SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — A historic steam locomotive that has been part of Steamtown National Historic Site’s collection is heading back to its roots in northern New York.
The National Park Service announced it has approved the transfer of Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad Locomotive No. 210 from Steamtown in Scranton to the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum in Madrid, New York.
The move concludes a multi-year effort aimed at preserving and interpreting the locomotive in the region where it spent nearly all of its working life.
“Returning No. 210 to its place of origin is an excellent example of responsible stewardship strengthening the entire railroad preservation community,” Steamtown Superintendent Jeremy Komasz said in a statement. “Successfully transferring the locomotive to an organization dedicated to preserving its local history allows its story to be told where it is most meaningful.”
Built in 1923 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York, No. 210 spent decades operating for the Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad and became a significant part of northern New York’s industrial and transportation history.
National Park Service officials said the transfer was not a routine process. The effort involved years of planning, legal and policy reviews, and coordination among federal and state agencies and the receiving museum.
Steamtown officials said transferring the locomotive will allow the park to focus its preservation funding, restoration work, track space and staff resources on other nationally significant locomotives, rail cars, structures and infrastructure that help tell the broader story of American railroading.
The National Park Service said the transfer also highlights the importance of partnerships among museums, historical societies, nonprofit organizations, volunteers and local communities in preserving the nation’s railroad history.
Steamtown National Historic Site preserves and operates historic railroad equipment to educate visitors about the role railroads played in America’s industrial, commercial and social development.
Norwood & St. Lawrence Railroad Locomotive No. 210 sits in the railyard at Steamtown National Historic Site in this 2025 photo. NPS Photo by A. Sweetwood.