The 5emaphare Newsletter of the Rochester NY Chapter, NRHS P.O. Box 664, Rochester, NY 14603;.Published Monthly January 2000 Volume 42, NO.5 CJ!am New rpear lb ([Jtstwisks for lOOO( pm(uam for JaouarY_ ~: Potpourri from the Russell Archives by Harold Russell' Harold's slide program will illustrate railroad activities around Western New York, mostly in 1957. Thus wel1 see steam and diesels. Among the roads are Erie. B&O, LV, DL&W, D&M, NYC, NKP, B&H and G&W. Also slearn activity at Sodus Point in 1955 on the PRR. And a few views of southern USA roads in 1956 when Harold was in the Army. Harold is. well knO\\TI among the mcx:lelers from his nwnerous articles that appear in model railroad magazines. His speciality is structures. His most.recent was views of along our right-of-way that appears in the cwrent issue of Mainline Modeler. Program Committee Jack Matsik (Chairman) 442-6269 Bill Limburg 586-9470 Dan Cosgrove 352-6931 Dave Luca (Board liaison) 288-0318 The Conunittee welcomes suggestions and ideas for future programs. Contact any of the Conunittee members. Library Winter Hours 2 to 5 PM on Sunday, January 23 Sunday, February 20 Sunday, March 19 Library Phone: 872-4641 END OF CENTURY RE- PORT ON CHAPTER TRAIN TRIPS. by Bob Miner No, 1have nol been here for 100 years so 1 can only recall wnat trips have bOen since 1985or so. In 1988 Dave Loea, Jan Dittmer, Bob Cowan and Phil Schnlp formed Empire Stale Railcar. TheSe forward looking cluipter members pUrchased 4 ex-New York Central Empire State Express CCacheS.The Chapter also purchased one. That made a total of 5. The idea was to run chapter sponsored trips and also lease the coach.,. to others for trips. This would be .• good way for the chapter to .make money.' . A 6th car was purchased in 1990. In 1993 a baggage car with a generator came on line so we wired all the cars to get power from the power car. Soon after, the chapter pUrchased all the coaches and obtained a haggage/RPO car to replace the former baggage and generator. Getting to this point was no small effort. Several of us, led by Dave Loea, put in many hours on the coaches. December 1989, the Ontario Midland Railroad (aMID) ran a Santa ride from Sodus for the Sodus Chamber of Commerce. That Santa ride has ~ every year since. In 1990 we started running Spring and FalJ rideS on aMID. Due 10 low ticket sales and high cost of running from Webster, the spring rides were discontinued. You see we pay the RR by the hour and running from Webster cost 2 hours deadhead move to get the traio to and from Webster. The Fall rides from Sodus have run every Fall and the ticket sales are good. We have sold out many of the rides. Here are some statistics. The coaches have logged 7500 miles and carried 54526 adults and children plus those tulder 3 who we did not count. And that was just on the Spring and FalJ rides. The Chapter ran a fan trip wllich covered most of the Ontario Midland RR (aMID). The dale escapes me, but 1 think it was in 1990. The train ran from Sodus to North Rose to Newark to Webster and back to Sodus. The locomotive could not run aroWld the coaches in Wolcott so the train missed that section. The track to Red Creek was (Continued on Page 5) Trip Committee Meeting January 26 at Webster The Trip Conunittee will be meeting at the Chapler', Library in Webster, NY on Wednesday, January 26, 2000. The meet- ing will hOgiriat 7:00 pm. Please call Dave or Janet at 2g8-0318 if you plan on attending. The Trip Conunittee needs to mow the nwnber of attendees to properly plan for the meeting. ..Some of the action items will be a recap of the 1999 season, a discussion of plans for our 2000 season, a sununary of the Railroad Passenger Car Alliance (RPCA) anuual con- vention which was held just before this meeting, upcoming Chapter. sponsored Amtra1<trips, and discussion of the planned impro~ements~to the Chapter's excmsion train set. If you have wanted to be a member of the Trip Conunittee or have an idea for a new trip or improvements to any of our previous endeavors, pick up the phone and RSVP for the meeting. If you have an idea for a trip we haven't offered and can't attend this meet- ing, please give us a call so we can present your thoughts to the committee. Don'l be len standing on the platform when the train leaves the station. Climb on board and be part of the fantastic journeys we are abOut. to take this year and the years to come! First Aid Class Offering Arst Aid Training for Museum Volunteers & Car Hosts Here is an opporttmity to learn a little frrst aid and be prepared for emergencies at home or at the musewn or on excursions. The class is scheduled for Saturday. February 19 from 9 AM lill Noon. It will be taught by Dave Hulings and Mike Byrne Although there is no charge for the class, pre-registration is required. Call Mike Byrne at 225-5659 for information or to register. This is a great OpportlUUty to help yourself. family and friends.
Transcript
The 5emaphareNewsletter of the Rochester NY Chapter NRHS
PO Box 664 Rochester NY 14603Published MonthlyJanuary 2000Volume 42 NO5
CJam New rpearlb
([Jtstwisks forlOOO(
pm(uam for JaouarY_ ~
Potpourri from theRussell Archivesby Harold Russell
Harolds slide program will illustraterailroad activities around Western NewYork mostly in 1957 Thus wel1 seesteam and diesels Among the roads areErie BampO LV DLampW DampM NYCNKP BampH and GampW Also slearnactivity at Sodus Point in 1955 on thePRR And a few views of southern USAroads in 1956 when Harold was in theArmy
Harold is well knOTI among themcxlelers from his nwnerous articles thatappear in model railroad magazines Hisspeciality is structures His most recentwas views of along our right-of-way thatappears in the cwrent issue of MainlineModeler
and ideas for future programs Contact anyof the Conunittee members
Library Winter Hours2 to 5 PM on
Sunday January 23Sunday February 20Sunday March 19
Library Phone 872-4641
END OF CENTURY RE-PORT ON CHAPTER
TRAIN TRIPSby Bob Miner
No 1have nol been here for 100 years so1 can only recall wnat trips have bOen since1985or so
In 1988 Dave Loea Jan Dittmer BobCowan and Phil Schnlp formed Empire StaleRailcar TheSe forward looking cluiptermembers pUrchased 4 ex-New York CentralEmpire State Express CCacheSThe Chapteralso purchased one That made a total of 5The idea was to run chapter sponsored tripsand also lease the coach to others for tripsThis would be bull good way for the chapter tomake money
A 6th car was purchased in 1990 In1993 a baggage car with a generator came online so we wired all the cars to get powerfrom the power car Soon after the chapterpUrchased all the coaches and obtained ahaggageRPO car to replace the formerbaggage and generator Getting to this pointwas no small effort Several of us led byDave Loea put in many hours on thecoaches
December 1989 the Ontario MidlandRailroad (aMID) ran a Santa ride fromSodus for the Sodus Chamber of CommerceThat Santa ride has ~ every year since
In 1990 we started running Spring andFalJ rideS on aMID Due 10 low ticket salesand high cost of running from Webster thespring rides were discontinued You see wepay the RR by the hour and running fromWebster cost 2 hours deadhead move to getthe traio to and fromWebster The Fall ridesfrom Sodus have run every Fall and theticket sales are good We have sold out manyof the rides Here are some statistics Thecoaches have logged 7500 miles and carried54526 adults and children plus those tulder 3who we did not count And that was just onthe Spring and FalJ rides
The Chapter ran a fan trip wllich coveredmost of the Ontario Midland RR (aMID)The dale escapes me but 1 think it was in1990 The train ran from Sodus to NorthRose to Newark to Webster and back toSodus The locomotive could not run aroWldthe coaches in Wolcott so the train missedthat section The track to Red Creek was
(Continued on Page 5)
Trip Committee MeetingJanuary 26 at Webster
The Trip Conunittee will be meeting atthe Chapler Library in Webster NY onWednesday January 26 2000 The meet-ing will hOgiriat 700 pm Please call Daveor Janet at 2g8-0318 if you plan onattending The Trip Conunittee needs tomow the nwnber of attendees to properlyplan for the meetingSome of the action items will be a recap
of the 1999 season a discussion of plans forour 2000 season a sununary of the RailroadPassenger Car Alliance (RPCA) anuual con-vention which was held just before thismeeting upcoming Chapter sponsoredAmtra1lttrips and discussion of the plannedimpro~ements~to the Chapters excmsiontrain set
If you have wanted to be a member of theTrip Conunittee or have an idea for a newtrip or improvements to any of our previousendeavors pick up the phone and RSVP forthe meeting If you have an idea for a trip wehavent offered and cant attend this meet-ing please give us a call so we can presentyour thoughts to the committee
Donl be len standing on the platformwhen the train leaves the station Climb onboard and be part of the fantastic journeyswe are abOut to take this year and the yearsto come
First AidClass Offering
Arst Aid Training for MuseumVolunteers amp Car Hosts
Here is an opporttmity to learn a littlefrrst aid and be prepared for emergenciesat home or at the musewn or onexcursions
The class is scheduled for SaturdayFebruary 19 from 9 AM lill Noon Itwill be taught by Dave Hulings and MikeByrne
Although there is no charge for theclass pre-registration is required CallMike Byrne at 225-5659 for informationor to register
This is a great OpportlUUty to helpyourself family and friends
Building A Rail Storage Yard
Beth Krueger Is NewMembership ChairBeth Krueger who recently joined the
Chapter has volunteered to Chair the Mem-bership Committee She is currently workingmth Chris HaufstutImg envelopes with the2000 Renewal Notices and the single-sheetdouble-sided Year 2000 Chapter Calendar
You should receive this packet soon
Dave Monte Verde
Jeff BaxterDave Shields
Charlie Knoll
Bill Mitchell
Pete (Leon) Aaras
Curt Boyer
Cal amp Rose Bulman
Bill Gordon
Bob French
B~lINapier
Baron RighttnyerLeonard Roe
TomWayBillllraceyBob Gurley
Fred Merz
Page 2
A Trtbute 10the Guys that Uaka II Happenl
Research Dooovan A ShillingIt was Saturday the weather looking
bleak in middle November when I venturedout to thelndustry Depot Museum of theRochester Chapter NRHS located at -onRoute 25 I in Rush New YOlk Arrivingthere at ten oclock we first visited mthDan Cosgrove who gave us a big smile andoffered us a seat We settled into a chairnext to the welcome warmth arising from theold Station Agenrs wood-burning stoveDans just one of a gang of two dozen guyswho help make it happen to the depotsnwnerous projects
Dan offered us a cup of hot coffee andmotioned for us to indulge ourselves with afresh doughnut from bull box_generously sup-plied each Saturday bY Jim Johnson Wedjust sigued the Chapters log book noticingguiltily that most of thevolunleers hadarrived shortly after eight in the morningWe asked Dan where everybody was and hepointed north stating they _were workingmostly at the Chapters restoration buildingatop the hill beyond the-depOt We--wereready to leave for the hill when Dave Lucaarrived offering Dan and me an opportunityto see the contents of sever3J fat envelopesThey contained lots of glossy photographs
Skimming through the photo stack welearned that Dave and his mfe Janet hadrecently returned from a spectacular tour ofthe south traveling fIrst class in a consist ofa dozen private rail cars The rail expeditionoffered by 8 national association of privaterail car owners included the sights ofCincinnati Atlanta Tamp Beach and anhost of other stops Also included in thephoto pack were snapshots of Daves ouprivate car that is currently undergoing anextensive restoration project in Indiana
Then still munching on the last of ourglazed doughnut we started for the hill
On the Way we noticed someoneworking on the diesels in the depot yardThat someone turned out to be NonnShaddick who was att~ding to the winteriz-ing of our fleet of six diesel~lectric locomo-tives Charlie Harshbarger must have beennearby too as he also takes a special interestin making sure the locos are well cared for
The roaring rumble of a half dozenengines greeted our ears as we - st~ppedgingerly from one small mountain of freshlydumped earth to another Reaching thesummit we met Dick Lucky LuchterhandHe was acting as a spotter for the dump
January 2000
trucks transporting huge loads of soil beingexcavated nmth of the restoration buildingBehind the steering wheel of a stealth-style truck a five-ton six bYsix painted insix shades of military cimouflage was itscompetent driver Jeremy Toke Aided bYLucky he backed the big vehicle up andneatly dumped- ten yards of soil and stoneonto its desiguated spot
Another five-ton truck soon arrived Thisone painted in depot green and lettered withthe Chapters logo was piloted by BobMiner It ground to a halt while Jeremypulled away for another load The twomilitary vehicles were acquired by thechapter with a dual purpose They make fineadditions to the Chapters ever growingcolleCtion of historic construction vehiclesand are now proving to be invahiable as theChapter expands its yards and rail carstorage facilities
We clambered aboard Bogts truck afterhe off-loaded his hefty burden of earthSlihappyforth~comJllUY BObex-plainedthat he was bull certified driver haviIiglearned how toMs diivampg the heaVyArmy trucks wMe in military service inNewfoundland building a radar defensesystem Moving north the trucks six heelSdug deeply into the clay soil as we climbedup a forty-five degree hillside leading to theexcavation
The minimountain wed just ascendedwas part of the yard expansion project justsouth of the Restoration Facility Already anapron approximately eighty-five feet inlength had been created in the lowland areasouth of the building Here one track was inplace leading from the restoration hamsinterior Plans are to add at Jeast tvomoretracks to this storage yard
Underway for some time and the reasonfor todays work is the subs~tia1 effort tocreate a Jevel route for 8 storage andrun-around track that mll parallel the westside of the building Prior to the erection ofthe restoration buiJding two storage tracksleading from Smtch Six had been built on asite that was anything but level Pressure tostore several incoming rail cars necessitatedthe early track work Now mth the fortu-nate addition of a fme accwnulation ofconstruction equipment that up and doonslope into the yards is being eliminated
As Bob pulled around the barn heswung the truck parallel to the work siteHere Scott Gleason was skillfully shoving
(Coutinued on Page 6)
TheSemaphore
Majar Millennium PeapleThose wno have deceased moved away
