The sights and sounds of a working steam locomotive can invoke vivid memories of our nation's past. It is the mission of the Whippany Railway Museum to preserve the heritage and history of the railroads. The Museum and its historic equipment, provides an educational experience for all who visit. A working steam engine will provide economic growth to Hanover Township and the surrounding communities, and allow for working collaboration between other historic societies, museum, and non-profit groups within New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
by providing a unique historical attraction which will be accessible to the millions of people who live in New Jersey, eastern New York and Pennsylvania areas. Restoration will allow for the preservation of original features of the locomotive which will provide a historic link from the transportation systems of the past with those of our modern day.
granting the public a unique opportunity to encounter a live, fire-breathing machine, capable of transporting them back in time, where they will experience the power and beauty of a steam locomotive. Also, off-line excursions throughout northern New Jersey will be made possible, which will allow the Museum to further reach out to the millions of people who live in the Tri-State area.
Steam Locomotive No. 4039, a 135-ton 0-6-0 swiching locomotive, was built in November 1942 by the American Locomotive Company of Schenectady, NY, as one of eighty "155 Class"-type engines built for the United States Army. Its commissioned purpose was to switch various stateside military bases during World War II.
Declared surplus after the war, No. 4039 went to work for the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway in 1947, where it operated in freight service for the next fifteen years.
Late in 1965, Steam Locomotive No. 4039 was purchased by the Morris County Central Railroad where, for 15 more years, it operated out of Whippany and Newfoundland, New Jersey. It was the last steam locomotive to operate a scheduled passenger train in Morris County, NJ, and is presently the only steam locomotive to be found in Northwest New Jersey.
Over the following decade, the engine went through several ownership changes until May 1994, when the Whippany Railway Museum purchased the locomotive (then stored in Pennsylvania) and returned it to its former New Jersey location. In 1997, No. 4039 was granted the title "The Official Steam Locomotive of Morris County" by the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In December 2001, No. 4039 was entered into the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, and in March 2002, the locomotive was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Museum's purpose in obtaining the locomotive is to return it to full operation, so that a new generation can experience the stirring sights and sounds of these thrilling machines.
The restoration of No. 4039 to operational status will contribute to the preservation of an existing historic transporation facility and provide a physical link to the past which will in turn provide an opportunity to educate the populace of the region while helping to increase tourism.
Currently, the Whippany Railway Museum attracts between a few hundred to several thousand people each week. Many are fascinated by the historic aspects of railroad transporation and our nation's heritage. Others come out of curiosity. But all leave with a greater appreciation of the impact that the railroads have had on the development of our nation. The restoration of No. 4039 will provide people of all ages with the unique experience of riding behind an original steam locomotive, which will in turn increase the local and regional awareness of the need to protect historic resources in our local communities as well as on a national level.
Unfortunately, as time passes the number of steam locomotives in America is getting smaller. This is an unusual, innovative, and exciting project with a wide variety of public benefits.
The Whippany Railway Museum is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Educational Organization. All donations are tax-deductible.
Make checks payable to Whippany Railway Museum. Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number!