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Spring 2000 |
Volume 20 Number 2 |
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A Quarterly Publication of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. |
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Newsletter Notes I want to welcome Vernon Glover, former Newsletter editor, back as my assistant. Now that we are fully into the on-line age, I have adopted some conventions with e-mail addresses. They will always be between greater- and less-than signs <> and hyphens are part of the address, except if the address does not fit on one line. The case of the letters doesn’t matter to e-mail servers, so I try for easier readability. In the last issue, on the history of the Pere Marquette, I didn’t intend to imply that the Flint & Pere Marquette was the Michigan Northern, rather that it occupied some of that territory. The Port Huron & Lake Michigan did get that charter, but laid no rails, and the several later railroads were named the Michigan Northern. Also, I failed to mention that Art Million was a cofounder of the Pere Marquette Historical Society. I stopped for a train the other day and was surprised that it wasn’t led by a steam engine. According to the number of articles on Diesels appearing in the Newsletter, Diesels don’t exist. Can’t someone write about them? Educate us old steamers. Here’s a chance to see yourself in print on a subject you know and love. First generation Diesels are over 50 years old. Is that old enough to be historical? |
Contents
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R&LHS Newsletter
Editor/Publisher Assistant
Editors WebMaster Membership applications, change of address and other membership status inquiries should be sent to R&LHS Membership, William H. Lugg, Jr., PO Box 292927, Sacramento CA 95829-2927. |
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Trading Post Society members may use, without charge, the Trading Post section of the quarterly Newsletter and the R&LHS WebSite to advertise items they wish to sell, trade or acquire or to seek information from other readers. This service is intended for personal, not general commercial, use. All items should be sent to Clifford J. Vander Yacht, see address at left. Locomotive Rosters & Records of Builder’s Construction Numbers The Society has locomotive rosters for many roads and records of steam locomotive construction numbers for most builders. Copies are available to members at twenty five cents per page ($5.00 minimum) from R&LHS Archives Services, see address below. A list of available rosters may be obtained for $2.00. Back Issues of Railroad History Many issues of Railroad History since No. 132 are available at $7.50 per copy. |
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For information on the availability of specific issues and volume discounts, write R&LHS Archives Services, see address below. Articles from the Bulletin & Railroad History Copies of back issues of these publications of the Society are available to members at twenty cents per page ($5.00 minimum) from R&LHS Archives Services, see address below. Research Inquiries Source materials printed, manuscript and graphic are included in the Society’s Archives. Inquiries concerning these materials should be addressed to R&LHS Archives Services, R&LHS Archives Services, PO Box 600544, Jacksonville, Florida 32260-0544. To help expedite our response, please indicate a daytime telephone number where you can normally be reached. [Note:
MilePost 1 and James L. Larson addresses no longer apply.]
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David Moffat’s
Double Dilemma
by
Robert A. LeMassena
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A dozen miles west of Denver’s Union Station, whose northwest-facing wall is bisected by the 105th meridian, the Great Plains of the Mississippi River Basin come to an abrupt end at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. So distinct is this demarcation that one can stand with one foot on sharply inclined sedimentary rock while the other rests on unconsolidated prairie soil. Bridging that transitional crease in the earth’s crust is a convoluted segment of railroad track known as the Big Ten Curve or the Fireclay Loop. This remarkable loop is a railfan’s paradise, offering a 3-ring circus of photographic and train-watching opportunities. Currently owned by the Union Pacific, the line described here has been operated in the past by the Southern Pacific; Denver & Rio Grande Western; Denver & Salt Lake; and Denver, Northwestern & Pacific roads. The railroad was built as the DNW&P. Between 1903 and 1909, 214 miles of track was constructed between Denver and Steamboat Springs. After a short bankruptcy the company was reorganized as the Denver & Salt Lake Railroad, which extended the line 41 miles to Craig, Colorado. In 1926 this company became the Denver & Salt Lake Railway. Upon completion of the Dotsero Cutoff in 1934, the Denver & Rio Grande Western began to operate passenger and freight trains over the D&SL tracks through the Moffat Tunnel. And in 1947, the D&SL was merged with the D&RGW. The configuration and orientation of the loop is quite unorthodox. Instead of the conventional arrangement of |
three track-levels parallel to the slope of the terrain, the loop’s three levels are perpendicular to the steep toe of the mountains. To comprehend why the loop was shaped, oriented and located so unusually, one must go back to the early years of the 1900 decade, when the location of the railroad was being surveyed and its roadbed constructed. A little history will be helpful, too. At that time, there were only two practical railroad routes into the mountains westward from Denver, and both of them were occupied by narrow gauge lines of the Colorado & Southern — South Platte canyon and Clear Creek canyon, formerly operated by the Denver, South Park & Pacific and the Colorado Central, respectively. However, northwest of Denver about 25 miles, South Boulder Creek had gouged its course through the rocks, and its canyon was unoccupied by any railroad. And for an obvious reason — the precipitous gradient of its eastern half. It was just after the turn of the century that the Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Railway’s engineers began to take a closer look at this route. The
upper half provided a watercourse location having only
one tunnel, 2 percent maximum gradient and few sharp
curves. But the two location engineers disagreed on
how to route the rails through the lower part. H. A.
