The RR Museum of New England has acquired former B&M RS-3 #1508 from a private owner in Michigan. This unit was one of the two steam generator equipped RS-3's swapped by the B&M to the D&H in the mid 1970's for two D&H RS-3's. In D&H service it was numbered 4075. Finishing up its D&H career it ended up at Steamtown in the early 1980's and was later sold at the Steamtown auction in 1988 to its previous owner. In the early 1990's it operated on the Western Maryland Scenic RR painted in WM colors for a couple of years. Prior to its movement to Michigan the unit was worked on at the W&LE's Brewster OH shop where the trucks were rebuilt and new motor combo's were installed. It presently is painted in a NYC cigarband style paint scheme and lettered for the Chesanning and Owosso Central RR where it operated a few times on the TSBY RR before being stored for the last four years. The unit shipped from Michigan on 7/6 and arrived intact at the RMNE's Naugatuck RR in Waterbury CT on 7/31. After some mechanical attention the 1508 will be placed into service as stand by engine for the Naugatuck RR's scenic train service

Good news. The previous owners had contacted me with their intent to restore her to B&M colors a year or so ago. RMNE will paint her D&H right? ;) At least she could have possibly taken the D&H on the way east, but it was not reported.I keep track of D&H Alcos, GEs, and Baldwins. Will make an update to the site this week:http://joshuakblay.com/dhsurvivors.htmlJoshua

I'm real curious as to who the previous "owners" might be since the RMNE purchased the unit from its sole owner. Also the RMNE stands for RR Museum of New England. Why would we even consider painting it D&H since it was built for the B&M, the B&M operated almost exclusively in New England, and the D&H's only pentetration into New England was a branch to Rutland Vt. and the few places where the Caselton Branch crossed into Vermont on its way south to Greenwich Jct. Zog

I thought it was a father/son team that were the owners. I was joking about painting the engine D&H, hence the " ;) " face. Going back under my rock now.Joshua

The 'rumor' is B&M blue with the "NR" logotype a la the 1732 GP9.

At the October 1988 Steamtown auction, 1508 was sold to Ray Kammer of Hammond, Ind. At the time, the loco was painted D&H "dip" blue and was numbered 4075. Shortly thereafter, Ray moved it to Cumberland, MD for service on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad during the mid-90s, after Allegheny Central had stopped providing the service. The loco was painted black and lettered as WM 199. In 1998, WM 199 was sent to the Brewster Shops of W&LE for new wheels and recon traction motors. It ran very little after its return to Cumberland, and was shipped to Michigan in 1999 for planned service on Ray's Chesaning Central & Owosso tourist line, painted NYC 1960s style black with "cigar band" CC&O heralds and carrying 1508 again.1508 was used in Michigan very little, and had been stored for a few years when RMNE was contacted by Ray this past spring. He had mentioned "wanting 1508 to go to you guys when I'm finished with it", a number of times, and apparently, it was now time. We came to an agreement with Ray, we raised some bucks, went to inspect 1508 in Owosso, and liked what we saw.It came back to New England (yes, Connecticut IS in New England, regardless of what some "north of Boston" people think!!) via TSBY to CSX at Howell, Mich, and CSX to New Haven, CT. Sorry, Joshua, it didn't get near the D&H except at Selkirk!In the time since Ray has owned 1508, his son has grown considerably, and is now one of the engineers on the various excursion and dinner trains Ray operates. I wonder if the intent expressed to restore 1508 to B&M colors was connected to it going to RMNE?1508's D&H career is quite apparent in the silver paint that shows through on the trucks, the "4075" stencilled in the cab, and in the steam generator stack location (reversed by Colonie Shops from the B&M layout). All of the previous striping patterns appear on the locomotive, including D&H lightning stripe and B&M bow wave styles.It is interesting that the D&H, having dieselized with well over 100 RS-2/3s (and a few dozen Alco S-switchers), is not represented with a preserved, restored D&H RS-3. There are a number of D&H RS-3s around (some in danger of becoming razor blades), and a few that were in good shape that were recently scrapped (in the past 2-4 years).1508 just arrived at RMNE this past Sunday; with our annual DOWT about to commence, the next two weeks will be "All Thomas, all the time". After we wave goodby to the little blue guy, we will start dealing with 1508. It needs some tinkering and TLC. The plan is get it running soon, possibly paint it in the spring (the 1969 B&M "dip" blue that NH 0401 mentioned), and to plan for an eventual restoration to the 1954 as-built configuration as B&M maroon and yellow 1508. And after seeing numerous internet photos of 1508 in transit on CSX with the handbrake applied (even at speed, in-consist) I'm just glad to have it in our yard, safe and in one piece!!