Can anyone give us brief history of this line.
I know their power came from Virginia Blue Ridge.
385 a 2-8-0 and 4039 an 0-6-0. I have a video of VBR that shows the 385 out to pasture.

I recall they ran at two different locations of over the course of history.

Was this a for profit (or lack there of) operation?

What caused them to move and then fold?

Thanks!

-Alan Levy

Alanl759@aol.com

I recall a link off this site some time ago which gave a very informative history of this operation. Unfortunately I don't know what or where the link is. Perhaps someone else will have more information

Joel

> Can anyone give us brief history of this
> line.
> I know their power came from Virginia Blue
> Ridge.
> 385 a 2-8-0 and 4039 an 0-6-0. I have a
> video of VBR that shows the 385 out to
> pasture.

> I recall they ran at two different locations
> of over the course of history.

> Was this a for profit (or lack there of)
> operation?

> What caused them to move and then fold?

> Thanks!

> -Alan Levy


jdstrolley@enter.net

Check the link below, it has lots of info.

Roger

> I recall a link off this site some time ago
> which gave a very informative history of
> this operation. Unfortunately I don't know
> what or where the link is. Perhaps someone
> else will have more information

> Joel


A Salute to the Morris County Central Railroad
Belpaire@aol.com

Here is a site I created which is no where comprehensive because I have no time to do it.

http://mcc385.tripod.com/
jeff@CompuComIS.net

The Whippany Railway Museum has a nice multipage feature (with many great photos) telling the story of the Morris County Central RR. See the below link.

Basically the MCC operated between 1965 and 1980. From 1965 through 1973 they ran over a leased portion of the Morristown & Erie RR. out of Whippany, NJ (Whippany-Morristown in 1965 and Whippany-Roseland during 1966-73). From 1974 until its closing in December 1980, the MCC operated on leased portion of the New York Susquehanna & Western RR out of Newfoundland, NJ. The lease was for the 9 miles between Newfoundland and Beaver Lake, but except for special excursions, the regular trip was 5 miles to Stockholm and return.

As you mentioned steam motive power was from the Virginia Blue Ridge RR and included a 1907 Baldwin 2-8-0 (ex-Southern Ry 385 and VBR 6) and a 1942 Alco "War Department" 0-6-0 (ex-US Army 4039 and VBR 5). Both were converted from coal to oil firing for use on the MCC. The late great O. Winston Link had his ex-CPR 4-6-0 453 at the MCC, but it was never restored to operation. The late Tony Citro planned to use his ex-DL&W 2-6-0 565 at the MCC's Newfoundland location, but it never made it to the MCC and remained stored at the New Hope & Ivyland RR (where it was being overhauled by a contractor) after the MCC closed. The railroad also had a 48 inch gauge Porter 0-4-0T coal mine lokie on display at both locations. Internal combustion power included two small 4-wheel gas-mechanical switchers (a Plymouth and Whitcomb) and a much rebuilt White Motor Truck Co. railbus that came from the Morristown & Erie.

Rolling stock included a fleet of steel passenger coaches from the Jersey Central RR, three flat cars-turned-open air cars, and several cabooses from the PRR, NYC, and D&H railroads. One NYC caboose housed the rest rooms! At Newfoundland, the PRR caboose (oops, cabin car) housed the gift shop and one of the CNJ coaches was set up as the snack bar. A wooden boxcar housed a railway museum exhibit that was the basis for today's Whippany Railway Museum.

Both locations featured train robberies by Frank and Jesse James on each run. The original Whippany location featured a railway museum in the old M&E freight house (just like the present day WRM) and allowed use of the original M&E water tower (at Newfoundland a small tank was placed on the original NYS&W concrete water tower foundation).

The Newfoundland location offered much better scenery than at Whippany, but both locations proved troublesome for the MCC. At Whippany the M&E keep raising the rent and the condition of one of bridges forced the MCC to shorten its ride. At Newfoundland there was vandalism including arson to several pieces of rolling stock. The gas crisis of the late 1970's hurt the railroad along with mechanical troubles (385 last ran in 1978 and 4039 had to carry the load for the last 2 seasons). The railroad had some serious "management issues" after the MCC's founder, president, and main backer Earle Gil moved to FL with his employer in 1978. All of these things finally brought the railroad down at the end of 1980.

Tony Citro took ownership of the equipment and resold most of it to the NYS&W, who eventually sold, donated, and scrapped off most of it. Luckly key pieces have been preserved. 385 was donated for display at the Bergen VoTech High School in Hackensack, NJ, but has since been acquired by Joesph Supor and moved to his warehouse complex in Harrison, NJ for restoration. 4039 was acquired by former MCC engineer Frank Larkin and spent some time stored in Honesdale, PA. Today, 4039 is back home in Whippany having been acquired by the Whippany Railway Museum (who has been planning and fundraising for a future operational restoration). Joining 4039 at the WRM is the railbus and Whitcomb switcher plus the ex-D&H caboose owned by former MCC conductor Steve Hepler. The PRR cabin car and the lone surviving MCC ex-CNJ coach remain at Newfoundland under private ownerhip. The Plymouth switcher is/was stored at Butler, NJ. O. Winston Link's 4-6-0 453 is at Utica, NY. Tony Citro's 2-6-0 565 is at Steamtown.