Sumner, who experience embraced transmontane surveys
for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy as well as
construction of the mountain-climbing Alamogordo &
Sacramento Mountain Railway in New Mexico, prepared
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COVER: 4-8-2 #804 pulling the Craig local, has just entered the transition section of the loop. Above left is 4-8-2 #1527 pushing a freight into Fireclay siding where the local will overtake it nonstop. The Plainview signal box is in the upper right. |
ABOVE: The mainline freight gets help on the rear from 4-8-2 #1527, here shown pushing on the upper horseshoe curve. This photo was taken before the one on the cover and shows the flat top of the hummock. See page 5 for locations. Both photos by the author. |
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a side-slope location on a two percent gradient with 10 to 12 degree curves and 20 tunnels. T. J. Milner, with narrow-gauge interurban line background, suggested a somewhat steeper gradient and one 6,000 foot tunnel to eliminate the numerous tunnels. David H. Moffat, the wealthy Denver business man who was backing the railroad (DNW&P) with his own money, was thus confronted with a dilemma of significant proportions. Though the choice must have been difficult to evaluate, Moffat approved the multiple tunnel location, relying on Sumner’s accomplishments and abilities. In so doing, Moffat spawned two new dilemmas whose solutions lay in Sumner’s hands. Neither are particularly evident when one looks at the railroad’s location on the mountain-side west of Highway 119, between Mileposts 18 and 28. But, if one traverses the track downgrade, they are surprisingly obvious. Let’s commence our journey at Milepost 50, the eastern portal of the 6.21 mile long Moffat Tunnel piercing the Continental Divide. The first 13 miles to Pinecliff are relatively unspectacular, but immediately east of Pinecliff the track passes through a very narrow rockbound crevice which separates the upper and lower canyons. As the canyon rapidly becomes wider and deeper, the right-of-way clung to the southern wall, passing through tunnels numbered 29 to 8. At Tunnel 8 the track reached the 7,000 foot elevation contour, having descended some 2,200 feet from Milepost 50. Here no magnifying glass was need to perceive the first dilemma. There was no canyon wall to support the track, and South Boulder Creek tumbled out onto the foothills a thousand feet below. Sumner had no choice but to turn southward and blast a shelf across the steeply upturned rock strata. To attain prairie soil he would require seven more tunnels, two large steel trestles (Bull Gulch and Coal Creek), and an ingenious transition from mountain rock to prairie dirt. Though it was physically impossible to leave the rocky shelf at Plainview, between the two trestles (Mileposts 24-25), the gradient would have been an unacceptable 3 - 4 percent for a few miles. Sumner’s location continued 3 1/2 miles farther south to Fireclay, and the last possible spot for the inevitable transfer from mountain to plain. He now encountered the second dilemma: how to lose somewhat more than 300 feet of elevation to reach the headwaters of Leyden Gulch? The customary solution to this not uncommon situation had been a pair of half-circle curves with three levels of track parallel to the slope of the mountain. Unfortunately, the terrain prevented Sumner from executing such an arrangement; however, he found |
an elegant solution to the predicament. Using a quarter-circle 10 degree curve, he turned the track away from the mountain, thence along the southern side of an elongated hill separating the two forks of Leyden Gulch. Then he laid a three-quarter circle 10 degree curve around the hill’s eastern flanks. At that point an eastbound train would have been moving southwestward! Another quarter-circle 10 degree curve directed the rails northward into a pocket where a half-circle 10 degree curve oriented the tracks to the southeast. The right-of-way could now follow the northern side of Leyden Gulch toward Denver. This loop, half located on the outside of a hummock with the other half inside a hollow basin, had been accomplished with minimal cut and fill grading; and the gradient had not exceeded 2 percent. This remarkable feat of railroad location — as well as many others on this railroad — must have confirmed David Moffat’s opinion that he had employed the best chief engineer in all of Colorado, and perhaps the American West. [This two percent ruling grade (1.75% overall) extends from East Portal to Leyden, well below this loop, from 9195 feet elevation down to 5652 feet in 37.75 miles. -ed] So well planned was Sumner’s location from the Moffat Tunnel to Denver that it has been virtually unchanged over a period of nine decades. Tunnel 28 was converted to an open cut, and another such cut replaced Tunnel 9 which had never been completed. Designed for 2-8-0s hauling a dozen cars, the tunnels and curves accommodated the world’s largest steam locomotives and freight trains ten times as long. The advent of heavier locomotives would have required the strengthening of two steel trestles; instead, they were buried in huge earthen fills. The
loop can viewed from Highways 93 and 72 north of Golden,
Colorado, and the right of way reached at various points
over unpaved roads. Wreck at Fireclay During the winter months of 1942/1943 the D&RGW leased some of the Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range railroad’s new roller-bearing 2-8+8-4s for freight service on the mainline: Denver-Pueblo-Salida-Dotsero-Denver. On February 6th, the 224 hauled a train from Pueblo to Glenwood Springs, where it swapped trains with a 4-8-2 from Grand Junction. At
Tabernash, on the following day, a 3600 replaced it
on the head end and the 224 became the rear end helper.
