Welcoming the Little Engine That Can

The Coilebrookdale Railroad's newest engine arrives at the rail yard in Boyertown.

The delivery truck lines up with the track to discharge
its locomotive cargo.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the folks at the Colebrookdale Railroad.

The historic Colebrookdale Railroad's Secret Valley line has recently welcomed a new arrival:  a pint-sized little locomotive.  

The locomotive, known as the "Plymouth," was built by the Plymouth Locomotive Works of Plymouth, Ohio, in 1964.   

Plymouth was one of the world's most prolific builders of small industrial locomotives, with over 7,500 constructed.

The Plymouth safely nested onto the tracks.

While most Plymouth locomotives were very small by comparison to today's modern diesels--nearly all of them weighed 25 tons or less--the Colebrookdale's new acquisition tips the scale at 30 tons.  

"It's just a little baby engine, but it will pull more than you might expect," said Nathaniel Guest, President of the Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust non-profit.  

"We'll use it to shift cars in our yard and to do occasional jaunts down the line," he said.  

Wildlife, like these wild turkeys, is plentiful
along the Secret Valley Line.

The Trust has been leading the effort to restore the Civil War-era Colebrookdale Railroad linking Pottstown and Boyertown and plans to haul both freight and tourist passenger trains starting in the fall.

The locomotive was donated to the Trust by NRG Energy, Inc, of Princeton, New Jersey, operators of the now-decommissioned Titus Generating Station. 

The Plymouth served as Titus's primary shifting locomotive for many years.

"We are very happy the Plymouth will have a good home here," said Guest.  

"We know it will have a great retirement career hauling tourists," he said.  "I suspect little kinds will find it just their size."

Here is a video from the railroad's weekly video show highlighting the Plymouth's arrival.





Support the Trust's efforts to revitalize the Colebrookdale and its communities by joining as a member at www.colebrookdalerailroad.com