I heard from a relative of MCC founder Earle Gil last year and learned that he is alive and well in FL and quite amazed in all the interest (Alan's inquiry must have been the 20th in past couple of years!) still remaining in his little steam tourist railroad!

Regards,
Jim Robinson


Steve Hepler's MCC history

Great summary!

Thanks's Jim

Alanl759@aol.com

The Newfoundland station is for sale. The ex-MCC cars are included in the deal.

Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society

Thanks for taking a look at my site, I forgot if you add stuff on here it gets hit hard. If it doesnt let you on, try again later.....

Here is another site, you have to become a free member to access it......


MCC & NH&I yahoo group site
jeff@CompuComIS.net

Just one minor correction, Jim...Earle Gil is once again back east; he lives in eastern PA (I forget the name of the town in which he resides) and actively volunteers at the Whippany Ry Museum, according to my friend Steve Hepler.

K.R. Bell

> The Whippany Railway Museum has a nice
> multipage feature (with many great photos)
> telling the story of the Morris County
> Central RR. See the below link.

> Basically the MCC operated between 1965 and
> 1980. From 1965 through 1973 they ran over a
> leased portion of the Morristown & Erie
> RR. out of Whippany, NJ (Whippany-Morristown
> in 1965 and Whippany-Roseland during
> 1966-73). From 1974 until its closing in
> December 1980, the MCC operated on leased
> portion of the New York Susquehanna &
> Western RR out of Newfoundland, NJ. The
> lease was for the 9 miles between
> Newfoundland and Beaver Lake, but except for
> special excursions, the regular trip was 5
> miles to Stockholm and return.

> As you mentioned steam motive power was from
> the Virginia Blue Ridge RR and included a
> 1907 Baldwin 2-8-0 (ex-Southern Ry 385 and
> VBR 6) and a 1942 Alco "War
> Department" 0-6-0 (ex-US Army 4039 and
> VBR 5). Both were converted from coal to oil
> firing for use on the MCC. The late great O.
> Winston Link had his ex-CPR 4-6-0 453 at the
> MCC, but it was never restored to operation.
> The late Tony Citro planned to use his
> ex-DL&W 2-6-0 565 at the MCC's
> Newfoundland location, but it never made it
> to the MCC and remained stored at the New
> Hope & Ivyland RR (where it was being
> overhauled by a contractor) after the MCC
> closed. The railroad also had a 48 inch
> gauge Porter 0-4-0T coal mine lokie on
> display at both locations. Internal
> combustion power included two small 4-wheel
> gas-mechanical switchers (a Plymouth and
> Whitcomb) and a much rebuilt White Motor
> Truck Co. railbus that came from the
> Morristown & Erie.

> Rolling stock included a fleet of steel
> passenger coaches from the Jersey Central
> RR, three flat cars-turned-open air cars,
> and several cabooses from the PRR, NYC, and
> D&H railroads. One NYC caboose housed
> the rest rooms! At Newfoundland, the PRR
> caboose (oops, cabin car) housed the gift
> shop and one of the CNJ coaches was set up
> as the snack bar. A wooden boxcar housed a
> railway museum exhibit that was the basis
> for today's Whippany Railway Museum.

> Both locations featured train robberies by
> Frank and Jesse James on each run. The
> original Whippany location featured a
> railway museum in the old M&E freight
> house (just like the present day WRM) and
> allowed use of the original M&E water
> tower (at Newfoundland a small tank was
> placed on the original NYS&W concrete
> water tower foundation).

> The Newfoundland location offered much
> better scenery than at Whippany, but both
> locations proved troublesome for the MCC. At
> Whippany the M&E keep raising the rent
> and the condition of one of bridges forced
> the MCC to shorten its ride. At Newfoundland
> there was vandalism including arson to
> several pieces of rolling stock. The gas
> crisis of the late 1970's hurt the railroad
> along with mechanical troubles (385 last ran
> in 1978 and 4039 had to carry the load for
> the last 2 seasons). The railroad had some
> serious "management issues" after
> the MCC's founder, president, and main
> backer Earle Gil moved to FL with his
> employer in 1978. All of these things
> finally brought the railroad down at the end
> of 1980.

