By Chris Mayhew
The sound of the bell from one of the last steam locomotives to operate on the New York Central Railroad still echoes through the halls of The Cincinnati Railroad Club today.
The bell is from 3129, one of the NYC’s distinguished Mohawk-class of locomotives, which pulled famous named passenger trains and time freights. One can easily imagine the 3129 racing NYC’s James Whitcomb Riley passenger train across Indiana’s cornfields on its way to Cincinnati Union Terminal or pulling a NYC “Mercury” passenger train from Detroit to Cincinnati.
The 3129’s bell is now prominently displayed in the clubroom at Cincinnati Union Terminal. Here, visitors can once again ring it, honoring a piece of history. This bell was previously housed in Tower A from 1989 to 2016, where it became part of many fond memories for both children and adults who visited the club.
The club is dedicated to sharing the importance and relevance of railroading, whether from the glory days of steam when 3129 roamed or today’s modern freight carriers and Amtrak trains that remain vital to our nation’s commerce and delivery of creature comforts. This bell harkens back to an age where the steam locomotive was still an iconic technological marvel. Remember, Superman was “more powerful than a locomotive.”
So, it was with great honor the club accepted the bell from the NYC more than 65 years ago.
On July 2, 1959, John Dring, Superintendent of Cincinnati Terminals, presented the 150-pound bell and number plate of 3129 as a gift to the club. Dring regaled club members with stories of the final days of steam on the Central during a club dinner meeting, inside the former Gateway Restaurant in Cincinnati Union Terminal.
The 4-8-2 locomotive was built by the Lima Locomotive Company, in November 1943, as part of a delivery of 25 identical Mohawks. A NYC donation letter given to the club stated the 3129 was used in freight and passenger service. NYC stated this was “the last” steam locomotive bell the railroad planned to donate. The NYC considered this an L-4b class, and each one of the locomotives weighed 401,100 pounds and had 72-inch driver wheels.
Club Historian Clifford Behrmann and Charles Frankl (field trip chairman), accepted the bell on behalf of the club, for the club’s then-proposed historical railroad museum. The NYC ran a photo of the handover of the bell at the meeting on page 9 of its October 1959, “Headlight” newsletter.
When we ring the bell, it harkens back to that golden age of steam, which is not forgotten.
