(erielack) DL&W 565

["DLW1155_@_aol.com"]

Here's a brief history of the 565 as I remember it. William Whitehead, 
founder fof the Black River & Western RR purchased the engine from the D&MM 
sometime after 1960 and moved it to Chester, NJ, where his proposed tourist 
line was originally planned. As far as I know, the 565 was only steamed and 
run twice before things fell apart and the BR&W was forced to move to it's 
present location in Ringoes. It never ran there and was sold to Morris County 
Central RR Vice President John B. Maris and moved to Whippany, NJ, on the 
Morristown & Erie RR about 1970. A hydrostatic test was done on the boiler 
shortly after its arrival and some minor repair work was begun. Shortly after 
its arrival in Whippany relations betwen the M&E and the MCCRR became 
strained and Maris sold the locomotive to restauranteur Tony Citro who moved 
it to his restaurant in Wayne, NJ. where he cosmetically restored her to her 
DL&W livery.

When the MCCRR moved its operation to Newfoundland on the NYS&W Tony Citro 
bought out Maris' shares in the company and made plans to bring the 565 to 
Newfoundland. He started overhauling it right at the restaurant but soon 
realised the work could not be properly carried out there and contracted with 
the late Frank Manier to complete the work in the shops of the New Hope & 
Ivyland RR in Bucks County. Pa. Part way through the overhaul Manier stopped 
the project and headed off to New York State to head the newly-formed 
Adirondack Railway leaving the engine in pieces. Parts were scattered and 
some vanished never to be found. Disgusted with the situation Citro sold the 
engine to the late Don Ball who was head of Steamtown USA at the time. Things 
got a little muddled at this point as another group from upstate New York 
claimed ownership resulting in a legal tug-of-war that eventually lead to the 
locomotive ending up in Scranton.

History and circumstance have not been kind to the 565.

Al Holleuffer

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End of Erielack Digest V2 #570
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