First, a clarification.
there is a difference between the Genesee & Wyoming Railroad, and the Genesee & Wyoming Corporation!
they are related, but not exactly the same thing.

The G&W Railroad is that small Western NY salt-hauling railroad that ran between Retsof and Caledonia, NY,
only 14.5 miles long, and began in 1894. That small railroad is the topic of this webpage! 

That tiny ancestral Genesee & Wyoming Railroad was the first railroad in todays global G&W corporation "family" of shortlines all over the world! "G&W Orange", that began on the G&W railroad, can today be seen on railroads all over the world..it all started with a salt mine in Retsof, NY.

And ironically, the original G&W Railroad no longer exists as one of the many shortlines in the G&W Corp family of railroads! the original G&W was folded into the Rochester & Southern system around 2002/2003.
the R&S is another "G&W family" railroad.
So the G&W railroad is gone, but the G&W Corporation and its collection of shortlines lives on.

Another bit of trivia, that could cause some confusion...
Normally all the "G&W Family" lines locomotives get lettered with their respective railroad name,
such as "Rochester & Southern" or "Buffalo & Pittsburg" or "Huron Central"  etc.
with "R&S" or "B&P or "HC" in the logo.
and the only locomotives that actually said "Genesee & Wyoming" and wore a "G&W" in the logo
were the actual Genesee & Wyoming units of Western NY.

made sense! easy to follow..

But today, even though the original G&W RR of Western NY is gone, the G&W Corporation has been lettering locomotives with "Genesee & Wyoming" in places such as Australia!
I dont know what the story is there..

But this page, history, and locomotive roster will be concerned only with the G&W shortline of NY state.
The original Genesee & Wyoming! 
If its in Australia, it wont be on this roster! 
 
 

G&W history and timeline:

1859 - Oil is discovered in Titusville, PA

1878 - A drilling team, moving into south-west NY looking for more oil deposits, instead uncovers a large salt deposit in Wyoming county.
           Amatuer geologist Carrol Coker, having knowledge of salt deposits at Syracuse, and a knowledge of rock
           formations, concludes that more salt formations can likely be found in Livingston county, just west of the Genesee River.
           Coker convinces Western NY financier William Foster Jr. to invest in a drilling project, and the huge salt deposit at
           Retsof is discovered.

           Later, in the 1880's, as a town grew around the salt mining operation, the town of Retsof is incorporated. 
           "Retsof" is "Foster" spelled backwards, named after William Foster, Jr.

1891 - The Genesee & Wyoming Valley Railway is incorporated.
            The first railroad route runs East from the mine, 2.5 miles, to connect with the WNY&P Railroad. (later the PRR Rochester branch)

1891 - A second route is laid from Retsof 1.5 miles westward, to the interchange with the DL&W at Greigsville.

1894 - The Third route, commonly considered the "G&W mainline" opens between Retsof & P&L Junction. (Caledonia)
            10.7 miles north from Retsof.
            The G&W is the 5th and last railroad to arrive at P&L Junction, The Erie, NYC, LV and BR&P
            are already there. The G&W will also interchange with two other major eastern Class-1 systems on
            the southern, Retsof end, the DL&W and the PRR. And the G&W also interchanged with the shortline Halite & Northern,
            which hauled salt from the Sterling mine in Cuylerville north to Retsof.

1895 - April 1 - the northern line officially opens, the G&W.V. is now hauling salt to six different Class1 railroads on 14 miles of track.

1899 - March 24,  the Genesee & Wyoming Valley Railway becomes the Genesee & Wyoming Railway.
           The G&W.V. was regorganized and sold to the Fuller family, who had owned the salt mine since 1890.
            Members of the Fuller family are still listed as company officers in 1970, 75 years later!

