I hope this doesn't become too boring . I hope to show what goes on on a trip.The distance in this case is 55 miles. Be sure to read the questions and answers about Heels and Fires concerning part 1. We are ready to start our trip on #74, engine #3034 as far as Wabash. The last time we were pulling out of the yards. The brakeman climbs aboard and Bill keeps a speed of about 10mph which allows the conductor to catch the cab and not give him gorilla arms. The switches are hand thrown, all three must be realigned for straight track. This is curved track and we cannot see the rear end for a signal. There is a 69 car mark north of the yards, a post, building or something that doesn't move. At this time cars are pretty much short and a little longer. By this I mean 40ft. and as a rule the longest 50ft. We figured 3 cars to the distance between telephone poles. That way, pulling by any given point and knowing how many cars you had, gave you an idea where the cab was located. We will run under automatic block for about 4 miles and then by manual block to Wabash. Bill gives 2 blasts of the whistle and starts pulling out a little on the throttle. If we misjudged the train length, the rear end will pull the air. The gates at the PRR and the C.I. Railroads were both lined for us. As we come to the end of double track, which is on a curve and my vision is restricted, Bill gets about 5-7 lbs. of air in case the signal is red. The signal is clear but another short block is ahead where the B-line uptown main crosses at MY interlocking. The signal at MY is clear and Bill releases the air and as we move along at 15mph, I am using the blower slightly to keep the fire bright because the engine cannot be worked. The lay of the track is level to slightly downhill and then around a curve down a 1.1% downgrade for 3 city blocks. As we start around the curve Bill slips another 5-7 lbs. of brake and widens on the throttle a little. The next signal is clear. When using the air train line leakage comes in effect, Bill moves the brake handle to running position for about the count of 6 and then back to the lap position. This is the way we controlled the total amount of air reduced from the train line. Knowing where his train is at in the game plan, you must be aware of this at all times when handling a train. Bill releases the air and starts coming out on the throttle for the approaching 1.1% grade up to Dow interlocking which also is around a curve to the left, that the engineer will be blind to, and will depend on the fireman to relay the signal indication. The signal is clear and Bill starts coming out on the throttle. It is level and about 9 miles to Alexandria. Bill soon gets the speed up to 40mph, the legal speed. As we approach Alex and about 80 cars from the NKP interlocking, Bill places the throttle in about half open position and reduces the train line about 7 lbs. Riding this set, you can feel the brakes starting to apply. About 50 cars from the signal we start down a 1% grade and a small curve to the right. This curve gives a depth perception problem and you have to keep on your toes when stopping at the signal. Bill places the brake valve in running position for the count of 4 and back into lap, controlling the train line leakage. Easing off of the throttle again, he lets the engine pull against the train with the brakes applied coming to a stop 40 ft. from the signal. The brakeman drops off, walks to the signal, places his key in the little box, turns it and the signal goes to a clear indication. Bill releases the brakes, whistles off and we head north, next stop Marion. While we were stopped I looked at my fire and it looked good, about 5 in. thick with a little splash on the throat sheet and a small clinker at the rear, which I pulled under the distributing plate with the short clinker hook and I am ready. We have a clear block at the Alex depot that will take us to Summitville, another 5 miles away. Bill is giving the engine a good workout up the 1.2% grade leaving Alex. This grade is about 2 miles long and then drops downhill for a mile and we will be up to the 40mph again. As we come around the curve south of Summitville, I give a thumb up saying clear block. Most of the towns south of Wabash lay in a bowl because the towns were built along a stream for a water supply for the mills. Most streams run from northeast to southwest, so you are always crossing the water flow on a north south railroad. Approaching Fairmount, remember we have a meet with the local and he will be in the clear. We can see the signal and it is clear. We keep on charging. How do we know the local, extra 6323 south,is in the clear? In manual block the rules will not let opposing trains in the same block. The meet was for Fairmount and no where else and the clear tells us that the local is there. Another 5 miles and Jonesboro with a 30mph through the curves that start at the south edge of town. The track makes an S curve with the depot in the middle of the curves. You have to see the block signal through the trees and housetops. As we come into town the brakeman and I are looking, we spot it clear and a thumb up. As we approach Marion, we hit the yard limits and we slow just in case the yard engine could be out in this direction. A little farther and we come to a signal and this is another reason we slowed down. This is an automatic signal in non-automatic territory,it tells you the condition of the track from this signal to the next one. The signal head has 3 lights, red, yellow and green. After passing this signal, the track curves to the right and Kent interlocking is out of sight. If the signal is yellow, the signal at Kent will be red at this time. If green, Kent will also be clear. Today the signal is clear and we will pull down to 18th Street, which is about 15 cars south of the signal at Kent, cut our Marion cars from the train and set them off in the yard. The cut has been made and we pull down to the switch that will let us into our yard. This move is interesting because the basics of railroading must be used to enter this yard. The