Prototype information

• Digital Archive

• NYC Predecessors

• NYC Narrative Outline - Overview - This document presents an overview of the corporations that became the New York Central Railroad as it existed on January 31, 1968.  It shows dates of control, leasing and merger with comments on stages of operations integration.  It was prepared by Malcolm Laughlin.

• NYC Electric Locomotives

  • NYCRR Electric Freight Locomotives

  • New York Central 115 and the Story of the New York Electric Zone - Blog by Frank Hicks

• NYC Steam Locomotives:

  • NYC Class H7 Mikado Locomotives - Among the most interesting steam locomotives operated by the New York Central System were the H7 Class Mikados.  While all of these locomotives were built to a standard design, many of them acquired different tenders and a variety of appliances as they went through their careers.  The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the H7 fleet and to document the modifications made on specific locomotives.

  • NYC Class H10 2-8-2 Mikado Locomotives - The H10 class locomotive was the first result of the efforts of William E. Woodard, Vice President and Chief Engineer of the Lima Locomotive Works, to develop a more powerful and more efficient steam locomotive than those in service during the early 1920’s.  Lima’s management approached the President of the New York Central, Alfred H. Smith, to agree to test and later, if successful, purchase a locomotive incorporating Woodard’s ideas and designs.  As a result, Lima constructed, at its own expense, one locomotive, Michigan Central 8000, in May, 1922, on order L-1027.  The basic design evolved from the ten Michigan Central class H7e 2-8-2’s, built in 1920 along with 50 similar locomotives for the Big Four, that were considered to be very powerful and efficient locomotives.

  • The Kaye-Elevens (K-11s) - In the first decade of this century some of the most notable advances in American locomotive design and construction was taking place.  Almost every major railroad in the United States was in the process of ordering engines for a specific service over assigned divisions.  Naturally, the New York Central was no exception.  History proves the motive power on the New York Central always kept pace with, and often was the leader, in the industry.  Buried in the 1920 locomotive roster of over 6,000 engines were 200 that made up the K-11 class that truly deserve a belated “Well done!”  The reason why these engines were built may never be confirmed but if we take the liberty of assuming we might have a logical answer.

  • Boston & Albany A1s (Early Super Power) - The A1 Berkshire type on the Boston and Albany was a paradox.  On the one hand it proved the theory, along with the Texas and Pacific 2-10-4, of “Super Power” onAmerica’s railroads.  On the other, the New York Central did not embrace it as its next logical step in system wide freight power development.

  • The Late Mohawks - Tom Gerbracht describes and reviews the performance of the “late” Mohawks obtained by the New York Central and acquaints readers of the Central Headlight with the characteristics and the performance of these fine locomotives, which were obtained by the New York Central starting in 1940.  He also included a table of weights and dimensions of the L3’s and L4’s, which demonstrates the evolution of the Mohawk type on the Central from the late 1920’s to the final design, which was produced in 1943-44.  It was significant that there were very few 4-8-2 type locomotives built after the NYC L4b class.  By this time, many roads which required a locomotive with four driving axles had developed 4-8-4’s.

  • The Making Of A Legend - The Niagara Story

    • The Niagara Story - Part 1 - In 1945, the Equipment Engineering Department of the New York Central Railroad developed and Alco executed a locomotive design which had a marked impact on the steam locomotives to follow, and on the traditional measurements by which motive power would be evaluated.  This locomotive was so significant that its performance is still discussed by the men who design and run locomotives.  The locomotive was the New York Central class S1 4-8-4 Niagara.

    • The Niagara Story - Part 2 - There are more variables in the measurement of steam locomotive horsepower than in diesel or electric horsepower.  In the steam era, the railroads who supported the most comprehensive test programs to measure steam locomotive performance, including horsepower, were the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central.

  • Road Testing of the Niagaras - There were a few errors in the article when it was published almost 40 years ago. There is a short errata sheet at the end of the article with corrections.  Dick Dawson gave his blessing for us to put this up on the site and noted that he had significant help from Harold Crouch, Charlie Smith and Lans Vail.  It is a wonderful article and we appreciate Dick’s willingness to allow us to post it here.

  • PT Tenders - The roster charts showing the locomotives to which these PT tenders were assigned during their service lives were compiled from the NYC tender historical record cards, which, fortunately, exist these many years later and provide the information for this article.

