Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc.
Home of Lehigh & New England #611
We are thrilled to announce that Norfolk Southern has awarded a $10,000 Thriving Communities grant to assist with the restoration of Lehigh & New England #611. We deeply appreciate the generosity of NS and their recognition of the project’s significance. The restoration is based in a town served by NS: Topton, PA on the NS Reading Line. Our “home road,” The Allentown & Auburn Railroad, interchanges with NS just a
Be sure to follow us on Facebook where work session reports are filed and step-by-step progress can be seen. https://www.facebook.com/riptrack.org
Our beautiful trucker hats are now available online and at train shows. $30 plus shipping. Order here: https://riptrack.org/shop/
We will have two fundraising tables at the Allentown, PA “Spring Thaw” train show Feburary 22 & 23, 2025 at the Allentown Fairgrounds. We will be selling O-scale trains, vintage railroad books, LNE #611 merchandise and more to help support the restoration. Details here: https://allentowntrainmeet.com/
As the restoration of Lehigh & New England #611 continues, there are several mid-Summer updates to share with our supporters. Traction Motors In terms of big picture items, we are pursuing the rehab of the four best traction motors out of the eight that we have. This is work that needs to be done before the roller-bearing trucks are put under the locomotive. The motors are in good shape, but even
March 15, 2023 Souderton, PA – The Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc. (RIPS) is honored to announce the awarding of a $10,000 grant from the Berkheimer Foundation for the restoration of the Lehigh & New England Alco S2 locomotive #611. The grant was arranged by the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society (NRHS), and will be used to fund vital repairs to the locomotive. The Lehigh
It is documented that after being used to scrap much of the Lehigh & New England, #611 spent a bit of time in industrial service before being sold to the Ford Motor Company. Ford put #611, now numbered #10013, into service at the company’s River Rouge steel mill in Detroit, Michigan. During her early years at Ford, #611 wore a white paint scheme which may have been a touch-up of
See what’s new and find out about our Spring Forward fundraiser… … Continue readingSpring Forward 2022 Fundraiser
Friends of #611, you can now support the restoration with a gift via Amazon Smile. Click for more. … Continue readingAmazon Smile Donations
While the winter chill continues, work on #611 awaits a little warmer weather. That doesn’t mean things are at a standstill. We are gathering cost estimates for the first stages of work and writing grant applications. First on the list is renewal of the traction motors. The plan is to get them to a contractor ASAP. We will be seeking sponsors for the traction motor work. Some wheel work and