are limited bY health become immersed inother activities orotherwise are no Jongeractive
Those for years now passed who haveleft an indelible imprint on ou( RochesterChapter -
Claude Wirislow Dick BarTe~-
Elmer Gabbey
Ward Shaefer
Hirold CaulkinsDick Tickner
Arlene Koscianski
Bill Welch
HenryPape
Jim VanBrocklinGreg Sullivan
Gerald Hott
Ed CooganPeter Barry_
Jolm Remington
-JolmWoodblU)Wally BradleyPeter Gores
Don 1I0senfeldBill CrittandenSam Grover [past President and our oldestliving member at 97f
Membership InformationDues for the calendar year are
Regular $30 StudentlAetiree $25Famity $40 Other membership levels areavailable Includes membership in the National Railway Historical Society
If a member of NRHS and wish to jointhe Rochester Chapter deduct $15 from theabove categories
Make check payable 10 RochesterChapter NRHS and send to RochesterChapter NRHS PO Box 1161 WebsterNY 14580
Looking Ahead to the Next Millennium
The Semaphore
Rand Warner Director 4258587
MOW EquipmentSupts Dick Bean Bob Mader
Chevy HI-Ran Utility Truck
Out of service Has neW-fenders doorsand some paint Needs more TLCtoretuYnto active service Hasbeenvery ilsefulin thepast
Ford HI-Ran Boom Dump Truck
In heavy use to support track work andother projecls all over our complex
Jackson Waint Ya~dTamperIn regular use for tamping ballast at
switches and on main line
Kershaw Snow Broom
Operational but not yet fully into winterservice Still needs some miscellaneousTLC
Burro Crane
In heavy active rebuild All body workdone Cab sheet metal all reassembledFinalized on prime mover All body parispainted Flywheel to clutch adapter to beprocured to mate to diesel
WAG Snow Plow
Not in service yet Needs some work onfront of plow and some work on mainstructure draft gear arrangemenl Has wingplows too so should be very effective snowfighterT1e Extractor Uachlne
John Redden Ron Amberger NormSbaddick Bob Mader and Rand Warnerhave been working on the hydraulic systemWhen properly operating it will be a bighelp iri renewing bad ties on our lines andsidings - currently a VERY labor intensiveoperation Unit is currently being primed andrepainted
[Editor Note Rand haJ documented thestatus of our various fleets in previousissues of lhiJ newsletter This article iJ thelast for the fleets J
January 2000
Some of our major efforts and goals inthe next decade will includeRestoration and operation of our two
steam locomotives - the ~ Vulcan andthe 0-4-0 HeislerRestora~on all(lo~tion _of our electric
fleet - the Rochester SubWay Car 60RLampB interurban 206 and ourDLampW MUPower Car 2628Rebaband operational use of our soow
fighting fleet - KPRR soow broom Track-Mobik wplow loco wpilot plow WAGsnow plow and NYMf electric sweeperExpansion of our Restoration Facility
with concrete floor pil(s) utilities electricheat amp light and attached shed for special-ized shops Possible d~ubiing size of presentbuildingDedicated building for rehab and repair
of heavy construction eqllipmenlExpanded storage trackage with run-
arOlmdto permit greater flexibility in alI ouroperations and restorati~activitiesMajor program of roof rep and recov-
ering for our passenger cars- BampO andDLampW baggage Pennsy RPO Erie Still-well DLampWMU Power Car Pine Falls
Restoration and operational use of ourreefer liuit block - FGEX wood and twoMDT stee1carsRehab redecking and operational use of
our NYC and CR flat carsExpansion of land use to include Nortlt-
west Southwest and Southeast quadranls -with operational tracks semcirig facilitiesand line-side industries~ radiating from ourDepot activities hub
TrainingJoe Scanlon has been offering truck drive
training courses for potential drivers of ourseveral army dump trucks being used for ourmajor excavation project aroWld the newRestoration Facility where new trackage is tobe constructedJohn McDonald has been offering weld-
ing courses for our ampPiringnew welderpeople using George Knabs electric arcwelder on rubber They will learn verticalhorizontal and overhead welding and theadvantages and disadvantages of AC com-pared to DC weldingDave Hulings will be offering emergency
training based on his attendance at andcertification by the Red Cross (See Page 1)
We need to get some more people trainedon safe and effective operational of our cableoperated cranes shovels and backhoes
Page 3
Further enhancement of our parking loiswa1kways loading areas and restrooms~ toallow us to better acconunodate larger tourand charter groupsReplacement of Depot roof recreation of
Freight house and setup of a signal tower atSwitch 6 lgt aM in overall realism andcapabilityWorking together with NYMf to estab-
lish and expand electrification and trolleyoperations for our visiting publicContinuing eCpaDSionof our signalling
system to include operational dwarf line-side and overhead sigrials~representing vari-ous railroads and typesExpansion oC-our conununiCUions sys-
tem to includein addition to public addressand tWD-wiiy radios also land lines toNYMf for telephone and telegraph circuitsGetting our engineering and collections
data onto accessible computer files withadequate hardCopyand softcopy backupsFurther development of audio video
visnal and interactive exhibits and displays~to educate inform and stimulate our visitingpublic
Innovate creative new ways to show andoperate our railroad and heavy equipmentdisplays and exbibils to heighten conunu-nity and general public awareness andvisibility
Substantially increase our endomentand development fimds to protect the futureand thi future growth of our MuseumSignificantly expand our interfaces and
interactions ~th local regional and arearailroads rail musewns and tourist lines
Thanks to bullSteve Huse for arranging donation of six
steel wire cage pallet boxes from SentrySafe
Jobn Redden for donation of formerWellsville Addison amp Galeton (lee Bostonamp Maine) full size wooden railroad snowplow
Donald Zenkel for donation of twoindustrial heavy duty Cincinnati millingmachinesNeil Bellenger for use of Jolm Deere
backhoe Dodge truck and tandem axletrailer The backhoe was used for ditchingover the last several months and the trailerwas used to deliver the two Cincinnatimilling machines
(Continued on Page 4)
Page 4
Thanks (ContkJued from Page 3)
Dick Holbert for arranging a sparetwo-way radio set and also for a cab radiofor our next locomotive
George Knb for loan and use of hisrigging supplies and gas powered welderwhile he is taking therapy
WantedHydraulic excavator on rubber or tracks
Slid steer loader bullBobcat or equivalent
MCB interurban trolley car lIUcks stan-dard gauge with or without traction motors
bull Seats and cushions for Erie Stillwellcoach
bull 50-53 foot flat car for our line Car project
bull RoUer bearing ballast hopper car fortrack work
bull Contractor type 4-wheel dump car( s) forfill work
bull Enclosed 24ft straight van lIUck ortrailer for our 600 DC trolley powersupply diesel generator set
bull Step ladders any type or size for ourmany scattered projects
bull Brooms and dust pans for all our scat-tered cars buildiugs and projects sites
bull Rigging straps and chains for all ourheavy lift and moving projects
bull 2 by 33 carpet runner for Pine Fallshallway prefer winelDark red color andnon-textured surface- used OK
A Short History of theGrowth of our Roches-ter Chapter of NR~HS
by Rand Warner
1930sChapter organized 1937 as 5th local
Chapter under NationalPresjdenls Bill Welch () Ward Shafer
()Meetjngs Held at large New York
Central Station Downton PRR stationIJiIls Local Rochester city trolley Lines
New York Central steam
LiJlcln Not yet startedMuseum Not yet startedPublications The Semaphore newsletter
started (another name)
1940sPresjdents Ward Shafer () Harold
Caullins ()
January 2000
Meetings Held at downtown New YorkCentral station
~ On Peanut Line of NYCJamestown Westfield and Northwestern interurban international Railways trolleys atBuffalo NYC Hojack
LiJlcln May have started infomiallyPublications-The- Semaphore newsletter
continued (new masthead)
1950sPresidents Claude Winslow Sam
Gruver Harold CaullinsMeetincs Held at downtown New York
Central station
IJiIls On Auburn Branch NYC BampO toAshfordJunction (steam) Canadian Steamtrips out of Hamilton ouCN RochesterSubway
LiIlIJlo Books in glass liunt bookcasesMl1setgndeg President Sam Grover acquires
Subway Car for Rochester Chapter car puton display at Rail City George Knob helpedmove it
1960sPresidents Claude Winslow Rand
Warner Jim Van Brocklin Ed CooganMeetings Held 3rd floor comer of Ely
Street and South Avenue
IJiIls Steam on CN out of Hamilton andFort Erie Suspension Bridge Chapter as-sists LAampL RR in running Sunday tripsAvon to Livonia
~ Books in glass liunt bookcasesat meeting place location
MuseumRochester Subway car relocatedfroin Rail City to NYS Education MuSeuni atAlbany but never put on display
Pubhcatjons When Rochester Rode byRail The Semaphorenewslener1970s
Presidents Jerry Holl Rand WarnerDick Barrett
Meetings Held 3rd floor comer ElyStreet and South Ave Basement of Roches-ler Musewn amp Science Center Veterans ofForeign Wars Post downton~ variouschurches
IJiIls Rochester Buffalo and JamestonChapters jointly sponsored steam trips inCanada out of Hamilton Suspension BridgeFort Erie Chapter assist LAampL RR runningtrips between Avon and Livonia
~ Dispersed 10 individual membershomes for safekeeping
Museum Chapter acquires Erie Depot atIndustry and started real museum Caboosemoved in at Industry Acquires BampO ca-boose LIRR coach
The Semaphore
Publications Water Level Route -NYC The Semaphore newsletter1980s
Presidents Torn Way Dick TicknerRand Warner Ron Amberger
Meetings Held in basements of Roches-ter Museum amp Science Center and AsburyMethodist Church 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Steam on CN out of HamiltonFort Erie sUspension Bridge Chapterstarted excursion trips with Empire StateRailways passenger car set
~ Consolidated in North Waitiugroom at Depot later moved to South waitiugroom during renovation of North waitingroom then inio storage again -
Muxum Acquires ftrSt diesel loco andcars and builds yard tracks
Publicatjons Second printiug of WaterLevel Route first calendars The Sema-phore newsletter1990s
Presidents Ron Amberger Ted MillerDave Luca Chris Hauf
Meelings Held at 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Amtraklbus combo trips to NewYork and Pennsylvania locations Excursiontrips operated on OMID RR with ESR carset Chapter acquires ownership and pays olfmortgage on ESR car set
~ Fina1ly located to permanentquarters at Webster cabooses Materialscataloged and made available to membersonce again
MuseWU Tracks from RGVRM andNYMT joined up for through trips JoinlVisitor Experience managed by NYMTand NRHS Executive Team Major expan-sion of trackage motive power and rollingstock Start electrification with NYMT Ac-quire two steam locos Acquire trolleysBegin Four Quadrants Vision for long termfuture expansion
Publications Rochester Subway BookTrolleys interurbans amp Canal Boats (outof print) Calendars each year The Sema-phore newsletter
Steam Fund $43810 RicherJanet Dittmer reports that the revenue
from receipllt of returned pop cans hasnetted the Steam Fund $43810 for 1999
Lets hope thaI Year 2000 ill be a HOTone with Jots of pop drinking
By the way there is a barrel at the depolfor pop can contributions
The Semaphore
Chapter Train Trips(Cootinucd from Page I)
very bad and the track to Sodus Point was out of seivice SO we did nol go there either
W did run charters for groupsThe Ontario-Walworth Rotary bas run a
Santa Train for the last 9 years They usethat as a fund raiser to help crippledchildren
Webster Girl Scouts Oct 1990 from Web-ster
Rochester School 46 June 1990 from Web-ster
OC Eogineers May 1991 from WebsterAlbany Democratic Conimiltee l~ the
coaches for their picnicJlUleI991Yesthe coaches went to Albany from Sodus toNewark 00 OMID trom Newark to Roch-ester on Conrail from Rochester to SilverSprings on Rochester Southern and fromSilver Springs to Albany 00 DelawareHudson using trackage rights over Conrailthrough BinghamtolL
Park Presbyterian Church Dee 1991 fromNewark
Webster DeWitt Rd School May 1997 fromWebster
Flea World amp LW Emporium May 1997from Ontario
Sodus Central Schools Oct 1997 fromSodus
Toddlers Workshop Day Care Nov 97 fromWebster
A bachelor party can~ locate the date theybad DonaJcholic beer and a gang stuck upthe train at gun point and captured thegroom
Wedding on the train April 98 SandiDeLine amp Paul Saracen tied the knot asthe tIain rolled down the track
Operation Ufesaver moved onto the trainin 1998 Sandi Saracen of OMID putforth a great effort assisted by naveHulings and his helpers from the cbapterThe train ran 2 weekdays ith schoolsand day cares bringing children to rideand take part in learning about safety atRR crossings and the haiards of playingon railroad property This was repeated in1999 It is an excellent way to educate adults and children on rail safety
Wayne County Tourism organized cbarterbus trips In 1998 a bus charter put peopleon the train at Sodus and they rode to the LW Emporium in Ontario
In 1999 we bad 3 charter bu trips (all inthe same day) include the train fromSodus to the LW Emporium and back toSodus
January 2000
Other Chapter TripsOver the last hundred years the cbapter
bas sponsored many trips MUch did notinvolve the ex-NYC coaches Again wasnot involved for the last 100 years so I canonly relate to trips froml985 or so
I w3s the Iast circle trip aroundLake Ontario 1 believe thai Mike B1IDeorganized ibat trip We left Rochester at9AM Saturday momiDg Got off Amtrak inSchenectady around noon and ate lunch inone of the local restaurants Back onAmtraks Adirondacknp the old DampH RR toMontreaI and a late dinner in MontreaI AtII 30 we could board Vias Cavalier andsettle in the sleeping or chair cars for theover night ride to Toronto know its only a4 Or 5 hour train ride froin Montreal toToronto but they did it in 7 hours so wecould sleep Breakfast in Toronto Back 00
AmtraklVias Maple Leaf and in Rochesterby 3PM Sunday The Via Cavalier is nomore
Mike B1IDe organized a trip to AlbanyWe took Amtrak to Rensselaer then a bus tothen Cornails Selkirk yards After a tour ofthe hump operation and locomotiveservicefacility we returned to Amtraks Rensselaershop for a tour
Mike led a bus trip to the old TiogaCentral at Owego then on to the West ShoreRR in Lewisburg PA and on to Stearntonin Scranton PA I think that was June 1990
Mike lead another to Kane PA to rideover the Kinzua bridge on the Knox amp KaneRR Next on to Stearn Town for anothervisit and a night in the lackawanna Hotel
In 1999 John Redden organized a trip toWellsboro PA for a ride with dinner on thenew Tioga Central RR
