Fellow New York Central fans, today when I claimed our US Mail, what should I behold but the latest New York Central Headlight, which contains an interesting article by Ron Goldfeder of the St. Louis museum, all about how they obtained the Mohawk 2933 and its history in getting there and care, since. Much more steam stuff I have not yet read. In addition to the Headlight, the latest Classic Trains arrived, with a cover photo of New York Central Hudson 5421 on the cover, plus more steam articles. A third item, NRHS Bulletin, appears to be filled with those infernal diseasels. Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Following the Goldfeder article, there is one that should bring back memories to Roger and LEW, a fine article on the yard at Elkhart, and what a massive yard it was. The article includes a centerfold a la Playboy, with a track layout of the yard, 71 tracks in the main portion and many more on outlying ones. An article by Rich Stoving on Jeremy Taylor's travels, and one on the runaway that hit the NYCS steam switch engine on display at Utica, NY.
Took a look at Google Maps and it appears that it is still alive and well. I had no idea about the parts of the Central in the midwest. We did not travel far from home back then.
You are looking at the west end of the yard . The east end is just as big . Starting at the top we have the double main track ,early bird then the departure tracks east,class tracks and then on the left car repair and to the left out of the picture the local yards . On the east or right the hump engine house etc. On the bottom west departure tracks . On the right out of the picture 15 arrival tracks . The arrival yard was a split yard . All inbound trains from the east had access to all of the 15 tracks. Trains from the west only had access to 5 tracks . They did have access to more but it was a pain to get them there . Things may have changed but that is how I remember them. LEW
It gets even better. Jeremy Taylor's article is basically all photos, and on page 39 is a shot taken at Anderson, with H-5u 1453 hauling a Greensburg switch run. LEW, maybe you were firing or running.
Well Fitz if you will look at the first quarter 2010 you will see me sitting in the 1453 and also the same picture of the 1453 coming out of So. Anderson . The article about Elk. yard is great ,my copy came today , and that was the way it was . Two short stories . The fog would be awful sometimes and you just could not see . We manned a yard engine at Elk. and one night the fog was THICK . As we pulled down tin # 2 track hunting for the clearance point I just stopped when the # 1 track started to come closer to #2 . The speakers they mentioned were not at every switch and when the brakeman dropped off to hunt the switch and a speaker we could not see his lantern After while he came back and was almost to the engine before we could see him . When asked what took so long he said he could not find the speaker . The NYC had run thru switches at Elk . We were making a back up move to go to the house and was going to go by the switch and I told the brakeman at the switch we were going go into . I watched the rear trucks go through the switch and it flipped over . When we pulled ahead the rear trucks jumped the tracks. They wanted to know what happened and I told them . This is what I liked about the NYC . Get it back on the track he said to the car department and you put off duty , we have trains to switch . Today CSX , who never have understood run through switches , would have pulled me and the brakeman out of service for 15 days and would not have proved anything and would never had admitted the switch was defective . Oh well . LEW
Thanks for that story and the reminder of the article about you in the 2010 Headlight. I was pretty sure I had seen you in 1453, and now I realize I have a personal copy of that photo that you sent me a long time ago.