1912 - G&W leases the Halite & Northern Railroad, which runs from the Sterling salt mine at Cuylerville, north to Retsof.
           now the G&W runs between P&L junction, through Retsof, and south to Cuylerville.
           This move brings down the wrath of the mighty PRR onto the tiny G&W. The PRR is upset that it will lose exclusive
            access to the Sterling mine. The PRR took the G&W to court, arguing that the G&W and H&N should not be
            considered common carriers, and instead should be considered switching roads only, and thus should not participate
            in through rates on commodities. If the PRR had won, it would have been the end of the G&W..but the case went
            all the way to the Supreme Court, and the G&W won! giving the G&W legal status as a Class-2 common carrier.

1929 - G&W ends passenger service.

1932 - The BR&P becomes part of the B&O system.

1934 - G&W abandons the former Halite & Northern between Retsof and Cuylerville.
           The G&W shrinks back to its original route, P&L junction to Retsof/Greigsville/Retsof Junction.

1938 - First abandonment of a Class-1 route in the area. NYC Peanut abandoned between Holcomb and Caledonia.
           (east out of Caledonia)

1944 - The diesel era begins with the arrival of GE 80 ton switcher #20. Followed by #21 and #22 in 1945.
           the G&W continued the same number sequence from the steam era into the diesel era..quite unusual.

1945 - Last steam operations on the G&W.

1952 - First Alco RS1 arrives.

1961 - G&W begins aquiring its own salt hoppers.

1962 - the G&W's original route, Retsof to Retsof Junction and the PRR interchange, is abandoned when the PRR
           abandones it's line.

1968 - G&W purchases Business car "Edward I" from the New Haven.

1972 - B&O becomes Chessie System.

1976 - EL and LV are absorbed into Conrail. LV and EL tracks abandoned at P&L junction.

1976-1985 - The D&H interchanges with the G&W via trackage rights on Conrail, running on the former
                     DL&W mainline between North Alexander and Greigsville.

1980 - The current "G&W Family" paint scheme, seen globally today, is first worn by new MP15DC's #45 and #46.

1982 - June, G&W takes over the former Conrail trackage (originally DL&W mainline) between Greigsville
            and the DMM connection at Groveland. 

1982 - G&W corporation begins to aquire other shortlines.

1982 - Conrail abandons the former NYC Peanut between Caledonia and Batavia. (West out of P&L junction)
           Leaving the G&W with only two connections..Chessie system at P&L junction, running on the old BR&P/B&O,
           and the Conrail/D&H connection at Greigsville, on the old DL&W.

1985 - Chessie sells the former BR&P/B&O from Rochester to Silver Springs to the new Rochester & Southern
            shortline, which is a new "G&W Family" line.

1985 - Conrail abandons the former DL&W from Greigsville west to North Alexander.
           Leaving the G&W with only one remaining connection to the outside world, the new R&S at P&L junction.

1985 - G&W aquires the DMM, the G&W reaches its largest size, extending from P&L Junction south to Dansville.
           about 34 miles.

1994 - March 12, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake rumbles under Livingston County, beginning the flooding and eventual collapse
            and loss of the Retsof salt mine..the very reason for the G&W's existance for 100 years.
            could this be the end for the G&W? not quite!

1998 - 4 years after the loss of the Retsof mine, construction begins on the new Hampton Corners salt mine, located
           about 10 miles away just east of Mount Morris. the G&W builds a new spur from the abandoned DL&W
           Mount Morris passenger station over the new mine..the G&W is back in business hauling salt again!

1999 - The G&W is 100 years old!, and is one of very few railroads to operate as the same independant railroad
           throughout the entire 20th Century.

