Does anyone have a chronology of the B&A in their library? I'd like to know when the B&A first fell under NYC control. Also, I have a date of April 3, 1961, that the B&A was absorbed into the NYC. Is this correct for the corporate shell? Or the actual end of independent B&A operations? Boxcab E50
Ken I'm about 1000 miles from home and books visiting the family for Christmas. Give me a rattle after the first of the year and I'll see what I can find out.
Ken, Happy New Year!. Your date of April 3, 1961 is correct for the merger of the B&A into the New York Central. This according to Mike Schafer and Brian Solomon's NYC book. The relationship goes back a lot further. In 1880 the B&A and NYC signed a joint traffic agreement for through movements, and in 1900 Central cemented its long-time relationship with the B&A by leasing the RR. (Direct quote from the book). In 1831 three RRs were chartered in Massachusetts, the Boston and Lowell, Boston and Providence and the Boston and Worcester. It was the B&W which eventually became the B&A by westward expansion. They started laying track in 1832. There are lots more details in this book if you are interested. This B&A Hudson courtesy of George Elwood's collection. He gave me permission to use it on my home page.
Good timing! I was just going to look up this thread, and post a note to you. So the B&A actually was an operating RR that late? I was wondering, as I've never seen a B&A train order form after the late 1930's. They must have simply copied them on NYC System forms? Which is what I'm guessing. Boxcab E50
While looking up info to see how close the NYC 17000 series 30' caboose is to the 19000 series in detail (B&A got the 17000 Series), I ran across this:
That jet powered RDC was an experiment. Seems to me it was done about 1966? And that it was moderately successful? Boxcab E50
Good old M-497. The jets were a pod from a B-47. The run was quite successful, despite the fact that Al Perlman was aboard. Little impractical, though. Ballast scattered everywhere. Where did you find those pix? They are better quality than most I have seen of this circus event.
Look at those guys RUN! I didn't think of getting beamed in the head with chunks of ballast as that thing thrust on by. Obviously they didn't either. One thing that did come to mind was the sheer lack of safety involved, what if a car tried to beat the crossing? Aptly named a Circus Show!
M-497's Record Setting Run was made in July 1966. Running along an arrow-straight track between Butler, IN, and Bryan, OH, it reached a top speed of 183 mph, a U.S. record that still stands I do believe.
Wow! Good thing they never put that baby in service. How'd you like to have that thing go by your house a few times a day (or night). I'll bet 'noise pollution' took on a new meaning when they opened up the throttles . LOL.