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The 224 cut off at Winter Park, then ran light toward Denver, following the train. Somewhere around Plainview an air-supply pipe fractured, and the big engine began to run away. Because these locomotives had straight-air brake systems — no air = no brakes, the engineer could not put the valve-gear into the reversed position because the reverse-cylinder was actuated by air pressure (Rio Grande steam locomotives were equipped with a steam-backup valve, to prevent just such situations). Fortunately, the engine rolled over on its right side as it entered the uppermost curve of the loop. The engine crew escaped with minor injuries and the engine suffered remarkably little damage. After that incident all of the huge 2-8+8-4s were returned to the DM&IR. A photo of the engine being rerailed appeared in the November 1980 Trains magazine, page 38. Three
years later the ICC issued an order requiring steam
locomotives to be equipped with in auxiliary reservoir
which held enough air for the operation of the power-
reverse mechanism should the main supply fail.  ABOVE: The line shows course of the DNW&P shown below. |
 The contour map shows the area of the Fireclay Loop. The two arrows point to the ends of the passing siding. The black square shows the photographer’s location to take the photos towards the upper left (cover) and upper right (page 3). The engine overturned on the curve marked as “Fire Clay.” DeLorme TopoUSA. |
ABOVE: The route of the DNW&P’s decent from the Continental Divide runs vertically from the top right in this view to the southwest, and exits far above Rattlesnake Gulch on the right, then cuts straight to the left, except Coal Creek Canyon, where it crosses Highway 72, to Fireclay. DeLorme TopoUSA.
Erie’s Quadruplex
or Lima’s Black Ghost
by
Bill Withuhn and Bob LeMassena
After World War II came to an end and diesels came onto
the scene in greater and greater numbers, Lima Locomotive
Works tried to keep workers busy and hopefully stay
in the steam locomotive construction business. To do
so, they embarked on a secret construction project building
a quadruplex engine, a 4-6+6-6+6-4, with the hopes that
Erie (and perhaps Union Pacific) would buy it. To keep
it under cover, it was assembled in the building that
had been used to build tanks. Without the Erecting Shop
facilities, all the individual parts were brought into
the building and assembled there. The engine was built
from the bottom up with the boiler riveted together
while setting on the four engines.
The basic design was frameless in that the strengthened
boiler rested on two pivot points and was not directly
connected to any set of drive wheels. The front pivot
and support point was between the first and second engines,
while the rear pivot point was between the third and
forth engines. The rear pivot had a support pad on each
side giving the boiler three point support. The firebox
was of normal dimensions with a long combustion chamber
which allowed for high firing rates. The smoke box contained
a smoke scrubber. Part of the exhaust steam from the
two rear engines was condensed on its way forward and
the resulting water was used in the scrubber. The front
two engines were equalized in carrying the forward weight
of the boiler. The second and third engines were connected
with a cross bar to provide horizontal tracking while
negotiating curves. The rear two engines were also equalized
with the trailing truck supplying guidance only as the
firebox and cab were attached to the boiler. The tender
was connected to the rear truck. Because of the large
amount of motion expected between the cab and tender,
the rear of the cab was enclosed and a gangway could
be lowered to gain access to the tender and steps.
When the engine was first steamed, the Lima crews
moved the A-2 out of the shop for the photographer.
The day was grey so the engine appeared in near silhouette.
Exactly one year later, on the first day of April, the
demolition of the black ghost began. Nothing remains
but a memory and a pair of photos.
Many
thanks to the Allen County Historical Society and Stephen
A. Lee for the information here provided. Photos from
the collection of Benn Coifman. 
New Steam Safety
Inspection Rules
Reported
by Cliff Vander Yacht
For
details on the new FRA inspection regulations for steam
locomotives currently in use around the country, look
for Bill Withuhn’s article in the May 2000 TRAINS magazine.
The boy sitting on the upended trunk watches over the boxes, luggage and maybe his sister hiding behind him, on the wooden station platform while an ALCO Number 22 gets a drink. Soon the engineer of the mixed train will spot the combination car at the platform and the impatient man and his family will be on their way. R&LHS collection. Where and when? Send your comments to the Editor by mail or e-mail.
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Electroliner
Comments The statement in the Fall 1999 Newsletter, that the Electroliner, at 108 minutes for the 85 miles from Chicago to Milwaukee, competed with the Hiawathas and 400s, is wide of the mark. I have a Fall 1945 Milwaukee timetable which shows the Hiawathas making the trip in 75 minutes, three other trains in 80 minutes, all nonstop, while two more are scheduled for 85 minutes with one stop. I am sure the 400 was competitive, but I am not sure it went through Milwaukee. As
an ardent Milwaukee Road fan, my 1500-mile trips to
and from college in those years started and ended at
Milwaukee Station in Minneapolis. My mother preferred
the 400 (smoother ride, she said) and said the
Northwestern’s mileage to Chicago was 400 (vs. the Milwaukee’s
421) and that the 400 did the trip in 400 minutes. The
Hiawathas required 420 to 425 minutes in my 1945
timetable. |
Steam Loco Engineer Be an engineer of the only fully
operational ex-PRR steam locomotive This locomotive
is a model B4a built in June of 1901 at the Altoona
Shops, an 0-6-0. We will be offering our “Engineer Schooling”
from 28 August to 1 September 2000. This training is
in ½ hour blocks of time at the Williams Grove Historical
Steam Engine Association near Mechanicsburg, PA. William
Nesbitt, 5760 Union Deposit Road, Harrisburg, PA 17111-4708.
