Transfusion or infusion of new stuff required on this forum! Seems like every time we get it started, it goes for a while then trickles down to nothing. I have tried quizzes and things like that, and know that Hank, Ron, Watash, Roger, Tom and a few others remember some of the great days of the New York Central. How about some of you younger guys who might model the NYCS but really never saw it? Ron and I have discussed the incredible number of different configurations of a given class of locomotives, just for grins let's say Hudsons. Modelers, have you spotted differences in: Kinds of Drivers Kinds of feedwater heaters Kinds of valve gear Size of sand domes Locations of air tanks Type of tender Location of feedwater pumps Anyone who wants to add to this list or report any observations of their own, please do!! We need to revive the deceased NYCS! And if you have any photos, please post them.
Infusion you say? Hmmmm... A friend just mailed me drawings of two Big Four cabooses (cabeese?). The early caboose was used before 1925 and had an offset cupola and the other was a centered cupola and was in use until the NYC steel Bay Window came on the scene. After I go over some of the details, I'll post the drawing if there is any interest. They are about HO scale. Also, WrightTrak has just released a NYC Bay Window caboose in resin if anyone is interested in that.
What percentage was the grade west out of Albany, NY? Also, weren't there some severe curves in the middle of that grade? I know many westbound trains received helpers in Albany station, but where did they cut off, and were they cutoff on the fly? I rode 4 or 5 westbound trains out of Albany during the 40's, but it was always at night and I wasn't allowed to stay up that late [ 25 January 2002: Message edited by: fitz ]
There was a big curve as you left Albany station but I don't remember any other to the top of the hill at West Albany. Don't know the % but it was a short distance. In the late 70's when I was with FRA at Albany the Rohr turbo could not make track speed up the hill. At that time the ATK station was in Rensselaer across the river. Track went north out of station and turned west to cross river on the drawbridge then north short distance then west up the hill. The Feb Trains has a chart showing a 3 pusher grade out of Albany westbound.
Roger, of course there is interest. I vaguely remember all three types, but that was a long time ago. Welcome to the forum and to Trainboard, Gil. How did you end up where you are after working AMTK in Albany? Since we have this new Poll feature available, I'm going to start one. Guess what the topic will be?
Gil, now you have me wondering about the RR bridges in the Albany/Troy area ... This question is for anyone ... In 51 or 52, I caught a train (D&H, I think?) in North Hoosick, Eagle Bridge, or Hoosick Jct. (can't remember which ) that took me to Troy on B&M tracks. Then the car I was in was transferred to Albany and hooked to the rear of a Central train for GCT. Do you have any idea which bridge the transfer might have used? My gut feel is that the Rensselaer bridge was too far south and out of the way. Wasn't there a bridge further up river nearer Troy that went into the north end of Albany?
Hank The old NYC had a line that went down the east side of the Hudson to Rensselaer and over the drawbridge to Albany. Are you sure that was D&H or was it Rutland RR? Gil
fitz Never worked for ATK. I was with B&M then FRA. They transferred me from Boston to San Francisco. Moved to Redding after I retired for the 3rd time. Gil
Hank I did some checking to refresh my memory. The Rutland came in at Hoosick Jct. and there was a D&H connection at Eagle Bridge so it could have been either. At Troy the D&H had a bridge across the Hudson to Green Island but I don't believe there were any passenger trains on that branch, at least when I worked in that area in 49. Gil
Sorry Gil, that's what happens when you post a reply and can't view the message you are replying to. I knew I made a mistake as soon as I went back to the forum. Welcome, anyway, as we need more contributors to the NYC mainline.
