Save the 1127!

Help us save the Boston and Maine #1127!

Hello all, my name Connor Maher and this is a true last minute Ahead of the Torch call asking for a Hail Mary. Former Boston and Maine SW-1 #1127 (currently Luzerne and Susquehanna Railway 600) is at risk of meeting the torch on Monday, January 22nd if no action is taken. This locomotive is arguably the most significant B&M SW-1 as the only one capable on the system of being MU'ed, famously known for operating on the B&M's White Mountain Branch as well as the Hillsboro Branch on local freights. The locomotive is fully operational and has been well cared for. They are willing to sell the locomotive to a group of professional railroaders/preservationists I'm involved with, namely the Danbury Railway Museum which will graciously give the 1127 a new home!

My group has a plan to move the locomotive to the Danbury Railway Museum in Danbury, Connecticut which will take ownership and continue to preserve and operate this historic locomotive, however none of that can be achieved unless we are able to raise the needed capital in short time. Progress Rail, the current owner, is asking for $50,000 to purchase the locomotive. $28,000 has been raised to date. Additional funding will be required to prepare the locomotive for shipment, pay storage fees, and pay for shipment by rail. A pair of roller bearings trucks is on hand to be placed under the locomotive to ship it home to New England.

Any and all monetary assistance in our time of need would be greatly appreciated, a substantial opportunity exists to preserve an incredible piece of New England history. Please consider donating today! To learn more about the signficance of the #1127, please see the history below.

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit the Danbury Railway Museum Inc, and any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me. More information about Museum Inc: We are an all-volunteer not-for-located in the 1903 Danbury Railway Station. We have over 60 pieces of rolling stock in our 10-acre railyard, including a restored Pennsylvania Railroad Post Office Car, a 109 NYC&HR wooden caboose, and a 1907 2-6-0 Boston & Maine steam locomotive. We also have an operating turntable.

Historical Significance:

"For years, 1127 signified the Boston and Maine's presence and importance in numerous towns throughout the system. People in towns and cities such as Franklin Falls, Northfield, Tilton, and Laconia saw a representation of the Boston and Maine's service through the daily appearance of 1127. Its lightweight nature allowed it to travel down branches such as the Franklin Falls Branch, where ancient wooden trestles and light rails dating from an earlier time in railroad history lingered. These prevented any larger locomotives from providing valuable service to the freight customers that still used Boston and Maine service in the 1960s and early '70s. As such, SW1s like the 1127 were a vital lifeline to industry in the heart of New England.

Oftentimes locomotives were regularly scheduled to jobs and locations, but it's hard to think of any Boston and Maine locomotive that was more symbolic of certain locations and jobs than the 1127. It was so synonymous with Concord, New Hampshire and the White Mountain Branch that it's almost always mentioned in conjunction with the two. That's not always the case with locomotives; them being so identifiable with geographic locations. Later in life it became synonymous with the Deerfield, Massachusetts area, and served numerous branchlines in that region. 1127 is possibly the most photographed SW1 that ever served on the railroad, and is certainly a contender for the most noteworthy Boston and Maine diesel locomotive still in existence.

Because of that, in a way 1127 represents an era in New England railroading when light manufacturing and small industry was still dependent on the railroad. They needed small locomotives like the 1127 to provide valuable daily service in a region which has seen most of these things disappear in the last half century."

Rick Kfoury,

President, Boston and Maine Railroad Historical Society