O&W Steam Locomotives on the M&U
by Peter Brill

  On December 22, 1913, just days after its December 1 startup and independence from the NYS&W, the M&U signed an agreement with the O&W for the O&W to maintain M&U locomotives, freight cars and passenger cars at the nearby O&W shops in Middletown. Provision was made for the M&U to rent replacement engines from the O&W at a rate of $10.00 per day for engines not exceeding 17,100 pounds of tractive effort, the rating of an O&W Class G 4-4-0. More powerful O&W locomotives could be rented at correspondingly higher rates. The maintenance agreement would be modified over the years but would essentially remain in effect until the closing of the O&W shops in March 1957, whereupon the M&U's successor, the M&NJ, contracted with the Erie at Port Jervis for its diesel locomotive maintenance.

   The M&U's maintenance/rental agreement with the O&W would, over the decades, bring a wide variety of smaller O&W steam power to the M&U's rails. An analysis of available M&U records shows the following O&W locomotives in service on the M&U:

(* O&W 84 and 177 listed due to derailments at Middletown and assumed to be rented by M&U .Abbreviation "CB" denotes camelback locomotive)

   In summary, 56 locomotives representing 13 classes of O&W steam power were rented by the M&U according to the available documents which cover a substantial portion of the steam era on the M&U. In all probability this list is incomplete especially in its coverage of the M&U's initial decade of operation. These 56 locomotives represent approximately 30% of the smaller locomotives on the O&W roster as of December 1, 1913 or later; ie. excluding classes P, W, W-2, X, Y, Y-l, Y2 and the purchased Delaware and Hudson engine. Whether the M&U is unique in its extensive use of rented power from its friendly Class 1 connection is unknown. Similar examples of independent shortlines without their own shops and located so close to the home shops of a connecting Class 1 railroad, at least among the anthracite railroads, do not come to mind. The sheer number of different O&W engines rented dwarfs the size of the M&U's all-time steam roster. In addition, other classes of O&W power not rented by the M&U visited to work the freight interchange between the two roads.

   All the O&W's E Class steamers saw service on the M&U. Sixteen of the 17 engines in Classes U and U-l also were rented by the M&U; the lone exception being 249. Ironically 249 was the only Dickson engine in the two classes, all the others were built by Cooke, and whether or not this was a factor is unknown. 249 figured in a "reverse rental situation" on June 28, 1928 when the M&U rented an acetylene torch to the O&W for the purpose of cutting off a tire on the 249 at the M&U water tank. The drive tire had come off at East Main Street as 249 was proceeding with Train Number 4, the Eastbound Mountaineer.

   The rental engines were of both conventional and camelback configuration and there was not a trailing truck to be found in the four wheel arrangements; 4-4-0, 4-6-0, 2-6-0 and 2-8-0. There was a greater diversity of rental power in the earlier years which reflected the O&W's retirement of entire classes of power in later years. Classes E, U, U-l and V dominated rental assignments on the M&U in the 1930's and 1940's.

   The I-1 Class 4-6-0's, weighing 192,000 Ibs., were the heaviest O&W locomotives rented and exceeded any units rostered by the M&U by over 30,000 lbs. until the arrival of the leased NYS&W Decapods which were only 5,000 lbs. heavier. Class V 2-6-OCB's were the most powerful of the rental engines with a T/E of 31,600 lbs. and along with the class U-l far exceeded all M&U engines but #5 which boasted 32,860 lbs. T/E. The NYS&W Decapods, however, were far more powerful with a T/E rating of 51,500 Ibs.. In deference to the lighter rail and bridges of the M&U and the relatively low train tonnages, none of the O&W's larger Consolidations such as the P or W Class were rented and certainly not the Bullmooses or Mountains which would certainly have made their presence known immediately on the roadbed and bridges of the M&U.