Last but not least are Jim Easts Amtraktrips allover US and Canada For the last 8years Jim bas organized and escorted 4 or 5trips a year with destinations like New YorkCity amp Pbantom of The Opers NYC forRadio City Music Halls Easter Sbow andtheir 1banksgiving Show Several to Mont-real amp Ottawa one to Boston WilliamsburgMaine Connecticut Washington DC andMichi~an including Mackinac Island All thetrips also covered attractions in their areaand were via Amtrak and motor coach (bus)There have been 3 lross-rountryor roWldthecountry trips These nul eery other year and2000 is the next one As an exampleAmtrak to Chicago to Seattle to LA toNew Orleans to NYC and home Bus sidetrips to Las Vegas Grand Canyon ele Jimsmost JXgtpularand on-going is the Radio CityMusic Hall Christmas show Every year hehas run 2 or 3 trips to it
Page 5
Of course the people mentioned did notrun all these trips alooe they bad help frommany merobers
Together we will even do better in thisnew century
On Last Months MysteryPhoto
Two persoos bave replied concerning themystery photo in the December issue Ashypothesized it was the Kodak Camera Clubcrew that made the film The VanishingAmaicanllbull Video versions of the film weremade the last two cOpies were sold at theDecember meeting
Bob Fitch coniacted one of the memberslisted in the credits and will try-to get thenames of thOse in the photo One was BruceKelly founder of the Aotique WirelessMuseum in East Bloomfield NY Brucedied about two years ago
Arnold Williams of Lexington MAcalled to also veritY that this was theoccasion for the photo He was not able toidentitY any of the individuals
The search goes on
Natianal NRHSNewsNRHS National Office Desires Data
The National is compiling a database torecord all the existing roundhouses remain-ing the the US Data desired falls in threeclasses Basic Intermediate and Detailed
Basic data is requested by Feb IS 2000and can be sent to Richard B Shulby AlA11017 Spice Hollow Court Charlotte NC28277 Fax (704) 414-1917 e-mail Rshulb-yaolcom
2000 Convention stamford CT
The Western Cormecticut Chapter 1S
sponsoring the NRHS 2000 Convention tobe held July 11-16 in Stamford
The Year 2001 Convention will be in StLouis June 19-24
The Year 2002 event is optl1to bids
Input due for Activities Bulletin
Chapters must submitted their annualactivities reports by Wednesday March I tobe included in the Bulletin Annual Activi-ties Issue 2000 Submission in electronicform (e-mail 0 computer disk) is desired
Deadline for photos is Monday April 3
Notice to Exchange NewslettersSending your ChapterClub newsletters
to The Semaphore Gale Smith 299 SenecaPark Ave Rochester NY 14617-2433 11facilitate the exChangeof neSor ideas
great folds of earth into piles th theChapters husky 07 bulldozer Acting than almost musical rhythm Dan Waterstraatpicked up the soil Dan vas operating theChapters big orange front loader As ScottGleason backed away Dan continued toscoop up double yard loads of soil He thencarefully maneuvered the loader towering thescoop over Bobs truck Deftly he advancedthe loaders scoop tipping it to allow theload to pound squarely into thedump truckssizable bed Just three or four such scoop-loads filled the truck
Souuding his hom for safety and th apush on the fool peddles and a moderategrinding of gears Bob was once again on theway io the southern iuld lower end of theearth filling project We slowed Merounding the building This allowed JimJohnson to back up the massive~yellowpainted Galion road roller smoothing apathway for us
We encountered Dale Hartnett a creativeaild enthusiastic member~ at the west railsite He was instructing two lads in the useof a surveyors transit needed to ensure theproper grading of the west storage trackroute The teenagers members of DalesuYoung Railfail group are a Wlique compo-nent of the Rochester Chapters continuedefforts to benefit and educate the communityin railroad history and rail operations
We left Bob ten we sponed a group ofmembers working within the restorationbuilding Richard Dick Bean was hoveringover his pel restoration project a vintageBurro rail crane Much of it had been takenapart scraped primed and painted yellowHe told us that he was now ready for theinstallation of a flywheel and a revitalizedengine Nearby Jeff Carpenter and his father-in-law Ed Van Hom were using the Fordfork lift to pull a vintage White MotorCompany truck from the ~rail ham Thespace is needed for other projects
To our sUlprise it was soon past noontime for hmch All the work crews ambleddon to the depot We settled into the chairsin the agents office as others groupedthemselves into the seats in the depotssouth waiting room and the desk in the northoffice Most of us thanks to the timelydeli very service provided by Bill Chapinenjoyed a variety of submarine sandwicheshed purchased in nearby Scottsville
While hWlgrily devalUing our sandwichwe chaned th Rand Warner Art Mum-mery and some new members from Brock-port and others whod been working in the
Page 6
Building a Yard (Conld from Pg2)
January 2000
restoration building The conversations weremostly about railroad related topics and theweather
Some spoke of George Knab our con-struction vehicle specialist We miss him alot George is at SI Marys HoSpitalrecover-ing from a stroke Other thoughts were aboutthe wopoundk ahead th numy of the work crewfeeling like theYd already done a days laborand it was only one PM Dark rain cloudsloomed over the depot aswe departed for anappointment As we drove away~we w0n-dered about how many of those dedicatedguys who make it happen u1d continueto work in the chilly rain
Library Report- CharlBs Robinson Chairman
The Chapter library ro1be open forgeneral use on Sunday 2-5PM January 23We were pleased that in December a numberof members came o~t to uSe the libraIy Thelibrary staff also is usually at the facility on
-Monday iriilJgtts73()930PM However dur-ing the winter months it is important tocheck th the Library Chainnan CharlesRobinson at 71amp-3774245 to be certain thatsomeone II be at the Library on Mondayevenings
Dan Cosgrove has donated about 12books most of which are new to our shelvesBernie Cubin also donated a number ofbooks including several on Lionel trains andother hobby books TheSe are being cata-loged and 11 be available for borrowingWork is continuing on checking and correc-tion the Woodbury negative list
We have received some interesting bookdonations from members Dave Luca hasdonated New Yok CelltaJ Tacbide byEugene Van Dusen an attractive well ex-ecuted book on NYC color photos JacobAdams has donated a rare book The Routeof The OUlge Limited by William Gordonabout the Rochester-Geneva interurban rail-way We have also been given two volumesof The 50 Best of The BampO by HowardBarr a collection of magnificent prints of the8amp0 in the age of steam Unfortunately thechainnan does not recall the donor LikewiseI do not recall to donated the 1994-95Edition The Official Locomotive Roster ampNews but we now have two copies DonShilling donated a copy ofMainline Modelerthat contains Harold Russells article thatfeatures details along the two Rochesterrailroad museums right-of-way Once thesebooks are cataloged most will be availablefor circulation We with to thank themembers who have so thoughtfully madethese publications available to Chapter mem-bers
The Semaphore
The Chapter Library does not keep modelrailroad periodicals but when we are giventhe we route the to NYMf where DickLuchterhand maintains a collection of modelmagazines We do collect and have modelrailroad books that do cireulate So if youare interested in model trains be certain todrop by and see hat we have to offer
The Library and Archives have recentlybeen given some interesting collections thatneed to be carefiilly organized and properlystored for historical purposes Anyoneinterested in helping out th this taskplease contact the Library Chairman and joinour group on Monday evenings
=
Reading RR Author OleJames L Holton the author of a two-
volume set on the history of the ReadingRailroad died in September in Reading PAHe was a professional newsman for NBCNews who covered many of the nations andworlds events [Lehigh Lines Aug-Dec 99J
Year 2000 Last UP Calendar
Probably the oldest of the RR calendarsbeing published may also be the last Theadministration must consider whether thecalendar is still important to promoting UPbusmess
For the Year 2000 one 450000 wereprinted featuring 8 theme montage for eachmonth crammed th vintage photos orartwork [The trainmaster Dec 1999J
(Your editor did notice an UP advertise-mentin a CWTentRR publication requestingphotos for a Year 2001 calendar)
O Winston link ExhibR In AlbanyThe New York State Musewn Empire
State Plaza is exhibiting O Winston Linkfamed railroad photographs from Jan 11 -March 12
The Mohawk amp Hudson Chapter NRHSis sponSoring a special free program at130pm on January 15 2000th Mr TomGarver no was Mr Li~s assistant nenthe famous photos were taken A prepaidbuffet luncheon II precede the program
Members of The Utica and Moha1ltValley Chapter NRHS will be takingAmtrak to and from the occasion [TowerTopics Dec 1999 amp Jan 20001
The exhibit will remam for public view-ing until March 12
The semaphore January2000 Page 7
2000 Rochester Chapter N R H S Sponsored Escorted Rail Tours
May 3 - 21 200019 Day Rail Adventure BEST OF THE WEST RAIL TOUR From Rochester
Escorted touf travel~ standard sleep~ rooms from Chicago-Flagstaff AZ and San Francisco-Rhester Other mil travel ift a reservedsection of an Amtrak cOach
Places Of InterestSedona and Flagstaff AZ Area (2 Nights)Grand Canyon and Page AZ including a SMOOTH WATER RAFT RIDE on the Colorado River no rapids or rough WllterBryce and Zion National Parks (2 Nights)Las Vegas NY (3 Nights)Bakersfield CA (I Night)San Francisco CA (3 Nights) including day trip on the famous Napa Valley Wine Train including lunchGlenwood S~ Colorado (2 Nights) including a day trip to Aspen CO
Three meals a day are included when travel~ in sleep~ rooms as well as 3 breakfasts at various hotels on our trip Hotels are AM 3-diamond properties all with heated pools
Price includes mil fare on Amtrak sleep~ rooms motor coaches en-route tours hotels taxes 3 breakfasts baggage handl~ tips and transferswhile traveling on motor coaches
Price Per Person $221500 Double Occupancy
October 13 (Friday) -October 16 (Monday) 2000 VERMONT FALL FOliAGE TOURIncluding Rail from Rochester NY to Schenectady NY and RutIandvTRochester NY onAmtralcMotorCoach for 4 days 2 nights in a AM 3
diamond hotel in Stowe VT and I night in a 3 diamoud hotel in Ki~ton VT 2 Dinners and three breakfasts Step-won Tour Guide of theStowe VT area 2 hour rail trip on the Green Mountain Railway at Bellows Falls VT baggage handling transfers and taxes
Price Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Approximately $65000 Single
CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW YORK erIV
November 30 Thursday) - December 2 (Saturday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra Seat at Radio City Music Hall for The Christmas Show with The Rockettes transfers baggage handl~ and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $47000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
December 8 (Fridaygt- December J 0 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Seating for Disneys Production of The Lion King transfers baggage handling amp taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
(THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT BUT WE ARE WAIT LISTING FOR CANCELLATIONS)
December J 5 (Friday) - December J 7 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Holel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra seats for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Show starring the Rockettes transfers baggage handling and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates AvailableSome of these rates are approximate due to the time of the trips The approximate pricing is based on our best estimates of the rates based on
previous years trips Final pricing will be available by June 12000
For reservations and information please telephone Jim East NRHS Tour Guide 716-3775389
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
Building A Rail Storage Yard
Beth Krueger Is NewMembership ChairBeth Krueger who recently joined the
Chapter has volunteered to Chair the Mem-bership Committee She is currently workingmth Chris HaufstutImg envelopes with the2000 Renewal Notices and the single-sheetdouble-sided Year 2000 Chapter Calendar
You should receive this packet soon
Dave Monte Verde
Jeff BaxterDave Shields
Charlie Knoll
Bill Mitchell
Pete (Leon) Aaras
Curt Boyer
Cal amp Rose Bulman
Bill Gordon
Bob French
B~lINapier
Baron RighttnyerLeonard Roe
TomWayBillllraceyBob Gurley
Fred Merz
Page 2
A Trtbute 10the Guys that Uaka II Happenl
Research Dooovan A ShillingIt was Saturday the weather looking
bleak in middle November when I venturedout to thelndustry Depot Museum of theRochester Chapter NRHS located at -onRoute 25 I in Rush New YOlk Arrivingthere at ten oclock we first visited mthDan Cosgrove who gave us a big smile andoffered us a seat We settled into a chairnext to the welcome warmth arising from theold Station Agenrs wood-burning stoveDans just one of a gang of two dozen guyswho help make it happen to the depotsnwnerous projects
Dan offered us a cup of hot coffee andmotioned for us to indulge ourselves with afresh doughnut from bull box_generously sup-plied each Saturday bY Jim Johnson Wedjust sigued the Chapters log book noticingguiltily that most of thevolunleers hadarrived shortly after eight in the morningWe asked Dan where everybody was and hepointed north stating they _were workingmostly at the Chapters restoration buildingatop the hill beyond the-depOt We--wereready to leave for the hill when Dave Lucaarrived offering Dan and me an opportunityto see the contents of sever3J fat envelopesThey contained lots of glossy photographs
Skimming through the photo stack welearned that Dave and his mfe Janet hadrecently returned from a spectacular tour ofthe south traveling fIrst class in a consist ofa dozen private rail cars The rail expeditionoffered by 8 national association of privaterail car owners included the sights ofCincinnati Atlanta Tamp Beach and anhost of other stops Also included in thephoto pack were snapshots of Daves ouprivate car that is currently undergoing anextensive restoration project in Indiana
Then still munching on the last of ourglazed doughnut we started for the hill
On the Way we noticed someoneworking on the diesels in the depot yardThat someone turned out to be NonnShaddick who was att~ding to the winteriz-ing of our fleet of six diesel~lectric locomo-tives Charlie Harshbarger must have beennearby too as he also takes a special interestin making sure the locos are well cared for
