Lehigh Valley Railroad
Alco C420 #409 & #415 were believed to be surviving when I first began
the
survivors list in
early 2003.
I had them listed
as being located in Evansville, Indiana.
"in bad condition"
and not operating.
at the yard of the
former Indiana HI-Rail railroad.
Well they were there
at one time..but not since 1995!
The 2 locomotives were
sold to the A&M along with the other C420s when they all left the D&H
in 1987.
409 & 415 never
ran on the A&M.
it looks like they
went directly to Evansville, Indiana, and probably never ran again.
409
operated her entire D&H carreer in LV red!
she was never repainted
by the D&H.
(She was however re-numbered
to 419 at some point)
She was still wearing
those colors when She was cut up in Indiana..
sometime in the early
90's. (I dont know the exact date)
Here is 409
in her "as delivered" yellow jacket scheme!
looking stylish.
(date, location & photographer
unknown, from Scot Lawrence collection)
if anyone knows any info about my
uncredited photos, please let me know!)
Here she is
near the end of her career, 1987 on the D&H.
I visited her in the
East Binghamton yard several times in the late 80's.
im glad I got to meet
her!
Greg Dickinson collection,
used by permission
415 also began her life in the LV Yellowjacket scheme (as did all the LV C420s)
Here she is Packerton
yard.
probably in the 60's.
(SL collection)
Wow! one of the coolest
LV photos out there!
This is 415 in her
second LV scheme.
looks like hours after
being painted!
Used with permission, Collection
of John Rust, ©2003, All Rights Reserved, SD45.com
During her carreer
on the D&H.
her third, and last,
paintscheme.
(Greg Dickinson collection, used
by permission)
The status of the other
remaining C420s was (and is) well known, and not in doubt.
but information on
the condition, and status, of 409 & 415 was impossible to find!
all we knew was that
they were there..nothing else!
I couldnt even find
any recent photos of them.
I posted questions
all over the internet, even on Indiana-specific forums!
dead silence everywhere..
no one knew a thing!
wouldnt 2 derelict
C420s draw attention? wouldnt they be photographed?
well...turns out no
one knew about their current status simply because they didnt actually
exist!
that would explain
it! ;)
And now, sadly, the
photos I discovered on-line that led to the confirmation that 409 &
415 were scrapped.
2 photos of 415 in
that yard in Indiana.
1995
(notice the #312 along the bottom..312 was her last number..but never
operated with that number)
both photos by E.M. bell, used by
permission.
Well after seeing those
2 photos, it was obvious one of the engines was gone,
but which one?
and what about the
second one?
Posting some questions
on various forums, and digging for photos around the internet,
I discovered that
409 would have been Red while in Indiana,
and 415 was in D&H
blue, with the logo on the side of the cab.
So that confirmed
415 was gone..but what of 409?
she was likely scrapped
too, but there was no proof.
I found out that "Indiana
HI-Rail" has gone through several different names
and incarnations through
recent years, and the yard in Evansville has apparently
changed owners several
times.
Names connected with
the last owners of 409 & 415 include:
Indiana HI-Rail
Indiana Box Car
Wabash Central
Wabash & Ohio
Mid America Locomotive.
I found a webpage and
email for Indiana Box Car, and sent them a note.
A very nice and helpfull
gentleman responded a few days later, and confirmed that both units
have in fact been
scrapped.
409 was scrapped before
415, sometime between 1987 & 1995.
and 415 was scrapped
in 1995.
LV409
1964 - 1976 (brand new in 1964, purchased new by the LV)
D&H 409
1976 - 1985
D&H 419
1985 - 1987
to A&M via Chrome
Locomotive,
to Indiana HI-Rail,
#319
Was bought as a parts
unit,
never operated again.
Scrapped at Mid America Locomotive, Evansville, IN.
late 80's or early
90's.
LV415
1964 - 1976 (brand new in 1964, purchased new by the LV)
D&H 415
1976 - 1987
to A&M via Chrome
Locomotive 3/16/87 -
to Indiana High Rail
Corp #312 -
scrapped at Mid America
Locomotive, Evansville, IN. 1995.
Both 409 & 415
never actually operated for Indiana HI-Rail..
their last service
as operating locomotives was with the D&H in 1987.
Rest in Peace 409 &
415.
Scot Lawrence
December 2003
