Operable Plymouth Locomotives at Museums/Tourist Railroads?

bigjim4life · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 12:33 am

Recently I've seen more and more photos of operable Plymouth locomotives either entering tourist service, or being acquired and actively used by museums. I was hoping to get a running tally of those tourist railroads/museums who currently have Plymouth locomotives that are operable (or being actively being restored to operation). Here's the ones that I know of:

B&O Railroad Museum, Baltimore, MD: Former Domino Sugar Plymouth locomotive - donated operable
Walkersville Southern Railroad, Walkersville, MD: 60-ton Plymouth CR-4 locomotive, recently acquired and operable
Colebrookdale Railroad, Pottstown, PA: 30-ton Plymouth, used for switching cars, maybe occasional trips?
Bucksgahuda & Western Railroad, St. Mary's, PA: 10-ton Plymouth locomotive used for various occasions on this private railroad
Stewartstown Railroad, Stewartstown, PA: 35-ton Plymouth, nicknamed "Mighty-Mo" in active tourist-hauling service
Strasburg Railroad, Strasburg, PA: Two Plymouths - #1, 20-ton Plymouth used for switching (and every now and then a mainline jaunt) - also #2, 10-ton Plymouth used for switching

Those are the ones I know about off the top of my head - where else has them currently (or very soon will be) operable?

NH8218 · **Joined:** Wed Jul 17, 2019 8:19 pm **Posts:** 35

Two that can be added to the list:

The NYS&W Technical & Historical Society in Phillipsburg, NJ has an 18-ton unit, formerly Drew Chemical/Morris County Central. Not sure if it currently runs but there have been mentions over the last few years of work done on it.

Morristown & Erie has former USAX 7299, another 18-ton model, at their Morristown shops. Last I knew, it was owned by the Military Transport Association and mainly used by M&E as a shop switcher. However, a few years back, it was run as part of a few special events at the Whippany Railway Museum.

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 10:18 am

Cedar Point Amusement Park has a small, custom-built 0-4-0 gas mechanical Plymouth from the 1960's, designed to look like a steam locomotive. Typical of Plymouth's mining locos, it has a straight-four gas engine and a four-speed forward and reverse tranny. It is used to shunt cold engines around, can move a passenger consist, and moves track maintenance equipment. The park acquired the unit in exchange for free park tickets for Plymouth employees.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Greenfield Village Dearborn, MI
https://www.flickr.com/photos/71288712@N00/15026623298

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:14 am

The Hesston Steam Museum in Indiana has three narrow gauge Plymouth's that are operable:
Ex-Carnegie Steel.
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=5172246
Illinois Brick Company #4
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5154273
Unknown:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5195598

The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has two:
USN 65-00144 50 Tonner (recently acquired from private owner in Delaware, Ohio).
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5194513
This other Plymouth was hidden next to a warehouse near the FWRHS property. I am unsure if it is owned by the FWRHS:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5194961

The Tahquamenon Falls Riverboat Tour & the Toonerville Trolley in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan operates three 24" gauge Plymouth locomotives. These were likely modified from old Plymouth mining locomotives. They are virtually identical.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4505530
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5154266

The Colorado Railroad Museum has an operable 25 Tonner:
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4564142

The Houghton County Historical Museum in Lake Linden, Michigan has one operable HSG (not sure if their other HSG is operable):
http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4505537

The Huckleberry Railroad in Flint, Michigan has two operable HSG's.

elecuyer · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:27 am

WW&F in Maine has an ex-Carpenter Steel 2" Plymouth.

Otto Vondrak · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 11:43 am

Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum:

Our Plymouth Model BL is stored serviceable inside our shop building:

http://www.rgvrrm.org/about/railroad/rgv01/

-otto-

Bowmore · **Joined:** Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:12 pm **Posts:** 195

The Santa Clara River RR Society has one on loan. Someone welded circular extensions on the wheels.
Every time it would cross a switch it would derail. Since it is on loan, we cannot remove the extensions.
We want to give it back to the owner, but he will not pay the transportation costs, so there it sits.

jayrod · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:49 pm

ORHS has an 8T DL. History still mostly unknown. Heavily modified, recently refurbished. It looks like a toy when coupled to something.