The roaring rumble of a half dozenengines greeted our ears as we - st~ppedgingerly from one small mountain of freshlydumped earth to another Reaching thesummit we met Dick Lucky LuchterhandHe was acting as a spotter for the dump
January 2000
trucks transporting huge loads of soil beingexcavated nmth of the restoration buildingBehind the steering wheel of a stealth-style truck a five-ton six bYsix painted insix shades of military cimouflage was itscompetent driver Jeremy Toke Aided bYLucky he backed the big vehicle up andneatly dumped- ten yards of soil and stoneonto its desiguated spot
Another five-ton truck soon arrived Thisone painted in depot green and lettered withthe Chapters logo was piloted by BobMiner It ground to a halt while Jeremypulled away for another load The twomilitary vehicles were acquired by thechapter with a dual purpose They make fineadditions to the Chapters ever growingcolleCtion of historic construction vehiclesand are now proving to be invahiable as theChapter expands its yards and rail carstorage facilities
We clambered aboard Bogts truck afterhe off-loaded his hefty burden of earthSlihappyforth~comJllUY BObex-plainedthat he was bull certified driver haviIiglearned how toMs diivampg the heaVyArmy trucks wMe in military service inNewfoundland building a radar defensesystem Moving north the trucks six heelSdug deeply into the clay soil as we climbedup a forty-five degree hillside leading to theexcavation
The minimountain wed just ascendedwas part of the yard expansion project justsouth of the Restoration Facility Already anapron approximately eighty-five feet inlength had been created in the lowland areasouth of the building Here one track was inplace leading from the restoration hamsinterior Plans are to add at Jeast tvomoretracks to this storage yard
Underway for some time and the reasonfor todays work is the subs~tia1 effort tocreate a Jevel route for 8 storage andrun-around track that mll parallel the westside of the building Prior to the erection ofthe restoration buiJding two storage tracksleading from Smtch Six had been built on asite that was anything but level Pressure tostore several incoming rail cars necessitatedthe early track work Now mth the fortu-nate addition of a fme accwnulation ofconstruction equipment that up and doonslope into the yards is being eliminated
As Bob pulled around the barn heswung the truck parallel to the work siteHere Scott Gleason was skillfully shoving
(Coutinued on Page 6)
TheSemaphore
Majar Millennium PeapleThose wno have deceased moved away
are limited bY health become immersed inother activities orotherwise are no Jongeractive
Those for years now passed who haveleft an indelible imprint on ou( RochesterChapter -
Claude Wirislow Dick BarTe~-
Elmer Gabbey
Ward Shaefer
Hirold CaulkinsDick Tickner
Arlene Koscianski
Bill Welch
HenryPape
Jim VanBrocklinGreg Sullivan
Gerald Hott
Ed CooganPeter Barry_
Jolm Remington
-JolmWoodblU)Wally BradleyPeter Gores
Don 1I0senfeldBill CrittandenSam Grover [past President and our oldestliving member at 97f
Membership InformationDues for the calendar year are
Regular $30 StudentlAetiree $25Famity $40 Other membership levels areavailable Includes membership in the National Railway Historical Society
If a member of NRHS and wish to jointhe Rochester Chapter deduct $15 from theabove categories
Make check payable 10 RochesterChapter NRHS and send to RochesterChapter NRHS PO Box 1161 WebsterNY 14580
Looking Ahead to the Next Millennium
The Semaphore
Rand Warner Director 4258587
MOW EquipmentSupts Dick Bean Bob Mader
Chevy HI-Ran Utility Truck
Out of service Has neW-fenders doorsand some paint Needs more TLCtoretuYnto active service Hasbeenvery ilsefulin thepast
Ford HI-Ran Boom Dump Truck
In heavy use to support track work andother projecls all over our complex
Jackson Waint Ya~dTamperIn regular use for tamping ballast at
switches and on main line
Kershaw Snow Broom
Operational but not yet fully into winterservice Still needs some miscellaneousTLC
Burro Crane
In heavy active rebuild All body workdone Cab sheet metal all reassembledFinalized on prime mover All body parispainted Flywheel to clutch adapter to beprocured to mate to diesel
WAG Snow Plow
Not in service yet Needs some work onfront of plow and some work on mainstructure draft gear arrangemenl Has wingplows too so should be very effective snowfighterT1e Extractor Uachlne
John Redden Ron Amberger NormSbaddick Bob Mader and Rand Warnerhave been working on the hydraulic systemWhen properly operating it will be a bighelp iri renewing bad ties on our lines andsidings - currently a VERY labor intensiveoperation Unit is currently being primed andrepainted
[Editor Note Rand haJ documented thestatus of our various fleets in previousissues of lhiJ newsletter This article iJ thelast for the fleets J
January 2000
Some of our major efforts and goals inthe next decade will includeRestoration and operation of our two
steam locomotives - the ~ Vulcan andthe 0-4-0 HeislerRestora~on all(lo~tion _of our electric
fleet - the Rochester SubWay Car 60RLampB interurban 206 and ourDLampW MUPower Car 2628Rebaband operational use of our soow
fighting fleet - KPRR soow broom Track-Mobik wplow loco wpilot plow WAGsnow plow and NYMf electric sweeperExpansion of our Restoration Facility
with concrete floor pil(s) utilities electricheat amp light and attached shed for special-ized shops Possible d~ubiing size of presentbuildingDedicated building for rehab and repair
of heavy construction eqllipmenlExpanded storage trackage with run-
arOlmdto permit greater flexibility in alI ouroperations and restorati~activitiesMajor program of roof rep and recov-
ering for our passenger cars- BampO andDLampW baggage Pennsy RPO Erie Still-well DLampWMU Power Car Pine Falls
Restoration and operational use of ourreefer liuit block - FGEX wood and twoMDT stee1carsRehab redecking and operational use of
our NYC and CR flat carsExpansion of land use to include Nortlt-
west Southwest and Southeast quadranls -with operational tracks semcirig facilitiesand line-side industries~ radiating from ourDepot activities hub
TrainingJoe Scanlon has been offering truck drive
training courses for potential drivers of ourseveral army dump trucks being used for ourmajor excavation project aroWld the newRestoration Facility where new trackage is tobe constructedJohn McDonald has been offering weld-
ing courses for our ampPiringnew welderpeople using George Knabs electric arcwelder on rubber They will learn verticalhorizontal and overhead welding and theadvantages and disadvantages of AC com-pared to DC weldingDave Hulings will be offering emergency
training based on his attendance at andcertification by the Red Cross (See Page 1)
We need to get some more people trainedon safe and effective operational of our cableoperated cranes shovels and backhoes
Page 3
Further enhancement of our parking loiswa1kways loading areas and restrooms~ toallow us to better acconunodate larger tourand charter groupsReplacement of Depot roof recreation of
Freight house and setup of a signal tower atSwitch 6 lgt aM in overall realism andcapabilityWorking together with NYMf to estab-
lish and expand electrification and trolleyoperations for our visiting publicContinuing eCpaDSionof our signalling
system to include operational dwarf line-side and overhead sigrials~representing vari-ous railroads and typesExpansion oC-our conununiCUions sys-
tem to includein addition to public addressand tWD-wiiy radios also land lines toNYMf for telephone and telegraph circuitsGetting our engineering and collections
data onto accessible computer files withadequate hardCopyand softcopy backupsFurther development of audio video
visnal and interactive exhibits and displays~to educate inform and stimulate our visitingpublic
Innovate creative new ways to show andoperate our railroad and heavy equipmentdisplays and exbibils to heighten conunu-nity and general public awareness andvisibility
Substantially increase our endomentand development fimds to protect the futureand thi future growth of our MuseumSignificantly expand our interfaces and
interactions ~th local regional and arearailroads rail musewns and tourist lines
Thanks to bullSteve Huse for arranging donation of six
steel wire cage pallet boxes from SentrySafe
Jobn Redden for donation of formerWellsville Addison amp Galeton (lee Bostonamp Maine) full size wooden railroad snowplow
Donald Zenkel for donation of twoindustrial heavy duty Cincinnati millingmachinesNeil Bellenger for use of Jolm Deere
backhoe Dodge truck and tandem axletrailer The backhoe was used for ditchingover the last several months and the trailerwas used to deliver the two Cincinnatimilling machines
(Continued on Page 4)
Page 4
Thanks (ContkJued from Page 3)
Dick Holbert for arranging a sparetwo-way radio set and also for a cab radiofor our next locomotive
George Knb for loan and use of hisrigging supplies and gas powered welderwhile he is taking therapy
WantedHydraulic excavator on rubber or tracks
Slid steer loader bullBobcat or equivalent
MCB interurban trolley car lIUcks stan-dard gauge with or without traction motors
bull Seats and cushions for Erie Stillwellcoach
bull 50-53 foot flat car for our line Car project
bull RoUer bearing ballast hopper car fortrack work
bull Contractor type 4-wheel dump car( s) forfill work
bull Enclosed 24ft straight van lIUck ortrailer for our 600 DC trolley powersupply diesel generator set
bull Step ladders any type or size for ourmany scattered projects
bull Brooms and dust pans for all our scat-tered cars buildiugs and projects sites
bull Rigging straps and chains for all ourheavy lift and moving projects
bull 2 by 33 carpet runner for Pine Fallshallway prefer winelDark red color andnon-textured surface- used OK
A Short History of theGrowth of our Roches-ter Chapter of NR~HS
by Rand Warner
1930sChapter organized 1937 as 5th local
Chapter under NationalPresjdenls Bill Welch () Ward Shafer
()Meetjngs Held at large New York
Central Station Downton PRR stationIJiIls Local Rochester city trolley Lines
New York Central steam
LiJlcln Not yet startedMuseum Not yet startedPublications The Semaphore newsletter
started (another name)
1940sPresjdents Ward Shafer () Harold
Caullins ()
January 2000
Meetings Held at downtown New YorkCentral station
~ On Peanut Line of NYCJamestown Westfield and Northwestern interurban international Railways trolleys atBuffalo NYC Hojack
LiJlcln May have started infomiallyPublications-The- Semaphore newsletter
continued (new masthead)
1950sPresidents Claude Winslow Sam
Gruver Harold CaullinsMeetincs Held at downtown New York
Central station
IJiIls On Auburn Branch NYC BampO toAshfordJunction (steam) Canadian Steamtrips out of Hamilton ouCN RochesterSubway
LiIlIJlo Books in glass liunt bookcasesMl1setgndeg President Sam Grover acquires
Subway Car for Rochester Chapter car puton display at Rail City George Knob helpedmove it
1960sPresidents Claude Winslow Rand
Warner Jim Van Brocklin Ed CooganMeetings Held 3rd floor comer of Ely
Street and South Avenue
IJiIls Steam on CN out of Hamilton andFort Erie Suspension Bridge Chapter as-sists LAampL RR in running Sunday tripsAvon to Livonia
~ Books in glass liunt bookcasesat meeting place location
MuseumRochester Subway car relocatedfroin Rail City to NYS Education MuSeuni atAlbany but never put on display
Pubhcatjons When Rochester Rode byRail The Semaphorenewslener1970s
Presidents Jerry Holl Rand WarnerDick Barrett
Meetings Held 3rd floor comer ElyStreet and South Ave Basement of Roches-ler Musewn amp Science Center Veterans ofForeign Wars Post downton~ variouschurches
IJiIls Rochester Buffalo and JamestonChapters jointly sponsored steam trips inCanada out of Hamilton Suspension BridgeFort Erie Chapter assist LAampL RR runningtrips between Avon and Livonia
~ Dispersed 10 individual membershomes for safekeeping
Museum Chapter acquires Erie Depot atIndustry and started real museum Caboosemoved in at Industry Acquires BampO ca-boose LIRR coach
The Semaphore
Publications Water Level Route -NYC The Semaphore newsletter1980s
Presidents Torn Way Dick TicknerRand Warner Ron Amberger
Meetings Held in basements of Roches-ter Museum amp Science Center and AsburyMethodist Church 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Steam on CN out of HamiltonFort Erie sUspension Bridge Chapterstarted excursion trips with Empire StateRailways passenger car set
~ Consolidated in North Waitiugroom at Depot later moved to South waitiugroom during renovation of North waitingroom then inio storage again -
Muxum Acquires ftrSt diesel loco andcars and builds yard tracks
Publicatjons Second printiug of WaterLevel Route first calendars The Sema-phore newsletter1990s
Presidents Ron Amberger Ted MillerDave Luca Chris Hauf
Meelings Held at 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Amtraklbus combo trips to NewYork and Pennsylvania locations Excursiontrips operated on OMID RR with ESR carset Chapter acquires ownership and pays olfmortgage on ESR car set
~ Fina1ly located to permanentquarters at Webster cabooses Materialscataloged and made available to membersonce again
MuseWU Tracks from RGVRM andNYMT joined up for through trips JoinlVisitor Experience managed by NYMTand NRHS Executive Team Major expan-sion of trackage motive power and rollingstock Start electrification with NYMT Ac-quire two steam locos Acquire trolleysBegin Four Quadrants Vision for long termfuture expansion
Publications Rochester Subway BookTrolleys interurbans amp Canal Boats (outof print) Calendars each year The Sema-phore newsletter
Steam Fund $43810 RicherJanet Dittmer reports that the revenue
from receipllt of returned pop cans hasnetted the Steam Fund $43810 for 1999
Lets hope thaI Year 2000 ill be a HOTone with Jots of pop drinking
By the way there is a barrel at the depolfor pop can contributions
The Semaphore
Chapter Train Trips(Cootinucd from Page I)
very bad and the track to Sodus Point was out of seivice SO we did nol go there either
W did run charters for groupsThe Ontario-Walworth Rotary bas run a
Santa Train for the last 9 years They usethat as a fund raiser to help crippledchildren
Webster Girl Scouts Oct 1990 from Web-ster
Rochester School 46 June 1990 from Web-ster
OC Eogineers May 1991 from WebsterAlbany Democratic Conimiltee l~ the
coaches for their picnicJlUleI991Yesthe coaches went to Albany from Sodus toNewark 00 OMID trom Newark to Roch-ester on Conrail from Rochester to SilverSprings on Rochester Southern and fromSilver Springs to Albany 00 DelawareHudson using trackage rights over Conrailthrough BinghamtolL
Park Presbyterian Church Dee 1991 fromNewark
