Construction & Marine Equipment Co Inc
Elizabeth, NJ
22 October 2010

Yonkers Contracting CMTV #1 [GE 45 Tonner IIa3 w/ modified low profile cab for tunnel clearance]

Ever since photographing this locomotive, I have been on a crusade of sorts attempting to ascertain the history and previous owners of this locomotive.

So I immediately put a priority upon myself on researching CMTV 1.

Jay Reed, whom I contacted to confirm the model of this locomotive, states that this is a 45 ton IIa3 variant, (not a 35 Ton as I had misidentified it as) and apparently the trucks have been changed as well and also appears the cab & roof was modified for close clearance tunnel work.

On 17 November 2010, I placed a call to PATH's general information telephone number, explained my reason for calling and was directed to their Car & Equipment Shop located in Harrison, NJ, at which time I left a voice mail.

The very next day, I receive a call from Ken Wallace, Supervisor of the PATH Car & Equipment Shop. After introductions, I explained to him as to the reason for my contacting him with my inquiry, which is based solely on seeing a Port Authority Trans Hudson "2B" inspection card dated 2003 in the cab of the locomotive (which in turn led me to his shop.)

Unfortunately, Mr. Wallace did not recall a locomotive fitting the description of CMTV 1 have been at the Harrison, NJ PATH shops. But he added, if I would send him a photo of the locomotive and a scan of the 2B card, he would show it around, and hopefully maybe one of the shop employees would remember something. I immediately complied.

Not 10 minutes later, Mr. Wallace calls me back and says, "Do you know the old adage a picture is worth a thousand words?" To which I replied "Of course!" Well, Mr. Wallace goes on to explain that upon seeing the photo, he did in fact remember this locomotive very well.

As it happens, (and I'm choking up here) this very locomotive was purchased by the contractor: Construction Management; which was hired to excavate and reconstruct the collapsed PATH tunnels E & F between Exchange Place & World Trade Center, which were destroyed under the World Trade Center collapses of September 11, 2001.

It is now believed that CMTV 1 stands for Construction Management Tunnel Vehicle 1.

While I am not a particularly emotional person (and have been accused of being quite cold), but this, is just so historically important... and almost forgotten! I continue to be absolutely floored upon learning this.

While the PATH passenger evacuation train out of the World Trade Center prior to their collapse, and that same train being used to dedicate the temporary station is well documented; it was this very work locomotive that made that access to the tunnels and new station possible!

While Mr. Wallace was unable to provide prior owner history, I think he deserves a great deal of our gratitude in furnishing the contemporary history and accomplishments of this brave little historical locomotive.

I should mention that there are no plans for scrapping or even selling this locomotive by Construction & Marine Equipment in Elizabeth, NJ, but under any & all circumstances, it's history must be recorded (which I have hopefully have done here) and

THIS LOCOMOTIVE MUST BE PRESERVED AND KEPT IN THE NEW YORK AREA!

Now that I've kicked over the proverbial beehive of interest on this locomotive, I've received some additional information from Mike Schreiber via John McClusky, of whom is another afficiando of Railroad History & Industrial Archeology in the New York area:

"This locomotive was remanufactured by Silcott Railway Equipment. It started out as a GE 45 tonner we took in on trade from American Compressed Steel in Cincinatti. It was narrowed to 8 feet and shorted to 10 feet high to fit thru the tunnels of the PATH system. Yonkers Contracting was the customer."

At the same time I received John's email, I received one from Paul Dengel the Vice President of whom I thought was the owner, Construction & Marine Equipment:

"Construction & Marine Equipment Co., Inc. (CME) dosent actually own that particular locomotive. It actually, or as far as I know, is owned by Yonkers Contracting of Yonkers, NY.

However now that you mention what that locomotive/cars were used for, I remember that they were sent to the World Trade Center some time after 9/11."

Minolta Maxxum 9
Minolta 28-70mm f2.8G
Fuji Superia 400

Photographed by Philip M. Goldstein, October 22, 2010.
Added to the photo archive by Philip M. Goldstein, October 25, 2010.
Railroad: Construction & Marine Equipment.

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