  • High Speed Water Scoop and Locomotive Tender Design for the NYCS

  • Some Notes on the History of Water Scoops and Track Pans - From the NYCSHS Central Headlight 2nd Qtr. 1982.

  • NYC Streamlined Steam Locomotives - The NYC constructed several streamlined steam locomotives beginning in 1934.  The country was coming out of the great depression and railroads felt that they needed something to inspire interest in railroads.  The streamline locomotive and passenger cars seemed the answer.

  • NYC Triumph and Tragedy: A Streamliner’s Debut on the Day of Infamy - Still gloriously attired after the trying years of World War II, J-3a 5426 lays down a magnificent trail of winter exhaust as she leads Train 50, the eastbound Empire State Express at Hudson, New York on March 3, 1947. (Collection of Harold K. Vollrath/NYCSHS Collection)​

  • ​NYC Steam Locomotive Roster (Excel format) - A NYC steam roster that can be sorted and filtered.  NOTE: MS Excel is required for viewing document.

  • NYC Steam Locomotive Roster - Dec 1955

  • NYC Steam Locomotive Postwar Renumbering - Feb 1956

• NYC Diesel Locomotives - On May 3, 1957 the New York Central announced the complete dieselization of all train operations in the NYCS system.  From that point on only diesels ran on the NYCS.  Six "compilation" issues were run in the NYCSHS Central Headlight between 1975 and 1977 and provide an excellent overview of all of the NYCS diesels.  They, along with other informative articles, are presented here for your research and enjoyment.

  • Central Headlight - Diesel Roster Issue 1 - 2nd Qtr '75

    • Alco-GE-McI&S

    • Alco-GE-IR

    • Alco HH600, S1, S3

    • DES-A

    • DES-1 (GE 70-ton)

    • EMC SC, SW1

  • Central Headlight - Diesel Roster Issue 2 - 4th Qtr '75

    • Alco S2, S4

    • Baldwin DS-4-4-6, DS-4-4-10, S-12

    • EMD NW2, SW7, SW8, SW9, SW900, SW1500

    • FM H10-44, H12-44

    • Harmon DHT-1

    • Lima-Hamilton 800HP, LH1200

  • Central Headlight - Diesel Roster Issue 3 - 2nd Qtr '76

    • Alco FA-FB

    • Baldwin DR-4-4-15, RF-16 (Shark nose)

    • EMD FTA-FTB, F2, F3A-F3B, F7A-F7B

    • FM "Erie Built" (C-liner), CFA-20-4, CFB-20-4

    • Harmon DHT-2

  • Central Headlight - Diesel Roster Issue 4 - 4th Qtr '76

    • Alco PA-PB

    • Baldwin DR-6-4-15, RP-210

    • EMD F3A-B, E7A-B, E8A-B

    • FM CFA-CFB-16-4, FM "Erie Built" (2000HP), CPA-CPB-24-4, H20-44

  • Central Headlight - Diesel Roster Issue 5 - 2nd Qtr '77

    • Alco RS-1, RS-2, RS-3, RS-11, RS-32

    • Baldwin RS-4-4-15, RS-12

    • EMD GP-7, GP-9, GP-20, GP-30, GP-35, GP-40

    • FM H16-44

    • GE U25

    • Lima-Hamilton RS

  • Central Headlight - Diesel Roster Issue 6 - 4th Qtr '77

    • Alco C-430

    • GE U-28, U-30

  • Central Headlight - FM Diesel Roster - Feb '73

  • Central Headlight - Baldwin Diesels

  • Central Headlight - NYCS Diesel Classification Guide

  • NYC EMD E-Units - You will find two articles on the NYC EMD E-Units in this section.  The NYC ordered the first four of these in 1945.  The NYC eventually acquired a total of 28 E7A units, 22 E7B units, and 60 E8A units.  These two articles were published in the Central Headlight 2nd Qtr. and 3rd Qtr. 2007.

    • The Beauty Queens - Part 1

    • The Beauty Queens - Part 2

  • NYC Diesel Locomotive Roster (Excel format) - A NYC diesel roster that can be sorted and filtered.  NOTE: MS Excel is required for viewing document.