Engineer for an Hour Classroom training
followed by an hour of experience on the largest steam
engine in the world that can be operated by amateur
engineers and firemen is available at Owosso, Michigan,
on Pere Marquette #1225 June 17, 18, 24, 25 and July
1, 2, 3. $375.00 ($150.00 for firemen) plus membership
of $25.00. Applications due May 1. Call Tom Grace evenings
(810) 268-6069 or MSTRP Saturdays (517) 725-9464 between
10 and 5. |
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Chapter News New York Chapter New York Chapter meetings at the Williamson Library in Grand Central Terminal have been resumed, and are held the second Friday of every month. The March 10 meeting featured a program of slides presented by Bill Armstrong, showing trolley cars and elevated lines of the New York City area of the late ’40s and early ’50s. The material covered trolley lines in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Westchester County and New Jersey, and the Myrtle and Lexington Avenue Els in Brooklyn, plus the Third Avenue El in Manhattan. It was a lively session with many members adding their own reminiscences of that era. Chicago Chapter Before the Chicago Chapter meets, we have our regular pre-meeting get-together at Maxim’s restaurant, one block south of the Temple Building, on the northwest corner of Clark and Madison. The gathering starts at about 5:00 PM on the second Friday of each month. At about 5:30, anything from a snack to a full-course dinner may be selected. There is also much conversation on the “menu.” Then at 7:00, we adjourn to our regular meeting room at Pierce Hall, on the lower level of the Chicago Temple Building, 77 West Washington Street on the southeast corner of Clark, across the street from Daley Plaza. January meeting was on RailFair ’99. February meeting: Mike Blaszak’s slides of GB&W, C&NW and Soo in the Badger State. March meeting: John Dziobko’s 1957 slides of GN, DM&IR, PRR and NYS&W. April meeting: Dave Phillips will give a slide program on Chicago’s railroads in the 1970s. May meeting: Bill Todd, of TTX Corp., will give a slide program on the Seaboard Air Line and Seaboard Coast Line in the 1965-1970 era when he worked for them. We’ll be looking for you here at the Annual Meeting in June. Golden Spike Chapter Meetings are held at the Dumke room at Ogden’s Union Station. March 3-5 saw the Hostlers Model Rail Festival where many items were sold. March 28 meeting: Richard V. Carroll and Richard E. Carroll on rebuilding boilers. Lackawanna Chapter [No activity reported -Ed] Pacific Coast Chapter April 14-24 Remote Canadian Adventure excursion. |
Nine days on private VIA train on passenger and freight only trackage in Northern Ontario, Quebec and Maritime Provinces. Contact: Art Lloyd, (650) 851-0998. Southern California Chapter The Southern California Chapter meets the first Tuesday of each month at the California Federal Bank, 401 North Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA. January meeting: Michael Chorley’s “A Railwayman’s Life Begins at Sixty.” February meeting: slides by Ed Cheetham of Sacramento, CA; Ely, NV; Flagstaff, AZ; and Durango and Alamosa, CO. March meeting: George Barlow’s presentation of the Knott’s Berry Farm operation. Southwest Chapter The Southwest Chapter meets in El Paso, Texas, on the second Wednesday of the month at Avila’s Mexican Restaurant at 10600 Montana. Dinner (optional) begins at about 6:30 PM and the business meeting at about 7:30 PM. We normally include updates of activity regarding the chapter’s locomotive, ex-SP No. 3420, the Pullman, James Watt, or other rolling stock. There is usually a representative of the Paso Del Norte Streetcar Preservation Society on hand to give an update on the streetcar situation. Contact Harry Bean at 915-772-7388 or Bob Kelly at 915-581-0761 for further information. In current news, the Southwest Chapter will have a booth at the Great American Train Show which will be in El Paso in February. The chapter’s year 2000 El Paso Railroad Calendar is available for purchase for $7.00 postpaid to: Calendar, P.O. Box 3420, El Paso, TX 79923. Southeast Chapter The Southeast Chapter meets every month, except January, on the second Thursday at the CSXT General Office Building in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. Entrance is gained at the foot of Julia Street or the CSXT Building, then right two short blocks and enter the parking lot at the second gate on the left. Meetings start at 6:00 PM with goodies and a fun filled business meeting. After a short break, we go on into the feature presentation. A video screen and a slide projector are provided. The January meeting is the annual banquet. February meeting: Reid
Adams reported on his experiences with Amtrak. February
joint meeting with NRHS to hear Jack Martin, MARP President.
March meeting: Paul Reistrup, recently of Amtrak, now
CSXT’s VP Passenger Integration. Future meetings: Paul
Barnes to feature a presentation on Passenger Services
and a presentation by Art Towson. |
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New
Roundhouse? The Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village is recreating a six-stall roundhouse as the only working/educational locomotive repair facility in the Midwest. Parts of the original Detroit, Toledo & Milwaukee roundhouse located in Marshall, Michigan, are being incorporated into the new structure. Marshall is the birthplace of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.
