks like a good place for a railroad museum." Then, "What would we call it?" Someone looked at the tender and suggested the New York Central Railroad Museum. To which he responded, "How about The National New York Central Railroad Museum."

Bob Spaugh sold the building, land and the cars he owned to the City of Elkhart. The Restaurant was then leased out as Jake's Junction and operated separately from the museum. The 3001 and the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Society's other equipment along with their easement agreement with the railroad were leased to the City of Elkhart for 100 years for $1.00. Shortly after that the NYC 4085 and the PRR 4882 were purchased from NJT so that the museum had examples of steam, diesel and electric locomotives.

The Museum has made great strides over the years since it was founded. Many people have left their mark on it over the years and the City of Elkhart has put substantial money into the facility. Each year improvements have been made. The total facility consist of the museum in the freight house, an operating 2 foot gauge train and the 30 cars 3 locomotives on the south side of the tracks, the Amtrak Station on the north side of the tracks and 2 cabooses that are leased out for off sight displays in Shipshewanna and Topeka Indiana. The City pays staff to keep it running and all the utility bills. It is not a cheap facility to keep open and I think it is great that they have made the commitment to keep it open.

Mark A. Frazier
Curator 2006-2008
NNYCRRM

Mark

thanks very much for the kind and informative reply... Sure is some history in how that place has developed over the years


Dean

Please, guys, I work on Alcos, in spite of my initials having the same letters, but in a different order, than another builder. Blame my parents, I guess-

It's good to see that the engine is being turned back into what it once was, and to read it's history. And now I understand the motive for having a G motor in Elkhart.

Just curious, what is the story behind the second tender behind 3001?

E. D. Moxley
Amsterdam Leasing

(Note real name, real initials)

Mr. Moxley..

per the City of Elkhart's website...


-New York Central L-3b 3042's tender, used as an auxiliary water tender on the American Freedom Train and the Chessie Steam Special.

I also include a picture from the other day


Dean

EMD,

Dean is correct as to the origin of the auxiliary tender, if the Sun is shining on it just right you can still see where the AFT stripes and stars were along with where the CHES of Chessie System were. The tender was in the roundhouse fire with the 2101 and all those markings were burned off, but the metal and different rust patterns. When we repainted it in 2007 the plan was to just get it black again. Therefore we used a direct to metal paint that required no prep. Once the paint was on it those markings showed up very clear.

As far as how it was required Bob Spaugh told me that he acquired it from Ross Rowland but I do not remember the details. Maybe Ross can shed more light on that.

The 3001's original tender had the sides modified in Texas note how the curved tops were cut off. It also has a fake oil tank welded over the coal bunker. That has kept the rain and snow out of the tender and the coal bunker is in very good shape.

The plate that you can see on the 3042 tender about midway on the fireman's side is not on the 3001 tender. That is where the stoker motor was. The motor was removed and a smooth patch was welded in by the T&P (note the difference in the rows of rivets). The stoker screw was cut off flush with the front of the tender. Just as getting the smoke lifters back on the locomotive the tender sides have long been a topic of discussions about getting them restored.

Mark A. Frazier

What condition is the 3042 tender?
Perhaps you could reverse the roles and make the 3042's the main tender,
and the 3001's an A-tank for extra water for those longer trips.