• NYCS Locomotive Roster, 1940 - The May through August 1940 issues of Railroad Magazine contained installments of the New York Central System locomotive roster, listing all locomotives alphabetically by class. (Early diesel locomotives, called “oil electric” in the roster, were classed DE or DEs.)  The roster was checked by Paul Kiefer, the NYC’s Chief Engineer of Motive Power.  He was unable to check the third installment before publication, but corrections to it are listed at the end of the fourth installment and have been applied to the digital version presented here.  This roster was published before construction of the L3 and L4 Mohawks (4-8-2), the S1 and S2 Niagaras (4-8-4) and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie U3L 0-8-0 switchers and A2 Berkshires (2-8-4).  In the interest of completeness, these classes are presented below as they would have appeared in such a roster.

• A Complete Listing of Locomotives Assigned to Trains 8 and 21 - August 14, 1950 to Augest 16, 1951

• The NYC Oval: Its Evolution and Applications - The New York Central Oval, reportedly suggested by an employee in about 1904, underwent a series of minor changes during its use until the major design in 1958 when the colored one was designed for use on the “New” jade green cars.  This article covers the period up to this change.  The original herald had Roman capital letters and was designed in five sizes for the “New York Central Lines” and used as follows on revenue service cars.  It was, of course, used on other equipment, bridges, and as the official company logo.

  • The NYC Oval - Part 1

  • The NYC Oval - Part 2

  • Additional comments on the Oval:

    • Tom Gerbracht, NYCSHS Director:"The 'Oval' on NYC J-3 Hudsons below the headlight was 'deep blue', and ‘black' in later years. The oval on Dreyfuss Hudsons was 'deep blue'. The ONLY Hudsons with red ovals were the two Empire State Express engines, J-3 5426 and 5429.  All first generation diesels, E’s, F’s, Alco and F-M cabs, etc had red painted ovals. I believe that the NYC GREY passenger F-3’s had cast red oval plates on the nose. (We have one of these at the lockers.)  On most NYC ovals, the lettering was white and the 'background color' within the oval was the same color as the surface it was stenciled on. For example, on cabooses, the background color was the color of the caboose.  I am aware that some Pacemaker box cars had an oval with a black background.  There is no drawing, or if we have one we have not scanned it, for the oval for the Mercury Pacifics, 4915 and 4917. I am aware that former prez Lans Vail worked with Mort Mann of Sunset models and provided the tech info for the O scale Mercury Pacific and the cars. We have elevation drawings for the Mercury cars, and there is no red color used. Colors used include gray lacquer, aluminum lacquer, aluminum scratch brush lacquer, Paladium leaf edge black line, black paint, and gray roof paint.  I have seen an image of a Mercury streamlined Pacific in one of the NYC color books, perhaps one of Dave Sweetland’s?  As info, the passenger car drawings are grouped by type of car - i.e. head end cars, coaches, Pullmans, Observation cars, etc. This was done to be most beneficial to a modeler and also to avoid doing custom sorts, and to offer each file as complete as possible at a nominal cost. This has been the arrangement since the program’s inception.  We no longer have, or we have and have not digitized drawing SK-V-4539.  Hope this is helpful."

    • Dave Staplin, NYCSHS Modelers Committee:"[I f]ound a reference to the color used on the cast oval plates used on the Pacemaker rebuilt passenger cars.  This was in a tack board correction made by Lanse Vail back in the early 90s and his research shows the background color to be 'Aurora Red', DuPont 88-363-R. It was called out in a drawing, SK-V-4539."​

• The NYCS Motor Cars - Build new in 1906 by Barney & Smith Company, as a passenger and baggage combine, No. 107, NYC, Motor Car M-8 begins a new life after rebuilding at the West Albany, NY shops in 1928 as a motor car.  This is just one of the many motor cars owned and operated by the NYCS.

• NYC Freight cars:

  • USRA Design Hopper Cars - During the period of federal control of the American railroads during and immediately following World War I, from January 1, 1918 to March 1, 1920, the United States Railroad Administration acquired a total of 93,400 standardized freight cars.  These were distributed to the various railroad properties as required to alleviate equipment shortages brought about by the wartime traffic demands.  This included about 3,000 hopper cars for the NYCS.

  • 70-Ton Hopper Cars of the New York Central - From 1917 to 1961 the New York Central and subsidiary roads acquired a total of 37,947 open-top hopper cars of 70-ton capacity.  These cars were of five basic designs, and two designs accounted for over 80% of the total.

  • New York Central System Open Hoppers 1919-1968 - Produced and provided by Ben Hom, this two-page handout is Revision B and is the latest version, as of 10/12/2020.  Analysis is by Ben Hom and primary online reference for the data is Terry Links’ website Canadian Southern Railway.  This is a first look at the NYCS hopper fleet and research continues.