The DT&M had its first segment completed in 1871 from Allegan to Monteith, Michigan. On November 29, 1883, passenger service began over the entire line from Allegan to Dundee for the next 35 years. The
DT&M reached none of its named cities, as Dundee
is between Toledo and Detroit. You could go to Milwaukee
from Allegan by going first to Muskegon on the Michigan
Lake Shore Rail Road, [see R&LHS Newsletter 20-1
page 7] and then by boat to Milwaukee, 90 miles west
across Lake Michigan starting in 1870. New Directory Holly
T. Hansen, member of the Golden Spike Chapter, has published
The Directory of North American Railroads, Associations,
Societies, Archives, Libraries, Museums and Their Collections,
a listing, with addresses, of more than 1600 railroads,
related entities and collections. Although far from
being all-inclusive - the Directory is a work in progress
- this is nonetheless a valuable tool for the professional
or amateur researcher. The softbound volume retails
for $25.95 ppd. and is available from the author at
HTHolly Research Services, 1950 N. 6900 E., in Croydon,
Utah 84018. |
Who, What, Where? Railroad Philately Railroad locomotives are running all over the eight pages of THE DISPATCHER, the bimonthly bulletin of the Casey Jones Railroad Unit-ATA. The current issue displays the images on stamps of the unusual cab-ahead locomotives of the Southern Pacific and an Italian entry in this field which predated SP’s use of this type of engine. [ATA refers to American Topical Association for stamp collectors -Ed] The Rogers locomotive of the 1800s known as the American Standard 4-4-0, is also covered with illustrations of locos and stamps. A page is devoted to explaining some of the facts about rail gauge, the distance between rails (or across the Roman chariot horses behinds), and the adoption of 4'8½" as “standard” gauge. Dandy Carts for tired horses are also covered in this article. For
a sample copy of THE DISPATCHER, send no money, just
your name and address for a free copy and enrolment
information in the Casey Jones Railroad Unit-ATA, to
Oliver C. Atchison, Editor, PO Box 31631, San Francisco,
CA 94131-0631. |
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What Happened? Whatever happened, it looks as if the first engine has lost its rear tender truck, which is out of sight and most likely wedged against the pilot of the second engine. Probably the center pin failed, allowing the truck to slip out. This would have tilted up the leading edge of the tender deck just enough to bend the cab. When the truck slipped out, the brakes would have gone into emergency, but the momentum of the second engine and train would have been enough to do damage. Probably the steam line to the tender ruptured; thus the cloud of vapor in the picture. The view of the damaged cab appears to have been taken at another location and after the truck was put back in place. — William S. Young Steam Engines Rio Grande 4-8-2 #804 shown on the cover doesn’t seem to be having much trouble in climbing the 100 feet to the mile grade and it will soon be 180 feet higher when it passes #1527. This illustrates the feature article very well and gives everyone a chance to see the small cuts and fills that make up soft railroad construction versus the hard type just beyond these two trains, here working their way up towards Moffat Tunnel. The eastern end of the Fireclay loop runs fully exposed on the crest of the hummock. The word “crest” refers to the point where you can see all of the valley, or if you’ve watched too many cowboy and Indian movies, where the Indians suddenly appear in a row when viewed from the valley below. It does not refer to the top of hill. This exposed position led the D&RGW to parallel that stretch of track with a string of hopper cars filled with dirt to protect the passing train from the wind. “I think I can, I
think!” Although three cylinders offered smoother power
(maximum cylinder thrust at 60 degree intervals instead
of 90 degrees), the sound was quite different from the
usual four chuffs per revolution. The center cylinder
exhausts were accentuated because its valve-chamber
to nozzle distance was shorter than those for the two
outside cylinders, thus enhancing the first and forth
exhausts. With the piston rod occupying part of each
cylinder’s volume at the end of the forward stroke,
this exhaust was also slightly reduced. Thanks to Vernon
Glover, Jim Smith and Robert LeMassena for these observations. |
TRI-STATE CHAPTER,
NRHS Tri-State Chapter, NRHS is selling Collector’s copies of Lackawanna Railroad Trackside With Henry W. Peterson book by Mike Del Vecchio. Photographer Henry Peterson’s color photographs of steam trains of the Lackawanna are depicted on the eve of dieselization. Mike Del Vecchio’s text takes the reader through Henry’s remembrances over 128 pages of color photos. Hard cover, 9-inch by 10¾-inch first edition, 1999. A collector’s treasure numbered and autographed by the authors with title page hand-embossed with the authentic gold seal of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company. $75.00 plus $3.00 for shipping. Add state sales tax for New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We are also selling The Rock-A-Bye-Baby book by Thomas T. Taber III. The illustrated history of the ill-fated Rockaway Valley Railroad built near the turn of the 19th Century to carry New Jersey’s bumper crops of peaches from Washington Valley, NJ, to market railheads in Morristown, NJ. This small freight and passenger carrier was gone and nearly forgotten by the time of World War I. Peach blight, the onset of automobile commuting, and the interface problems with market access, leaves nothing visible today except parts of the roadbed. Some of these, however, have found use for the new “Patriots’ Path” hiking and bike trails in central NJ. 1972 first edition, second printing, with 54 pages of black-and-white photos, text and maps on coated paper, softbound 8½-inch by 11-inch format with stiff cover. $10.00 plus $3.00 for shipping. Add state sales tax for New Jersey and Pennsylvania addresses. VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. Tri-State
Chapter NRHS invites inquiries from other Societies
that might be interested in leasing our ex-Bangor &
Aroostook EMD F3 diesel locomotive for excursion service.