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Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 5:23 pm

bigjim4life wrote:

Strasburg Railroad, Strasburg, PA: Two Plymouths - #1, 20-ton Plymouth used for switching (and every now and then a mainline jaunt) - also #2, 10-ton Plymouth used for switching

My understanding (and for all we know, this is subject to some individual's whim or whatnot) is that Strasburg's original Plymouth has been "honorably retired" as a historic museum piece in its own right--almost ever since the second, propane-fueled Plymouth showed up, in the mid- to late-1980s as I recall. Back then they still had former PRR 44-tonner 9334/33 as back-up, and now they have two EMD SWs on site......

I figured on someone from Strasburg chiming in by now.....

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2874

Bowmore wrote:

Someone welded circular extensions on the wheels.

What on earth for, was it not standard gauge?

John Redden · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 8:53 pm **Posts:** 220

Quote:

My understanding (and for all we know, this is subject to some individual's whim or whatnot) is that Strasburg's original Plymouth has been "honorably retired" as a historic museum piece in its own right--almost ever since the second, propane-fueled Plymouth showed up, in the mid- to late-1980s as I recall.

Our only "recent" (2013) visit, had Strasburg #1 in service as a shop switcher. I don't know whether this was a regular assignment, or a lucky happenstance. The other Plymouth was buried inside the shop.

Alan Maples · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 9:01 pm

I haven't been to the Little River Railroad in Coldwater, MI, for several years, but I presume they still have this locomotive, which looks to me to be a Plymouth.

- Alan Maples

NYCRRson · **Joined:** Fri Aug 20, 2010 8:25 pm **Posts:** 512

"Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum:

Our Plymouth Model BL is stored serviceable inside our shop building:

http://www.rgvrrm.org/about/railroad/rgv01/

-otto-"

The Plymouth Model BL-2 at the RGVRRM is not "serviceable".

I was the project foreman at that museum in charge of restoring that Plymouth BL-2.

It's OFFICIAL status as determined by the project foreman is OUT OF SERVICE pending completion of restoration.

It has moveable engine compartment doors with no safe means of securing them from moving (no latches on the doors).

It also has an incomplete engine lubrication system with no means of monitoring oil pressure during the operation of the Buda Gasoline Engine which could allow a destructive and undetected drop in oil pressure leading to the destruction of the original 1920's engine.

The brakes are not properly adjusted for maximum effectiveness.

It has no air brake equipment precluding it's movement in any "modern" train with out a rider onboard to apply the single manual brake system. It does not have any "pass through" air brake piping to allow it to move in the "middle" of any modern train.

It does not have any fire extinguisher equipment on board, and everybody knows that a locomotive cannot be considered "serviceable" without a current fire extinguisher onboard. Even more important with a gasoline fueled unit.

The wheel profiles are horribly worn, unsafe and totally dangerous leading to easily splitting a switch point or derailing on a switch frog.

And it has no exterior lighting (headlights, or running lights) to enable safe operation under low lighting conditions.

A formal operational manual instructing crews in the proper and safe operation of that unique locomotive is also incomplete and no volunteers at that museum are currently qualified to safely operate it.

That locomotive has a cast iron frame that is totally incompatible with modern steel framed railroad equipment. In fact the "front end" of the frame of that loco was "snapped off" way back in the 40's/50's and was replaced with a steel weldment.

Otto is not qualified to make any statements about the condition of the Plymouth BL-2 (coming up on 100 years old in the Fall of 2020).

Otto is not the Chief Mechanical Officer at that museum, not in charge of the Motive Power Department, has no Mechanical Engineering training and is not the project foreman for an incomplete restoration project.

Phil Raynes · **Posted:** Thu Nov 21, 2019 9:36 pm

The ET&WNC 3' gauge operation in the Doe River Gorge uses an 8 ton Plymouth regauged from 42" gauge. It has a Caterpillar 3304 4-cylinder diesel, and a hydraulic drive. It is in use to pull two passenger cars up the gorge on a regular basis (most Saturdays during the summer, plus many other occasions, & can be chartered).

The Clarenville Museum in Newfoundland has two ex-Newfoundland Hardwoods Plymouths, #31 & #32 (I think they are 32 tons, but that may be wrong). #31 is operable on about 200 feet of 42" gauge track.

The East Broad Top has the M-4 & M-6, both 3' gauge Plymouths & both operable, although the M-6 is the one they usually use to move equipment. The M5A/M5B (along with 28A & 29B, all 42 tons each unit) were sold a number of years ago when the M-7 (GE 55 ton center cab) & sisters arrived.