A huge piece of electrical equipment was successfully delivered in Upstate New York after slowing traffic Thursday.
National Grid confirmed that a 16-foot, 615,000-pound transformer arrived in Malone, N.Y., around 5 p.m. Thursday. New York State Police escorted the phase angle regulator, which resembles a massive cube, on an eight-hour journey that began Thursday morning at a CSX railyard in Massena.
The convoy traveled at approximately eight miles per hour through St. Lawrence and Franklin counties. The slow speed was due to the size and weight — more than 300 tons — of the load, police said.
This image provided by New York State Police shows a National Grid electrical transformer at the CSX railyard in Massena, N.Y., before being delivered to a substation in Malone, N.Y., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.NYS Police
Drivers were warned of delays or to seek alternate routes along State Highway 420, State Highway 37, State Route 56 (through the village of Potsdam) and State Route 11B.
“For it to go down 56, one of the busiest streets in St. Lawrence, it was interesting to see how it would work out, and they did a good job,” one resident told WWNY after seeing the equipment pass by.
According to WWNY, the equipment is being used for National Grid’s rebuild of a substation in Malone. The project is designed to improve energy reliability for customers in Franklin County.
This image provided by National Grid shows an electrical transformer in Nicholville, N.Y., on its way to a substation in Malone, N.Y., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.National Grid
The transformer was manufactured in the Netherlands and transported to the U.S. by boat and train before being loaded onto a truck in Massena. National Grid said it worked with the New York State Department of Transportation and local officials to handle the route.
“The New York State Police and NYSDOT appreciate the public’s patience as this escort is conducted safely and efficiently,” troopers said beforehand.
Malone is located in the northern Adirondacks region, more than 35 miles from Massena and approximately 180 miles north of Syracuse.
This image provided by National Grid shows an electrical transformer arriving at a substation in Malone, N.Y., on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.National Grid