Major Milestone Reached in Restoration of Historic Lehigh & New England #611 Locomotive
October 31, 2025 — Souderton, PA — The Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc. (RIPS) is pleased to announce a major milestone in the ongoing restoration of Lehigh & New England Railroad #611, the last surviving diesel locomotive of the long-defunct Lehigh & New England Railroad. Today, on the 64th anniversary of the LNE’s final day of operation, the project team reports that all four of #611’s traction motors have been shipped to Electric Motor & Supply in Altoona, PA, for complete rehabilitation — a critical step toward returning the locomotive to operation.
The traction motors, each powering an axle of the locomotive, convert electrical energy from the diesel engine and generator into motion. This complex and costly work was made possible through a Thriving Communities grant from Norfolk Southern, which today operates a segment of the former LNE line, and a generous grant from the Berkheimer Foundation, arranged by the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.
The traction motor project has been a collaboration among several organizations. The Allentown & Auburn Railroad(which graciously provides a home for #611) and the Wilmington & Western Railroad worked together to remove the traction motors from #611’s roller-bearing trucks. While the traction motors are being rebuilt, the W&W will temporarily use the trucks to move its own Alco S2 locomotive. Once complete, #611 will ride on roller-bearing trucks for the first time in its history.
“This milestone marks one of the four critical systems needed to return #611 to life,” said project co-lead Dave Organek, President of RIPS. “With the traction motors now in professional hands, we’re one big step closer to seeing this remarkable locomotive come to life again.”
Ongoing Work and Next Steps
In addition to traction motor rehabilitation, volunteers and restoration partners have been steadily working on sub-assemblies of the locomotive’s diesel prime mover, sourcing hard-to-find parts, and rebuilding essential systems.
The team’s 2025–2026 priorities include:
- Continuing restoration of the diesel engine’s internal components
- Preparing for generator rehabilitation, estimated to cost over $20,000
- Sourcing and refurbishing electrical components and missing parts
Volunteers with experience in diesel mechanics or heavy electrical work are encouraged to join the team.
Community Support and Appreciation
RIPS extends its gratitude to Norfolk Southern, the Berkheimer Foundation, and individual donors whose generosity continues to make progress possible. Special thanks go to the Garden State Central Model Railroad Club and The Train Room, both of which donated model trains for fundraising sales. Supporters can visit the GSC’s Holiday Train Show and Christmas Spectacular in Wall, NJ this December; and meet Tim and Steve from The Train Room at regional train shows including Allentown First Frost and Springfield, MA.
How to Support the Restoration
RIPS has launched an end-of-year fundraising campaign to sustain momentum through the winter and fund the next major phase of restoration in 2026.
Donations can be made online at riptrack.org/donations
Or by mail to:
Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc.
PO Box 636
Souderton, PA 18964
Every contribution — large or small — helps preserve this important piece of regional and railroad history.
Media Q&A: The Significance of the Lehigh & New England #611 Restoration
Q: What makes Lehigh & New England #611 so significant?
A: #611 is the last surviving diesel locomotive from the Lehigh & New England Railroad (LNE), a once-prominent anthracite-hauling railroad that operated across Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, New Jersey, and upstate New York. When the LNE shut down on October 31, 1961, most of its equipment was scrapped. #611 escaped that fate. Preserving #611 means preserving the final chapter of a railroad that shaped the industrial heart of the Northeast.
Q: Why is the current traction motor restoration such an important milestone?
A: Traction motors are the core of what makes a diesel-electric locomotive move — they’re massive electric motors attached directly to each axle. Restoring them is both technically complex and financially demanding. Completing this phase will bring #611 one major step closer to running under its own power for the first time in more than 15 years.
Q: How does #611 represent the legacy of the Lehigh & New England Railroad?
A: The LNE was an essential link in the anthracite coal trade and regional manufacturing network of eastern PA. Its locomotives hauled coal, cement, and steel — the materials that literally built mid-20th-century America. #611, built in 1948 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO), was part of the LNE’s modernization effort in the postwar years. It embodies the transition from steam to diesel power, and its survival provides a rare window into that transformative period in railroad technology.
Q: What makes restoring #611 different from restoring other historic locomotives?
A: Unlike many locomotives preserved in museums or tourist operations, #611 has spent decades outdoors, exposed to the elements. Restoration involves not only rebuilding its mechanical and electrical systems but also reversing years of corrosion, sourcing obsolete components, and adapting modern materials where necessary. Every nut and bolt is being cleaned, repaired, or fabricated by volunteers and specialists — truly a ground-up resurrection.
Q: How will #611 be used once it’s restored?
A: The goal is to return #611 to full operational status on the Allentown & Auburn Railroad in Kutztown, Pennsylvania as a working exhibit for public demonstration, photo charters, and educational events. Operating in partnership with the A&A, #611 will serve as a living classroom for students, railfans, and historians — showing how diesel-electric locomotives helped shape American industry in the mid-20th century.
Q: Why should people care about restoring an old industrial machine like this?
A: Railroad technology powered America’s growth, and the people who built, ran, and maintained locomotives like #611 were part of that story. Preserving this locomotive honors their work and keeps tangible industrial history alive for future generations. As our industrial heritage fades from living memory, projects like #611 ensure that history doesn’t just sit behind glass — it moves, breathes, and teaches.
About #611
Lehigh & New England #611 is an S2 diesel switcher built in 1948 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, NY. One of 1,502 S2-type diesel electric switcher locomotives constructed by ALCO between 1940-50, #611 is a significant survivor. While most S2s have been turned to scrap, #611 stands to become an operating artifact from the post-WWII era.
#611 was built for the anthracite coal, cement and slate hauling Lehigh & New England Railway which connected Maybrook, NY with Allentown and Tamaqua, PA until its abandonment in 1961. Most of #611’s first 12 years on the LNE were spent within 30 miles of the locomotive’s current home in Kutztown, PA. #611 was sold to the Ford Motor Company where it worked at the world-famous River Rouge steel mill. The locomotive finished its regular service years at a grain mill in Emporia, Indiana. The Lehigh New England Preservation Society and the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society brought #611 back to Pennsylvania in 2016.
About the Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc.
The non-profit Railroad & Industrial Preservation Society, Inc. was formed in 2020 by a group of historians interested in preserving and providing stewardship for railroad and industrial artifacts. The principles of the society bring a blend of skills required for success in the modern era: David A. Organek (professional railroader), Richard Zmijewski (financial controller, ret.) and Robert John Davis (marketing executive). More details may be found at www.riptrack.org