All aboard: Restored locomotive returning to rails in Scranton eyed for passenger excursions

Jim Lockwood, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·4 min read
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Mar. 3—An old diesel locomotive nicknamed "Nickel Plate 190," which last rolled on rails in Lackawanna County over four decades ago, will return to Scranton for restoration for potential passenger excursions.

Genesee Valley Transportation Co., the parent company of the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad in Scranton, bought the 74-year-old locomotive from a railways preservationist for an undisclosed amount, GVT announced Wednesday.

Currently at a museum in Oregon, the locomotive will be transported by rail in coming weeks to Delaware-Lackawanna's engine house in Green Ridge called the Von Storch Locomotive Shops. Here, mechanics will determine what's needed to return the locomotive to service for passenger excursions and events.

Built in 1948, the locomotive had several prior names. It began as the Sante Fe 62L, pulling passenger trains for two decades. The Delaware & Hudson Railroad bought it, renamed it No. 18 and used it for passenger, excursion and business trips throughout the Northeastern United States.

"The 18" made numerous trips through the mid-1970s over the D&H's Scranton-Carbondale rail line, now operated by the Delaware-Lackawanna on behalf of the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority. It also had a brief stint in freight service on the D&H and other passenger and commuter services elsewhere in the Northeast, before going into service in Mexico.

Rails preservationist Doyle McCormack worked with the Mexican and U.S. governments and the Smithsonian Institution to get The 18 and a sister locomotive — both only empty shells at that time — returned to the United States in 2000.

McCormack restored The 18's mechanical functions and aesthetic elements and renamed it "Nickel Plate 190," an homage to the first locomotive McCormack rode in as a boy in Ohio, on the Nickel Plate Railroad. The Nickel Plate Road operated in several states, NY, PA, Illinois, etc. "It's been a long road and a remarkable story for this locomotive," McCormack said in the GVT announcement.

Calling the locomotive and its potential uses a "blank canvas," GVT Vice President of Strategic Planning Charlie Monte Verde said he does not want to create unreasonable expectations for the engine, but expressed confidence it will have a bright future.

"This will be our pride and joy," Monte Verde said. "Our first step is to get it into our shop to see what it needs to get it to became a full-time runner again. It's pretty close."

The return of the locomotive to NEPA represents a significant development in rails in the region, others said.

"It is historic to the area. I'm excited that it's coming back home here," said Norman Barrett, president of the nonprofit rails advocate Iron Horse Society.

Even if the locomotive only ends up as a showpiece, it will still be a big attraction.

"Whether it's put on display or in operation, Nickel Plate 190 will serve as a significant tourism draw for Scranton and all of Northeastern Pennsylvania," U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-8, Moosic, said in the announcement. "In addition to boosting our local economy, this significant vestige of Pennsylvania history will remind us of our nation's industrial past while serving as a beacon for the return of passenger rail service to our region."

Meanwhile, a plan to restore passenger rail service between Scranton and New York City through the Poconos and New Jersey chugs along at the federal and state levels.

Additionally, the Reading & Northern Railroad recently announced summer weekend passenger excursions from Pittston to Jim Thorpe. By Wednesday, the railroad sold over 600 tickets for the inaugural ride set for May 27.

"If you look anywhere else in the U.S., the Midwest to the West, passenger rail is really booming. We've been so far behind the eight ball here in NEPA," Barrett said.

Monte Verde said a new, modern era of passenger and excursion rails is underway, fueled by a new generation of enthusiasts, volunteers, museums, nonprofit organizations, wineries, breweries and events like "A Day Out with Thomas the Tank Engine."

"I would say we're seeing kind of a renaissance," Monte Verde said. "We're seeing a lot of creative stuff and thinking outside of the box."

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter.