Historic Norwood & St. Lawrence locomotive to go on display in Madrid

Locomotive 210, a 1923 steam engine built for the former Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad, is being transferred from Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum in Madrid. The National Park Service approved the transfer, returning the historic engine to St. Lawrence County for preservation and public display.

The museum plans to feature the locomotive during an open house from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026. A special program is scheduled for 11 a.m. The museum is at 1755 State Highway 345 in Madrid. The event details should be confirmed with the museum before publication.

A North Country railroad connection

The National Park Service said Locomotive 210 was built in 1923 by the American Locomotive Co., or ALCO, in Schenectady. It was built for the St. Regis Paper Co. mill in Norfolk and later operated on the Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad, a 13-mile line connecting Waddington and Norwood.

The railroad was incorporated in 1901 to serve paper mills. Locomotive 210 was retired in 1957 and later became part of the collection at Steamtown National Historic Site. Museum members say it was the last operating steam locomotive among the North Country’s short-line railroads.

The locomotive will not return to service. Its planned role in Madrid is as a preserved exhibit connected to the region’s industrial and railroad history.

Bill VanKennen, president of the Norfolk History Museum, learned in 2025 that the locomotive might be available. His father was an engineer on the 210, adding a family connection to the effort to bring the engine back to the area.

Planned Railroad History Center

The transfer is the first phase of a planned Railroad History Center at the Madrid museum. Later phases include construction of an engine house for the locomotive and its tender, followed by a railroad depot that would serve as an interpretive center. The full project may take three to five years.

The museum plans to seek sponsors and donors for restoration and construction work. Sponsors will be recognized on a commemorative plaque. Volunteers will be needed during both the development of the center and its future operating phases.

The project gives residents and visitors in St. Lawrence County a place to see an engine tied to the communities along the former Norwood & St. Lawrence line. Its history also connects with the broader industrial heritage of Northern New York, including the paper mills and rail routes that supported them.

Open house planned for November

The museum plans to hold the open house and special program on Nov. 21, 2026, as the locomotive’s preservation and display project moves forward. The engine is expected to remain a static exhibit rather than return to railroad operation.

People interested in membership, volunteering, sponsorship or other project information can contact the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum at slpeminfo@gmail.com or 315-250-9141. Event details should be confirmed with the museum before publication.