Recall a time of industry and grit. The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad ALCO Type S-2 Locomotive stands as a reminder of that age.
This locomotive is a piece of history. It represents a time when railroads were the lifeblood of commerce. The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway, also known as the Susie-Q, began in 1881. It merged several smaller railroads.
The NYS&W aimed to haul anthracite coal from Pennsylvania to New York City. Initially, it planned to use the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad for this. Coal would transfer to the NYS&W at Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Then, it would head east.
In 1892, the NYS&W decided to haul the coal itself for greater profit. It built new routes through the Pocono Mountains. By 1896, the NYS&W had a direct line for coal transport. This ran from the coalfields to docks in Edgewater, New Jersey.
The Erie Railroad took notice of the NYS&W’s success. In 1898, the Erie acquired a controlling interest in the NYS&W. The Susie-Q wasn’t managed very well after the Erie took control. The United States Railroad Association controlled the industry during World War I. The NYS&W exited the war in disarray in 1920. It had little money and a worn-out system.
The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad was never successful. Several railroads already served the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region. The Great Depression forced the NYS&W into bankruptcy in 1937.
The company streamlined after reorganization. It became independent and abandoned the WB&E extension. This helped the railroad’s finances. Traffic increased during World War II. By 1945, the NYS&W was the first Class I railroad to fully dieselize. It favored locomotives from the American Locomotive Company including RS-1s and S-2s.
The railroad faced financial trouble again in the 1960s. It ended passenger services in 1966. Tropical Storm Doria damaged its line in the 1970s. The Penn Central collapse also hurt the NYS&W. By 1976, the railroad was considering abandonment. The Delaware Otsego Corporation purchased it in 1980.
The NYS&W rebounded in the 1980s. It bought former DL&W lines around Utica and Syracuse, New York, in 1982. This created the Southern and Northern Divisions. Today, the NYS&W serves many customers. It hauls various products and offers bulk transfer facilities.
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad ALCO Type S-2 Locomotive embodies resilience and change. It symbolizes a vital era in American industrial history. Its story is one of adaptation and survival in the face of adversity.