Main Line Steam with NH&I's #9 & #40

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#9 is just about to cross route 132 heading to the Warminster station. Al Breigal is at the throttle, Dixon Blanchard & Dave Work are the fireman. At Warminster station the Conrail conductor and pilot along with Jimmy McHugh will board.

#9 pulls past the north switch entering Warminster station just about to head on it's main line journey.

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Jimmy McHugh wearing his green hard hat at the throttle of #9 as it highballs thru the town of Roslyn, PA on the way to Jenkingtown, PA where #9 will be turned on the old wye to head forward on the way to it's water stop in the McHugh's home town of Penndel, PA.  

click on the photograph to enlarge it

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The 0-6-0 was said to have made a speed of 30 MPH while on the Conrail / Septa main line heading towards Fairless. When #9 arrived at Penndel around 8:00pm there was a crowd approximately 50 people waiting to see this little steam locomotive on the main line. The #9 had some adjustments made to it, and the tender was refilled with water by the Penndel Fire Co. The fire company volunteer's were lead by Sam Simon Sr. and many of them took their turn visitng the cab before #9 stormed out of the siding onto the main line. A stow-a-way hopped aboard in Penndel, and JC McHugh was also given a chance to run #9 before it got to the Woodburne yard.

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#9 was at the USS Steel - Fairless Works for approximately a 2-1/2 month period providing steam for the locomotive shop. The 0-6-0 is traveling in reverse on it's way leaving the steel mill complex in early December 1976.

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#9 heads back to the NH&I on a cold December day in 1976. Jimmy McHugh is at the throttle and JC McHugh is in the firemans seat, Al Breigal & Dixon Blanchard are the fireman. There is also a Conrail pilot / conductor aboard.

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The morning of June 12th 1985, the #40 with passenger coaches #14 & #15, plus dining car #17. In 1985 these three cars were the green train set and used for business or private party charter trains only. The time is 7:00am and GE U-30-B diesel locomotive #401 will be coupled to the front of the train. The steam locomotive crew would be Gary Fairbanks assistant engineer / fireman, Ed Peters fireman, #401 engineer would be JC McHugh engineer and Chuck Valette fireman/engineer, with Art Adams as conductor. When the train reached Ivyland, #401 was cut off as lead locomotive and placed behind the #40. JC McHugh was then engineer of #40 and the train continued to Warminster station were a Conrail / Septa pilot boarded #40 and a Conrail conductor boarded the train.  

The photograph is of JC McHugh backing the special train off the 3 track main line at Penndel, PA on it's way to US Steel - Fairless Works. Here #40 will have the tender replentished with water by the volunteer's of the Penndel Fire company lead by Sam Simon II a chore his father did some 10 years prior in 1976 for the NH&I's #9 excursion to Fairless. 

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A once in a life time experience was had by the invited guest of the US Steel company who visited the open house at Fairless Works held that Saturday. The guest were transported around the entire plant facility by a newly rebuilt USS diesel locomotive coupled to the two NH&I passanger cars the 'Robert C. McHugh' & 'Emmerson W. Clark'. The #40 was placed on display next to the USS train loading and unloading area for veiwing. The McHugh painted GE U-30B #401 was placed on display next to the rail transporation building at the entrance of the plant.     

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The return trip that Sunday to New Hope was full of invited guest that included: Conrail / Septa representatives, PA state & local officials, US Steel management, along with McHugh friends and employees. Jimmy McHugh operated #40 into the town of Penndel that day and nearly 100 local people were waiting to see the "McHugh's Special Steam Train" arrive. Then approximately another 100 people ventured to the station because they herd the sound of #40's steam whistle as it was approaching Penndel. Some have said for the two mile distance from Woodburne yard to the Penndel station #40's whistle was blown over 100 times! The Penndel Fire Company and most of the spectators were waiting for #40 to arrive at the siding on the other side of the main line, however the Septa pilot was granted permission to have #40 stop right at station. The fire truck was then moved and the tender was replentished with water on the main line, and the train waited for 45 minutes there sitting right next to the station for the on lookers and photographers. Jimmy McHugh at Penndel, then returned to the passenger train and JC McHugh took over as engineer of #40, Gary Fairbanks and Ed Peters were the fireman, Chuck Vallette was engineer of #401, and the conductor was Len Smolsky.      

The station at the town of Penndel is known on the Septa timetable as Langhorne.

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This photograph is of Jimmy McHugh operating #40 and JC McHugh firing the locomotive as the 'McHugh Special Steam Train' travels over the  old 'Reading Company' Fairless branch line from Morrisville yard to the Woodburne yard on the way to Penndel.