Maurice Lewman has sent me a wealth of good memories with photographs that I will try to publish a little at a time here on the NEW YORK CENTRAL portion of Conrail predecessors. The first one is not his first choice, but mine. It features Maurice in the cab of NYC H-5t 2-8-2 at Greenburg, Indiana in 1955. Maurice was only 25 years old at the time. I will post that in a separate message with LEW's comments.
Here's the photo With LEW's comments:There were three H-5’s at Greensburg. Two local engines and the yard engine. Monday, Wednesday and Friday night the Anderson-G’burg local tied up here. They employed around the clock engine foreman, hostler. During the day there were 6-8 rip track men. One night a northbound picking in the old yard turned a carload of washing machines on its side. They called the big hook at Cincinnati and said it would be 5-6 hours getting to G-burg. Decker, the rip track foreman, took his men and jacked the loaded car laying on its side upright and on the trucks in five hours, just as the big hook arrived. A fine job. The engine is headed west and the switch cuts were always on the rear. In the winter the wind was from the north and northwest blowing the man running the engine with his head stuck out. After one night in 20 degree weather I asked the engineer if he wanted a window. “You bet” was his answer. I constructed a bay window of wood with a sliding side window and the front and rear window that about 1/3 of the top hinged out like the front cab windows. When the diesels came the windows were longer so I added a piece to the top. I left the yards and took a road job and the engineer used the window several years until the union had the company install bay windows made of fiberglass. You will notice the injector handles outside of the cab. This was NYC, not Big Four. The pipe coming from the turret down the boiler in front of the cab was the steam supply for the injector. The pipe coming from the injector by the firebox toward the front of the engine is the supply pipe to the boiler. The rear handle is the water supply from the tank. You opened the front valve first which let water flow through the injector, when it was flowing you opened the middle valve which was the steam and it picked up the water shooting to the boiler. [ 07. February 2004, 22:42: Message edited by: fitz ]
Please more photos! I don't know what LEW is ashamed of, he's much better looking than most photos of steam Engineers. Just take a look at photos of Watash ....
Hank, Watash and steam guys, have you ever seen outside-the-cab injector controls? This is a first for me.
This was taken at Wabash, the train sitting on the main. The depot was to the left of the picture. It was probably a Wabash turn. Left to right: Maurice Lewman, engineer. J.R. Semon was an excellent brakeman and conductor. His father and younger brother were also trainmen. I could probably write 5 or 6 stories on these three men. E.A. Patterson was a good engineer but a bad heart restricted him to fireman and caused his death. Don Wright was a good brakeman and was one of the few men who quit railroading. Joe Williamson was one of the good ole boys. A good brakeman and conductor. Joe passed on about 2-3 years ago. [ 07. February 2004, 22:45: Message edited by: fitz ]
Fitz, to be honest, I have never understood how to control a steam engine (other than cracking a throttle on a B&M Consolidation once in 1950), so I wouldn't recognize an injector control if it bit me ... P.S. Neat photo of LEW and friends, but wasn't the dispatcher a little upset by LEW fouling the crossing? [ 07. November 2002, 13:52: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Hank,that is a yard lead from the 6 track class yard behind the engine to the engine house and 3 industrial tracks leading downtown.About where the camera is located is a switch to the freight house.The switch handle only moved 60 degrees for a full throw.We were going to the house one night and the kids had un- latched this switch and let the points gap.You could not tell this from the engine cab so when I felt the front trucks juump the track I widened on the throttle to clear the main .This worked and they could still run trains.When the trainmaster arrived he said this is not bad at all,I figured you would leave the main blocked just to hear me rave.I tried to talk him into buying supper but that did not work. Some days you can't win. LEW
LEW, that's neat. Thanks for the facts. Sometimes Trainmasters (Bosses) have NO sense of humor. [ 08. November 2002, 01:19: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Fitz ole buddy, I'm puzzled too! I never heard or seen "out-side-the-cab injector controls" I may be young, but done a life's worth of studdying steam loco's and this one has me. I can't imagine what they'd be out side the cab for! HMMMMMM [ 27. November 2002, 08:53: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Fitz! My Gosh! How in the world could they operate outside the cab injector controls in the wintertime? With the wind, cold, ice and snow buildup, how was it done safely Rich.
rwatson, I don't know the answer to that one. I guess we need to ask LEW to comment some more. My guess is they were on H-5 and H-10 class Mikados assigned to slow local freights, not doing 79 mph over the mains. Injector controls weren't that difficult (pull up and turn). I see the photos aren't there. That's odd, s they are on Trainimages. If the first one comes back, the controls can be seen outside the cab.
The first time I saw the injector controls on the outside was on H-5s at Elk. As well as I can remember these were on 1300s.This must have been a change made in the back shop for what reason only higher powers would know. Yes they were unhandy but in the summer was not a problem In the winter you opened the window as little as possible and quickly got the injector working and closed the window.The H-5 was the only engines I remember with this setup and like stated this was not standard.Yes these engines were used on the main at Elk. in local service and run 40 and 50 mph.They also ran on the main at Greensburg,In.on the Chicago Div.40and 50 mph.They also had a few H-5s at Elk. that had two fire doors.Some H-5,H-7and a few yard engines had lifting injectors located on the side of the boiler ahead of the cab. To start these you pulled the handle toward you a short distance and let the water start running from the over flow pipe, priming the injector,and then pulling the handle all the way out to start it operating. LEW
Harold K. Vollrath has put a group of NYC steam photos on George Elwood's site. One happens to be Maurice's old steed 1453. Here's a link to it. Vollrath photo of 1453
