Old & Weary. The bankruptcy and subsequent liquidation of the New York, Ontario and Western Railway (NYO&W) in 1957 is considered to be the first of its kind for a mainline railroad in the United States. Small portions of the NYO&W, including the line through Middletown, New York operated by the Middletown & New Jersey Railroad (M&NJ), remain in operation. The NYO&W Middletown, New York station saw its last passenger train on September 10, 1953. Since that day it seems that the search for a sustainable plan for an occupant to restore and operate the building has been ongoing. A recent devastating fire was thought to be the end of the station, but in December of 2021, the mayor of Middletown announced $11.6 million in funding to restore the building, which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2014. On Thursday, February 17, 2022, M&NJ’s CH-1 job brings its cars past the station with a highly unusual leader. NJ Transit GP40-2 4301 (née-Penn Central 3196, GP40, 10/1968) is being temporarily leased by M&NJ to cover a power shortage, and there was no better place than the former station to show the NJT unit being far from its normal work responsibilities.