Webster DeWitt Rd School May 1997 fromWebster
Flea World amp LW Emporium May 1997from Ontario
Sodus Central Schools Oct 1997 fromSodus
Toddlers Workshop Day Care Nov 97 fromWebster
A bachelor party can~ locate the date theybad DonaJcholic beer and a gang stuck upthe train at gun point and captured thegroom
Wedding on the train April 98 SandiDeLine amp Paul Saracen tied the knot asthe tIain rolled down the track
Operation Ufesaver moved onto the trainin 1998 Sandi Saracen of OMID putforth a great effort assisted by naveHulings and his helpers from the cbapterThe train ran 2 weekdays ith schoolsand day cares bringing children to rideand take part in learning about safety atRR crossings and the haiards of playingon railroad property This was repeated in1999 It is an excellent way to educate adults and children on rail safety
Wayne County Tourism organized cbarterbus trips In 1998 a bus charter put peopleon the train at Sodus and they rode to the LW Emporium in Ontario
In 1999 we bad 3 charter bu trips (all inthe same day) include the train fromSodus to the LW Emporium and back toSodus
January 2000
Other Chapter TripsOver the last hundred years the cbapter
bas sponsored many trips MUch did notinvolve the ex-NYC coaches Again wasnot involved for the last 100 years so I canonly relate to trips froml985 or so
I w3s the Iast circle trip aroundLake Ontario 1 believe thai Mike B1IDeorganized ibat trip We left Rochester at9AM Saturday momiDg Got off Amtrak inSchenectady around noon and ate lunch inone of the local restaurants Back onAmtraks Adirondacknp the old DampH RR toMontreaI and a late dinner in MontreaI AtII 30 we could board Vias Cavalier andsettle in the sleeping or chair cars for theover night ride to Toronto know its only a4 Or 5 hour train ride froin Montreal toToronto but they did it in 7 hours so wecould sleep Breakfast in Toronto Back 00
AmtraklVias Maple Leaf and in Rochesterby 3PM Sunday The Via Cavalier is nomore
Mike B1IDe organized a trip to AlbanyWe took Amtrak to Rensselaer then a bus tothen Cornails Selkirk yards After a tour ofthe hump operation and locomotiveservicefacility we returned to Amtraks Rensselaershop for a tour
Mike led a bus trip to the old TiogaCentral at Owego then on to the West ShoreRR in Lewisburg PA and on to Stearntonin Scranton PA I think that was June 1990
Mike lead another to Kane PA to rideover the Kinzua bridge on the Knox amp KaneRR Next on to Stearn Town for anothervisit and a night in the lackawanna Hotel
In 1999 John Redden organized a trip toWellsboro PA for a ride with dinner on thenew Tioga Central RR
Last but not least are Jim Easts Amtraktrips allover US and Canada For the last 8years Jim bas organized and escorted 4 or 5trips a year with destinations like New YorkCity amp Pbantom of The Opers NYC forRadio City Music Halls Easter Sbow andtheir 1banksgiving Show Several to Mont-real amp Ottawa one to Boston WilliamsburgMaine Connecticut Washington DC andMichi~an including Mackinac Island All thetrips also covered attractions in their areaand were via Amtrak and motor coach (bus)There have been 3 lross-rountryor roWldthecountry trips These nul eery other year and2000 is the next one As an exampleAmtrak to Chicago to Seattle to LA toNew Orleans to NYC and home Bus sidetrips to Las Vegas Grand Canyon ele Jimsmost JXgtpularand on-going is the Radio CityMusic Hall Christmas show Every year hehas run 2 or 3 trips to it
Page 5
Of course the people mentioned did notrun all these trips alooe they bad help frommany merobers
Together we will even do better in thisnew century
On Last Months MysteryPhoto
Two persoos bave replied concerning themystery photo in the December issue Ashypothesized it was the Kodak Camera Clubcrew that made the film The VanishingAmaicanllbull Video versions of the film weremade the last two cOpies were sold at theDecember meeting
Bob Fitch coniacted one of the memberslisted in the credits and will try-to get thenames of thOse in the photo One was BruceKelly founder of the Aotique WirelessMuseum in East Bloomfield NY Brucedied about two years ago
Arnold Williams of Lexington MAcalled to also veritY that this was theoccasion for the photo He was not able toidentitY any of the individuals
The search goes on
Natianal NRHSNewsNRHS National Office Desires Data
The National is compiling a database torecord all the existing roundhouses remain-ing the the US Data desired falls in threeclasses Basic Intermediate and Detailed
Basic data is requested by Feb IS 2000and can be sent to Richard B Shulby AlA11017 Spice Hollow Court Charlotte NC28277 Fax (704) 414-1917 e-mail Rshulb-yaolcom
2000 Convention stamford CT
The Western Cormecticut Chapter 1S
sponsoring the NRHS 2000 Convention tobe held July 11-16 in Stamford
The Year 2001 Convention will be in StLouis June 19-24
The Year 2002 event is optl1to bids
Input due for Activities Bulletin
Chapters must submitted their annualactivities reports by Wednesday March I tobe included in the Bulletin Annual Activi-ties Issue 2000 Submission in electronicform (e-mail 0 computer disk) is desired
Deadline for photos is Monday April 3
Notice to Exchange NewslettersSending your ChapterClub newsletters
to The Semaphore Gale Smith 299 SenecaPark Ave Rochester NY 14617-2433 11facilitate the exChangeof neSor ideas
great folds of earth into piles th theChapters husky 07 bulldozer Acting than almost musical rhythm Dan Waterstraatpicked up the soil Dan vas operating theChapters big orange front loader As ScottGleason backed away Dan continued toscoop up double yard loads of soil He thencarefully maneuvered the loader towering thescoop over Bobs truck Deftly he advancedthe loaders scoop tipping it to allow theload to pound squarely into thedump truckssizable bed Just three or four such scoop-loads filled the truck
Souuding his hom for safety and th apush on the fool peddles and a moderategrinding of gears Bob was once again on theway io the southern iuld lower end of theearth filling project We slowed Merounding the building This allowed JimJohnson to back up the massive~yellowpainted Galion road roller smoothing apathway for us
We encountered Dale Hartnett a creativeaild enthusiastic member~ at the west railsite He was instructing two lads in the useof a surveyors transit needed to ensure theproper grading of the west storage trackroute The teenagers members of DalesuYoung Railfail group are a Wlique compo-nent of the Rochester Chapters continuedefforts to benefit and educate the communityin railroad history and rail operations
We left Bob ten we sponed a group ofmembers working within the restorationbuilding Richard Dick Bean was hoveringover his pel restoration project a vintageBurro rail crane Much of it had been takenapart scraped primed and painted yellowHe told us that he was now ready for theinstallation of a flywheel and a revitalizedengine Nearby Jeff Carpenter and his father-in-law Ed Van Hom were using the Fordfork lift to pull a vintage White MotorCompany truck from the ~rail ham Thespace is needed for other projects
To our sUlprise it was soon past noontime for hmch All the work crews ambleddon to the depot We settled into the chairsin the agents office as others groupedthemselves into the seats in the depotssouth waiting room and the desk in the northoffice Most of us thanks to the timelydeli very service provided by Bill Chapinenjoyed a variety of submarine sandwicheshed purchased in nearby Scottsville
While hWlgrily devalUing our sandwichwe chaned th Rand Warner Art Mum-mery and some new members from Brock-port and others whod been working in the
Page 6
Building a Yard (Conld from Pg2)
January 2000
restoration building The conversations weremostly about railroad related topics and theweather
Some spoke of George Knab our con-struction vehicle specialist We miss him alot George is at SI Marys HoSpitalrecover-ing from a stroke Other thoughts were aboutthe wopoundk ahead th numy of the work crewfeeling like theYd already done a days laborand it was only one PM Dark rain cloudsloomed over the depot aswe departed for anappointment As we drove away~we w0n-dered about how many of those dedicatedguys who make it happen u1d continueto work in the chilly rain
Library Report- CharlBs Robinson Chairman
The Chapter library ro1be open forgeneral use on Sunday 2-5PM January 23We were pleased that in December a numberof members came o~t to uSe the libraIy Thelibrary staff also is usually at the facility on
-Monday iriilJgtts73()930PM However dur-ing the winter months it is important tocheck th the Library Chainnan CharlesRobinson at 71amp-3774245 to be certain thatsomeone II be at the Library on Mondayevenings
Dan Cosgrove has donated about 12books most of which are new to our shelvesBernie Cubin also donated a number ofbooks including several on Lionel trains andother hobby books TheSe are being cata-loged and 11 be available for borrowingWork is continuing on checking and correc-tion the Woodbury negative list
We have received some interesting bookdonations from members Dave Luca hasdonated New Yok CelltaJ Tacbide byEugene Van Dusen an attractive well ex-ecuted book on NYC color photos JacobAdams has donated a rare book The Routeof The OUlge Limited by William Gordonabout the Rochester-Geneva interurban rail-way We have also been given two volumesof The 50 Best of The BampO by HowardBarr a collection of magnificent prints of the8amp0 in the age of steam Unfortunately thechainnan does not recall the donor LikewiseI do not recall to donated the 1994-95Edition The Official Locomotive Roster ampNews but we now have two copies DonShilling donated a copy ofMainline Modelerthat contains Harold Russells article thatfeatures details along the two Rochesterrailroad museums right-of-way Once thesebooks are cataloged most will be availablefor circulation We with to thank themembers who have so thoughtfully madethese publications available to Chapter mem-bers
The Semaphore
The Chapter Library does not keep modelrailroad periodicals but when we are giventhe we route the to NYMf where DickLuchterhand maintains a collection of modelmagazines We do collect and have modelrailroad books that do cireulate So if youare interested in model trains be certain todrop by and see hat we have to offer
The Library and Archives have recentlybeen given some interesting collections thatneed to be carefiilly organized and properlystored for historical purposes Anyoneinterested in helping out th this taskplease contact the Library Chairman and joinour group on Monday evenings
=
Reading RR Author OleJames L Holton the author of a two-
volume set on the history of the ReadingRailroad died in September in Reading PAHe was a professional newsman for NBCNews who covered many of the nations andworlds events [Lehigh Lines Aug-Dec 99J
Year 2000 Last UP Calendar
Probably the oldest of the RR calendarsbeing published may also be the last Theadministration must consider whether thecalendar is still important to promoting UPbusmess
For the Year 2000 one 450000 wereprinted featuring 8 theme montage for eachmonth crammed th vintage photos orartwork [The trainmaster Dec 1999J
(Your editor did notice an UP advertise-mentin a CWTentRR publication requestingphotos for a Year 2001 calendar)
O Winston link ExhibR In AlbanyThe New York State Musewn Empire
State Plaza is exhibiting O Winston Linkfamed railroad photographs from Jan 11 -March 12
The Mohawk amp Hudson Chapter NRHSis sponSoring a special free program at130pm on January 15 2000th Mr TomGarver no was Mr Li~s assistant nenthe famous photos were taken A prepaidbuffet luncheon II precede the program
Members of The Utica and Moha1ltValley Chapter NRHS will be takingAmtrak to and from the occasion [TowerTopics Dec 1999 amp Jan 20001
The exhibit will remam for public view-ing until March 12
The semaphore January2000 Page 7
2000 Rochester Chapter N R H S Sponsored Escorted Rail Tours
May 3 - 21 200019 Day Rail Adventure BEST OF THE WEST RAIL TOUR From Rochester
Escorted touf travel~ standard sleep~ rooms from Chicago-Flagstaff AZ and San Francisco-Rhester Other mil travel ift a reservedsection of an Amtrak cOach
Places Of InterestSedona and Flagstaff AZ Area (2 Nights)Grand Canyon and Page AZ including a SMOOTH WATER RAFT RIDE on the Colorado River no rapids or rough WllterBryce and Zion National Parks (2 Nights)Las Vegas NY (3 Nights)Bakersfield CA (I Night)San Francisco CA (3 Nights) including day trip on the famous Napa Valley Wine Train including lunchGlenwood S~ Colorado (2 Nights) including a day trip to Aspen CO
Three meals a day are included when travel~ in sleep~ rooms as well as 3 breakfasts at various hotels on our trip Hotels are AM 3-diamond properties all with heated pools
Price includes mil fare on Amtrak sleep~ rooms motor coaches en-route tours hotels taxes 3 breakfasts baggage handl~ tips and transferswhile traveling on motor coaches
Price Per Person $221500 Double Occupancy
October 13 (Friday) -October 16 (Monday) 2000 VERMONT FALL FOliAGE TOURIncluding Rail from Rochester NY to Schenectady NY and RutIandvTRochester NY onAmtralcMotorCoach for 4 days 2 nights in a AM 3
diamond hotel in Stowe VT and I night in a 3 diamoud hotel in Ki~ton VT 2 Dinners and three breakfasts Step-won Tour Guide of theStowe VT area 2 hour rail trip on the Green Mountain Railway at Bellows Falls VT baggage handling transfers and taxes
Price Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Approximately $65000 Single
CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW YORK erIV
November 30 Thursday) - December 2 (Saturday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra Seat at Radio City Music Hall for The Christmas Show with The Rockettes transfers baggage handl~ and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $47000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
December 8 (Fridaygt- December J 0 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Seating for Disneys Production of The Lion King transfers baggage handling amp taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
(THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT BUT WE ARE WAIT LISTING FOR CANCELLATIONS)
December J 5 (Friday) - December J 7 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Holel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra seats for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Show starring the Rockettes transfers baggage handling and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates AvailableSome of these rates are approximate due to the time of the trips The approximate pricing is based on our best estimates of the rates based on
previous years trips Final pricing will be available by June 12000
