NH&I 1962 - 1990
The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad - 1962 'til 1990
Click on the various photographs below to take you to those years of history pretaining to the New Hope & Ivyland RR from 1964 until 1985.
This website including all photographs and text is protected under 'US copyright laws' and can not be duplicated in part or whole in any form whatsoever, without the written permission of the owner.
Photographs are the property of JC McHugh collection.
New Hope & Ivyland Railroad - 1962 to 1990.
Below are various photo albums that are catorgized with a time line history of the NH&I. This is from when several businessmen and railroad buffs had the idea of starting the NH&I in 1964 and operated the railroad until 1969. It also includes the 1970 bankruptcy of the NH&I along with years of dispare until 1973 when the future of the line would look a bit brighter.Jimmy McHugh would be instrumental is saving the bankrupt NH&I when he became the NH&I's president in January 1973. JC McHugh became V.P. of the volunteer passenger train operations in January 1979 because he desired to see at least one of the steam locomotives to continue operating on the NH&I. Then in June of 1979 JC McHugh also became supertendent of the NH&I's freight and railroad equipment leasing division.
In mid November 1985 both Jimmy & JC McHugh would resigned from the McHugh Bros. company operators of the NH&I because the remainder of the owners at the McHugh Bros. company wanted to exit from operating the NH&I. Jimmy, JC, & EP McHugh ( JC's cousin ) along with several silent partners then presented a proposal for this new group to outright purchase the NH&I for then asking price of the railroad. This new proposal was considered by the Bucks County Industrial Devolopment Corporation, however the McHugh Bros. company then threatened legal actions against BCIDC because the McHugh Bros. company still had the contract to operate the NH&I. JC McHugh then incorporated M.R.M.R., Inc. in November of 1985 with Jimmy McHugh as an associate of the firm and today the company continues to rebuild locomotives and railroad type cranes. You can visit their website at:
www.mchughlocomotiveandcrane.comThe management at the McHugh Bros. company & NH&I changed in mid November 1985 then becoming under the leadership of: Edward L, Gerald J, Adelaide M. McHugh & William McNulty, this group would quickly have the McHugh Bros. companies & NH&I become a failures. During the years of 1986 thru 1989 there would be several issues between BCIDC and the McHugh Bros. company that would devolope into lawsuits being filed. In 1989 the BCIDC would not renew the NH&I operating lease purchase agreement with the new group that managed the McHugh Bros. companies. The McHugh Bros. locomotives were also sidelined and out of service by 1989, they included U-30-B's 401 & 402, Baldwins 101, 302, 395, GE 44/45 tonners 400 & 390. The NH&I freight operation would borrowed the small EMD SW1 600HP switcher from A&F Railways who leased it to the NHSR for the tourist train operations. A few of the NHSR volunteers were now also the NH&I's freight crew and they would be part time paid employees of the NH&I.
Not only did the NH&I suffer from the poor management of: Edward L., Gerald J., Adelaide M. McHugh, & William McNulty, but they would also have the McHugh Bros. Heavy Hauling & Crane Rental divisions fail and closed those businesses in 1987. By 1990 the entire remaining network of McHugh Bros. enties would cease operation except for this groups new transloading facility located on a leased peice of property from Conrail at Tyburn Rail.
Another railroad company was brought in for a 1 year period to operate the NH&I freight operation in mid 1989 but it also did not make any major repairs to the track structure or old railroad buildings. The BCIDC sold the NH&I railroad to a new private company in 1990.
The breif history that is on the following NH&I pages for the period of 1962 - 1990, has the been provided directly from old NH&I: corporate records, letters or reports, and the recollections of it's former officers, for that period of time.
The website was created and designed to provide a breif history of the NH&I 1964 - 1990 at the request of many railfans, along with professional railroad historians and archivist. Jimmy & JC McHugh have provided this information along with some of their rare photograph collection to assist reasearchers to understand and also appreciate the hard times that the NH&I went thru over those years.
This NH&I 1962 - 1990 website is not affiliated with: The Bucks County Industrial Devolopement Corporation, the former Valley Forge Scenic RR, the Buckingham Valley Trolley Association, the management of the NHSR / NH&I or McHugh Bros. company after mid November 1985 - 1989, or the operators and or owners of the New Hope & Ivyland RR operation after 1989.
( updated 03/31/11 )
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Jimmy McHugh operates #9 on the Conrail / Septa - Main Line 1976.
NH&I 1962 - 1966 ( updated 05/23/11 )
The beginning, 1962 to December 1966.
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NH&I 1970 - 1972 ( updated 12/31/10 )
The NH&I almost becomes scrap iron when the bankruptcy judge says no more to the former V.F.S.R. group & others operating the NH&I as a play toy.
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NH&I 1974 ( updated 12/31/10 )
2-8-0 steam locomotive #40 will return to service and the NH&I will operate it's first double headed steam powered trains in 1974.
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NH&I 1975 ( updated 12/30/10 )
The continued rebuilding of the NH&I by the McHugh family along with the help from the reorganized group of volunteers. #40 & #1533 also will steam together again for a second year in a row.
The NH&I in April of 1977 will stop operating the tourist passemger trains and two other volunteer groups will try during this period of time until August 1979.
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Tourist 1980 - 1985 ( new 08/15/11 )The NH&I leases the #40 & #9 and passenger coaches to the non-profit corporation 'New Hope Steam Railway, Inc.' at $1.00 per year.
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J.C. McHugh operates #40 over the Conrail / Septa - Main Line 1985
NH&I 1967 - 1969 ( updated 04/17/11 )
The NH&I January 1967 to December 1969.
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NH&I 1973 ( updated 12/31/10 )This page features a brief history of how the NH&I was taken from a decrepit failing short line to when Jimmy McHugh was instrumental in saving the NH&I from extinction.
4-6-2 F.E.C. #148 - 1974 - 1975 at NH&I ( updated 12/31/10 )
This locomotive was rebuild at New Hope, it was owned by Jimmy McHugh's friend Sam Freeman a former shareholder at the near by BR&W.
The NH&I track structure is completely rebuilt and can now handle passenger trains at speeds of 30 MPH. The #9 steam locomotive is completely rebuilt and placed back into service and the line operates daily trains to Warminster.
Freight 1977 - 1979 ( updated 12/30/10 )
The NH&I freight operations after April of 1977, will no longer have any volunteers associated with the NH&I. The NH&I will become very successful during this period and in June of 1979 be taken out of bankruptcy.
photo's up - history to be provided at a later date
Freight 1980 - 1981 ( updated 12/31/10 )
The NH&I's freight customers dwindle and new ways are found to keep the NH&I alive. The leasing of maintenance of way equipment and diesel locomotive rebuilding.
Years of extreme growth at the NH&I.