The Ontario Express

Summer 2017 Newsletter

SCRANTON –It’s not everyday you see a train off the tracks roaming through Scranton’s South Side.

A 1941 General Electric Diesel Locomotive is in the process of being moved from New Jersey to the Steamtown National Historic Site. Decades ago, it was used on the New York, Ontario and Western Roadway, more commonly known as the O & W.

“This was built for the O&W, the O & W used it to eliminate some steam engines. They had five of these,” said Norman Barrett, one of Steamtown’s volunteers.”I have a real passion for the O & W. When I was a young boy, the first time I was ever invited into a locomotive was an O&W . It led me to a career in railroading for 31 years.”

Crews spent Wednesday morning unloading the train engine off a flatbed and onto the tracks in Scranton.

Only two of the locomotives still exist, with the other being housed at a museum in Georgia.

The diesel engine will be housed at Steamtown. It’s being restored by its new owner, The Ontario and Western Historical Society.

Steamtown, along with the owner, hope to get the locomotive fully restored over the next couple of years and even possibly get it back into service.

“It means a lot,” commented Tim Kane of Scranton, “It means a lot to me because Scranton is a historic town, always was and always will be. We live by our past but we look to the future so that’s our anchor!”

The goal is to get the locomotive back into service at the Steamtown site in the next five years.

The O&W RHS, Inc. is a non profit organization.

Donations to help restore the Locomotive can be set to:

Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society, Inc.
PO Box 713
Middletown, NY 10940

Here is the link to the original article with the video.

2017 Event Calendar

*This will include any meeting cancellations*

All O&WRHS Meeting are held at the Mulberry House Senior Center, 62-70 West Main Street, Middletown, NY

(Map showing the Location of the Senior Center is at the Bottom of This Page)

Calendar September 2017 to February 2018

Friday September 8^th – O&WRHS Meeting Program by Erik Pioselli Time Warp to Twilight Orange County Railroads in the 1970’s images from the Russell Begg Collection Part I.

Friday September 15^th M&NJ RHS meeting, Maybrook Railroad Museum

Saturday September 16 Kingston Model RR Club will celebrate it’s 80th Anniversary (1937-2017) 12 noon to 4 pm at their club building (Behind Kingston YMCA) on 99 Susan St, Kingston, NY 12401

Sunday, Sept. 24^th Lehigh Valley Chapter NRHS 41th Annual Railroadiana and Model RR Show and Sale, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM GREAT NEW LOCATION! At the Charles Chrin Community Center 4100 Green Pond Road, Easton, PA 18045, 10am-4pm, Admission $4, under 12 free, info Jim Rowland Century430@hotmail.com610-737-3431

Friday October 6^th O&WRHS Membership Meeting Program by Robert Earle The Wallkill Valley Railroad Part 1

Saturday October 28^th Tri- States Train Show at the Port Jervis High School 10 Route 209 10 am to 4 pm

Admission $5 Children free. Call Jack Youchah at 845-651-7872 for more information. Proceeds to Benefit the Tri-States Railway Museum in Port Jervis, N.Y.

Sunday October 29^th – Kingston Show, Murphy Midtown Center, 467 Broadway, Kingston, NY, 10am to 4pm Adults $7.00 Children under 12 $2.00

Friday November 10^th M&NJ RHS meeting, Maybrook Railroad Museum

Saturday November 11^th O&WRHS Convention The Meadowbrook Lodge

Friday December 1^st Membership Program O&WRHS Meeting Program by Erik Pioselli Time Warp to Twilight Orange County Railroads in the 1970’s images from the Russell Begg Collection Part II.

Friday January 5, 2017 O&WRHS Membership Program by Doug Barberio TBA

Saturday and Sunday, January 27 & 28 – Springfield Amherst Railway Society, Big E Expo Center,

Springfield, MA, 10am to 5pm

Friday February 2^nd Membership meeting Movies by Bob Earle

For entertainment listed as “TBA” please check the O&WRHS Website http://www.nyow.org/ & The Ontario Express Blog http://ontarioexpress.org/.

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