Photo of Big Four and New York Central Railroad Steam Shovel

This is a Photograph of a railroad steam shovel that has markings of both the “Big Four” and New York Central. On its back are two notes which read “Big 4 thru E. Town to Guiford Ind” and “New York Central through Elizabethtown.” ”Guiford Ind” is likely a misspelling of Guilford, IN.

New York Central was a railroad which operated in the Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic regions after absorbing and merged with numerous smaller railroads. At its peak, it had tracks through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts and West Virginia, and it also extended into portions of Canada. The initial mergers that formed New York Central Railroad took place in 1853, creating a single railroad that linked Buffalo and Albany. Cornelius Vanderbilt acquired ownership of the line in 1867 and combined it with his other holdings to create a flat surfaced, high-speed railroad which linked New York City and Chicago, as well as numerous other cities in the region. In 1968, it was forced to merge with its rival, the Pennsylvania Railroad, to stay afloat, though the newly formed Penn Central was forced to declare bankruptcy two years later. Now the old lines are owned by Norfolk Southern and CSX.

The Big Four was another name for The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railway, or CCC&StL, which was formed by several railways merging in 1889. It was acquired by New York Central in 1906, giving the later its control over Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, but the Big Four’s lines were still considered separate from New York Central Railroad until the latter acquired a 99-year lease on them. Guilford and Elizabethtown were amongst the many towns serviced by the Big Four and, by proxy, New York Central.

Steam Shovels were some of the first ever excavators. The patent for the steam powered shovel was acquired by William Otis in 1839, and his cousin Oliver Smith Chapman continuing development and manufacture after Otis’ death that same year. By 1870, Otis’ original patent expired, and numerous companies began to manufacture their own shovels. They were common in heavy duty construction like railroad and canal creation due to their ability to move earth in far greater amounts than before. The earlier steam shovels moved on temporary rails laid by workers where they were needed, and they were in turn used to clear the way for permanent railroad tracks to be laid. During the later years of their operation, they moved on their own caterpillar treads instead. They were rendered obsolete in the 1930s by diesel powered shovels.

Currently not on view