It has new replacement wheels, new bearings and has
just completed a 1000-hour inspection. With final maintenance
on a traction motor blower the F3 can be ready for resumption
of excursion duties in 2000. Please contact Mr. Thomas
Dolan, Chairman, Board of Directors, Tri-State Chapter
NRHS, P. 0. Box 1217, Morristown, NJ 07962-1217. (973)
656-0707. 
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1906
- 1999
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Perry Shoemaker died on Christmas day at his home at Tampa, Fl., the dean of retired railroad presidents. He was one of the few railroad presidents who also was interested in the historical aspects as evidenced by his long-time R&LHS membership. Mr. Shoemaker graduated from the University of Michigan as a mechanical engineer in 1928 and immediately earned the first Transportation Engineering masters degree offered by Yale. He initially worked for the Erie as a laborer but quickly rose to a general yardmaster. From 1934 to 1941 he worked for the New Haven rising to superintendent of freight transportation. In that year he moved to the Lackawanna where he rose from a division superintendent to general manager of the railroad and then president while still in his 40s. He engineered the merger with the Erie, the agreement being that because the Lackawanna was the smaller company, he would be number two in command, and when the chairman, an Erie man, retired in two years, he would take over. That did not happen, the Erie majority on the board deciding to go with an Erie man, which turned out to be a disaster. Mr. Shoemaker then went with the Central Railroad of New Jersey as president, but the CNJ was a lost cause, and he could do little to rescue it. He resigned in 1968 and became a trustee of it. Subsequently he acted as a transportation consultant until well into his eighties. Mr. Shoemaker was very well liked by the employees. Upon leaving Hoboken to go to Cleveland at the time of the merger, every locomotive and boiler plant whistle on the railroad at Hoboken and Jersey City let loose as the |
train departed. It was a most touching farewell. He was also a tough, no nonsense person, and his actions with the State of New Jersey were ultimately successful. I have since thought of the wimpy actions of Amtrak’s top management to improve their operations when faced with similar conditions. The Lackawanna was run by an operating man who knew the full picture; the other never has been I remember Mr. Shoemaker well. When I turned sixteen he granted the request of my father for me to ride a 4-4-0, the best birthday present I ever received. Subsequently I made more “unauthorized” trips on the 988 with engineer George Labadie until a larger turntable at Washington enabled the use of newer locomotives. He spoke at my college one evening, and I made a fool of myself. A friend pointed it out, and I wrote an apology letter. His reply was one of the most gracious letters I have ever received. When I was finalizing the Lackawanna history, which my father had almost completed, I did the unprecedented thing of asking Mr. Shoemaker to write the chapter on his administration. At first he demurred, but then agreed. I didn’t feel it desirable to alter a single word. His final concern was to rescue the Lackawanna #952, his pet locomotive, which he had many years before rescued from a slow death on the Bath and Hammondsport Railroad. With R&LHS approval he engineered the transfer to the St. Louis museum of Transportation, but they failed to do what they said they would do. In recent years he desired it to be returned to the condition it was when it went to them and to be brought back to Scranton for Steamtown. He did not live to see either. — Thomas T. Taber III |
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TRADING POST Submissions should be made to the Newsletter editor to arrive by July 1, 2000, for inclusion in the next issue. See Member’s Services section for details. All items subject to available space and editorial decisions as to content. SELLING - Steam loco negatives vintage 1905-30, annual passes vintage 1870-1899, timetables, old RR stock certificates, and steam loco prints on European RRs vintage 1900-30. Send SASE for list. Karl Schlachter, 654-B Osage Lane, Stratford, CT 06614-8345. SEEKING - Photos of Lackawanna trains, engines, right-of-way, towers, signals, structures and interlockings between Stroudburg and Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania, preferably in the pre 1950 era. Wants photos and details of the DL&W freight wreck in Towaco, New Jersey, around 1940 or 1941. Also seeks 8x10 or 11x14 photos of CNR 4-8-4 No. 6134. Jack Emerick, 144 25th Street, Troy, NY 12180. WANTED - Equipment
lists for Chaudiere Valley/Breakey Ry/John Breakey Lumber
of Breakeyville, Que. Also photos of same and of Quebec
Central lettered rolling stock and autobuses. Gerry
Burridge, Box 152, Pte. Claire - Dorval, Quebec,
Canada H9R 4N9. SELLING - Russian Rail Transport, 1836-1917, offers a new, colorful history of Russian railways from their beginning in 1836 until the Bolsheviks took power during WW1. The 274-page book is a translation from the Russian and was written by a consortium of authors from St. Petersburg State Transportation University. Of especial interest is the lengthy section on the building and |
WANTED - R&LHS Bulletin #36. Also copies of any dining car recipes and instructions. Selling R&LHS Bulletins #121, 141, 142, 144, 157, 158, 163 and 174. Dr. Jim Brown, P. O. Box 177, Cataract, WI 54620-0177, phone: (608) 272-3266. <RailDoll@CenturyTel.NET> Railroad Historical
Resources WISHING to find new homes for about 220 railroad books and 50 old Bulletins/Railroad History. Write for list to Thomas Taber, 504 South Main Street, Muncy, PA 17756. SEEKING
- Steam locomotive builder’s plates, number plates,
as well as original railroad oriented artwork of Fogg,
Hiney, Teller and even late-1800s’ oils showing trains.