> Tony Citro took ownership of the equipment
> and resold most of it to the NYS&W, who
> eventually sold, donated, and scrapped off
> most of it. Luckly key pieces have been
> preserved. 385 was donated for display at
> the Bergen VoTech High School in Hackensack,
> NJ, but has since been acquired by Joesph
> Supor and moved to his warehouse complex in
> Harrison, NJ for restoration. 4039 was
> acquired by former MCC engineer Frank Larkin
> and spent some time stored in Honesdale, PA.
> Today, 4039 is back home in Whippany having
> been acquired by the Whippany Railway Museum
> (who has been planning and fundraising for a
> future operational restoration). Joining
> 4039 at the WRM is the railbus and Whitcomb
> switcher plus the ex-D&H caboose owned
> by former MCC conductor Steve Hepler. The
> PRR cabin car and the lone surviving MCC
> ex-CNJ coach remain at Newfoundland under
> private ownerhip. The Plymouth switcher
> is/was stored at Butler, NJ. O. Winston
> Link's 4-6-0 453 is at Utica, NY. Tony
> Citro's 2-6-0 565 is at Steamtown.

> I heard from a relative of MCC founder Earle
> Gil last year and learned that he is alive
> and well in FL and quite amazed in all the
> interest (Alan's inquiry must have been the
> 20th in past couple of years!) still
> remaining in his little steam tourist
> railroad!

> Regards,
> Jim Robinson

A few more things to add my above post concerning the MCC.

In regards to DL&W 2-6-0 565, this locomotive had TWO shots at joining the roster of active MCC steam engines. In 1968, while the MCC was at Whippany, 565 was purchased from the Black River & Western RR by MCC VP John Maris. 565 was moved to Whippany and inspected for planned use on the MCC. However Maris wound up selling the engine instead to Tony Citro, who moved it to the parking lot of his Wayne, NJ restaurant as a static display. Later Citro became involved with the MCC and had the locomotive sent to New Hope for an overhaul for a second planned use at the MCC (which by then had moved to Newfoundland). As stated in above, this overhaul didn't take place and 565 eventually wound up at Steamtown.

In regards to the MCC's Plymouth and Whitcomb switchers. For a number of years after the MCC moved to Newfoundland the railroad lacked a runaround track at Stockholm--they had only a short stub-end siding. To do the runaround, 385 or 4039 would uncouple and pull into the siding. The Plymouth or the Whitcomb (which ran ahead of the 1st train) would couple on to the train and pull it past the siding, allowing the steam engine to back out and couple to the rear of train for return trip. On longer trains this gave the tiny 4-wheel mechanical-drive switchers a real workout... "the little Critter that could!" Eventually a runaround track was installed at Stockholm.

In regards to the MCC railbus. When Earle Gil got it from the Morristown & Erie, it had been long since converted onto a flatbed MOW vehicle. Gil located and fitted a newer bus body to the running gear and placed the railbus in tourist service at Whippany. They ran short (I think about a 3 mile RT) turnaround trips in between the steam train departures.

In regards to facilities. Despite attempts to purchase or rent it, the MCC never had use of the privately owned NYS&W Newfoundland station. Tickets were sold from an outhouse-sized booth. While at Whippany and during the first years at Newfoundland, the MCC lacked an enginehouse or shop building. The engines were stored and mantained out in the open and several wooden boxcars (or reefers?) served as shop space. These cars and the tools/spare parts contained within fell victim to arson at Newfoundland. Later a metal enginehouse/shop building was put up at Newfoundland--actually at Green Pond Junction, a half mile or so east of the station area. At both locations, both steam engines burned recycled motor oil as fuel. Several older tank cars were on hand to store the oil.

In talking about the MCC, one has to mention the Morristown & Erie's own attempt to continue the steam tourist trains at Whippany after the MCC left town. Between 1974 and 1977 the M&E ran their own tourist trains under the banner of the Whippany Toonerville RR. Motive power was the late Sam Freeman's ex-Florida East Coast Ry. 4-6-2 148 which for the prior 3 years had run on the BR&W RR at Ringoes, NJ. Passenger stock included at fleet of steel coaches, which like those of the MCC, were from the Jersey Central. An Erie "Stillwell" coach was set up as a (stationary) snack bar. The Whippany Toonerville RR ran west from Whippany to Morristown and return, the opposite direction from the MCC (except for its 1965 season). Despite its name, the Whippany Toonerville was a nice operation with tuscan red-painted coaches that made a fine sight behind 148. 148's owner did object to name being on his engine, so the Whippany River adorned 148's tender. This was name of the M&E predecessor railroad that ran between Whippany and Morristown. The Whippany Toonerville operation closed in the middle of some "management turmoil" that plagued the M&E during the mid/late 70's. Afterwards 148 spent time stored in CT and is now in Traverse City, MI. One or two of the coaches wound up at the Conway Scenic Ry. In NH.

Regards,
Jim Robinson