MINERSVILLE, Pa. — Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113 was under steam for a night photo session on Oct. 21 – rescheduled from the original Oct. 14 date due to weather. The heavy 0-6-0 switcher is in its centennial year, having been built in June 1923 by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, N.Y.
Hosted by Railway Restoration Project 113, the nonprofit organization that owns the locomotive, the session took place at the former Philadelphia & Reading Railroad station in Minersville, Pa. which serves as No. 113’s home base. Organization and professional lighting were provided by Steve Barry Photography. “It went quite well,” said Robert E. Kimmel Jr., president of the organization. “The locomotive worked great, and the participants enjoyed it.
“That seemed to be the highlight for the night.”
Much like the static fire up for the Railroad Historians of the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh Valley Chapter NRHS on April 15 [See “CNJ No. 113’s Saturday steam up greets visitors…” Trains News Wire, April 17, 2023], the night photo session provided an opportunity to survey the maintenance work completed over the summer, according to Kimmel. The work itself will transition into preparation for the annual Santa Train excursions out of the Minersville station on Dec. 9 and 10. No. 113 is scheduled to operate 1-hour round trips on the Reading & Northern Railroad, departing each day at 10:30 a.m., 1:00 and 3:30 p.m.
“General maintenance will include changing the grease out of the grease cellars, loading the tender with coal, and lubricating the running gear,” Kimmel explained. “Unless something crops up between now and then, everything is set at this point.”
Visit the Railway Restoration Project 113 website for more information and tickets for the Santa Train.
No matter what the class or design it is, there is nothing like seeing a steam locomotive under full steam and power chugging along the tracks. It is an event an a scene that so many younger folks and children have never seen or get to experience. Today’s generation gets excited watching a spacecraft blast off into space which is exciting and thrilling to see but a steam locomotive of any size or class is a sight to behold and watching it chug down the tracks with its piston rods and driving wheels and that big plume of smoke coming out of the stack gets the heart pumping and the blood racing. A steam locomotive excites both young and old and still evokes the image and grandeur of those bygone golden days of yore when the train and railroad reigned supreme and the steam locomotive was the latest technology of its day and was truly the “King of the Road” or I should say the rails. Whatever legions of steam locomotives that are still with us today and whether they operate on fan trips or photo excursions or just on public display for all generations and both and young and old may these grand old giants of the rails live on forever.
Joseph C. Markfelder
Let’s remember that Central Railroad of New Jersey No. 113, also known as CNJ No. 113, is an 0-6-0 “Switcher” type steam locomotive originally built in June of 1923 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The locomotive was designed solely for yard service and could only operate at slow speeds due to the locomotive not having any leading or trailing wheels, but only six driving wheels (thus the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement).
Dr. Güntürk Üstün