Fundraiser aims to move, restore last L&NE diesel locomotive NEWSWIRE

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Lehigh & New England Railroad Preservation Society, in collaboration with the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, have launched an online fundraising campaign to transport and restore Lehigh & New England Alco S2 No. 611, the only remaining diesel locomotive of the northeastern fallen flag. L&NE No. 611 has been sidelined, but maintained serviceable at agrain elevator in Emporia, Ind., for the past 15 years.

Now, historians and preservationists hope to return the locomotive to eastern Pennsylvania for restoration at the Allentown & Auburn Railroad shops in Topton. The locomotive is fully operational, suffering only from a ground fault issue and many years of external neglect.

“The locomotive was purchased from its Indiana owner at $35,000 and we estimate an additional transport expense of about $60,000 from Indiana to Allentown,” says Kermit Geary Jr., one of the historians supporting L&NE No. 611’s restoration. “Once at Allentown, we project an additional $8,000 to $10,000 in painting, preparation, and additional evaluation.”

After the Central Railroad of New Jersey took over segments of the L&NE and the rest of the line was abandoned in the early 1960s, the remaining Alco diesel locomotives were sold, with No. 611 and several others transported to Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Mich., in the 1960s. Years later, the locomotive was donated to the Toledo, Lake Erie & Western Railway and Museum for use on its Waterville, Ohio-based tourist line. During this time, many of the L&NE’s original diesel fleet was scrapped. An Indiana-based harvest corporation eventually purchased No. 611 where it served as the facility’s switcher until 2008, when it was replaced with an EMD four-axle locomotive. Today, the facility still maintains No. 611, starting the locomotive up on a regular basis to ensure it’s still operational.

L&NE No. 611 is one of two remaining locomotives part of the original Lehigh & New England Railroad and the only diesel locomotive. L&NE 0-6-0 No. 207 is on display at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill.

For more information on L&NE No. 611’s transport and restoration efforts or to donate, visit the locomotive’s Facebook support page online at www.facebook.com/lne611.

For more stories like this, check out our special “Locomotives” page, powered by Locomotive magazine!