   Most rentals lasted a day or two as the M&U engine received a boiler wash or light repairs at the O&W shops. O&W engines were rented for other reasons as well. A work train to load rail might warrant an extra engine to cover the assignment. Derailments and mishaps would sometimes disable an M&U engine. On November 27, 1927 O&W #30 was rented to help rerail M&U # 2 and two milk cars at Johnson on the Hill Track behind Bordens. Several longer rental periods occurred when the M&U retired a locomotive. Between March 26, 1940 when M&U #6 made her last run and June 9, 1940 when M&U #7 made her first run, the M&U relied on a succession of rented O&W engines. M&U #7 was retired April 23, 1944 with a cracked flue sheet and the M&U thereafter rented O&W power through July 16, 1945. Class E # 225 was the last O&W locomotive to work on the M&U. During this period, Class U # 255 and Class U-l # 244 each worked over one solid month. The M&U subsequently relied on a succession of leased NYS&W, former Erie, 2-10-0 Decapods from July 22, 1945 through April 19, 1946 when M&U GE 44 tonner # 1 ushered in the Diesel Age on the M&U.

   Severe winter conditions sometimes forced the M&U to rent power from the O&W and on some occasions, an O&W crew was rented as well. At times, there could be several O&W engines on the M&U. Perhaps the highpoint of the M&U's locomotive rental history occurred in January of 1927 when the severity of the drifting snow occasioned the rental of O&W # 24 on January 16th to free M&U # 3 snowbound east of the cheese factory in Slate Hill. No. 24 was returned to the O&W later that day with burned out grates. Erie # 874 was also rented that same day to cover Trains # 13 and 14. O&W # 186 was rented January 17 and 18 along with an O&W crew and NYS&W # 96 was also rented for the same two days to protect the milk traffic.

   In addition to the monthlong rentals of 255 and 244 in 1944, # 21 enjoyed a notably long rental period from September 24, 1923 until December 20, 1923. No. 271 distinguished herself on the M&U from July 30, 1933 through August 15, 1933 during which time she derailed on the wye at Unionville on August 11 and derailed again on the Hill Track at Johnson on August 13. She, however, must take a backseat to the 158 which derailed 7 times on the M&U between December 28, 1921 and August 8, 1922 at various locations including Middletown, Pounds, Waterloo, Westtown and Unionville!

   O&W power also appeared on the M&U in wreck train service. Class S 2-8-0CB # 173 brought the O&W wreck train to Johnson on February 13, 1925 to rerail M&U # 2 which had jumped the track. Class S # 186 returned with the wreck train to Johnson on June 27, 1925 to rerail two Erie cars. Class U-l # 250 brought the wreck train down on August 19, 1934 to rerail several cars of Train # 18 east of the File Shop.

   Published photographs of O&W power working on the M&U are not common. Page 95 of THE FINAL YEARS shows U Class 2-6-0CB # 255 leaving Middletown on First Extra East with 14 cars and 807 tons on January 25, 1941. Page 73 of the August 1989 Railroad Model Craftsman shows Class 245 southbound out of Middletown in June of 1945.

   Other O&W engines visited the M&U in the service of the O&W to work the freight interchange between the two railroads. This duty included classes of power not rented by the M&U. A number of incidents stand out in this area. On November 24, 1930, O&W Class L 0-6-0CB # 50 ran through the crossover in front of the office.

   On June 25, 1932, an O&W "beef train" bound for the New Haven connection at Maybrook behind Heavy Mountain # 460, ran into an O&W crew with locomotive # 310 at East Main Street. The 460 came down the lead to the M&U yard and hit the 310's train, wrecking four cars. Both the O&W and Erie "big hooks" were called out to "commemorate" this rare outing of an O&W Mountain on the M&U. O&W # 310, a Class W 2-8-0 figured in several other notable events. She derailed on the east end of the Loop Track on September 18, 1933 and derailed east of the Sprague Avenue Bridge on July 20, 1934. On August 24, 1934, sister W Class # 320 derailed two cars on the East Main Street crossing as the O&W crew headed north.

   A genuine highlight occurred on January 28, 1936 when O&W Train # 1, the westbound Ontario Express, and westbound Milk Train # 9 arrived in Middletown via a detour over the Erie because of an O&W wreck on the West Shore the prior day. Both trains backed down the M&U crossover to regain O&W rails westward. This situation may have been repeated on August 17, 1946, when Train # 4, the eastbound Mountaineer, with a light 400 Class Mountain, derailed near Rock Tavern Station and this occasioned the detour of Train # 3, the westbound Mountaineer behind a W-2 Class 2-8-0, via the Erie to Middletown.