  • NYCRR Scheduled Merchandise Cars

  • Merchant Despatch (MDT) Car Shops: A Day in the Car Shops, 1951 - YouTube video link currently unavailable.

  • Freight Car Distribution & Car Handling in the United States - A link to a very interesting industry text by Eugene W. Coughlin.  The author was railroad relations manager of the Association of American Railroads (AAR) Car Service Division.  The book was published in 1956.  The book - digitized as published, or in text form (which can be copied) - is available free online at the above link.  The table of contents appears to have a lot of good material for those interested in prototype operations.​​

• NYC Passenger cars:

  • NYC Standard-Design, All-Steel Heavyweight Coaches - Few people realize that the NYC had an all-steel heavyweight coach of a standard design all its own.  It, too, was mass-produced, and, by any number of yardsticks, it was a success.  For lack of a better name, these coaches were simply referred to as 70-foot steel coaches.

  • NYCS Business Cars - From the NYCSHS Central Headlight, 4th Qtr 1978, 1st Qtr 1979, and 3rd Qtr 1979.

  • New York Central’s Rebuilt Observation Cars - From the NYCSHS Central Headlight,  2nd Qtr 1979.

  • NYCS Heavyweight Sleepers – 1949-1958

  • When Mail Road First Class on the 20th Century Limited

  • Painting the NYC 20th Century Limited

  • Painting and Lettering History of 379 Pullman Heavyweight Sleepers Accepted from the Pullman Divestiture - John just finished creating a new version of the painting and lettering history of the 379 (out of 474 proffered) heavyweight sleepers accepted by the NYCS in the 31 December 1948 Pullman divestiture.  He has been interested in these cars ever since he wrote an article about them in the NYCSHS Central Headlight more than four decades ago.

• NYC Cabooses:

  • The Caboose Classics - NYC - Part 1

  • The Caboose Classics - NYC - Part 2

  • The Caboose Classics - P&LE - Part 3

  • The Caboose Classics - Big Four-MC - Part 4

• NYC Marine Operations in New York Harbor - An important division within the New York Central system was the Marine Department at New York.  In 1921, for example, it employed 1,500 men and boasted 308 pieces of “floating stock” (as opposed to rolling stock) to handle the enormous traffic to, from, and within the Metropolitan region.

  • NYC Marine Operations - Part 1 & 2

  • NYC Marine Operations - Part 3

  • NYC Marine Operations - Part 4

  • NYC Marine Operations - Part 5

  • NYC Marine Operations - Part 6

  • New York Cental #34: Oil-Electric Tugboat

  • Complete roster of NYCS barges and some ferryboats

• Operations:

  • NYC Signals & Signal Rules

  • ​A Centennial History of ALSTOM Signaling Inc. (formerly General Railway Signal Company): 1904 - 2004

  • JonRoma.net

    • Signaling Standards

    • New York Central Standard Signal Plan Book 1960

  • Gravity Switching by the NYC on the Eve of Merger

• Misc:

  • The Central Lightning Stripe Article - [Disclaimer: This article is provided with the disclaimer that the NYCSHS did not participate as a reference for the article and does not guarantee that all of the information is correct.  Link is also currently unavailable.]

  • NYC Colors by Thomas R. Gerbracht

  • NYC Drawings (see Collinwood Shop)

  • NYC Rail

  • NYCS Structures and Facilities - We received a list of NYCS structures and facilities from William Husband who is working on an extensive database of materials about US railroads that will include extensive material on all railroads including the NYCS.  He has provided this list of structures and facilities for us to provide to NYCSHS members and others.  It cannot be republished without his permission.  (If you know of additional structures or facilities contact use at NYCSHS@verizon.net to provide us with updates.)

  • NYC Terminals

  • New York Central Morse Telegraph Club

  • Surviving NYC locomotives

  • This Day in History: Opening of Grand Central Terminal - February 2, 1913

  • Wabash Indiana shops on the Big Four Michigan Division - Originally recorded at the Wabash County Historical Museum, Kyle Coble presents the history of the Michigan Division of the Big Four (covering 1865-1968) and their shops at Wabash, Indiana.  Presentation begins at ~9 min mark.  NOTE: NO Facebook account required to view presentation.  Click "X" to remove login pop-up.  Be sure that the volume (speaker icon in lower right corner of viewing area) is unmuted and adjust sound level, as needed.​

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