O&W Steam Locomotives on the M&U by Peter Brill (2024)

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

In summary, 56 locomotives representing 13 classesof O&W steam power were rented by the M&U according tothe available documents which cover a substantial portion of thesteam era on the M&U. In all probability this list is incompleteespecially in its coverage of the M&U's initial decade ofoperation. These 56 locomotives represent approximately 30% ofthe 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, Y2and the purchased Delaware and Hudson engine. Whether the M&Uis unique in its extensive use of rented power from its friendlyClass 1 connection is unknown. Similar examples of independentshortlines without their own shops and located so close to thehome shops of a connecting Class 1 railroad, at least among theanthracite railroads, do not come to mind. The sheer number ofdifferent O&W engines rented dwarfs the size of the M&U'sall-time steam roster. In addition, other classes of O&W powernot rented by the M&U visited to work the freight interchangebetween the two roads.

All the O&W's E Class steamers saw serviceon the M&U. Sixteen of the 17 engines in Classes U and U-lalso 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 wasa factor is unknown. 249 figured in a "reverse rental situation"on June 28, 1928 when the M&U rented an acetylene torch tothe O&W for the purpose of cutting off a tire on the 249 atthe M&U water tank. The drive tire had come off at East MainStreet as 249 was proceeding with Train Number 4, the EastboundMountaineer.

The rental engines were of both conventionaland camelback configuration and there was not a trailing truckto be found in the four wheel arrangements; 4-4-0, 4-6-0, 2-6-0and 2-8-0. There was a greater diversity of rental power in theearlier years which reflected the O&W's retirement of entireclasses of power in later years. Classes E, U, U-l and V dominatedrental 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 anyunits rostered by the M&U by over 30,000 lbs. until the arrivalof 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 engineswith a T/E of 31,600 lbs. and along with the class U-l far exceededall M&U engines but #5 which boasted 32,860 lbs. T/E. TheNYS&W Decapods, however, were far more powerful with a T/Erating of 51,500 Ibs.. In deference to the lighter rail and bridgesof the M&U and the relatively low train tonnages, none ofthe O&W's larger Consolidations such as the P or W Class wererented and certainly not the Bullmooses or Mountains which wouldcertainly have made their presence known immediately on the roadbedand bridges of the M&U.

Most rentals lasted a day or two as the M&Uengine received a boiler wash or light repairs at the O&Wshops. O&W engines were rented for other reasons as well.A work train to load rail might warrant an extra engine to coverthe assignment. Derailments and mishaps would sometimes disablean M&U engine. On November 27, 1927 O&W #30 was rentedto help rerail M&U # 2 and two milk cars at Johnson on theHill Track behind Bordens. Several longer rental periods occurredwhen the M&U retired a locomotive. Between March 26, 1940when 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 rentedO&W engines. M&U #7 was retired April 23, 1944 with acracked flue sheet and the M&U thereafter rented O&W powerthrough July 16, 1945. Class E # 225 was the last O&W locomotiveto work on the M&U. During this period, Class U # 255 andClass U-l # 244 each worked over one solid month. The M&Usubsequently relied on a succession of leased NYS&W, formerErie, 2-10-0 Decapods from July 22, 1945 through April 19, 1946when M&U GE 44 tonner # 1 ushered in the Diesel Age on theM&U.

Severe winterconditions sometimes forced the M&U to rent power from theO&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 historyoccurred in January of 1927 when the severity of the driftingsnow occasioned the rental of O&W # 24 on January 16th tofree M&U # 3 snowbound east of the cheese factory in SlateHill. No. 24 was returned to the O&W later that day with burnedout grates. Erie # 874 was also rented that same day to coverTrains # 13 and 14. O&W # 186 was rented January 17 and 18along with an O&W crew and NYS&W # 96 was also rentedfor the same two days to protect the milk traffic.