For reservations and information please telephone Jim East NRHS Tour Guide 716-3775389
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
Looking Ahead to the Next Millennium
The Semaphore
Rand Warner Director 4258587
MOW EquipmentSupts Dick Bean Bob Mader
Chevy HI-Ran Utility Truck
Out of service Has neW-fenders doorsand some paint Needs more TLCtoretuYnto active service Hasbeenvery ilsefulin thepast
Ford HI-Ran Boom Dump Truck
In heavy use to support track work andother projecls all over our complex
Jackson Waint Ya~dTamperIn regular use for tamping ballast at
switches and on main line
Kershaw Snow Broom
Operational but not yet fully into winterservice Still needs some miscellaneousTLC
Burro Crane
In heavy active rebuild All body workdone Cab sheet metal all reassembledFinalized on prime mover All body parispainted Flywheel to clutch adapter to beprocured to mate to diesel
WAG Snow Plow
Not in service yet Needs some work onfront of plow and some work on mainstructure draft gear arrangemenl Has wingplows too so should be very effective snowfighterT1e Extractor Uachlne
John Redden Ron Amberger NormSbaddick Bob Mader and Rand Warnerhave been working on the hydraulic systemWhen properly operating it will be a bighelp iri renewing bad ties on our lines andsidings - currently a VERY labor intensiveoperation Unit is currently being primed andrepainted
[Editor Note Rand haJ documented thestatus of our various fleets in previousissues of lhiJ newsletter This article iJ thelast for the fleets J
January 2000
Some of our major efforts and goals inthe next decade will includeRestoration and operation of our two
steam locomotives - the ~ Vulcan andthe 0-4-0 HeislerRestora~on all(lo~tion _of our electric
fleet - the Rochester SubWay Car 60RLampB interurban 206 and ourDLampW MUPower Car 2628Rebaband operational use of our soow
fighting fleet - KPRR soow broom Track-Mobik wplow loco wpilot plow WAGsnow plow and NYMf electric sweeperExpansion of our Restoration Facility
with concrete floor pil(s) utilities electricheat amp light and attached shed for special-ized shops Possible d~ubiing size of presentbuildingDedicated building for rehab and repair
of heavy construction eqllipmenlExpanded storage trackage with run-
arOlmdto permit greater flexibility in alI ouroperations and restorati~activitiesMajor program of roof rep and recov-
ering for our passenger cars- BampO andDLampW baggage Pennsy RPO Erie Still-well DLampWMU Power Car Pine Falls
Restoration and operational use of ourreefer liuit block - FGEX wood and twoMDT stee1carsRehab redecking and operational use of
our NYC and CR flat carsExpansion of land use to include Nortlt-
west Southwest and Southeast quadranls -with operational tracks semcirig facilitiesand line-side industries~ radiating from ourDepot activities hub
TrainingJoe Scanlon has been offering truck drive
training courses for potential drivers of ourseveral army dump trucks being used for ourmajor excavation project aroWld the newRestoration Facility where new trackage is tobe constructedJohn McDonald has been offering weld-
ing courses for our ampPiringnew welderpeople using George Knabs electric arcwelder on rubber They will learn verticalhorizontal and overhead welding and theadvantages and disadvantages of AC com-pared to DC weldingDave Hulings will be offering emergency
training based on his attendance at andcertification by the Red Cross (See Page 1)
We need to get some more people trainedon safe and effective operational of our cableoperated cranes shovels and backhoes
Page 3
Further enhancement of our parking loiswa1kways loading areas and restrooms~ toallow us to better acconunodate larger tourand charter groupsReplacement of Depot roof recreation of
Freight house and setup of a signal tower atSwitch 6 lgt aM in overall realism andcapabilityWorking together with NYMf to estab-
lish and expand electrification and trolleyoperations for our visiting publicContinuing eCpaDSionof our signalling
system to include operational dwarf line-side and overhead sigrials~representing vari-ous railroads and typesExpansion oC-our conununiCUions sys-
tem to includein addition to public addressand tWD-wiiy radios also land lines toNYMf for telephone and telegraph circuitsGetting our engineering and collections
data onto accessible computer files withadequate hardCopyand softcopy backupsFurther development of audio video
visnal and interactive exhibits and displays~to educate inform and stimulate our visitingpublic
Innovate creative new ways to show andoperate our railroad and heavy equipmentdisplays and exbibils to heighten conunu-nity and general public awareness andvisibility
Substantially increase our endomentand development fimds to protect the futureand thi future growth of our MuseumSignificantly expand our interfaces and
interactions ~th local regional and arearailroads rail musewns and tourist lines
Thanks to bullSteve Huse for arranging donation of six
steel wire cage pallet boxes from SentrySafe
Jobn Redden for donation of formerWellsville Addison amp Galeton (lee Bostonamp Maine) full size wooden railroad snowplow
Donald Zenkel for donation of twoindustrial heavy duty Cincinnati millingmachinesNeil Bellenger for use of Jolm Deere
backhoe Dodge truck and tandem axletrailer The backhoe was used for ditchingover the last several months and the trailerwas used to deliver the two Cincinnatimilling machines
(Continued on Page 4)
Page 4
Thanks (ContkJued from Page 3)
Dick Holbert for arranging a sparetwo-way radio set and also for a cab radiofor our next locomotive
George Knb for loan and use of hisrigging supplies and gas powered welderwhile he is taking therapy
WantedHydraulic excavator on rubber or tracks
Slid steer loader bullBobcat or equivalent
MCB interurban trolley car lIUcks stan-dard gauge with or without traction motors
bull Seats and cushions for Erie Stillwellcoach
bull 50-53 foot flat car for our line Car project
bull RoUer bearing ballast hopper car fortrack work
bull Contractor type 4-wheel dump car( s) forfill work
bull Enclosed 24ft straight van lIUck ortrailer for our 600 DC trolley powersupply diesel generator set
bull Step ladders any type or size for ourmany scattered projects
bull Brooms and dust pans for all our scat-tered cars buildiugs and projects sites
bull Rigging straps and chains for all ourheavy lift and moving projects
bull 2 by 33 carpet runner for Pine Fallshallway prefer winelDark red color andnon-textured surface- used OK
A Short History of theGrowth of our Roches-ter Chapter of NR~HS
by Rand Warner
1930sChapter organized 1937 as 5th local
Chapter under NationalPresjdenls Bill Welch () Ward Shafer
()Meetjngs Held at large New York
Central Station Downton PRR stationIJiIls Local Rochester city trolley Lines
New York Central steam
LiJlcln Not yet startedMuseum Not yet startedPublications The Semaphore newsletter
started (another name)
1940sPresjdents Ward Shafer () Harold
Caullins ()
January 2000
Meetings Held at downtown New YorkCentral station
~ On Peanut Line of NYCJamestown Westfield and Northwestern interurban international Railways trolleys atBuffalo NYC Hojack
LiJlcln May have started infomiallyPublications-The- Semaphore newsletter
continued (new masthead)
1950sPresidents Claude Winslow Sam
Gruver Harold CaullinsMeetincs Held at downtown New York
Central station
IJiIls On Auburn Branch NYC BampO toAshfordJunction (steam) Canadian Steamtrips out of Hamilton ouCN RochesterSubway
LiIlIJlo Books in glass liunt bookcasesMl1setgndeg President Sam Grover acquires
Subway Car for Rochester Chapter car puton display at Rail City George Knob helpedmove it
1960sPresidents Claude Winslow Rand
Warner Jim Van Brocklin Ed CooganMeetings Held 3rd floor comer of Ely
Street and South Avenue
IJiIls Steam on CN out of Hamilton andFort Erie Suspension Bridge Chapter as-sists LAampL RR in running Sunday tripsAvon to Livonia
~ Books in glass liunt bookcasesat meeting place location
MuseumRochester Subway car relocatedfroin Rail City to NYS Education MuSeuni atAlbany but never put on display
Pubhcatjons When Rochester Rode byRail The Semaphorenewslener1970s
Presidents Jerry Holl Rand WarnerDick Barrett
Meetings Held 3rd floor comer ElyStreet and South Ave Basement of Roches-ler Musewn amp Science Center Veterans ofForeign Wars Post downton~ variouschurches
IJiIls Rochester Buffalo and JamestonChapters jointly sponsored steam trips inCanada out of Hamilton Suspension BridgeFort Erie Chapter assist LAampL RR runningtrips between Avon and Livonia
~ Dispersed 10 individual membershomes for safekeeping
Museum Chapter acquires Erie Depot atIndustry and started real museum Caboosemoved in at Industry Acquires BampO ca-boose LIRR coach
The Semaphore
Publications Water Level Route -NYC The Semaphore newsletter1980s
Presidents Torn Way Dick TicknerRand Warner Ron Amberger
Meetings Held in basements of Roches-ter Museum amp Science Center and AsburyMethodist Church 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Steam on CN out of HamiltonFort Erie sUspension Bridge Chapterstarted excursion trips with Empire StateRailways passenger car set
~ Consolidated in North Waitiugroom at Depot later moved to South waitiugroom during renovation of North waitingroom then inio storage again -
Muxum Acquires ftrSt diesel loco andcars and builds yard tracks
Publicatjons Second printiug of WaterLevel Route first calendars The Sema-phore newsletter1990s
Presidents Ron Amberger Ted MillerDave Luca Chris Hauf
Meelings Held at 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Amtraklbus combo trips to NewYork and Pennsylvania locations Excursiontrips operated on OMID RR with ESR carset Chapter acquires ownership and pays olfmortgage on ESR car set
~ Fina1ly located to permanentquarters at Webster cabooses Materialscataloged and made available to membersonce again
MuseWU Tracks from RGVRM andNYMT joined up for through trips JoinlVisitor Experience managed by NYMTand NRHS Executive Team Major expan-sion of trackage motive power and rollingstock Start electrification with NYMT Ac-quire two steam locos Acquire trolleysBegin Four Quadrants Vision for long termfuture expansion
Publications Rochester Subway BookTrolleys interurbans amp Canal Boats (outof print) Calendars each year The Sema-phore newsletter
Steam Fund $43810 RicherJanet Dittmer reports that the revenue
from receipllt of returned pop cans hasnetted the Steam Fund $43810 for 1999
Lets hope thaI Year 2000 ill be a HOTone with Jots of pop drinking
By the way there is a barrel at the depolfor pop can contributions
The Semaphore
Chapter Train Trips(Cootinucd from Page I)
very bad and the track to Sodus Point was out of seivice SO we did nol go there either
W did run charters for groupsThe Ontario-Walworth Rotary bas run a
Santa Train for the last 9 years They usethat as a fund raiser to help crippledchildren
Webster Girl Scouts Oct 1990 from Web-ster
Rochester School 46 June 1990 from Web-ster
OC Eogineers May 1991 from WebsterAlbany Democratic Conimiltee l~ the
coaches for their picnicJlUleI991Yesthe coaches went to Albany from Sodus toNewark 00 OMID trom Newark to Roch-ester on Conrail from Rochester to SilverSprings on Rochester Southern and fromSilver Springs to Albany 00 DelawareHudson using trackage rights over Conrailthrough BinghamtolL
Park Presbyterian Church Dee 1991 fromNewark
Webster DeWitt Rd School May 1997 fromWebster
Flea World amp LW Emporium May 1997from Ontario
Sodus Central Schools Oct 1997 fromSodus
Toddlers Workshop Day Care Nov 97 fromWebster
A bachelor party can~ locate the date theybad DonaJcholic beer and a gang stuck upthe train at gun point and captured thegroom
Wedding on the train April 98 SandiDeLine amp Paul Saracen tied the knot asthe tIain rolled down the track
Operation Ufesaver moved onto the trainin 1998 Sandi Saracen of OMID putforth a great effort assisted by naveHulings and his helpers from the cbapterThe train ran 2 weekdays ith schoolsand day cares bringing children to rideand take part in learning about safety atRR crossings and the haiards of playingon railroad property This was repeated in1999 It is an excellent way to educate adults and children on rail safety
Wayne County Tourism organized cbarterbus trips In 1998 a bus charter put peopleon the train at Sodus and they rode to the LW Emporium in Ontario
In 1999 we bad 3 charter bu trips (all inthe same day) include the train fromSodus to the LW Emporium and back toSodus
January 2000
Other Chapter TripsOver the last hundred years the cbapter
bas sponsored many trips MUch did notinvolve the ex-NYC coaches Again wasnot involved for the last 100 years so I canonly relate to trips froml985 or so
I w3s the Iast circle trip aroundLake Ontario 1 believe thai Mike B1IDeorganized ibat trip We left Rochester at9AM Saturday momiDg Got off Amtrak inSchenectady around noon and ate lunch inone of the local restaurants Back onAmtraks Adirondacknp the old DampH RR toMontreaI and a late dinner in MontreaI AtII 30 we could board Vias Cavalier andsettle in the sleeping or chair cars for theover night ride to Toronto know its only a4 Or 5 hour train ride froin Montreal toToronto but they did it in 7 hours so wecould sleep Breakfast in Toronto Back 00
AmtraklVias Maple Leaf and in Rochesterby 3PM Sunday The Via Cavalier is nomore
Mike B1IDe organized a trip to AlbanyWe took Amtrak to Rensselaer then a bus tothen Cornails Selkirk yards After a tour ofthe hump operation and locomotiveservicefacility we returned to Amtraks Rensselaershop for a tour
Mike led a bus trip to the old TiogaCentral at Owego then on to the West ShoreRR in Lewisburg PA and on to Stearntonin Scranton PA I think that was June 1990
Mike lead another to Kane PA to rideover the Kinzua bridge on the Knox amp KaneRR Next on to Stearn Town for anothervisit and a night in the lackawanna Hotel
In 1999 John Redden organized a trip toWellsboro PA for a ride with dinner on thenew Tioga Central RR
Last but not least are Jim Easts Amtraktrips allover US and Canada For the last 8years Jim bas organized and escorted 4 or 5trips a year with destinations like New YorkCity amp Pbantom of The Opers NYC forRadio City Music Halls Easter Sbow andtheir 1banksgiving Show Several to Mont-real amp Ottawa one to Boston WilliamsburgMaine Connecticut Washington DC andMichi~an including Mackinac Island All thetrips also covered attractions in their areaand were via Amtrak and motor coach (bus)There have been 3 lross-rountryor roWldthecountry trips These nul eery other year and2000 is the next one As an exampleAmtrak to Chicago to Seattle to LA toNew Orleans to NYC and home Bus sidetrips to Las Vegas Grand Canyon ele Jimsmost JXgtpularand on-going is the Radio CityMusic Hall Christmas show Every year hehas run 2 or 3 trips to it
