CHQ Rails

First chase of the new year, as NS 1230 “Birmingham” led NS 315 on the former Nickel Plate!

Landmark Leader on NS 315 Follow me on Instagram! me on Flickr! Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/chqrailsFirst outing of 2026 would bring me to nort...

NS C6R (C64) today from Conneaut to Perry and back!

Last Friday was a bittersweet day chasing SIBF, with ADIX 431 and 432 heading to their new home. It was, however, a great chase.

Ex-WNYP ALCOs on SIBF Follow me on Instagram! me on Flickr! Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/chqrailsEarlier this summer, WNYP sold ALCO C430 #4...

Full coverage from Friday’s SIBF Chase from Salamanca to Buffalo.

Some fun in central Ohio on Saturday!

Aaaaand there it is

The Adirondack Railroad has acquired two additional Alco C-430 locomotives from the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, just months after purchasing another Century from the short line. The acquisition gives the Adirondack three of the five remaining C-430 locomotives.

Locomotives 431 and 432 were built in December 1967 for the New York Central as their 2053 and 2054. The engines later ended up on Penn Central, Conrail, and the Morristown & Erie, before going to the WNYP. The third C-430, No. 430, arrived on the Adirondack earlier this year. Adirondack Railway Preservation Society President Luke Irvine said that the nonprofit (which operates the Adirondack Railroad) has been looking for higher horsepower locomotives, especially since expanding toward Tupper Lake, N.Y., a few years ago. The Adirondack operates on 100 miles of former NYC trackage, meaning all three Alcos will be right at home — in fact, Alco tested the C430s on the same line prior to their introduction in 1966. The Adirondack has a fleet of Alco and Montreal Locomotive Works engines, including C424s and RS18us.

“The line to Tupper Lake is mountainous,” Irvine said of the need for high-horsepower units. “And the C-430s were probably the zenith of Alco power.”

Irvine said the two units were expected to arrive on the Adirondack in the next few weeks. The acquisition of the three C-430s by the tourist railroad this year leaves just one other, locomotive 433, in regular freight service.

—Photo by Otto Vondrak

The crews named them Mary Kate and Ashley. The railfans called them the Red Dragons.

Of WNYP’s roster of ALCOs, 431 and 432 were my stand out favorites of the bunch. Especially when paired up, as both units have kept their patched Morristown & Erie appearance through their entire career on the WNYP.

While it is unfortunate to see the last two operable C430s on the WNYP leave, it’s good to know they’ll be joining sister unit 430 on home rails in upstate New York. Maybe they’ll be painted, we’ll see. But I look forward to shooting them in their new home soon.

Finally got around to seeing the WNYP GP15-1s in service, seen on OL-2 on Tuesday as they brought 51 cars to interchange to the B&P at Salamanca.

Sunday we chased PO74 up to Pocono Summit, and had the bonus of a Steamtown qualifying move at Moscow. We stopped in Olean on the way home to get some shots of the power sitting outside.

Saturday we would watch DL-40 leave Scranton, but opted to stay in Scranton to watch DL-3 run to Taylor and back. We returned in the evening to do some night shots of the power around Bridge 60.