2002 - or 2003, exact date still uncertain..the G&W Railroad is absorbed in the Rochester & Southern system.
            ending the 103 year history of the G&W Railroad as an independant entity.
            The R&S now extends from Greece, NY at the north end, south through Rochester to Brooks ave yard, 
            to P&L junction where the line splits - one route to Retsof, Mount Morris and Dansville, (original G&W)
            and the original "R&S Mainline" to the NS interchange at Silver Springs. (see system map on the R&S page)

2006 - January 31, 2006 - American Motive Power (AMP) recieves its first locomotive at the former Foster-Wheeler
            plant in Dansville! Keeping the former DMM, and the southern end of the G&W/R&S alive.
            AMP rebuilds locomotives. in 2006 and 2007, dozens of older
            locomotives have been rebuilt there, here is a small sampling. (goto page 2 for photos)

2007 - Bringing us up to today..Salt continues to move north on the old G&W tracks, as it has for the last 116 years.
           and old locomotives are hauled south to Dansville to be reborn.
           The last seven G&W locos, 45,46,50,51,1000,1001, and 1002, all remain working for the R&S, and so far, 
           none of the remaining G&W locos have been repainted with a R&S logo! 
           all 7 still retain their G&W markings, and 5 of the 7 are in G&W orange. (all except #50 and #1002)
 
 
 
 
 

G&W All Time Roster and Surviving Locomotives.

The G&W owned a total of 39 locomotives during its 103 year history.

18 steam locomotives,
and 21 diesels.

one steam locomotive survives,
and 17 diesels are known surviving. 
 

Steam Roster:

Photo	Road No.	Wheel Arr.	Builder	Year Built	C/N #	Status	Heritage	Notes
	1	0-6-0T	Baldwin	1891		disposition		sold 1892
						unknown
	2	0-4-0	Baldwin	1892		disposition	Listed as being from two sources:
						unknown	C/N 12762 built 6/92 for the Niagara Falls
							& River Railway #1, or the Owasso River #2,
							C/N 12762 in 6/92
	3	0-4-0	Baldwin	9/1893	13725	disposition	nee G&W #3
						unknown	sold to Buffalo Union Furnace Co. 10/1908
	4	4-4-0	Baldwin	1884	13725	scrapped	nee Lehigh Valley 239
							returned in 1898, possibly on lease only.
	5	4-4-0	Dickson	9/1880	272	disposition	nee D&H Canal company #38.
						unknown
	6	4-4-0	LVRR	1888		scrapped	nee Lehigh Valley #190.	19X24-56
							aquired by G&W in 1903
							scrapped 1909
	7	2-6-0	Alco	4/1905	30988	disposition	nee G&W #7	18X24-56
			Schen			unknown	sold 1913 to Birmhamton Rail & Loco Co.
							resold to Alexandria & Western RR,
							Garden City, LA
	8	2-6-0	Alco	4/1906	39908	disposition	nee G&W #8	18X24-50
			Pitts			unknown	sold 1920 to Southern Iron & Equipment Co.
							Atlanta, GA
							resold to Ursina & North Fork RR #8, re#16.
							T.T. Tabor 1111 says built as 2-6-2 but rebuilt.
	9	2-6-0	Baldwin	7/1910	34964	survives!	see *note #1 below for details.
						Chattanooga, TN
	10	2-8-0	Pitts	3/1900	2075	disposition	nee P&LE #145, re#3922	20X26-50
						unknown	to Mongahelia RR #7
							to Mac-Dougal Const Co, before or after
							sale to G&W?
	11	2-8-0	Brooks	11/1898	3084	disposition	nee BR&P 206, built as a 4-8-0	20X26-50
						unknown	rebuilt as 2-8-0 by BR&P DuBois shops
							and sold to G&W.
	12	2-6-0	Porter	1/1916	5775	scrapped	nee G&W #12	69 tons
							scrapped at Retsof, 1956	20X24-50
	14	4-6-0	Baldwin	5/1894	14018	scrapped 1923	nee Buffalo & Susquehanna #111,	18X24-56
						Arcade, NY	Renumbured B&S 107:1,124:1,154:1,104
							to Wellsville & Buffalo #104 in 2/1915;
							to Genesee & Wyoming #14 in 1917;
							to General Equipment Company #0;
							to Arcade and Attica #4 in 1922.
	15	2-6-0	see *note#2	1905		disposition	see *note #2 below.
						unknown
	16	2-6-0	Porter	2/1920	6455	scrapped	nee G&W	69 tons
							rebuilt 1936	20X26-50
							scrapped at Retsof, 1956
	17	2-6-0	Porter	2/1920	6619	scrapped	nee G&W	69 tons
							standby until 1956	20X26-50
							scrapped circa 1959
	18	2-6-0	Porter	12/1922	6762	scrapped	nee G&W	69 tons
							sold 1/53 to General Crushed Stone, Leroy, NY	20X26-50
							used by GCS 1956-1962
							scrapped circa 1967.
	19	2-6-0	Porter	1/1923	6796	scrapped	nee G&W	69 tons
							scrapped at Retsof, circa 1959	20X26-50