Page 5
Of course the people mentioned did notrun all these trips alooe they bad help frommany merobers
Together we will even do better in thisnew century
On Last Months MysteryPhoto
Two persoos bave replied concerning themystery photo in the December issue Ashypothesized it was the Kodak Camera Clubcrew that made the film The VanishingAmaicanllbull Video versions of the film weremade the last two cOpies were sold at theDecember meeting
Bob Fitch coniacted one of the memberslisted in the credits and will try-to get thenames of thOse in the photo One was BruceKelly founder of the Aotique WirelessMuseum in East Bloomfield NY Brucedied about two years ago
Arnold Williams of Lexington MAcalled to also veritY that this was theoccasion for the photo He was not able toidentitY any of the individuals
The search goes on
Natianal NRHSNewsNRHS National Office Desires Data
The National is compiling a database torecord all the existing roundhouses remain-ing the the US Data desired falls in threeclasses Basic Intermediate and Detailed
Basic data is requested by Feb IS 2000and can be sent to Richard B Shulby AlA11017 Spice Hollow Court Charlotte NC28277 Fax (704) 414-1917 e-mail Rshulb-yaolcom
2000 Convention stamford CT
The Western Cormecticut Chapter 1S
sponsoring the NRHS 2000 Convention tobe held July 11-16 in Stamford
The Year 2001 Convention will be in StLouis June 19-24
The Year 2002 event is optl1to bids
Input due for Activities Bulletin
Chapters must submitted their annualactivities reports by Wednesday March I tobe included in the Bulletin Annual Activi-ties Issue 2000 Submission in electronicform (e-mail 0 computer disk) is desired
Deadline for photos is Monday April 3
Notice to Exchange NewslettersSending your ChapterClub newsletters
to The Semaphore Gale Smith 299 SenecaPark Ave Rochester NY 14617-2433 11facilitate the exChangeof neSor ideas
great folds of earth into piles th theChapters husky 07 bulldozer Acting than almost musical rhythm Dan Waterstraatpicked up the soil Dan vas operating theChapters big orange front loader As ScottGleason backed away Dan continued toscoop up double yard loads of soil He thencarefully maneuvered the loader towering thescoop over Bobs truck Deftly he advancedthe loaders scoop tipping it to allow theload to pound squarely into thedump truckssizable bed Just three or four such scoop-loads filled the truck
Souuding his hom for safety and th apush on the fool peddles and a moderategrinding of gears Bob was once again on theway io the southern iuld lower end of theearth filling project We slowed Merounding the building This allowed JimJohnson to back up the massive~yellowpainted Galion road roller smoothing apathway for us
We encountered Dale Hartnett a creativeaild enthusiastic member~ at the west railsite He was instructing two lads in the useof a surveyors transit needed to ensure theproper grading of the west storage trackroute The teenagers members of DalesuYoung Railfail group are a Wlique compo-nent of the Rochester Chapters continuedefforts to benefit and educate the communityin railroad history and rail operations
We left Bob ten we sponed a group ofmembers working within the restorationbuilding Richard Dick Bean was hoveringover his pel restoration project a vintageBurro rail crane Much of it had been takenapart scraped primed and painted yellowHe told us that he was now ready for theinstallation of a flywheel and a revitalizedengine Nearby Jeff Carpenter and his father-in-law Ed Van Hom were using the Fordfork lift to pull a vintage White MotorCompany truck from the ~rail ham Thespace is needed for other projects
To our sUlprise it was soon past noontime for hmch All the work crews ambleddon to the depot We settled into the chairsin the agents office as others groupedthemselves into the seats in the depotssouth waiting room and the desk in the northoffice Most of us thanks to the timelydeli very service provided by Bill Chapinenjoyed a variety of submarine sandwicheshed purchased in nearby Scottsville
While hWlgrily devalUing our sandwichwe chaned th Rand Warner Art Mum-mery and some new members from Brock-port and others whod been working in the
Page 6
Building a Yard (Conld from Pg2)
January 2000
restoration building The conversations weremostly about railroad related topics and theweather
Some spoke of George Knab our con-struction vehicle specialist We miss him alot George is at SI Marys HoSpitalrecover-ing from a stroke Other thoughts were aboutthe wopoundk ahead th numy of the work crewfeeling like theYd already done a days laborand it was only one PM Dark rain cloudsloomed over the depot aswe departed for anappointment As we drove away~we w0n-dered about how many of those dedicatedguys who make it happen u1d continueto work in the chilly rain
Library Report- CharlBs Robinson Chairman
The Chapter library ro1be open forgeneral use on Sunday 2-5PM January 23We were pleased that in December a numberof members came o~t to uSe the libraIy Thelibrary staff also is usually at the facility on
-Monday iriilJgtts73()930PM However dur-ing the winter months it is important tocheck th the Library Chainnan CharlesRobinson at 71amp-3774245 to be certain thatsomeone II be at the Library on Mondayevenings
Dan Cosgrove has donated about 12books most of which are new to our shelvesBernie Cubin also donated a number ofbooks including several on Lionel trains andother hobby books TheSe are being cata-loged and 11 be available for borrowingWork is continuing on checking and correc-tion the Woodbury negative list
We have received some interesting bookdonations from members Dave Luca hasdonated New Yok CelltaJ Tacbide byEugene Van Dusen an attractive well ex-ecuted book on NYC color photos JacobAdams has donated a rare book The Routeof The OUlge Limited by William Gordonabout the Rochester-Geneva interurban rail-way We have also been given two volumesof The 50 Best of The BampO by HowardBarr a collection of magnificent prints of the8amp0 in the age of steam Unfortunately thechainnan does not recall the donor LikewiseI do not recall to donated the 1994-95Edition The Official Locomotive Roster ampNews but we now have two copies DonShilling donated a copy ofMainline Modelerthat contains Harold Russells article thatfeatures details along the two Rochesterrailroad museums right-of-way Once thesebooks are cataloged most will be availablefor circulation We with to thank themembers who have so thoughtfully madethese publications available to Chapter mem-bers
The Semaphore
The Chapter Library does not keep modelrailroad periodicals but when we are giventhe we route the to NYMf where DickLuchterhand maintains a collection of modelmagazines We do collect and have modelrailroad books that do cireulate So if youare interested in model trains be certain todrop by and see hat we have to offer
The Library and Archives have recentlybeen given some interesting collections thatneed to be carefiilly organized and properlystored for historical purposes Anyoneinterested in helping out th this taskplease contact the Library Chairman and joinour group on Monday evenings
=
Reading RR Author OleJames L Holton the author of a two-
volume set on the history of the ReadingRailroad died in September in Reading PAHe was a professional newsman for NBCNews who covered many of the nations andworlds events [Lehigh Lines Aug-Dec 99J
Year 2000 Last UP Calendar
Probably the oldest of the RR calendarsbeing published may also be the last Theadministration must consider whether thecalendar is still important to promoting UPbusmess
For the Year 2000 one 450000 wereprinted featuring 8 theme montage for eachmonth crammed th vintage photos orartwork [The trainmaster Dec 1999J
(Your editor did notice an UP advertise-mentin a CWTentRR publication requestingphotos for a Year 2001 calendar)
O Winston link ExhibR In AlbanyThe New York State Musewn Empire
State Plaza is exhibiting O Winston Linkfamed railroad photographs from Jan 11 -March 12
The Mohawk amp Hudson Chapter NRHSis sponSoring a special free program at130pm on January 15 2000th Mr TomGarver no was Mr Li~s assistant nenthe famous photos were taken A prepaidbuffet luncheon II precede the program
Members of The Utica and Moha1ltValley Chapter NRHS will be takingAmtrak to and from the occasion [TowerTopics Dec 1999 amp Jan 20001
The exhibit will remam for public view-ing until March 12
The semaphore January2000 Page 7
2000 Rochester Chapter N R H S Sponsored Escorted Rail Tours
May 3 - 21 200019 Day Rail Adventure BEST OF THE WEST RAIL TOUR From Rochester
Escorted touf travel~ standard sleep~ rooms from Chicago-Flagstaff AZ and San Francisco-Rhester Other mil travel ift a reservedsection of an Amtrak cOach
Places Of InterestSedona and Flagstaff AZ Area (2 Nights)Grand Canyon and Page AZ including a SMOOTH WATER RAFT RIDE on the Colorado River no rapids or rough WllterBryce and Zion National Parks (2 Nights)Las Vegas NY (3 Nights)Bakersfield CA (I Night)San Francisco CA (3 Nights) including day trip on the famous Napa Valley Wine Train including lunchGlenwood S~ Colorado (2 Nights) including a day trip to Aspen CO
Three meals a day are included when travel~ in sleep~ rooms as well as 3 breakfasts at various hotels on our trip Hotels are AM 3-diamond properties all with heated pools
Price includes mil fare on Amtrak sleep~ rooms motor coaches en-route tours hotels taxes 3 breakfasts baggage handl~ tips and transferswhile traveling on motor coaches
Price Per Person $221500 Double Occupancy
October 13 (Friday) -October 16 (Monday) 2000 VERMONT FALL FOliAGE TOURIncluding Rail from Rochester NY to Schenectady NY and RutIandvTRochester NY onAmtralcMotorCoach for 4 days 2 nights in a AM 3
diamond hotel in Stowe VT and I night in a 3 diamoud hotel in Ki~ton VT 2 Dinners and three breakfasts Step-won Tour Guide of theStowe VT area 2 hour rail trip on the Green Mountain Railway at Bellows Falls VT baggage handling transfers and taxes
Price Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Approximately $65000 Single
CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW YORK erIV
November 30 Thursday) - December 2 (Saturday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra Seat at Radio City Music Hall for The Christmas Show with The Rockettes transfers baggage handl~ and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $47000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
December 8 (Fridaygt- December J 0 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Seating for Disneys Production of The Lion King transfers baggage handling amp taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
(THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT BUT WE ARE WAIT LISTING FOR CANCELLATIONS)
December J 5 (Friday) - December J 7 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Holel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra seats for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Show starring the Rockettes transfers baggage handling and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates AvailableSome of these rates are approximate due to the time of the trips The approximate pricing is based on our best estimates of the rates based on
previous years trips Final pricing will be available by June 12000
For reservations and information please telephone Jim East NRHS Tour Guide 716-3775389
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
Page 4
Thanks (ContkJued from Page 3)
Dick Holbert for arranging a sparetwo-way radio set and also for a cab radiofor our next locomotive
George Knb for loan and use of hisrigging supplies and gas powered welderwhile he is taking therapy
WantedHydraulic excavator on rubber or tracks
Slid steer loader bullBobcat or equivalent
MCB interurban trolley car lIUcks stan-dard gauge with or without traction motors
bull Seats and cushions for Erie Stillwellcoach
bull 50-53 foot flat car for our line Car project
bull RoUer bearing ballast hopper car fortrack work
bull Contractor type 4-wheel dump car( s) forfill work
bull Enclosed 24ft straight van lIUck ortrailer for our 600 DC trolley powersupply diesel generator set
bull Step ladders any type or size for ourmany scattered projects
bull Brooms and dust pans for all our scat-tered cars buildiugs and projects sites
bull Rigging straps and chains for all ourheavy lift and moving projects
bull 2 by 33 carpet runner for Pine Fallshallway prefer winelDark red color andnon-textured surface- used OK
A Short History of theGrowth of our Roches-ter Chapter of NR~HS
by Rand Warner
1930sChapter organized 1937 as 5th local
Chapter under NationalPresjdenls Bill Welch () Ward Shafer
()Meetjngs Held at large New York
Central Station Downton PRR stationIJiIls Local Rochester city trolley Lines
New York Central steam
LiJlcln Not yet startedMuseum Not yet startedPublications The Semaphore newsletter
started (another name)
1940sPresjdents Ward Shafer () Harold
Caullins ()
January 2000
Meetings Held at downtown New YorkCentral station
~ On Peanut Line of NYCJamestown Westfield and Northwestern interurban international Railways trolleys atBuffalo NYC Hojack
LiJlcln May have started infomiallyPublications-The- Semaphore newsletter
continued (new masthead)
1950sPresidents Claude Winslow Sam
Gruver Harold CaullinsMeetincs Held at downtown New York
Central station
IJiIls On Auburn Branch NYC BampO toAshfordJunction (steam) Canadian Steamtrips out of Hamilton ouCN RochesterSubway
LiIlIJlo Books in glass liunt bookcasesMl1setgndeg President Sam Grover acquires
Subway Car for Rochester Chapter car puton display at Rail City George Knob helpedmove it
1960sPresidents Claude Winslow Rand
Warner Jim Van Brocklin Ed CooganMeetings Held 3rd floor comer of Ely
Street and South Avenue
IJiIls Steam on CN out of Hamilton andFort Erie Suspension Bridge Chapter as-sists LAampL RR in running Sunday tripsAvon to Livonia
~ Books in glass liunt bookcasesat meeting place location
MuseumRochester Subway car relocatedfroin Rail City to NYS Education MuSeuni atAlbany but never put on display
Pubhcatjons When Rochester Rode byRail The Semaphorenewslener1970s
Presidents Jerry Holl Rand WarnerDick Barrett
Meetings Held 3rd floor comer ElyStreet and South Ave Basement of Roches-ler Musewn amp Science Center Veterans ofForeign Wars Post downton~ variouschurches
IJiIls Rochester Buffalo and JamestonChapters jointly sponsored steam trips inCanada out of Hamilton Suspension BridgeFort Erie Chapter assist LAampL RR runningtrips between Avon and Livonia
~ Dispersed 10 individual membershomes for safekeeping
Museum Chapter acquires Erie Depot atIndustry and started real museum Caboosemoved in at Industry Acquires BampO ca-boose LIRR coach
