Greetings fellow RPN Members:

I am pleased today to announce that the Williams Grove Railroad at the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association (WGHSEA) has acquired a new locomotive. Delivered to the property today, we have acquired an ex-PP&L 65ton Vulcan center cab switcher that was located at PP&L's Martin's Creek Power plant. This locomotive is fully operational, needing mainly paint and other relatively minor work. Although a final road number has not yet been selected, we are currently leaning toward christening it WGRR #52 (in honor of 2010 being our 52nd year at Williams Grove)

Our pride and joy is, and will remain, our PRR B4a 0-6-0 #643 steam locomotive. But the new 65tonner will give us operational flexibility we have not had before. We will now have a much more robust backup for 643, and a locomotive that we can operate during the months 643 is out of service for the winter, and for any operation where operating 643 may not be economically feasible, as well as for any other operational need that may come up.

We are also happy to be able to preserve another piece of Pennsylvania's Railroad heritage as part of our small operating fleet. Built in 1953 this locomotive served PP&L for it's entire Career, earning it's keep at Martin's Creek until very recently. We are happy to give it a fitting home. #52(?) is joining #643, and 25ton Whitcomb Critter #8 (Also ex-PPL) in our motive power fleet.

Come out and see us in 2011! (Which incidentally will be 643's 50th year at Williams Grove)

One correspondent to whom I forwarded this news replied, "I remember stumbling upon this locomotive (might've been in 1985) at the old Bethlehem engine terminal. At that point it was headed to Martins Creek. When I shot it it was painted in orange."

Does anyone know where it was before this?

Very, very cool. Love to see a critter that's going to be well preserved.

IIRC, Letterkenney had similar locomotives in the 1960s. Somewhere, I believe I have pictures of them sitting in Hollidaysburg in transit from Letterkenney to somewhere else.

Keith Burkey

I've seen various pics of it around the net in both PP&L Orange, and also a more tame PP&L yellow. Both of which you can find evidence of around the locomotive. It will most likely be painted a PRR inspired black with yellow trim to match our PRR theme at the grove.

If anyone does know more about our loco's history before Martin's Creek we would love to hear about it.

Also, if anyone knows where a copy of any paperwork, manuals, drawings for this class of Vulcan can be obtained we are on the lookout for any documentation that can be found to help with our long term care. Unfortunatly most of the orginal book and manuals were lost over the years while at PP&L.

The yellow equalizers are a nice touch.

I found the photo with the sale listing for this locomotive:


Nine of these 65-tonners were built by Vulcan forthe military, with Westinghouse electrical equipment and Cummins HRBS-600 engines (straight-6, blower-supercharged, 5 1/8 x 6 cylinders).

I have sources (not online) saying that this loco is c/n 4738, built 7-1953, but this seems a little late even for military acquisition. We've still not found one iota of history of its time before it showed up at PP&L Martins Creek, except that it apparently wasn't at any other PP&L or Pennsylvania industry or operation.

This makes at least the third Vulcan preserved, added to the 8-tonner saved by the RR Museum of Pa. and the 45-tonner (former Station Square display in Wilkes-Barre) saved by George Spohrer up in Pittston, Pa. Any others?

Noticing the four colored lights on the corner of the cab. was it set up for remote radio control. The locomotives at PPL Brunner Island operate R/C when pushing
strings of cars through the rotary coal dumpers.

A new horn rig!

Ye gods, I was so busy looking for locomotive details elsewhere that I completely missed the R/C indicator lights. PP&L outfitted several switchers among its many power plants with such R/C controls, including even one of the Porter fireless 0-6-0's at their Shamokin Dam (Sunbury) plant.

This is certainly encouraging news for this organization. Having frequented the WGHSEA over the past 10 years or so, I've certainly been impressed with the growth this group of hardworking, dedicated people has enjoyed.

I used to work on this switcher for PPL Martin's Creek back in the 90's when I worked for Morrison Knudsen/M-K Rail in Mountain Top, Pa. It was orange back then. It had 2 Cummins L-10 engines and it was remote controlled. I also did road calls for PPL at their Holtwood and Bruner Island locations. The Holtwood switcher was a Plymouth

The Vulcan records I have show b/n 4738 as built new for PP&L, no military history involved. When I shot it in 1967 it was painted solid yellow with no lettering. Vulcan records didn't specify any road number but other sources show it as number 1. Vulcan used an airbrushed photo of it as number 4738 in their advertising. This is an entirely different model than the WWII 65 ton Vulcans, different carbody and different trucks. Very likely a one of a kind.