Personal: BEDT (Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal) Impacts History!

The final BEDT steam locomotive operated on the railroad on October 25, 1963, making them prime candidates for restoration. And so, the 5 H.K. Porter & Company 0-6-0s are still in existence today. Here is BEDT 16 at the Riverhead Rail Festival today - not going to run anytime soon, but on display for the public. But it's BEDT 15 that is the celebrity; it is the original "Thomas The Tank Engine", and is based out of the Strasburg Railroad. Many 'serious' hobbyists or 'industry professionals' will scoff at Thomas. I have never watched a movie or read a book about it and often confuse its details with Polar Express or Harry Potter that I also know nothing about, but it is hard to deny the tremendous impact that all of these things have had on the future of railroading by attracting a whole generation.

The others - BEDT 12 - Florida Railroad Museum, 13 - Age of Steam, 14 - Ulster and Delaware Railroad Historical Society.

Railroad Museum Of Long Island
Riverhead, New York
Saturday, August 23, 2025