Thanks to the combined efforts of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, the Steuben County Industrial Development Agency (SCIDA), and the Livonia, Avon & Lakeville Railroad (LA&L), a historic 75-year-old diesel locomotive from the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad (B&H) will be brought to the museum to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.
Built as New York Central 872 in March 1950 by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in Schenectady, N.Y., the 660-horsepower diesel switcher is one of 71 Alco S-1 units built for the railroad. It was reassigned to the freight car manufacturing and repair facility known as Despatch Shops in East Rochester, N.Y., in January 1965, where it was renumbered 5. After the shops closed in 1970, the locomotive was sold to Steuben County for operation on the B&H.
The Bath & Hammondsport Railroad can trace its roots back to 1872, connecting Hammondsport at the south end of Keuka Lake with the Erie Railroad and Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad at Bath. By 1903, B&H had come under control of the Erie Railroad, until a major flood in 1935 caused significant damage, ending service. Local businessmen purchased the railroad, made repairs, and resumed service in 1936. Thanks to the agreeable climate, a robust wine industry developed around the Finger Lakes, and many wineries were customers of the B&H, nicknamed “The Champagne Route.” In 1976, B&H expanded when they became the operator of SCIDA-owned track between Bath and Wayland. In 1996, the county named Livonia, Avon & Lakeville as the new operator of the combined B&H lines, which included a 2001 expansion from Bath to a connection with Norfolk Southern at Painted Post.
ABOVE: Diesel switcher No. 5 worked at Despatch Shops, Inc., in East Rochester, N.Y., from 1965 until it closed in 1970. It was used to move freight cars in and out of the shop for repair or delivery, as well as move materials between different areas of the manufacturing plant. It was built in 1950 as New York Central 872. —Courtesy East Rochester Village History
As freight traffic increased on the B&H under LA&L in recent years, more powerful diesel locomotives were required, and No. 5 was set aside. Designated as surplus by LA&L, the locomotive was identified as a good candidate for preservation. R&GV negotiated with SCIDA to purchase the locomotive in February 2025. The museum has established a GoFundMe to help offset the cost of transportation to the museum.
“We are excited to preserve this historic diesel locomotive and return it to Rochester,” said R&GV Museum vice president Jackson Glozer. “Besides helping preserve the history of Bath & Hammondsport Railroad, this diesel also worked locally at Despatch Shops in East Rochester, replacing a steam locomotive of the same number which we also just added to our collection a few years ago.”
“The Steuben County IDA is pleased to be working with our partners at the Livonia Avon & Lakeville Railroad and the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum to preserve this important piece of local railroad history. Engine 5 helped transport goods throughout the region playing a vital role in supporting our economy and the efforts of the railroad museum will help educate the public on the role the railroad has and will continue to play in our business development activities.” said Jamie Johnson, executive director of the Steuben County IDA.
Tracing our roots back to 1937, the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum was established in 1971 with the purchase of the Erie Railroad depot at Industry in the town of Rush, N.Y. It has since grown into the largest operating railroad museum in New York State, preserving more than 40 pieces of historic railroad equipment operating on a private demonstration railway on the museum grounds. The all-volunteer non-profit educational organization is dedicated to preserving Rochester’s rich railroading heritage for future generations to enjoy and is open to the public May-October. For more information, please visit www.rgvrrm.org.
—via press release
