| This 44-ton locomotive rolled out of the General Electric facility at the end of 1950 and began its long career serving railroads in the northeast. Numbered 400, it began its duties as the Long Island Railroad shop switcher at Morris Park, the only 44-ton switcher ever to grace the the New York area railroad's roster. Retired from active duty in 1963, the unit was acquired for use on the Black River & Western Railroad, an upstart tourist operation on the PRR Flemington Branch in New Jersey. The 400 would work in both passenger and switching operations there as the BRW would not become a freight carrier until 1970. It would also be the first of three locomotives to carry the number 400 on Black River's roster. In 1969 another upstart tourist operation, the Valley Railroad, acquired the locomotive for operations based in Essex, CT on a former New Haven branch line. It was then that the historic unit received its New Haven like paint scheme and number. Replaced by larger GE built 80-ton units, the locomotive was acquired in 1996 by the museum. |