The Delaware & Hudson: a Legacy of Lightning

This winter I have been very fortunate to be able to spend an amount of time witnessing the last of an era of history, the last two Delaware & Hudson painted Lightning Stripe locomotives, the 7303 & 7304. Once the Bridge Line to Canada and New England, this famous coal hauler and canal builder has all but faded away.
In and around Plattsburgh and the Champlain Valley I spent time filming and photographing the D&H with trips down to Ticonderoga and up to Rouses Pt. and I try to cover the history and highlights of the line in this video.
I really tried to take my production to a new level and I hope it shows through.
Thanks to the UA-cam music library for the SoBueno by the 126ers and
Ross Bugden for the Sad Piano Music
• ♩♫ Sad Piano Music ♪♬ ...
Thanks for watching!
If you like my train videos please like and subscribe and check me out on Facebook as Champlain Valley Rail Snapshots and Twitter @CVRailSnapshots

[@hawkeyeted]

I grew up in Whitehall, NY, on Broadway in the 70s and 80s. I remember D&H rumbling through town all the time.

[@onrr1726]

I kind of remember the D&H in New York. I used to see Ex D&H grain hoppers often in Tulsa, Oklahoma

[@ThePeacefulArtist]

I'm from Oneonta, New York and live by the old Delaware & Hudson Railroad Yard and was home to the largest Roundhouse in the world but torn down in April of 1993 right before I was born in July. The Delaware & Hudson Railroad had a big role in making Oneonta into the city it became. So much of Oneonta has been torn down and forgotten. The Railroad was what my Mom's Father and his family all worked on but in Chicago being Irish immigrants. - Quinn

[@thesalvationarmyplattsburg5737]

About 2019 Canadian Pacific repainted it to their colors and is still a switcher engine around Plattsburgh, NY

[@johnramsayskier]

hey man I grew up on the east side of Champlain! great to see someone from the north east making great videos!

[@rongeorge2179]

Very nice video. I always liked the D & H RR and the paint scheme.

[@Mercatoyd]

I loved this video. I grew up in Colonie, NY near where the old roundhouse use to be at the Colonie shops. I model the D&H like most hobbiest modeling what they remember. You just don't find a lot of D&H around giving way to the larger and still in existence roads. I thank you for documenting this and then sharing.

[@johnbroughman6204]

Very well done. enjoyed seeing the D&H at work.

[@ChamplainValleyRailSnapshots]

+John Broughman Thank you. It is literally history that has been fading away in front of me.

[@hockeyeast]

Fantastic... I wish there were pictures or videos of the trains which ran on the ausable Branch. Remember watching some d&h rs3’s in Peru NY when the agway was there. Fond memories

[@ChamplainValleyRailSnapshots]

Have you traveled the area recently?
It is amazing how the last few decades have reclaimed the Ausable Branch and the Chateaugay Branch heading to Dannemora since tracks have been torn out.
There are a few signal boxes sitting in the Cadyville area.

[@tonyfrancesco3701]

I've always thought the the D and H had the best paint scheme of all railroads

[@ChamplainValleyRailSnapshots]

Myself as well. The Lightning Stripe was very sharp. I'm glad there are roads that do put the effort into making these great looking paint jobs such as Norfolk Southern.
Especially the UP and NS heritage fleets that connect to a past.

[@alexanderplatt4396]

7303 now works in Hamilton Ontario sporting it's new CP colour and switches the "belt line" from Kinnear to Hamilton's Industrial sector.

[@thomasl8734]

I live where the NS sunbury line passes..... I'm sure I've seen D&H locos running with NS locos. Or could I be mistaken? Thanks for any help. I live near the Taylor, PA train yard.

[@ChamplainValleyRailSnapshots]

+Thomas Linski thanks. I don't doubt that before the sale there were probably times that the D&H and NS power ran together. One of my favorites was when a Ferromex engine came down on a 252 to Albany, and CP used the Mexican engine on the local down there.
NS painted two engines in a D&H like paint scheme. They can't use the actual D&H because CP has the trademark/copyright. But they did something reminiscent.

[@raritania7581]

To be fair, this did happen.
ua-cam.com/video/0RX6Jl5ak4c/v-deo.html

[@mikeytrains1]

Have they been reshopped already?

[@AlexTrain5249]

Yep I caught 7304 yesterday (6-12-18)

[@mikeytrains1]

Alex Paumen It’s been repainted?

[@AlexTrain5249]

No. I thought you meant they were rebuilt not repainted.

[@_conrail_]

Still running In 2020

[@ChamplainValleyRailSnapshots]

I wish we'd see them on the D&H again.
Maybe next year for the Holiday Train they'll run a combo of Lightning Stripes and steam down here. Probably not, but one can dream.