Will purchase or trade for plates and art. Will answer
all calls or correspondence. Tim Moore, 15625
- 451st Avenue-SE, North Bend, WA 98045, (425) 888-5455.
WANTED - Photographs of New York Central “Lines” freight cars with reporting marks CI&S, CK&S, Cincinnati Northern (NOR), K&M, LE&W, Rutt |
land, T&OC and Z&W. Preferably 8x10 prints. Advise cost. H. L. Vail, Jr., 22360 Canterbury Lane, Shaker Heights, OH 44122-3902. WANTED - History, ads, equipment photos, etc. on private chemical weed spraying services such as Reade Mfg., Chipman Chemical, W.T. Cox Co., Allied Chemical, R.H. Bogle Co., Nalco Chemical, Habco, Inc., SSI/Mobley, etc. for new book project on the subject. Jerry Pitts, 6208 Thicket St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120-2528, (505) 897-8169. <JJPi@aol.com> FOR SALE - Two Feet to Togus, The Kennebec Central Railroad. 208 pages, hard cover, dust jacket, many photos, several appendices, index. $40 postpaid. Two Feet to the Quarries, The Monson Railroad. 160 pages, hard cover, dust jacket, many photos, appendices, index. $32 postpaid. Autographed copies are available from author Robert C. Jones, 45 Clymer Street, Burlington, VT 05401-4162. OFFERING - We have recently received 350 accident reports from the 40s and 50s for most of the major, and many minor, railroads, including some I never knew of. For copies of these reports, contact Jim Brown at The little Falls Railroad & Doll Museum. P.O. 177, Cataract, WI 54620-0177. <RailDoll@CenturyTel.net>
WANTED - Picture post
cards (B&W, real photo or color) showing PRR locomotives,
passenger, cabin cars, plus unusual freight equipment.
Must be pre-1947, good clear photo and very fine condition.
Please send |
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first. All answered. John Maye, 1320 W. Lincoln Highway #G6, Schererville, IN 46375. (219) 865-8967 (9am-8pmCST)
WANTED - All issues of Pennsylvania Railroad Mutual Magazine, Pennsylvania News, and The Pennsy. Also seeks Pennsylvania Lines PFTW&C or PCC&STL agent’s lantern complete with composite green and white globe for flagging trains. Please state prices in first letter. SELLING - Lake Shore & Michigan Southern 2-wheel freight and baggage hand truck marked with company initials and inventory number. Bob Hess, 295 Hunters Road, Gore, VA 22637-3006 WANTED - Logos & heralds of your favorite railroads for use in the Trading Post. This B&A logo needs replacement. Send with ads to your Editor. Used stamps FREE for stamp collectors. WANTED - Pre 1920 Bangor & Aroostook public and employee timetables. Jerry Angier, 69 Brentwood Road, Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107. <Jerry4Ins@AOL.COM> WANTED - Information on Alphonse Loubat (1799-1866) and Charles Franz (or Carl Freidrich) Zimple (1800-1878) both involved with street railways. John R. Stevens, 1 Sinclair Drive, Greenlawn, NY 11740-2607. SELL
or TRADE - NYC Interborough Rapid Transit route destination
(marker) light, 1903-1908, lenses dated 1905. 100% original,
including working socket and |
original to lamp. European steam locomotive cab number plate 22x8x½ thick, painted cast metal. Porcelain passenger car number boards 24¼x7 black with white serif numbers. Adlake hand lanterns with various Fresnel globe colors. Also individual Fresnel globes. Marker light aspect lenses and roundrels, various colors & diameters. SEEKING wax sealers from southern roads, whistles, builder’s plates, etc. Greg Hendricks, 105 Old Course Road, Summerville, SC 29485, (843) 875-5729. SEEKING - copies of Railroad History #129, 130, 131 and 132 in good condition. Has back issues of “Rails Northeast” for sale, list for SSAE. Thomas C. Heinrich,
Check out the Milepost 1 web site, <http://www.MP1.com>, for all your railroad book and video needs. Milepost 1 has an excellent selection of books, videos and other railroad memorabilia available at their store or via mail order. Society members get a 10% discount and all purchases benefit the Pacific Coast Chapter. In addition, there is currently a selection of several hard-to-find and out-of-print books available for immediate purchase. If you can’t find elsewhere what you’re looking for, give us a call, and our friendly staff will see what they can do. Also featured on the web site is a listing of upcoming Pacific Coast Chapter events and excursions. A selection of photographs from the Chapter and Society archives is just a mouse click away for your perusal. When you see a new video or book you want, give Rusty a call (800) 336-7547, FAX (916) 985-3763 or e-mail at <MP1@MP1.COM>. Milepost 1, 198 Wool St., Folsom, CA, 95630. |
4186 Irish Highland Dr., Powder Springs, GA 30127 WANTED - Railroad oriented articles from one to four pages including illustrations. Free editing. See yourself in print. Contact your Newsletter Editor. WANTED - Source of couplers shown. Golden State Chapter R&LHS, 852 E. 5500 S., Ogden, UT 84405-4754, (801) 394-1521. Memorials During the past year, we have received notification of the passing of the following members:
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Annual Meeting Official Notice
The Annual Meeting of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. will be held Sunday, June 4, 2000, beginning at 8:30 AM at the Congress Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, Chicago, Illinois. Amendments to the Bylaws of the Corporation will be presented for approval by members in attendance.
