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Century-old railroad engine finds new home in Madrid; unveiling Tuesday

Posted 11/15/10

  MADRID – A Rutland Railway engine retired in 1951 has a new home at the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum. The last remaining piece of Rutland Railway Railroad has been saved from …

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Century-old railroad engine finds new home in Madrid; unveiling Tuesday

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MADRID – A Rutland Railway engine retired in 1951 has a new home at the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum.

The last remaining piece of Rutland Railway Railroad has been saved from the scrapper after being stored for many years at Riverside Reload Center near Bellows Falls, Vt.

The engine is being delivered to the Power & Equipment Museum, which is located in Madrid along the old Rutland line, now called the New York & Ogdensburg Railway.

It will be presented, at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

The old cab is in advanced stage of deterioration, and the donors feel lucky to find an organization willing to take on the project, saving her from certain destruction.

The museum will use the cab as a focal point in a new railroad history exhibit. The museum is a 501(c) (3) education corporation whose mission is to preserve the history of how people in the North Country lived and how new technologies helped shape their lives.

The Rutland Railway 100 was an 0-6-0 steam switch engine, built by Alco-Cooke in Patterson, NJ in 1907, and finally retired at Rutland VT in 1951.

In September 1952, Howard Nash purchased the rear firebox section, complete with cab and appliances, and it was trucked to his farm in North Bennington Vt. After Nash died in 1960, the cab of 100 went to the Edaville Railroad Museum at South Carver Mass.

With the closure of Edaville in the early 1990’s, the 100 returned to Bellows Falls Vt., and was abandoned and sold to be junked. Jerome M. Hebda, president of the Green Mountain Railroad Corp., rescued the 100 from the scrap dealer. The cab lay stored and almost forgotten for over 20 years waiting to be rescued and restored.

Saving the 100 was made possible by Hebda, the owner and donor; the Vermont Rail System, which provided long-term storage; Riverside Reload Center, which provided preparation and loading; Knowlton and Son Inc, delivery; New York and Ogdensburg Railway, local rail support; and Roger Austin, president of the Power & Equipment Museum.

The 100 will be accepted on behalf of the Power & Equipment Museum by Jim McGraw, ollection Management Co-Chair, and Chuck Goolden, Treasurer.