   The M&U ultimately rostered two former O&W locomotives. First M&U # 2 was a 2-6-0 Class M built by Rome, former O&W # 109. First M&U # 2 had a short stay from its purchase on July 30, 1917 until its sale on September 26, 1917. Indeed, some of the O&W rental locomotives spent more time on the M&U. The M&U's other former O&W locomotive was a former rental locomotive and so the M&U was already familiar with O&W #24, a Class A 4-4-0 built by Cooke, which became M&U # 6 when acquired on July 24, 1935. M&U # 6 would be sold on July 1, 1940 but leased O&W steam power would continue its presence on the M&U for another five years.

   The M&U's successor, the M&NJ would also use O&W steam power and severe winter weather, which on occasion had forced the M&U to rent O&W power, was again the cause. On January 29, 1948, the M&NJ borrowed snow plow SP-4 and flanger R-70 from the O&W at 9:20AM and dispatched Work Extra 1 at 9:50AM to work east and open up the line. Work Extra 1 consisted of GE Diesel 44 tonner # 1 and the snow plow. The plow derailed twice east of Washington Street and the M&NJ decided the # 1 did not have enough power to push the plow. A call to the O&W resulted in the M&NJ borrowing W Class 2-8-0 #320 at 12:05PM. Extra 320 was dispatched east at 12:16 with both snow plow SP-4 and flanger R-70. Extra 320 reached M&U Jct. at 3:17PM, departed M&U Jct. at 6:55PM and returned to Middletown at 10:10PM. The 0&W Class W locomotives weighed 206,000 pounds and exerted a tractive effort of 45,400 pounds. Thus, it is likely that # 320 was the heaviest steam locomotive ever to run the length of the M&U/M&NJ as she exceeded the weight of an NYS&W Decapod by 8,000 pounds although the Decapod had a much greater tractive effort of 51,500 pounds.

   The long lasting maintenance agreement with the O&W would eventually bring O&W GE 44 ton diesels to the M&NJ when the M&NJ's # 1 would be in the O&W shops. As an example, between July and November of 1950 both the O&W #101 and #105 would see service on the M&NJ. Peter Brill

Header photo: O&W U-2 4-6-0 #255 on lease to the M&U. The two tracks in the foreground are the O&W mainlines. The photgraph I beleive that is shown is taken from Washinton Ave. The
shanty in the background is on Houston Ave. Track to the left of the 255 is to M&U Coal Dock. Also the train is on a "straight" section wheres as at Houston Ave it curves through DG yard. Deserto/Barberio
Middle Photo: 255 in the snow blasting through DG yard.
Photo Below: Here is another shot of the 255 in DG yard. DG was the telegraph call letter of the M&U for Main St. station and yard in the summer of 1940. The M&U #7 is most likely in the O&W shops for repairs and the 255 will fill in until the work is complete.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Eastern Steam Pictorial - Pennypacker

The Final Years, New York, Ontario & Western Ry - Krause & Crist

Memories of O&W Power - Carleton

O&W, The long life and slow death of the New York, Ontario & Western Railway - Helmer

"Middletown & Unionville No. 6", Aug. 1989, Railroad Model Craftsman - Ray Brown

"The Middletown & Unionville/Middletown & New Jersey", Aug. 1989, Railroad Model Craftsman - D'Amato & Ankrom

"M&U Nos. 7 and 51: A short prototype history", Dec. 1989, Railroad Model Craftsman - Swanson

M&U/M&NJ Locomotive Roster, Vol. 1 No. 2, M&NJ Newsletter - Brown & Detwyler

M&U Train Lists and General Manager's Diaries - Courtesy Pierre T. Rasmussen

M&U Train Register, General Manager's Diaries, O&W Mechanical Department Records, M&U listing of locomotives used between 1920-1945 and M&NJ Daily Train Reports - Courtesy Ray and Audrey Brown

This is a revised and expanded version of the article "O&W Steam on the Middletown and Unionville" that appeared in Volume 1, Number 3 of the Newsletter of the Middletown and New Jersey Railway Historical Society.

For more information on the Middletown & Unionville, Middletown & New Jersey Railways, and the Middletown & New Jersey Railway Historical Society click here.