Diesel Roster:

Photo	Road No.	Model	Yr. Built	Serial #	Status	Location	Current Paint	Heritage	Notes
	20	GE 80ton	7/1944	27567	derelict	McDonald, OH
								nee G&W 20 - 1944 sold to Hunkin-Conkey Const Co (Cleveland OH) - 1962 to Birmingham Rail & Loco Co. 1986 (broker) to Standard Slag Co. Lordstown, OH to Lafarge Corp (Lordstown OH) to Penn Ohio Logistics (McDonald OH) to LTEX (Larry's Truck Equipment) currently derelict (thanks to Charles Woolever for the detailed history!)
	21	GE 80ton	8/1945	28235	unknown			nee G&W 21 - 1945
								to Consumers Power Co., Jackson, Mo. 1960's
	22	GE 80ton	11/1945	28325	operating.	Byesville, OH	BSRW red/black	nee G&W 22 - 1945 to Eli Lilly Pharmacutical Co. Lafayette, IN. 1960's to Logansport & Eel River 82 to Ohio Central 82 to Byesville Scenic 386, Ohio. (2006) (thanks to David Baer for "finding" #22!)
	25	Alco RS1	1/1952	79580	scrapped			nee G&W 25 - 1952
	(40)							Re# to G&W 40
								to Bay Colony Railroad #1064, sold 1989.
								BCRR removed the engine, and sold the hulk
								to Green Mountain, 10/96, GM used the trucks,
								and scrapped the rest.
	30	Alco RS1	5/1955	81345	operating.	Hartford, CT	CCRR black	nee G&W 30 - 1955	was G&W
	(41)							Re# to G&W 41	Bicentennial unit 1976
	(1976)							Re# to G&W 1976 in 1976, Bicentennial paint.
								Re# back to G&W 30
								to Cape Cod RR  #30
								to Central New England RR #30	Privately owned.
	42	Alco RS1	11/1948	76212	operating.	Hartford, CT	New Haven	nee New Haven #0670 - 1948
								to G&W 42 - 1/1964
								stored at Retsof, 8/20/89
								sold to Cape Cod Railroad, Hyannis, MA.
								to Central New England RR #0670
	43	Alco RS1	2/1950	77849	unknown			nee Chicago & Western Indiana #256 - 1950
								To G&W 43. Sold in 1981 to Jersey Central Terminal RR.
	44	Alco RS1	2/1950	77951	preserved	Industry, NY	Kodak	nee Chicago & Western Indiana #260 - 1950	Preserved at the
								to G&W 44	R&GVRRM as EK 9.
								to Eastman Kodak #9, 1971
								Donated to the R&GVRRM in 1997 by Kodak.
	35	Alco S4	1959	82008 ?	OOS - stored	Sodus, NY	GW Orange	nee G&W 35.
				80941 ?				to Connecticut Central 35
								Currently Ontario Midland #35.
	36	Alco S4	1953	80941	operating	Sodus, NY	OMID black	nee P&LE 8655.	was G&W
	(1776)							to NYC 8655	Bicentennial unit 1776
								to G&W 36
								Re# to G&W 1776 in 1976, Bicentennial paint.
								Re# back to G&W 36