A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society will be held Friday, June 2, 2000, beginning at 9:00 AM at the Congress Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.
We hope to see you in “Chicago, Chicago, That toddling town,
Chicago, Chicago, We’ll show you around.”
R&LHS 2000 ANNUAL MEETING
The Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc. will hold the year 2000 Annual Meeting June 2 - 4, 2000, at the Congress Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, 520 South Michigan Avenue (at Congress Parkway), Chicago, IL 60605.
The hotel is on the southeast edge of the “Loop,” overlooking Grant Park, the famous Buckingham Fountain, and the ex-IC electric and South Shore tracks. There is enclosed parking adjacent to the hotel on Congress Parkway and also open parking just to the west of the parking garage.
The hotel is ¾ mile from Union Station. Taxis and CTA bus route #1 (Indiana/Hyde Park-weekdays only) available. From Midway Airport, the Orange “L” Line stops at Van Buren & State, 2½ blocks from the hotel. From O’Hare Airport, the Blue “L” Line stops at Jackson & Dearborn (in the Subway) 4½ blocks from the hotel.
CTA fare on bus (exact fare) or “L” lines is $1.50, or with a transfer $1.80. Special visitor passes ($5 one day; $9 two day; $12 three day; and $18 five day) are available at the airports, at the Amtrak ticket counter in Union Station, at the visitor information centers, and on the Internet at <www.transitchicago.com>. Taxi and Continental Air Transport “Airport Express” buses direct to the hotel. Buses fare: From O’Hare $17 one way, round trip $30; from Midway $12 one way, round trip $22. No reservation needed coming in, but 24-hour notice required for return. Metra Electric (the old IC electric suburban) and South Shore line trains stop at Van Buren and Michigan, one block north of hotel. If there are any questions, call Chicago Chapter Chairman, Charles Stats, (708) 386-8318, or Chicago Chapter Secretary, Don Davis, (708) 388-3042.
HOTEL RESERVATIONS
The Congress Plaza Hotel is holding a block of rooms for R&LHS members until May 1. After May 1, on a space-available basis. Room rate is $109 (plus 14.9% tax), single or double. Additional persons, $25 each. Be SURE to mention that you are with R&LHS. Reservations must be made direct. Phone 1-800-635-1666. Local (312) 427-3800.
Schedule of Events
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No special events have been planned during the day of Friday, June 2nd. A packet of information with downtown attractions, suburban railroad timetables, and maps will be sent with registration confirmation. Some suburban routes which formerly had service morning-in, evening-out now have service during the midday hours for those who wish to view them. The South Shore Line to South Bend, IN; the Wisconsin Central route to Antioch, IL; and the Southwest Service (ex-Wabash/N&W) to Orland Park can now be covered during the day. Sorry, the Heritage Corridor line (ex-GM&O) to Joliet can only be covered during rush hours, but one-way may be scheduled on Rock Island line from Joliet. Friday
evening, June 2, the Chicago Chapter has scheduled
its June meeting to coincide with the Annual Meeting
and will have a special dinner at the Congress |
Zephyr. Saturday, June 3, will have a tour to the Illinois Railway Museum at Union, IL, where, in addition to the regular operations, we will be given special “behind the scenes” tours through its steam, diesel, and electric shops. Return will be before dinner. Saturday evening dinner on your own. A list of fine, nearby restaurants will be provided. The Congress Hotel has its own fine restaurants, too. Saturday evening there will be a special seminar program at the hotel on modern methods of railroad history research. The meeting will conclude on Sunday morning, June 4, will the Annual Members’ Meeting. The speaker for the Sunday breakfast meeting is Chapter member, Fred Ash, who will talk on some aspects of Chicago’s Union Station. He is currently preparing a book on it. This will conclude before noon for those members who have to catch afternoon trains or planes. |
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Railway & Locomotive
Historical Society, Inc.
2000 Annual Meeting Registration
and Fee Schedule
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$10.00 $32.00 $30.00 $23.00 Total |
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Name __________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP __________________________________________
Phone _________________________________________________
MAIL TO: Donald R. Davis, Secretary Chicago Chapter
R&LHS, 2945 Everett Street, Blue Island, IL 60406-1814
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May 1st Deadline
for ROOMS for ANNUAL MEETING!
The
Congress Plaza Hotel is holding a block of rooms for
R&LHS members until May 1. After May 1, on a space-available
basis. Room rate is $109 (plus 14.9% tax), single or
double. Additional persons, $25 each. Be sure to mention
that you are with R&LHS. Reservations must be made
direct. Phone 1-800-635-1666. Act now!