Know Thy Early Mohawks

This old image of 2801 is the only one of a 2800 that we could find equipped with a steel pilot in place of the
standard L-2 footboard arrangement. Location and date are, unfortunately, unavailable. (NYCSHS)

Mohawk 2963 originally was a Line East locomotive. The enlarged sand dome and top boiler check and lack
of a booster are indications that this view is in the 1948-1950 time period.Temporary classification lamps may
indicate a Big Four or Michigan Central assignment. (NYCSHS)

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Mohawk 2968 rests at an unknown location near the end of her career. A booklet listing stokers in service by
locomotive road number, published in 1944, contains information that L-2D’s 2960-2974 were all assigned to
Line East, the probable location of this image. This L-2D was retired in December of 1953. (NYCSHS)

Mohawk 2971 proudly displays her steel pilot in this undated image at a Line East unidentified location.
Image post dates 1948 since her booster has been removed. (NYCSHS)

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With the Baker hooked up and in the “company notch”, and a slight haze at the stack, pilot equipped Mohawk
2992 gives a train of reefers a high-speed trip in the late forties. These L-2D’s roamed the entire railroad, and were
evenly divided between Line East of Buffalo and Line West. Since No. 2992 was a Line East engine in 1950, we
believe that this exposure was made east of Buffalo. (NYCSHS)

The fireman of Mohawk Mohawk 2993 leads train
2992 is leaning on his DJ-5, a Detroit-Joliet run
armrest, assisting out of Junction Yard, with
his engineer in a traffic for western connec-
backup move at tions, in this view from
Malone, NY in the early 1950’s. (NYCSHS-
the late 1940’s. JKT)
(NYCSHS)

Mohawk 2993 heels
into a curve in this
view from NYCSHS
records. (NYCSHS)

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Mohawk No. 2997 has caught a caution block as a result of a Sperry Rail Detector Car ahead, and the engineer has
the reverse lever down in the corner in order to accelerate the 135 assorted empties to track speed. The NYC typical
low pole line on the right and the “tattle-tales” warning of low overhead clearance complete this view of the postwar
New York Central in the steam age. (NYCSHS-JKT)

The highest numbered L-2 Mohawk poses at an unknown location. The image is not dated, but the white paint on
the feedwater heater drum is dated 1953. Time was running out, as the 2999 was retired in April, 1953, and so this
may be her final photo. (NYCSHS)

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West Albany in 1931

Maintaining Mohawks

West Albany on conversion dates, began in 1944 and continued through
1948 for the 2700, 2800, and 2900 classes.
The ultimate success of the Mohawks was determined by
the size and quality of the infrastructure required to support In addition to Mohawk and Hudson Class repairs, other
this large fleet. One of the foremost railroad shops in the classes including Ten Wheelers, Mikados, and Pacifics were
nation in the days of steam was West Albany, the principal also overhauled at West Albany. The sheet that follows gives
overhaul location for all steam locomotives assigned east of some idea of the number and variety of locomotives that
Buffalo, NY. Construction of the repair and maintenance fa- were in-process on September 14, 1945. West Albany even
cility started in 1854, when the Central purchased 350 acres scheduled work from industrial and short line railroads, as
at the head of the long valley of Patroon’s Creek, and named evidenced by the existence of the Ft. Orange Paper locomo-
it West Albany. West Albany was a large facility, as shown in tive in the shop.
the 1931 image. In terms of capability, West Albany could
perform every repair that might be required on a steam In terms of volume, a 1947 recapitulation of steam assign-
locomotive, including rolling new boiler courses and com- ments, when dieselization was already well underway, had
plete firebox replacements. 1,064 locomotives assigned to Line East, including 66 L-1
Mohawks and 129 L-2 Mohawks. A review of available Lo-
The 6000 miles per month average mileage of the Mohawk comotive Record Cards indicates that a L-1 or L-2A Mohawk
fleet mandated Class repairs every twelve to sixteen months. Class overhaul at any location other than West Albany was
The railroad made some changes to the Mohawk design to not the norm. In addition to the L-2A subclass, there were
standardize the material used for Class repairs, the most im- forty-nine L-2C’s and L-2D’s also assigned to Line East.
pactful of which was the standardization of the tube and
flue sizes and their layout in the boiler. This program, based The overhauls completed at West Albany ebbed and flowed

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with the economy. For example,in 1937 there were a total of Underpinning this shop complex was a skilled and dedi-
454 locomotives that received Classified repairs, or an aver- cated workforce of NYC employees. It all went away with
age of almost thirty-eight per month as the nation started to dieselization, and the last locomotive to receive a Class over-
recover from the Depression. There was another economic haul at West Albany was not a Mohawk but a J-1 Hudson.
downturn in 1938, and West Albany was closed in April and No. 5270 was released on September 25, 1952, the end of
May, and July and August. Output for the year dropped to an era. The Record Cards show that many of the L-2A class
151 locomotives, or an average of 12.6 per month. Output were stranded and retired while on Line East. West Albany
recovered in 1939,with 331 locomotives receiving classified remained open for a time after the last locomotive overhaul
repairs. In 1940,294 locomotives received classified repairs. in order to perform maintenance and overhauls of the steam
In addition to scheduled classified repairs,West Albany per- boilers used on electric locomotives, but it spelled the end
formed unclassified repairs, usually three or four per month. of Mohawk operation on the east end of the railroad. The
river that gave the Mohawk its name would now see diesels.

Before a locomotive could be overhauled, disassembly was required. In this view, a 250-ton Niles crane in erecting
shop “D” is lifting the boiler and its appliances so that the driving wheel sets and front truck can be removed for
overhaul. Some shops used a transfer table to move all of the driving wheel sets from under the locomotive. Evident-
ly, this was not done at West Albany. The boiler, now separated from its running gear, will be placed either on dolly
wheels or on stands so the boiler can be stripped. Many parts intended for reuse will be submerged in a lye vat for
cleaning. It was dangerous, difficult, and dirty work. (RLB)

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