								to Connecticut Central 36
								Currently Ontario Midland #3
	45	EMD MP15DC	1980	769350-1	operating	R&S system	GW Orange	nee G&W 45 - 1980	First units to wear the current
	46	EMD MP15DC	1980	769350-2	operating	R&S system	GW Orange	nee G&W 46 - 1980	G&W family paintscheme.
	47	EMD SW1500	12/1969	35293 ?	operating	York, PA	GW Orange	nee Houston Belt & Terminal #50.	W&P merged into PNWR
				35296 ?				to G&W 47 - 5/1985	in 2000. (Albany, Oregon)
								to Willamette & Pacific 1551 (a G&W line) in 1996.	Unit named "Toledo"
								to Portland & Western 1551. (a G&W line) in 2000
								to York Railway, (a G&W line) York,PA, in 2007
	50	EMD GP38	1970		operating	R&S system	CR Blue	nee Penn Central 7844 - 1970
								to Conrail 7844 - 1976
								to G&W 50 in 1985
	51	EMD GP38	1970		operating	R&S system	GW Orange	nee Penn Central 7862 - 1970
								to Conrail 7862 - 1976
								to G&W 51 in 1985
	61	Alco C424m	1963	84555	scrapped			nee EL 2402 - 1963	All 3 units wore
				3358-02				to CR 2476 - 1976	D&H blue while with
								to D&H C424m 461 (rebuilt Hornell, 1980)	the G&W
								to G&W 61 in 1985
								Wrecked Caledonia, NYon 6/20/86 and scrapped
	62	Alco C424m	1963	84547	future uncertain,	Silvis, IA	MNRR Red	nee EL 2405 - 1963	see *note #3
				3358-05	could be			to CR 2479 - 1976
					scrapped			to D&H C424m 462 (rebuilt Hornell, 1980)
								to G&W 62 in 1985
								to Guilford 62
								to Minnesota Commercial #62 in 1992
								currently at National Railway Equipment.
	63	Alco C424m	1963	84550	future uncertain,	Silvis, IA	MNRR Red	nee EL 2408 - 1963	see *note #3
				3358-08	could be			to CR 2482 - 1976
					scrapped			to D&H C424m 463 (rebuilt Hornell, 1980)
								to G&W 63 in 1985
								to Guilford 63
								to Minnesota Commercial #63 in 1992
								currently at National Railway Equipment.
	1000	EMD SW1001	11/1973	73623-5	operating	Hampton Corners	GW Orange	nee Reading Railroad 2605 - 1973	current salt mine power.
								to CR 9405 - 1976
								to G&W 1000 in 1999?
	1001	EMD SW1001	12/1973	73623-24	operating	Hampton Corners	GW Orange	nee Reading Railroad 2624 - 1973	current salt mine power.
								to CR 9424 - 1976
								to G&W 1001 in 1999?
	1002	EMD SW1001	12/1973	73623-23	operating	??	CR Blue	nee Reading Railroad 2623 - 1973	Current location unknown.
								to CR 9423 - 1976	was in Buffalo on the SB
								to G&W 1002 in 1999?	in 2003.

