President Alfred E. Perlman of the New York Central System
dedicated a permanent display of three historic locomotives for the
National Museum of Transport in ceremonies at the St. Louis Union
Station June 13, 1963.
At a luncheon attended by business and civic leaders, Mr.
Perlman pointed out that the locomotives span over half a century
in 1876, one of a famous breed called ‘Eddy Clocks’ after
their creator, Wilson Eddy. Some 100 locomotives of this general
design built during the period 1852-1881 became known for
clock-like mechanical precision. This survivor, numbered
’39’ and named ‘Marmora’, was retired in the
mid-1890’s and served for the next decade as a stationary
boiler, bricked up in the basement of the B & A station at
Worchester, Massachusetts. The New York Central rescued the relic
in 1907 for the Railway Museum at Purdue University. In 1951, the
Purdue Collection was transferred to the National Museum of
Transport at St. Louis.
Central and Museum officials were surprised to find that old No.
39 had never been officially dedicated to public view in these 56
years.
The two newcomers to the National Museum of Transport are
electric locomotive No. 113 and steam locomotive No. 2933.
No. 113 is one of the S-2 class of thirty-four electric
locomotives built in 1906 by the American Locomotive Company in
conjunction with the General Electric Company for service in the
area electrified from Grand Central Station to Harmon after the
turn of the century. Larger more powerful electric locomotives
gradually displaced the S-2’s to switching service between
Grand Central and the Mott Haven coach yards.
No. 113 is of the group that was the prototype for Lionel and
Ives toy electric locomotives, perhaps reproduced in greater
quantity than any other single design. There was scarcely an
American boy in the 1910-1930 era who either did not have or did
not aspire to possessing a ‘tinplate’ copy of Class
S-2.
No. 2933 was the last steam locomotive of the New York Central.
In the period 1916-1943 the New York Central System acquired 544
‘Mohawk’ locomotives of the 4-8-2 wheel arrangement.
Although primarily intended for freight work, dual service features
of later versions well adapted this flexible locomotive to heavy
passenger runs, supplementing the famous 4-6-4 ‘Hudson’
type.
Locomotive No. 2933 was constructed in 1929 at the Schenectady
Works of the American Locomotive Company. From the esthetic point
of view, the ‘Central style’ conveys a pleasing feeling of
compact efficient power. No. 2933 is a landmark of industral design
that well deserves a niche in a definitive presentation of classics
of locomotive construction.
Mr. Perlman concluded that the 3 locomotives are to be in
meaningful surroundings with many other examples of transportation
equipment illustrating American technical progress to future
Generations.
Museum Board Chairman Arthur K. Atkinson welcomed these
additions to the nation’s most comprehensive collection of
historical railroad equipment, declaring that the National Museum
of Transport now has 39 steam, electric and diesel-electric
locomotives.
Mr. Atkinson said that the acquisitions will be displayed at
Barretts Station beginning Saturday, June 15.