In addition to the monthlong rentals of 255and 244 in 1944, # 21 enjoyed a notably long rental period fromSeptember 24, 1923 until December 20, 1923. No. 271 distinguishedherself on the M&U from July 30, 1933 through August 15, 1933during which time she derailed on the wye at Unionville on August11 and derailed again on the Hill Track at Johnson on August 13.She, however, must take a backseat to the 158 which derailed 7times on the M&U between December 28, 1921 and August 8, 1922at various locations including Middletown, Pounds, Waterloo, Westtownand Unionville!

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

Published photographs of O&W power workingon the M&U are not common. Page 95 of

Other O&W engines visited the M&U inthe service of the O&W to work the freight interchange betweenthe two railroads. This duty included classes of power not rentedby 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 throughthe 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 EastMain Street. The 460 came down the lead to the M&U yard andhit the 310's train, wrecking four cars. Both the O&W andErie "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 carson 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, andwestbound Milk Train # 9 arrived in Middletown via a detour overthe Erie because of an O&W wreck on the West Shore the priorday. Both trains backed down the M&U crossover to regain O&Wrails westward. This situation may have been repeated on August17, 1946, when Train # 4, the eastbound Mountaineer, with a light400 Class Mountain, derailed near Rock Tavern Station and thisoccasioned the detour of Train # 3, the westbound Mountaineerbehind a W-2 Class 2-8-0, via the Erie to Middletown.

The M&U ultimately rostered two former O&Wlocomotives. 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 fromits purchase on July 30, 1917 until its sale on September 26,1917. Indeed, some of the O&W rental locomotives spent moretime on the M&U. The M&U's other former O&W locomotivewas a former rental locomotive and so the M&U was alreadyfamiliar with O&W #24, a Class A 4-4-0 built by Cooke, whichbecame M&U # 6 when acquired on July 24, 1935. M&U # 6would be sold on July 1, 1940 but leased O&W steam power wouldcontinue its presence on the M&U for another five years.

The M&U's successor, the M&NJ wouldalso use O&W steam power and severe winter weather, whichon occasion had forced the M&U to rent O&W power, wasagain the cause. On January 29, 1948, the M&NJ borrowed snowplow SP-4 and flanger R-70 from the O&W at 9:20AM and dispatchedWork Extra 1 at 9:50AM to work east and open up the line. WorkExtra 1 consisted of GE Diesel 44 tonner # 1 and the snow plow.The plow derailed twice east of Washington Street and the M&NJdecided the # 1 did not have enough power to push the plow. Acall to the O&W resulted in the M&NJ borrowing W Class2-8-0 #320 at 12:05PM. Extra 320 was dispatched east at 12:16with both snow plow SP-4 and flanger R-70. Extra 320 reached M&UJct. at 3:17PM, departed M&U Jct. at 6:55PM and returned toMiddletown at 10:10PM. The 0&W Class W locomotives weighed206,000 pounds and exerted a tractive effort of 45,400 pounds.Thus, it is likely that # 320 was the heaviest steam locomotiveever to run the length of the M&U/M&NJ as she exceededthe weight of an NYS&W Decapod by 8,000 pounds although theDecapod had a much greater tractive effort of 51,500 pounds.

The long lasting maintenance agreement withthe O&W would eventually bring O&W GE 44 ton diesels tothe 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

Eastern Steam Pictorial - PennypackerThe Final Years, New York, Ontario & Western Ry - Krause& Crist

O&W, The long life and slow death ofthe 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,

"M&U Nos. 7 and 51: A short prototype history",Dec. 1989,

M&U/M&NJ Locomotive Roster, Vol. 1 No. 2,

M&U Train Lists and General Manager's Diaries - Courtesy PierreT. Rasmussen

M&U Train Register, General Manager's Diaries, O&W MechanicalDepartment Records, M&U listing of locomotives used between1920-1945 and M&NJ Daily Train Reports - Courtesy Ray andAudrey Brown

This is a revised and expanded version of the article "O&WSteam on the Middletown and Unionville" that appeared inVolume 1, Number 3 of the Newsletter of the Middletown and NewJersey Railway Historical Society.

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