*Note 1

The saga of G&W #9!
I just did some serious digging on G&W #9..what a life she has led! 

1910-1918 - G&W 9
started out as G&W #9, built by Baldwin in 1910.
to Southern Iron & Equipment Co. (dealer) #1498, in 1918

1919-1929 - Brooklyn Cooperage Co. #16
to Brooklyn Cooperage Co. #16, in 1919

1929-1938 - Tennessee & North Carolina #206
to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. (dealer) (Alabama) in 8/1929.
to Tennessee & North Carolina #206, in 1929

1938-1961 - Smokey Mountain #206
to Smokey Mountain #206, in 1938.
 

1961-1973
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg, TN:
to Rebel Railroad 206, Gatlinburg, TN. 1961. ("Rebel Railroad" was not an actual railroad, it was a theme park)
to Grover Robbins of Pigeon Forge, TN, in 1964.
1966- Rebel Railroad theme park renamed "Goldrush Junction"
1969 - Goldrush Junction bought by the Cleveland Browns football team.

1973-today
1973 - #206 left the tourist traps.
(after that, Rebel Railroad-Goldrush junction contined to evolve, and is today "Dollywood")
and finally, in 1973, she stopped her rambles and settled down at the 
Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn, in Chattanooga, TN, where she is still on display today as "number 29"
done up in a hideous "back dating" in an attempt to convince tourists she is the ACTUAL, the original, "Chattanooga Choo Choo" from the famous Glenn Miller 1941 song..which she obviously isnt.
(I found several webages claiming #29 is the original "choo choo")

actually..the song was about a passenger train, the first Cincinnati Southern Railway passenger train into Chattanooga, in 1880.  not one specific locomotive.

Pardon me, boy
Is that the Chattanooga choo choo?
Track twenty-nine
Boy, you can give me a shine

its hilarious that the song says the train leaves from "track 29"..
so they gave the LOCOMOTIVE number 29! 
ugh..

Here she is as Brooklyn Cooperage Co. #16, in 1919

and finally..here she is today..
comparing the current photos to Brooklyn Cooperage Co. #16, its clearly her..
warning, you may find these images disturbing! 

http://www.chattanooga-charm.com/images/track29train1.jpg

http://www.lewisdt.com/research/train.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~abclair2001/chooch3.jpg

well..at least she is still with us!
thats something anyway..cant complain about that!
sure beats the alternative..

Scot

*Note 2.
There is some conflicting info on the heritage of G&W #15.
One source, the G&W booklet from 1970, says she was built in France and worked on the Panama Canal
before coming to the G&W. originally 5-foot gauge and regauged.

A second source, also from the G&W, the roster collected from the G&W by Charles Woolever, says:
2-6-0, built Alco-Schen, c/n 38178, 1905, 19X26-54. Built for Panama R.R. # 105 as 2-6-4T and 5-foot gauge.
resold to A.B. Shaw (D) in 1905, Chicago, IL, and rebuilt to Std gauge, resold same year to G&W.

The second source also seems to imply the loco probably never actually worked on the Panama canal,
but was built for the canal railroad, in 1905, never went to the canal (for an unknown reason) and was instead rebuilt/regauged in 1905 and went to the G&W.

The data from the 2nd G&W source is likely correct, but I wanted to give all the known data anyway.
We have no known photo of #15.

 *note 3
"Ex-Minnesota Commercial C424M’s 62 & 63(Ex- D&H 462 & 463, G&W 62 & 63, nee-EL 2405 & 2408) is reported as stored at National Railway Equipment. 
 Future doesn’t look bright for these Alcos, probably will be stripped for parts." 
  -John Komanesky 

There were also several diesels that the G&W technically owned, but were never on the active G&W roster:

Alco S2 - built 11/49 - c/n 77816 - nee Port Huron & Detroit #60 - aquired 8/1985, sold 5/1986 to KY-TN Ry / E D&W #24 

Alco S2 or S4 - built 8/56 - c/n 81866 - nee B&O #9084, then Port Huron & Detroit #62 - aquired 8/1985, sold 3/1986 to Seaside RR

DMM #1 and #2 technically belonged to the G&W in 1985/86, until they were sold in late '86. never received G&W reporting marks or numbers. 

Alco RS1 -    nee Chicago & West Indiana #262, aquired 1970's, used for spare parts only. - scrapped.

Alco RS1  -   nee NYS&W #233:2,   used for spare parts only - scrapped
 

Click here for a map of G&W mileposts.

Continue on to page 3, Rochester & Southern.
 

Back to D&MM - G&W - R&S Survivors main page.

return to Scot's main page

 Last updated May 8, 2009

These webpages are not affilated with Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. or its subsidiaries.
G&W official page: http://www.gwrr.com/