Steam Locomotives

Steam Engine #17

Locomotive #17 an industrial steam locomotive that was manufactured by Vulcan Iron Works in Wilkes-Barre, PA in 1941 as Builder’s Number 4309. It is classified as an 0-4-0T locomotive. It is referred to as a tank engine since its water tank is mounted above the boiler rather than being pulled behind the locomotive in a tender.

The locomotive was originally built for the United States Navy and was assigned to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation.  Designated U.S.N.X. 2025, it was used to move raw materials around the company’s shipyard during and after World War II at their Camden, New Jersey facility. It was later sold to Carbon Limestone Company, where it worked in a quarry in Hillsville, Pennsylvania.

After the quarry closed, the locomotive was eventually acquired by a private owner in West Virginia and moved to the West Virginia Northern Railroad in Kingwood, West Virginia. At that time, the locomotive was renumbered 17, reflecting the numerical portion of the address of the shop where it was restored.

In 1999, the North Carolina Railway Museum purchased the locomotive and moved it to Bonsal, North Carolina. After refurbishment, it returned to operation in 2002 and spent the next 15 years pulling excursion trains for the New Hope Valley Railway.

In 2017, Locomotive #17 was taken out of service to undergo a required inspection by the Federal Railroad Administration. During the evaluation, significant deterioration was found in the smokebox along with a small section of the boiler. A new smokebox has since been fabricated and the affected portion of the boiler repaired. Additional components, including the dry pipe, furnace bearers, safety valves, and other parts worn from years of service are currently being repaired or replaced as part of the ongoing restoration.

Builder: Vulcan Iron Works
Built: April 1941
Type: 0-4-0
Builder’s Number: 4309
Status: Out of service to undergo the mandated 15-year Federal Railroad Administration inspection

Here is a video that documents #17’s move from West Virginia to Bonsal, NC in November, 1999. Here are some videos showing the progress on the rebuild of #17: Update #1 and Update #2.

If you would like to make a donation to help with the restoration of our beloved #17, click here.

 

Cliffside #10

Cliffside #10 was built for a logging railroad tied to McRae Lumber and Manufacturing Company in Quincy, FL (now part of Rex Lumber Co) and worked for them from 1927 until 1930. #110 was sold in 1963 to Echo Valley Park in Cleveland, S.C. and ran on the amusement park’s “Swamp Rabbit RR”. Then the locomotive was sold to Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad in 1969. Being the smallest and slowest steam locomotive at Stone Mountain, it saw little use at the park. In 2012, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association donated the #110 to the North Carolina Railway Museum. In February 2013, #110 was moved from her display location to Stone Mountain RR Shops for transport to Bonsal, NC.  (Photo courtesy of Courtesy Cliffside Historical Society).  For more information on Cliffside #110, click here.

Builder: Vulcan Iron Works
Built: July 1927
Type: 2-6-2
Builder’s Number: 3739
Status: Restoration

 

Diesel Locomotives

 

1686: Except for having been built eight years apart, 1686 is virtually identical to locomotive #71. 1686 worked for the North Carolina Ports Authority (ex. Beaufort and Morehead) in Morehead City, N.C. alongside B&M #75 (now at Bonsal) and B&M 1860 (now at Spencer Shops).

Builder: General Electric
Type: 80-ton Diesel-Electric
Built: March 1953
Builder’s Number: 31818
Status: Operational

 

 

399: This engine is currently NHVR’s primary motive power. #399 is a 65-ton GE center cab acquired from military surplus. Originally, U.S. Navy #65-00399, she served at Theodore, AL – Naval Ammunition Magazine. She became U.S. Marine Corps #289330 and served at Camp LeJeune, NC before coming to Bonsal.

Builder: General Electric
Type: 65-ton Diesel-Electric
Built: March 1943
Status: Operational

70: This locomotive is similar in appearance to the GE center-cabs with some design elements common to industrial locomotives of its era. This locomotive has only one traction motor per truck and uses side rods to transfer power to the other side.

Builder: Whitcomb
Type: 45-ton Diesel Electric
Built: April 1941
Builder’s Number: 60298
Status: Non-Operational

10: NHV #10 is a 25-ton end-cab “critter” locomotive built by General Electric in April 1950 at its Erie, Pennsylvania plant. This compact 150-horsepower engine was originally delivered to the Duke Power Lee Generating Plant in Pelzer, South Carolina, before being reassigned to the Allen Generating Plant in Belmont, North Carolina.

