Historic Bath & Hammondsport Alco Preserved by R&GV Railroad Museum!

Thanks to the combined efforts of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency (SCIDA), and the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad (LA&L), a historic 75-year-old diesel locomotive from the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad (B&H) will be brought to the museum to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Built as New York Central 872 in March 1950 by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in Schenectady, N.Y., the 660-horsepower diesel switcher is one of 71 Alco S-1 units built for the railroad. It was reassigned to the freight car manufacturing and repair facility known as Despatch Shops in East Rochester, N.Y., in January 1965, where it was renumbered 5. After the shops closed in 1970, the locomotive was sold to Steuben County for operation on the B&H.

The Bath & Hammondsport Railroad can trace its roots back to 1872, connecting Hammondsport at the south end of Keuka Lake with the Erie Railroad and Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad at Bath. By 1903, B&H had come under control of the Erie Railroad, until a major flood in 1935 caused significant damage, ending service. Local businessmen purchased the railroad, made repairs, and resumed service in 1936. Thanks to the agreeable climate, a robust wine industry developed around the Finger Lakes, and many wineries were customers of the B&H, nicknamed “The Champagne Trail.” In 1976, B&H expanded when they became the operator of SCIDA-owned track between Bath and Wayland. In 1996, the county named Livonia, Avon & Lakeville as the new operator of the combined B&H lines, which included a 2001 expansion from Bath to a connection with Norfolk Southern at Painted Post.

As freight traffic increased on the B&H under LA&L in recent years, more powerful diesel locomotives were required, and No. 5 was set aside. Designated as surplus by LA&L, the locomotive was identified as a good candidate for preservation. Buffalo, USA Foundation’s Flour-by-Rail Legacy Project presented the opportunity to acquire B&H 5 to R&GV, and the museum negotiated with SCIDA to purchase the locomotive in February 2025.

“We are excited to preserve this historic diesel locomotive and return it to Rochester,” said R&GV Museum vice president Jackson Glozer. “Besides helping preserve the history of Bath & Hammondsport Railroad, this diesel also worked locally at Despatch Shops in East Rochester, replacing a steam locomotive of the same number which we also just added to our collection a few years ago.”

“The Steuben County IDA is pleased to be working with our partners at the Livonia Avon & Lakeville Railroad and the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum to preserve this important piece of local railroad history. Engine 5 helped transport goods throughout the region playing a vital role in supporting our economy and the efforts of the railroad museum will help educate the public on the role the railroad has and will continue to play in our business development activities.” said Jamie Johnson, executive director of the Steuben County IDA.

The locomotive is currently stored on private property, not accessible to the public. We look forward to moving B&H 5 to the museum later this year, and we are soliciting donations to help offset the cost of transportation. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-move-bh ... oad-museum

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