Welcome to the official website of Mack locomotives #4 & #5.
This website also features several additional pages regarding the history of: short line railroads, trolley museums, tourist railroad preservation operations, and historical equipment groups, that both Jimmy & JC McHugh have been associated with over the years.
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Discover the history of these two vintage boxcab's that were converted into 'Gas-Electric' locomotives. It is remarkable that this last unit of it's type survived the past 86 years, and exist today.
#4 & #5 unique locomotives even in the early years.
The mid-west style interurban boxcab locomotive was originally built as trolley freight motor #4 for the Southwest Missouri Railroad Company. The S.M.R.C. purchased #4 from General Electric for $15,400.00 with a completion date of March 01,1924 at the Erie, PA plant. The S.M.R.C. in 1927 identically built boxcab #5 at there Webb City, MO shop complex. With the demise of the SMRC line in 1939 the Mack Truck company of Allentown, PA then purchased the #4 & #5, rebuilding them both into experimental gas electric locomotives. The two retrofitted locomotives were offered for sale as new products, but were never sold causing Mack to exit out of the locomotive business. Both locomotives were eventually placed into switching service at the two Allentown 5-A & 5-C plants.
The journey of Mack #4 & #5 throughout Pennsylvania.
A trolley museum located in central PA in 1967 acquired Mack #4 and transported it to the town of Rockhill Furnace. Then during the last two months of 1968, Mack #4 preformed the last switching duties over the rare dual 3' narrow and 4' 8-1/2" standard gauge EBT rail yard located in Mount Union, PA. In March of 1970 Mack #4 was again on the move, this time to assist the fledgling NH&I short line located in eastern PA. Then during the first week of January 1971 Mack #4 was moved to Penndel, PA were it was placed into storage. A tourist line railroad located about 20 miles west of Allentown, PA obtained Mack #5 directly from the Mack Truck Company in 1978 and occasionally operated #5 on it's passenger trains. Then in March of 1986 ownership of #4 was transfered from the Rockhill trolley museum to the same tourist railroad that owned #5 and it was moved to Kempton, PA were it was placed on the ground less it's truck assemblies.
The Mack #5 locomotive is taken out of service.
Mack #5 suffered a crankshaft failure to one of it's two EP in-line 6 cylinder gasoline engines in mid 1996 when the WK&S operated it with low oil. The only non-steam powered locomotive in service at the Kempton, PA tourist line was Mack #5 and the railroad continued to use it before making the necessary repairs. This caused futher damage to Mack #5 and during a run to Wannamaker with only one engine / generator set in operation failure to the entire electrical system wiring occured. An attempted was then made by the WK&S railroad volunteer group to remove one of the operating engines from Mack #4 to replace the failed Mack #5 engine and make the other repairs. The project was aborted in 1997 when a GE 45 ton center cab diesel locomotive arrived on the property replacing the Mack #5 locomotive. Mack #5 was now considered surplus by the WK&S along with Mack #4 that also had the front of it's cab removed allowing the good engine and other components to remain exposed to the weather.
An uncertain fate, for both Mack locomotives.
The Mack locomotives were then offered for sale to several railway and trolley museums, other tourist railroads, the Mack Truck Museum, and private collectors. All of these prospective clients declined on purchasing Mack #4 & #5 because of the total cash investmant required, considering the intial sale price, transportation expenses, along with the restoration cost. The WK&S in 1998 sold the two truck assemblies complete with four traction motors along with the two carbody frame center bolster castings and some additional parts from Mack #5 the Shelburn Falls trolley museum located in Massachuttes. The two head lights, air horns, bell, marker lights, along with some other items were removed from #5 and it is unknown were these materials reside today. The WK&S continued to strip other parts and components from the two Mack locomotives along with the 26-L brake system from #5. It looked like the end of the line for both Mack #4 & #5 and they were destined to become scrap iron once the four traction generators were removed from them. The majority of the all volunteer group that operated the WK&S now consider Mack #4 & #5 to be junk and most wanted to have both locomotives see the flames of a cutting torch.
Mack locomotive #4 & #5 are scheduled to be scrapped.