Gil, thanks for the input. Now that you have given me two options, I don't have a clue if I was on a D&H or a Rut connection into Troy. I think I caught the train around noon, I know I never got off the coach from Troy to Albany, and it was still daylight (in April) when I was met at Harmon. I think I remember catching it in Hoosick Jct, so as you say it was probably a Rut train through North Bennington. If someone has a Central passenger schedule from around 1950 that shows trains into GCT from Rutland, Montpelier, and/or Montreal ... ? As to the bridge .... you're probably right about the Green Island crossing being only freight. It just seems like such a long way around from Troy to Albany by way of the Rensselaer bridge. Now if someone has a Central employee's timetable for that period, it might mention the connecting route .... ? [ 28 January 2002, 03:08: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
fitz At various periods I have inspected signals on the old NYC from GCT to Cleveland but the last time was between 71 and 79. It wasn't 100% but enough to know much of the territory. Not sure just how good the memory is now after 20 years. Gil
Fitz, If you use Internet Explorer (maybe other browsers also?) you can use the "Back" and "Forward" buttons while you are typing your Reply. What you are typing is saved with "Back", then restored with "Forward" after viewing the message you are replying to. [ 28 January 2002, 14:36: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Gil, did you ever cross paths with a signal maintainer on the Mohawk Division by the name of "Dutch" Mosher? My brother-in-law's dad, now deceased. Hank, why didn't I think of that? You know, I went to school in Troy and haven't a clue about all those bridges and lines. We need to ask "Harron" (Corey Lynch) who is a moderator and currently a student at RPI in Troy.
Gil, did you ever run across a young Mechanical Engineer named Phil Williams in the late 40's and early 50's? Phil graduated from RPI in either 47 or 48, immediately hired on with the Central, and was assigned to one their rail profile cars. He told me its number, but I forget. I could ask him if you're interested, he lives only a few miles down the road. He said that he occassionally worked the entire system including the Big Four, but mostly the Water Level from GCT to Chicago. He left the Central in the early 50's when he got married and his new wife objected to being left alone. [ 29 January 2002, 02:33: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Which Forum does Corey usually monitor, I can ask him about the bridges? The RPI Club also may have a history file of Central, D&H, and Rutland stuff that he or one of the other Club members could research if they have time. I believe Corey graduates this Spring, so we better hurry ... sure hope he sticks around the TB afterwards. [ 29 January 2002, 02:32: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
Hank & fitz I was on B&M from 48 to 71 so would not know Phil Williams. Might have met Mosher if he was there between 73 and 77 when I was stationed in Albany. I started with FRA in 71 at Pittsburgh, then to Buffalo, Albany, Boston and ended in San Francisco from 80 to 89 when I retired. I did consulting for next 6 years including a very short period in Sydney, AU. Met Paul there. Gil
I have another year guys. Bridges over the Mohawk: - Stillwater (B&M) from Schagticoke to Mechanicville - Troy-Green Island Bridge (Troy Union RR, jointly owned by B&M, NYC, D&H) - Rensselaer Bridge (current bridge over the Hudson) - South Rensselaer Bridge (yes, there were two over the Hudson between Albany and Rensselaer. If you say you picked up the train then ran over the B&M, you probably came down the main to Johnsonville, then split to Troy (the other way is to Mechanicville, which is the freight main). The D&H used to have trackage rights over the B&M for their branch which split at Eagle Bridge (still exercised today, a D&H local two nights a week runs to Eagle Bridge for the Battenkill RR). Back to the bridges... The Troy Union RR ran a series of commuter trains, roughly 30 daily by the early 50s, that ran in a racetrack to Albany. Up from Albany to Watervliet on the west side, across the Green Island Bridge, into Troy, back down to Rensselaer and across to Albany. Trains ran both ways on this loop, and this service didn't end until the station in Troy was torn down in '58. However, I HIGHLY doubt you crossed the river in Troy, as that was mainly commuter or local passenger traffic. Most likely your coach was changed out in Troy, as only NYC ran through passenger trains south on the east side. Besides, wouldn't you come down the East side into GCT anyway? That was the passenger main, so why bother crossing the river? And btw, I have one more year here after this one.
Thanks Corey, that's great info. I guess I was making an assumption about my crossing to Albany ... as I age I find that "good memory" tends to merge with "what might have been". It's quite possible that I was on a joint D&H/NYC or Rutland/NYC train that used only Troy as its Tri-Cities stop, then went straight on to GCT However, I DO remember it was steam all the way, although we may have changed engines in Troy. It don't ever remember seeing "Foreign Lines" engines at Harmon. Also I doubt if any were on the Harlem Division, except possibly in Summer of '43 when the Naval gun went crossways in the tunnels near Cold Spring, and all(!) Hudson Division trains were re-routed onto the Harlem for about 24 hours, including both Century's!
Contacted a friend (retired B&M dispatcher) who told me ATK and state of VT are planning a train over B&M to Hoosick Jct and up to Manchester, VT on Vermont Railway with possibility of extending to Rutland or Burlington. It would eventually replace the train now running on D&H to Whitehall to Rutland.
