LA&L Railroad Recives $12.6 Million Dollar Grant to Upgrade

cood101 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:18 am **Posts:** 198

The Livonia Avon and Lakeville Railroad has received $12.6 million in federal funds to upgrade and replace their nearly all-Alco roster.

Known as one of the last strongholds for Alco/MLW diesel power in daily service, this intended replacement may eliminate many unique or sole survivor locomotives if new homes cannot be found. The last New Haven C425, RDG/EL/D&H C424m rebuilds, the sole PRR C424, and the 4 remaining C430s are some of the power this railroad and its sister railroads have hold of.

I know everything cannot be saved, and I would not expect it. I figured getting word out about it though may get the ball rolling if any organizations would be interested in anything still extant. The full article will be posted below.

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/roche ... ahfPXdRRb8

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

Discussed in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47627
Unfortunately those units will likely have holes cut in their blocks.

R.L.Kennedy · **Joined:** Mon Jan 12, 2009 9:37 pm **Posts:** 242

Besides the 6 road units to be replaced (with what?) are there other units (yard) still on
roster?

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 363

They also have one of the Long Island Rail Road high hood C420s and the last surviving NKP RS-36. I believe the C430s are safe for the immediate future, since they're over on the WNY&P. But the WNY&P is unloading all their 6-axle Alco/MLWs, and they sold off the ex-D&H RS-3u they had, so I'm wondering if the WNY&P 4-axle Alcos are also living on borrowed time.

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 363

R.L.Kennedy wrote:

Besides the 6 road units to be replaced (with what?) are there other units (yard) still on
roster?

The 6-axle stuff was over on subsidiary WNY&P was replaced with GE AC6000CWs several years ago. They parked the M636s and M630 when the GEs showed up and now are sending most of those off to Delaware-Lackawanna. The M630 is reportedly being donated to a historical society as a display piece.

midwest fred · **Joined:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 3:11 pm **Posts:** 59

The LI C420 will be safe one way or another.

Fred

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Wed Nov 08, 2023 2:12 am

Now has the LA&L actually identified which locomotives are getting the axe here? Other than just Alcos? That grant is for six locomotives and their roster has a fair bit more than six

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

daylight4449 wrote:

Now has the LA&L actually identified which locomotives are getting the axe here? Other than just Alcos? That grant is for six locomotives and their roster has a fair bit more than six

I wonder if someone could pick up some unloved units destined for scrap, like all those C30-7s NRE scrapped a few years back, from someone like NRE or LTE, and then use those units as trade-in fodder, instead of units valued for preservation like Alcos?

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 363

midwest fred wrote:

The LI C420 will be safe one way or another.

Fred

I was thinking along the lines of, even if they are rendered inoperable, some of them could certainly find homes at certain museums that are entirely static anyways. Not saying that these museums are in the market or interested, but if, say Mad River & NKP Railroad Museum in Bellevue wanted that last NKP RS-36, it wouldn't matter to them that it'll never run again. Same with if RRMoPA wanted the #319 (ex-PRR #2415, the only PRR C424 and before that an RS-27 demonstrator) or any of the C424ms (they did belong to Reading and EL and were rebuilt at Hornell, PA to operate on the D&H, all of which are relevant to Pennsylvania)

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

Quote:

they did belong to Reading and EL and were rebuilt at Hornell, PA

I just checked the map and Hornell, NY is still in NY. Not finding a heavy railroad loco rebuilt facility in Hornell, PA, not even finding a Hornell, PA.

They where Reading and EL units so the RRMoPA might be interested just in case they ever run out of other stuff to restore.

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 363

NYCRRson wrote:

Quote:

they did belong to Reading and EL and were rebuilt at Hornell, PA

I just checked the map and Hornell, NY is still in NY. Not finding a heavy railroad loco rebuilt facility in Hornell, PA, not even finding a Hornell, PA.

Whoops, good catch. Not sure why I was thinking Hornell was in PA

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

Quote:

Whoops, good catch. Not sure why I was thinking Hornell was in PA

Cheers, everybody gets PA and NY mixed up once in a while.

There is actually a "Philadelphia" in New York State... And a Rome, Cairo, Egypt, Berlin and Greece ...

midwest fred · **Joined:** Sat Jul 26, 2008 3:11 pm **Posts:** 59

My understanding is the excess units will not be rendered inoperable. The LAL will pick which units they want to keep for whatever specific purpose and excess the others. If somebody like RRMPA or other groups have a specific unit in mind they ought to be thinking in terms of what the commercial value is of the locomotives, and that is probably the starting point for discussions on purchase. The Alcos will likely be around through all of 2024 before the new power shows up. They are well maintained 4 axle road units. My guess is $100k a unit for a 424/425/430

NJDixon · **Joined:** Mon Dec 06, 2021 4:36 pm **Posts:** 363

Saw on social media where the #319, the PRR's sole C424 and originally an RS-27 demonstrator, was reduced to metal chunks. Reports also say that the #418, the last surviving NKP RS-36, was also torched at the same time. And the LA&L also cut up an S-4 on the Ontario Midland last week.