The torch has been passed. It all began back in 1971, when The Valley Railroad ran its first steam excursion on the old Connecticut Valley Line with a little Baldwin 2-6-2 numbered 103. The tradition has now continued for over 40 years using a variety of other steamers. Alco 2-8-0 #97 took the lead when little 103 could no longer handle the loads, and later, Alco 2-8-2 #40 became the queen of the fleet. There was even a brief time when a Chinese SY numbered 1647 hauled passengers from Essex to Chester. Some of those engines have moved on, and the others either need major maintenance now, or will in the near future. In order to ensure the survival of steam on the line, the Valley Railroad recently purchased and restored a 23 year-old Chinese SY, rebuilding her in the image of a New Haven J-1. As the 2012 excursion season begins, the torch has been passed. NH 3025 has assumned her role the queen of the Valley fleet, destined to serve the line for many years to come. She may be an immigrant, but she looks right at home in New Haven colors, charging over the rivers and through the woods on the Connecticut Valley Line.
