This is definitely not the only NW5 left. Rare bird indeed but Mass Central has owned and operated one since 1980. Having said that, this was beautiful restoration of a unique engine. Well done!
Definitely NOT the last one left, I know of 2 more. Mass Central's (ex SOU) and CRGX 61 in Parrish Florida. Former FSUD 2. Also there are two of the succeeding model around the rs1325.
according to wikipedia, this is the only one in fully restored condition. there's another still in operation in Massachusetts and one on static display in Florida. as for the NW3, surprisingly there were 2 in existence at the start of 2018, one in operating condition and the other on static display, but due to the remote location of the operating unit transportation costs were viewed as too high and it was scrapped.
@@AlcochaserAlso, the shell of an old Burlington Northern NW5 is sitting on top of a container somewhere in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It's seen better days but it's not scrapped..... yet.
Just discovered this channel. It really seems this place is like the Tank Museum but for trains, I don't have the financial capability to donate, but thank you very much for supporting the internet future of museums!
There is a short film on You Tube that promoted tourism to Alexandria, Minnesota in the early 1950s. The film is titled: " Alexandria - Minnesota's Vacationland - Downtown & Community Info ". There is footage of an NW5, leading a local train of Pullman Green heavyweights, that is stopping at the Alexandria Great Northern depot.
I am an active member of The Southern Michigan Railroad Museum in Clinton, Michigan and must say that its awesome to see what the LSRM is doing with restoring these fine pieces of Railroading history!! I might have to get out that way sometime and put the skills i've learned within the Railroading world to more good use, By the way i love the old SOO Line Diesel in the background!!!
Had one of these around Great Falls, MT running switching and short haul operations up till shortly after the BN/SF "merger". Which it was then promptly scraped. It was a sad day that day for all the workers. Old Joe was the nick name it got, and even got to drive it as a kid in the 90s. Funny fact about it was they had taken out the steam generator and installed a toilet at some point in it's life.
Actually, there is another NW-5 (EX-CRGX #61) at Parrish, FL! Despite being inoperable, it has been put on a track with multiple railcars behind it, the very last railcar being a caboose.
When I was young kid growing up in Portland, Oregon burning time waiting for the Portland Rose Festival starlight parade to start on a sunny Saturday night. Our family would get a spot on the Broadway bridge over the Union Station, train station. Well their is a stairway coming off the bridge going to a sidewalk next to the train tracks in Union Station which also served as a switching yard for the Portland Traction Company. Well the engineer of a NW-2 and crew ask me if I wanted to ride along in the cab as they where switching box cars that night well , yes I said so waiting for the parade to start which was about 2 hours , I rode along in the cab of that switch engine. I’ve never forgotten that experience.
Great video. But your presentation could use a bit of fact checking. I know of 2 more. Mass Central's (ex SOU) and CRGX 61 in Parrish Florida. Former FSUD 2. Also. These were not intended for branchline service. Instead, they were marketed for passenger terminal switchers. The steam heat was to keep coaches warm when the road power was serviced. (both the NW3,NW5).. However it was GN itself that decided they would be good for branchlines, not EMD. EMD wasn't interested at all in the Roadswitcher concept. Witness that after the NW5 ceased production, EMD made their concept of a Branchline loco. the EMD BL2.. an F unit modified with a bit better rear view. The RS1325 was intended to be a passenger terminal switcher as well. But again, C&IM ordered them for the branchline role, a role they were not really marketed for. Many many railroads ordered things from EMD for roles they were never marketed for.
Your talking about my uncle stupidly scrapping it... yup that's my uncle. He actually scrapped 3 locomotives with that nw5. There was an ex us army 80 tonner and a pacific lumber company 80 tonner
Visited June 9th. Very nice! Rode the train, photographed the NW5 and Milwaukee Road 10200. I liked the little Soo Line SW1 as well, and your ex-NP GP9. It made for a nice trip! Thank you.
Wonderful overview of a cool old locomotive. The shortline where I did my training (Ontario Southland Railway) has an NW2 built in 1947. They don't use it much anymore but it is sitting on a siding at the shop. The OSR also has some of the last F units in revenue service. They have a couple ex-VIA Rail FP-9ARMs
Tarheel RRds Saw #2100 sitting in Mass Centrals South Barre yard just yesterday. It’s been sidelined for their newer GP38-2’s. Heard rumors they may fix it up some day.
there is one in Florida confirmed to be one of the five or six ex-Pere Marquette Railroad engines left. The one there is the NW5 engine that was the marshaling engine at the now demolished Fort Street Union Depot in Detroit. It is in the process of fund gathering for restoration.
I Love that Locomotive NW5 GREAT NORTHERN a lot. I have a ALCO RS1 GREAT NORTHERN and a GP9 bad all those RailRoads went to BN and SP&S. I have all 3 ALCO C855A-B-A set UP scrap them all only 3 ever been made, I true would like to see one come back again. I have a lot of videos on them P.WACO RU-vid
No its not the only one there is a NW5 working in a large plant/mill in Pennsylvania right across the Delaware river from New Jersey google it its there
The Oregon Pacific railroad had one of these (ex Burlington Northern/Great Northern), but it had to be scrapped after being attacked by metal thieves in the company's Milwaukie, Oregon yard 🙁
While it might be somehow satisfying to own one there'd be no point in having it. You couldn't operate it anywhere but on private trackage and not anywhere else without being a federally-licensed locomotive engineer. And good luck trying to get the insurance.
The locomotive does not have a 12 cylinder diesel "motor". There is no such thing as an internal combustion "motor". The proper nomenclature is "engine" or "prime mover". There are electric motors, hydraulic motors, and air motors - but no diesel or gasoline "motors".
EMD, yes; Electric Motor Division, no - no such thing. Founded as Electro-Motive Engineering Corporation in the early 1920s, soon changed to Electro-Motive Company. GM acquired Winton Engine Company in 1930 and Electro-Motive Company soon after, then renaming the latter Electro-Motive Corp (EMC). Winton, EMC and portions of Cleveland Diesel Division were combined into Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in 1941. GM sold the company in 2005. It is now called Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc., still EMD, and is now owned under the Progress Rail division by Caterpillar.
I’ve never understood why Alco sold the comparable RS1 like hotcakes, while EMD sold relatively few 1000hp roadswitchers. PS: We could have done without the China Virus PSA.