A classic example of a simple, no-frills industrial locomotive, this GE end-cab represents a design widely used by industrial and short line railroads. As the smallest locomotive on the NHVR roster, it has just one powered axle (traction motor) and uses a chain drive to transmit power to the second axle. The locomotive was acquired by NHVR in November 2004.  Read more about #10 here.

Builder: General Electric
Type: 25-ton Diesel Electric
Built: April 1950
Builder’s Number: 30590
Status: Non-operational

75:  A Whitcomb design, this engine was built by the resulting merger of the Baldwin Locomotive Works and the Lima and Hamilton Crane companies. This engine operated at New York Shipbuilding in Camden, NJ possibly at the same time as our steam locomotive #17.  

Builder: Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton
Type: 80-ton Diesel Electric
Built: April 1947
Builder’s Number: 60738
Status: Non-operational

5: Originally used at Alcoa’s Point Comfort facility in northern Texas, this locomotive later moved to Rockdale, Sandow and Southern in Texas, where it was designated as #7. It was subsequently reassigned to the Alcoa Terminal in Alcoa, Tennessee, where it was renumbered #5, and later transferred to Alcoa’s operation in Portsmouth, Virginia. Eventually, it was sold to Percy Wilkins and relocated to Little Creek, Virginia. Mr. Wilkins later gave #5 to NHVR.

It was painted red, white and blue to celebrate our nation’s bicentennial in 1976.

Builder: American Locomotive Company
Type: 660 horsepower (490 kW) diesel-electric switcher locomotive
Built: August 1945
Builder’s Number: 73583
Status: Non-operational

Cabooses

308: Aberdeen & Rockfish Caboose.

The Aberdeen & Rockfish caboose began its life in 1926, built by the Magor Car Company for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad as car #5320. It was later acquired by the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad, which modified the car by adding baggage doors to allow its use on mixed trains handling less-than-carload freight.

The car was eventually donated by the A&R to the East Carolina Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (ECC NRHS) and moved to Farmville sometime between May 1976 and August 1982. In August 1982, it was relocated to Bonsal along with the rest of the ECC NRHS collection. The restoration of #308 was completed in 1987.

During its service with the Aberdeen & Rockfish, the caboose was resheathed with plywood siding, a common, cost-effective alternative to the original tongue-and-groove construction. As part of NHVR’s commitment to restoration, No. 308 has since been returned to its original appearance with tongue-and-groove siding.

Status: Operational

 

328: Built for the Virginian Railway in 1949 as caboose #328, this car became part of the Norfolk & Western Railway roster following the N&W’s purchase of the Virginian Railway in 1959. It was subsequently renumbered N&W 530328. The caboose was later donated to the town of Archdale, North Carolina, and in 2008 it was sold to a member of the North Carolina Railway Museum and was moved to the New Hope Valley Railway In November of that year. The NCRM plans to repaint the caboose to reflect its appearance while in service with the Norfolk & Western as N&W 530328.  Status: Operational

302 / 309: Spent Nuclear Fuel Train Cabooses. Status: Operational  For more information on our fuel escort cabooses, click here.

5228: Our 5228 caboose is an original 1926 Seaboard Air Line wooden caboose. Its interior gives an accurate representation of what it was like being a railroad conductor on a freight train in the 1920s-30s. Status: Operational

 

Passenger Cars

These cars were originally flatcars used in freight service, purchased from the US Navy (Marine Corps assignment) Camp Lejeune, NC.  The passenger superstructure of this car was constructed on site at Bonsal by NCRM volunteers.  For more information about our excursion cars, click here.

Type: Excursion Car
Builder: Greenville Steel Car
Built: Feb 1953

Other Equipment

Car Mover

Type: Car Mover
Builder: Whiting Corp.
Built: 1959

This unit is capable of operating on both rail and road. Units like this were used at industrial sites for moving individual cars. It was purchased by the NCRM from the USMC at Cherry Point, NC. 

This Car Mover played a significant role in the movement of the Save the Ten cars at Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant.  This video shows it in action!