NKP runs beside us so we must cross their main to enter the yard. First the brakeman will see if any traffic is coming and will then move a lever to change the gate or in this case a board about 15ft. high on a post,the board is about 6ft. long by 12in. wide, with lights on each end from vertical to horizontal. This gives us control of the NKP at this point. He then removes the derail and walks out to the main and lines the main track switch into the yard. The brakeman sets 10 off and the operator told him to pick up 5 and the bills are in the telephone box. Pulling out of the yards with a pick up, he swings us down when we are on the main. He now reverses the system of closing up the yard. Anytime in railroading you must have control of the track to operate. We have coupled up to the train and are ready to leave, Bill gives 4 toots for the signal at Kent, the signal goes green and we move north. At Third Street, we have a signal and the operator is out with a hoop. The message tells us the yard engine is on duty at Wabash and the order says, #74 meet #75 at Wabash. With 63 cars it is going to be a hard pull up Marion hill. The speed is 30mph through Marion and up the hill. There is a reverse curve on the hardest part of the hill. It is 1.3% up with that reverse curve. We are on the hardest pull and Bill is working the engine close to the corner with the throttle wide open. The speed is down to about 14 mph and pulling steady. After he second curve, the danger of slip is past and Bill takes the reverse a little out of the corner as the speed increases. When we were ready to leave Marion, I put a little extra heel in, getting ready for the hill. About half way up the hill, I had to roll in another heel. After we were over the hill and running 40mph, I like to watch the smoke as it comes out of the stack and try to keep the smoke where I can see through it at all times and still maintain steady steam pressure. Starting down the 1.75% grade at Wabash, Bill again draws off 7 lbs. of air. You might wonder why it always seems to be 7 lbs. The engineers on this division were always light brakers and as the longer trains came, it paid off and we kept braking the same way. We would brake with 180 cars about the same as with 80. But back to the hill. As the train slowed again, to maintain the trainline the release and lap method was used until we arrived at the bottom where the track leveled out. Coming aross the bridge at 15mph the operator gives a go ahead and hoops up a message. The message said #75 was coming at North Manchester which gave us plenty of time to make the set off, we are in yard limits. Set off all of your short cars north of Wabash including the Marion pick up, in #11 track and bring the engine through an empty track to the house. We know the yard engine is going to switch the short cars they have into ours so that they will be in station order and give us a shove over the hill. Spotting the engine for water, we climb down from the engine, the hostler will fill the tender with water and after we come back from eating, we will head north, and in about 5 hours we will be off duty at Elkhart. LEW
LEW: Great piece of information! It is obvious that you have made this trip atleast " a couple of times" ! Thanks for sharing your story, I will use it in the new hire class of conductors which I am teaching this week. Thanks, ( from a "pup" who will soon be 60 to an " old head ". Barry
more back then Sorry about that. The 3034 was an L-3, 4-8-2 with the elephant ears.The local 6323 was, H-6, 2-8-2 Mike.This is NYC.
LEW, thanks for more of your great recollections of what railroading was all about on the Central. Keep 'em coming. :teeth:
Russell Straw, Looking at my answer to you on wheel arrangement,this is NYC,it should say these engines are both NYC. LEW
I'd sure like to hear more comments on LEW's great description of running trains in the steam days. Please make some. If you don't, I may have to post my story about the Railway Express and homing pigeons. Does that peak any interest? :confused2:
I'm a diesel fan but, I would rather hear steam stories than pigeon stories. How do you fire a pigion anyway lol.
Mopman, get into the New York Central Fallen Flag forum and select messages from the last YEAR, or ALL and you will find some of LEW's stories. Beyond that, go to Roger Hensley's website (there should be a link in his member profile) which features a lot of LEW's prose. I wish I had done what LEW has done in his lifetime. :teeth:
Hello Lew, Your stories about firing are amazing. Would it be possible for you to summarize what it is that makes a crewman a good fireman? What are the tricks of the trade? What is the underlying craft/ art? Thanks! Martin
Martin, It is hard to answer your question on one hand but what drives one to be a fireman another. Firemen came from family ,friends and some just wanting a job. There were some brakemen that could fire and run an engine as well as any engineman, but being a good fireman was like any craft ,you were as good as the effort you put into it. I learned more on my second student trip on the road then any other. The fireman and engineer worked together.This fireman instucted me from the time I climbed on the engine until getting off at Elkhart. It was a hands on type of leaning and being able to see what a good fire should look like helped. With the shovel it was control. I shoveled right handed but to fire a locomotive you shoveled left handed. Firing was a craft and if you did not do your end you had failures and it was your responsibility. As with any job you had good firemen and you had bad ones.I always tried to learn from all both good and bad.Everyone even the bad ones had something they did better than anyone else and I tried to find out what it was and use it. I was small 5' 11" ,140 lbs.and the tricks you learned was what made the job work for you. I fired with a light fire because I was not big enough to fight a big clinker.I liked to fire for the engineer as if he was doing both jobs. It was in the end liking your job and doing the best you can.LEW
