1971 - 2008: Mack #4 & #5 Locomotives

The #4 & #5 Mack locomotives are reunited again.

The Rockhill Trolley Museum was the company that owned Mack #4, a Reading RR steel caboose, a trolley freight motor railcar, and a Phila. PA street car, at the off museum site storage location in Penndel, PA. These old railway artifacts over the years were forgotten by many at the RTM and most did not care if they were restored. All of the units had been in outside storage since 1971 at no charge to the trolley museum by Jimmy McHugh. In November 1985 Jimmy & JC McHugh informed RTM that they were resigning from the McHugh Bros. companies and that the remaining management at the company, Edward L., Gerald J., Adleide McHugh & Bill McNulty, wanted the units off the property. A plan was devised by Jimmy & JC McHugh to quickly get the Phila. PA Red-Arrow Line street car off the property, a RTM member offered to let car #61 reside at his farm near Allentown, PA and the unit was delivered there. Then the trolley group under new management in 1986 not addressing the issue at Penndel soon enough had to make a rash decision. They decided to do the following with the remaining railway equipment that was stored at Penndel, PA. The serviceable antique trolley freight motor railcar would be stripped of it's electrical equipment and truck assemblies with traction motors and they were moved to Rockhill Furnace, PA. Then the Rockhill Trolley Museum group did the unthinkable, they had the remainder of this old artifact set a fire and burnt to the ground. The trolley group then intended to cut up the boxcab carbody of Mack #4 and the Reading RR steel caboose for scrap iron.

However the plans of the Rockhill Trolley Museum to scrap the Mack #4 boxcab carbody and the Reading RR steel caboose were made to the WK&S railroad. A trade of free storage of Mack #4's truck assemblies for RTM at Kempton was made for the Mack #4 carbody and the Reading RR steel caboose. The two units were then moved to Kempton, PA in March of 1986. Mack #4 was placed on the ground onto kribbing for long term storage and the Reading RR steel caboose was placed into storage. The Mack #4 truck assemblies with traction motors were stored at kempton until 2007 when they were taken to Rockhill Furnace, PA were to date they still remain in peices rotting away outside.

The WK&S obtained ownership of Mack #5 directly from the Mack Truck company in 1978 and moved it to Kempton, PA were #5 was painted and lettered as WK&S #35. The Mack #5 locomotive was operated over the WK&S on special occasions, or when the #65 or #2 steam locomotives were out of service. The WK&S desired to have a non-steam powered locomotive to provide motive power for tourist passenger trains, and Mack #5 achieved that goal. The grades on the WK&S old Reading railroad were not as steep and the track mileage was  about half the length in each direction, as were #4 was formally used in 1970 for a similiar short line job. The Mack #5 locomotive was able to handle a three car passanger train over the WK&S line.

Mack #5 earlier in 1996 suffered a failure of one engine, then on a light move at Wanamaker it had a electrical wiring fire. It was planned to rebuild the #5 from both Mack locomotives but this never did materialize. The WK&S in December 1996 obtained a GE 45 ton locomotive and then the group aborted the Mack #5 rebuilding project. The "cash strapped WK&S" in 1998 sold the two truck assemblies complete with traction motors and some electrical components for $12,000.00 to a newly fromed trolley museum located in Massachuttes. The WK&S continued over the years to strip many other critical parts from both Mack locomotives #4 & #5 which basically made the locomotives become derlict hulks.

The two Mack locomotives were also offered for sale, but no one had a real interest in the units. Then in late 2007 the WK&S decided it was necessary to scrap both #4 & #5 for the high dollar price that would be paid for scrap metal to help defer the cost of moving a worn out 2-6-2 tender type steam locomotive from Kentucky to Kempton, PA in 2008. When the truck that was going to haul the tender of this locomotive was in an accident and could not be used, the McHugh's donated a tractor and trailer and transported the tender to the WK&S at charge.

In mid December 2007 JC McHugh began discussions concerning the purchase of Mack #4 & #5. As part of the sales transaction, it was agreed between both parties that one locomotive would be cosmedically restored  within a year of the purchase date. On Sunday March 16th 2008 the two Mack locomotives ownership was transfered to JC McHugh - MRME, INC.

MACK #4:

The two truck assemblies and traction motors since 1986 have been rusting away at the Rockhill Trolley museum since March of 1986. They are disassembled and scattered outside the museum grounds waiting to be rebuilt for potential use on a trolley car. All of the electrical, air brake equipment, and many other component parts were also stripped from #4 by the trolley group before it ownership was transfered to the WK&S.

However today the cosmedically restored #4 locomotive now has two replacement truck assemblies complete with two GE 300 volt 1244 type traction motors. These units were from a old AH&D diesel electric locomotive crane that used the same type of 1503 GE traction generator that was installed into the #4 & #5 in 1939 by the Mack truck Company. The #4 now also has two replacement head lights and a whistle that have been mounted under the roof line. This enables the Mack #4 locomotive to be transported by truck over the highway because it does not exceed the legal height limit of 13' 6". Jimmy McHugh provided a old fashion locomotive whistle and bell that were also installed, along with Ann McHugh providing the marker lights that were used on her wedding train. This has made the Mack #4 a family restoration project.

MACK #5:

A little-known fact about #5's truck assemblies and traction motors. The WK&S was approached by the Shelburn Falls Trolley Museum to purchase the #5's truck assemblies and traction motors, the trolley car reverser, and some other component parts. These materials were used to help restore Shelburn trolley car #10 and today old #10 continues to be operational. The 26-L air brake equipment was removed and was to be used on another peice of equipment in the future. It  has also been rumored that Mack #5's: two head lights, set of market lights, two air horns, and bell, might have been given to a few WK&S volunteer's.

Photographs are the property of JC McHugh collection

Once the truck assemblies along with other components and parts were sold off or used on other equipment by the WK&S. The Mack #4 & #5 carbodys for the next 20 years would be is a state of disarray and become rusty hulks.

The steel caboose that is currently at the WK&S that was stored at Penndel, PA for a 15 years when RTM owned it. The boy to the left is 10 year old JC McHugh.

On a cold winter day, the Mack is being sandblasted in 1971 for the RTM.

A 12 year old JC McHugh helps a RTM member cover Mack #4's windows with plywood in March of 1973.

Jimmy McHugh is seen in this photo here with the Reading caboose loaded onto a McHugh tractor trailer. The caboose was located in a park at Emmaus, PA

The outside storage yard at Penndel were Jimmy McHugh let the RTM used from 1971 until 1985 at no charge.

Jimmy McHugh is operating the crane and JC McHugh is standing next to it as they quickly load out trolley car #61 for RTM so it can be taken to a new storage home. This is the last day Jimmy & JC will ever be on the McHugh Bros. property at Penndel, PA, it is late November 1985.

Mack #4 sits on the ground rusting and rotting away at the Wannamaker Kempton & Southern railroad property for several decades.

During the last week of May 2008 the two rusty and rotted Mack #4 & #5 locomotives departed Kempton, PA and arrived at the McHugh Locomotive & Crane facility in Fairless Hills, PA. Mack #4's former owners the WK&S were never able get old #4 in operating condition or even make it into an appealing static display. The #4 for two decades just sat on the ground near the station area becoming an eye sore to visitors when they would arrive at the tourist line. Once Mack #4 arrived at it's new home it receive the necessary care that this rare old locomotive deserves. The decades of neglect by it's former owners is a thing of the past now that Mack #4 is under the care of the McHugh family. Remarkably the Mack #4 restoration project was finished in only a few weeks. Today the Mack #4 locomotive has been placed at the entrance of the McHugh Locomotive & Crane facility and is on display.