NYNH&H No. 3025?

The New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad never had a steam locomotive No. 3025. Their class J-1 Mikado 2-8-2s were numbered from 3000 to 3024 and none survive, in fact, no New Haven steam locomotive escaped the scrappers torch. But what if the New Haven had purchased one more steam locomotive and what if it had been saved? It might look like this concept drawing courtesy of former New Haven Railroad Historical Society President Alvin Lawrence.

The basis for the above is, of course, the Valley Railroad's "new" locomotive, recently purchased at an auction in Pennsylvania. While planning the rebuilding of the "new" locomotive, a number of employees and volunteers suggested that since we must build a new cab anyway, why not build a typical "US" style cab and while we're at it, make it look like a New Haven cab with the classic arched windows, and how about putting a New Haven "Sunbeam" headlight on it, and, and, and.

So, the plan is to modify the appearance of our "new" locomotive to resemble a New Haven class J-1 and incorporate as many "New Havenisms" as we can manage. Some of the J-1s even had "clear vision" tenders like ours (we'll modify the sides of ours to suit). When finished, No. 3025 will be a decent representation of New Haven steam power and right at home on a former New Haven branch line.

J.David