The WK&S for the next 20 years never did remove the four traction generators from either the Mack #4 or #5 locomotive carbodys, but the rare boxcab's were let to become rusty dirlect hulks. Then in late 2007 with the WK&S now requiring cash to help defer the cost of transporting a worn out tender type steam locomotive from Kentucky, decided to scrap Mack #4 & #5 because of the high prices being paid for scrap iron. One railfan wanted to make the rare boxcab's into storage sheds but this offer was not considered, and price offers were received from scrap dealers. Then during the third week of December 2007 JC McHugh became aware of the doomed fate of Mack #4 & #5 and over the next 2-1/2 months he negotiated to purchase the remains of boxcab's #4 & #5. An offer much higher than scrap iron value was made to the WK&S along with the statement that the McHugh family would cosmedically restore one of these rare Mack locomotives within a year from the date that they would purchasing them. One thing that the McHugh's had in their favor for the restoration of one Mack locomotive was that they already had a replacement set of truck assemblies complete with traction motors.
A fondness for one of these rare Mack boxcabs.
The McHugh's nostalgia for one of these rare old boxcabs, and that Mack #4 & #5 were also a part of Pennsylvania's industrial railroading heritage is why they wanted to see Mack locomotive #4 preserved. In June 1970 on the last day Mack #4 was in service, Jimmy McHugh placed his 9 year old son on the engineers seat and JC McHugh operated it for a 1/2 mile down the railroad yard tracks at the NH&I. Although a few people at the WK&S along with several railfans had made comments that neither Mack locomotive was worth the expenses involved to save them. These remarks did not discourage JC McHugh, who was adamant that his family would restore one of these two Mack locomotives when others felt it was not worth the effort to do so. On March 16, 2008 Jimmy, Ann, & JC McHugh purchased the two old boxcab's with a favorable outcome for one Mack locomotive old number 4.
The restoration of one Mack locomotive by the McHugh's.
During the third week of May 2008 both Mack locomotives were loaded onto two tractor trailers in Kempton, PA and they were then transported to the McHugh plant in Fairless Hills, PA. Here both old boxcab's frames were unloaded and placed onto cribbed blocking on the ground, then both #4 & #5 were evaluated to see if one or two locomotives could be restored. Even know the WK&S did not scrap these two rare boxcab's and stored them at Kempton, the last two decades of neglect made it impossible to restore both Mack locomotives. It was determined to disassemble both #4 & #5 with the parts and components from both locomotives to be combined together so one of these two identical rare Mack Truck, Inc. built boxcab locomotives would exsist and not be lost forever.
The Heritage of the old Mack #4 & #5 locomotives.
This last example of these rare Mack locomotives will be preserved by the McHugh family and it will wear the infamous green and red paint scheme of the 'C.J. McHugh Co' that was established in 1896. The locomotive will wear the number '4' representing the unit JC operated in 1970 along with having a 'Mack Trucks, Inc. - Railcar Dept.' herald applied. The Mack company redesigned the two locomotives to handle a consist of 1 to 2 passenger cars, or a small train of 3 to 4 freight cars. This was the type of usage the Mack company intended the locomotives to be marketed and sold, hopefully replacing steam locomotives across America's shortline's and branchline's.
Displaying the Mack Boxcab Locomotive in the future.
The McHugh family enjoyment of this old Mack locomotive comes from sharing it with others and being able to provide the history of these rare Mack Trucks, Inc. built locomotives to people that also may have an interest to learn about them. The locomotive has been displayed at several historical equipment or railroad events over the past couple years, and it is planned to continue displaying it so the general public can discover this rare boxcab locomotive.
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If you have a question regarding the Mack boxcab locomotives or another subject that is covered in this website you can send an email to: jcmchugh@verizon.net
If you are interested in purchasing a rebuilt locomotive, locomotive crane, or require parts / service our business McHugh Locomotive & Crane website is: www.mchughlocomotiveandcrane.com
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The 'C.J. McHugh' Mack locomotive is a unique part of America's Indusrtial Railroading Hertiage, and was almost lost forever. In March of 2008 this last remaining locomotive of this type was saved and later restored privately by Jimmy, Ann, & JC McHugh.
Historical information and over 150 photographs are located in the "six Mack locomotive date time line links" below.