The Semaphore
Publications Water Level Route -NYC The Semaphore newsletter1980s
Presidents Torn Way Dick TicknerRand Warner Ron Amberger
Meetings Held in basements of Roches-ter Museum amp Science Center and AsburyMethodist Church 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Steam on CN out of HamiltonFort Erie sUspension Bridge Chapterstarted excursion trips with Empire StateRailways passenger car set
~ Consolidated in North Waitiugroom at Depot later moved to South waitiugroom during renovation of North waitingroom then inio storage again -
Muxum Acquires ftrSt diesel loco andcars and builds yard tracks
Publicatjons Second printiug of WaterLevel Route first calendars The Sema-phore newsletter1990s
Presidents Ron Amberger Ted MillerDave Luca Chris Hauf
Meelings Held at 40amp8 Lodge on University Ave
IJiIls Amtraklbus combo trips to NewYork and Pennsylvania locations Excursiontrips operated on OMID RR with ESR carset Chapter acquires ownership and pays olfmortgage on ESR car set
~ Fina1ly located to permanentquarters at Webster cabooses Materialscataloged and made available to membersonce again
MuseWU Tracks from RGVRM andNYMT joined up for through trips JoinlVisitor Experience managed by NYMTand NRHS Executive Team Major expan-sion of trackage motive power and rollingstock Start electrification with NYMT Ac-quire two steam locos Acquire trolleysBegin Four Quadrants Vision for long termfuture expansion
Publications Rochester Subway BookTrolleys interurbans amp Canal Boats (outof print) Calendars each year The Sema-phore newsletter
Steam Fund $43810 RicherJanet Dittmer reports that the revenue
from receipllt of returned pop cans hasnetted the Steam Fund $43810 for 1999
Lets hope thaI Year 2000 ill be a HOTone with Jots of pop drinking
By the way there is a barrel at the depolfor pop can contributions
The Semaphore
Chapter Train Trips(Cootinucd from Page I)
very bad and the track to Sodus Point was out of seivice SO we did nol go there either
W did run charters for groupsThe Ontario-Walworth Rotary bas run a
Santa Train for the last 9 years They usethat as a fund raiser to help crippledchildren
Webster Girl Scouts Oct 1990 from Web-ster
Rochester School 46 June 1990 from Web-ster
OC Eogineers May 1991 from WebsterAlbany Democratic Conimiltee l~ the
coaches for their picnicJlUleI991Yesthe coaches went to Albany from Sodus toNewark 00 OMID trom Newark to Roch-ester on Conrail from Rochester to SilverSprings on Rochester Southern and fromSilver Springs to Albany 00 DelawareHudson using trackage rights over Conrailthrough BinghamtolL
Park Presbyterian Church Dee 1991 fromNewark
Webster DeWitt Rd School May 1997 fromWebster
Flea World amp LW Emporium May 1997from Ontario
Sodus Central Schools Oct 1997 fromSodus
Toddlers Workshop Day Care Nov 97 fromWebster
A bachelor party can~ locate the date theybad DonaJcholic beer and a gang stuck upthe train at gun point and captured thegroom
Wedding on the train April 98 SandiDeLine amp Paul Saracen tied the knot asthe tIain rolled down the track
Operation Ufesaver moved onto the trainin 1998 Sandi Saracen of OMID putforth a great effort assisted by naveHulings and his helpers from the cbapterThe train ran 2 weekdays ith schoolsand day cares bringing children to rideand take part in learning about safety atRR crossings and the haiards of playingon railroad property This was repeated in1999 It is an excellent way to educate adults and children on rail safety
Wayne County Tourism organized cbarterbus trips In 1998 a bus charter put peopleon the train at Sodus and they rode to the LW Emporium in Ontario
In 1999 we bad 3 charter bu trips (all inthe same day) include the train fromSodus to the LW Emporium and back toSodus
January 2000
Other Chapter TripsOver the last hundred years the cbapter
bas sponsored many trips MUch did notinvolve the ex-NYC coaches Again wasnot involved for the last 100 years so I canonly relate to trips froml985 or so
I w3s the Iast circle trip aroundLake Ontario 1 believe thai Mike B1IDeorganized ibat trip We left Rochester at9AM Saturday momiDg Got off Amtrak inSchenectady around noon and ate lunch inone of the local restaurants Back onAmtraks Adirondacknp the old DampH RR toMontreaI and a late dinner in MontreaI AtII 30 we could board Vias Cavalier andsettle in the sleeping or chair cars for theover night ride to Toronto know its only a4 Or 5 hour train ride froin Montreal toToronto but they did it in 7 hours so wecould sleep Breakfast in Toronto Back 00
AmtraklVias Maple Leaf and in Rochesterby 3PM Sunday The Via Cavalier is nomore
Mike B1IDe organized a trip to AlbanyWe took Amtrak to Rensselaer then a bus tothen Cornails Selkirk yards After a tour ofthe hump operation and locomotiveservicefacility we returned to Amtraks Rensselaershop for a tour
Mike led a bus trip to the old TiogaCentral at Owego then on to the West ShoreRR in Lewisburg PA and on to Stearntonin Scranton PA I think that was June 1990
Mike lead another to Kane PA to rideover the Kinzua bridge on the Knox amp KaneRR Next on to Stearn Town for anothervisit and a night in the lackawanna Hotel
In 1999 John Redden organized a trip toWellsboro PA for a ride with dinner on thenew Tioga Central RR
Last but not least are Jim Easts Amtraktrips allover US and Canada For the last 8years Jim bas organized and escorted 4 or 5trips a year with destinations like New YorkCity amp Pbantom of The Opers NYC forRadio City Music Halls Easter Sbow andtheir 1banksgiving Show Several to Mont-real amp Ottawa one to Boston WilliamsburgMaine Connecticut Washington DC andMichi~an including Mackinac Island All thetrips also covered attractions in their areaand were via Amtrak and motor coach (bus)There have been 3 lross-rountryor roWldthecountry trips These nul eery other year and2000 is the next one As an exampleAmtrak to Chicago to Seattle to LA toNew Orleans to NYC and home Bus sidetrips to Las Vegas Grand Canyon ele Jimsmost JXgtpularand on-going is the Radio CityMusic Hall Christmas show Every year hehas run 2 or 3 trips to it
Page 5
Of course the people mentioned did notrun all these trips alooe they bad help frommany merobers
Together we will even do better in thisnew century
On Last Months MysteryPhoto
Two persoos bave replied concerning themystery photo in the December issue Ashypothesized it was the Kodak Camera Clubcrew that made the film The VanishingAmaicanllbull Video versions of the film weremade the last two cOpies were sold at theDecember meeting
Bob Fitch coniacted one of the memberslisted in the credits and will try-to get thenames of thOse in the photo One was BruceKelly founder of the Aotique WirelessMuseum in East Bloomfield NY Brucedied about two years ago
Arnold Williams of Lexington MAcalled to also veritY that this was theoccasion for the photo He was not able toidentitY any of the individuals
The search goes on
Natianal NRHSNewsNRHS National Office Desires Data
The National is compiling a database torecord all the existing roundhouses remain-ing the the US Data desired falls in threeclasses Basic Intermediate and Detailed
Basic data is requested by Feb IS 2000and can be sent to Richard B Shulby AlA11017 Spice Hollow Court Charlotte NC28277 Fax (704) 414-1917 e-mail Rshulb-yaolcom
2000 Convention stamford CT
The Western Cormecticut Chapter 1S
sponsoring the NRHS 2000 Convention tobe held July 11-16 in Stamford
The Year 2001 Convention will be in StLouis June 19-24
The Year 2002 event is optl1to bids
Input due for Activities Bulletin
Chapters must submitted their annualactivities reports by Wednesday March I tobe included in the Bulletin Annual Activi-ties Issue 2000 Submission in electronicform (e-mail 0 computer disk) is desired
Deadline for photos is Monday April 3
Notice to Exchange NewslettersSending your ChapterClub newsletters
to The Semaphore Gale Smith 299 SenecaPark Ave Rochester NY 14617-2433 11facilitate the exChangeof neSor ideas
great folds of earth into piles th theChapters husky 07 bulldozer Acting than almost musical rhythm Dan Waterstraatpicked up the soil Dan vas operating theChapters big orange front loader As ScottGleason backed away Dan continued toscoop up double yard loads of soil He thencarefully maneuvered the loader towering thescoop over Bobs truck Deftly he advancedthe loaders scoop tipping it to allow theload to pound squarely into thedump truckssizable bed Just three or four such scoop-loads filled the truck
Souuding his hom for safety and th apush on the fool peddles and a moderategrinding of gears Bob was once again on theway io the southern iuld lower end of theearth filling project We slowed Merounding the building This allowed JimJohnson to back up the massive~yellowpainted Galion road roller smoothing apathway for us
We encountered Dale Hartnett a creativeaild enthusiastic member~ at the west railsite He was instructing two lads in the useof a surveyors transit needed to ensure theproper grading of the west storage trackroute The teenagers members of DalesuYoung Railfail group are a Wlique compo-nent of the Rochester Chapters continuedefforts to benefit and educate the communityin railroad history and rail operations
We left Bob ten we sponed a group ofmembers working within the restorationbuilding Richard Dick Bean was hoveringover his pel restoration project a vintageBurro rail crane Much of it had been takenapart scraped primed and painted yellowHe told us that he was now ready for theinstallation of a flywheel and a revitalizedengine Nearby Jeff Carpenter and his father-in-law Ed Van Hom were using the Fordfork lift to pull a vintage White MotorCompany truck from the ~rail ham Thespace is needed for other projects
To our sUlprise it was soon past noontime for hmch All the work crews ambleddon to the depot We settled into the chairsin the agents office as others groupedthemselves into the seats in the depotssouth waiting room and the desk in the northoffice Most of us thanks to the timelydeli very service provided by Bill Chapinenjoyed a variety of submarine sandwicheshed purchased in nearby Scottsville
While hWlgrily devalUing our sandwichwe chaned th Rand Warner Art Mum-mery and some new members from Brock-port and others whod been working in the
Page 6
Building a Yard (Conld from Pg2)
January 2000
restoration building The conversations weremostly about railroad related topics and theweather
Some spoke of George Knab our con-struction vehicle specialist We miss him alot George is at SI Marys HoSpitalrecover-ing from a stroke Other thoughts were aboutthe wopoundk ahead th numy of the work crewfeeling like theYd already done a days laborand it was only one PM Dark rain cloudsloomed over the depot aswe departed for anappointment As we drove away~we w0n-dered about how many of those dedicatedguys who make it happen u1d continueto work in the chilly rain
Library Report- CharlBs Robinson Chairman
The Chapter library ro1be open forgeneral use on Sunday 2-5PM January 23We were pleased that in December a numberof members came o~t to uSe the libraIy Thelibrary staff also is usually at the facility on
-Monday iriilJgtts73()930PM However dur-ing the winter months it is important tocheck th the Library Chainnan CharlesRobinson at 71amp-3774245 to be certain thatsomeone II be at the Library on Mondayevenings
Dan Cosgrove has donated about 12books most of which are new to our shelvesBernie Cubin also donated a number ofbooks including several on Lionel trains andother hobby books TheSe are being cata-loged and 11 be available for borrowingWork is continuing on checking and correc-tion the Woodbury negative list
We have received some interesting bookdonations from members Dave Luca hasdonated New Yok CelltaJ Tacbide byEugene Van Dusen an attractive well ex-ecuted book on NYC color photos JacobAdams has donated a rare book The Routeof The OUlge Limited by William Gordonabout the Rochester-Geneva interurban rail-way We have also been given two volumesof The 50 Best of The BampO by HowardBarr a collection of magnificent prints of the8amp0 in the age of steam Unfortunately thechainnan does not recall the donor LikewiseI do not recall to donated the 1994-95Edition The Official Locomotive Roster ampNews but we now have two copies DonShilling donated a copy ofMainline Modelerthat contains Harold Russells article thatfeatures details along the two Rochesterrailroad museums right-of-way Once thesebooks are cataloged most will be availablefor circulation We with to thank themembers who have so thoughtfully madethese publications available to Chapter mem-bers
The Semaphore
The Chapter Library does not keep modelrailroad periodicals but when we are giventhe we route the to NYMf where DickLuchterhand maintains a collection of modelmagazines We do collect and have modelrailroad books that do cireulate So if youare interested in model trains be certain todrop by and see hat we have to offer
The Library and Archives have recentlybeen given some interesting collections thatneed to be carefiilly organized and properlystored for historical purposes Anyoneinterested in helping out th this taskplease contact the Library Chairman and joinour group on Monday evenings
=
Reading RR Author OleJames L Holton the author of a two-
volume set on the history of the ReadingRailroad died in September in Reading PAHe was a professional newsman for NBCNews who covered many of the nations andworlds events [Lehigh Lines Aug-Dec 99J
Year 2000 Last UP Calendar
Probably the oldest of the RR calendarsbeing published may also be the last Theadministration must consider whether thecalendar is still important to promoting UPbusmess
For the Year 2000 one 450000 wereprinted featuring 8 theme montage for eachmonth crammed th vintage photos orartwork [The trainmaster Dec 1999J
(Your editor did notice an UP advertise-mentin a CWTentRR publication requestingphotos for a Year 2001 calendar)
O Winston link ExhibR In AlbanyThe New York State Musewn Empire
State Plaza is exhibiting O Winston Linkfamed railroad photographs from Jan 11 -March 12
The Mohawk amp Hudson Chapter NRHSis sponSoring a special free program at130pm on January 15 2000th Mr TomGarver no was Mr Li~s assistant nenthe famous photos were taken A prepaidbuffet luncheon II precede the program
Members of The Utica and Moha1ltValley Chapter NRHS will be takingAmtrak to and from the occasion [TowerTopics Dec 1999 amp Jan 20001
The exhibit will remam for public view-ing until March 12
The semaphore January2000 Page 7
2000 Rochester Chapter N R H S Sponsored Escorted Rail Tours
May 3 - 21 200019 Day Rail Adventure BEST OF THE WEST RAIL TOUR From Rochester
Escorted touf travel~ standard sleep~ rooms from Chicago-Flagstaff AZ and San Francisco-Rhester Other mil travel ift a reservedsection of an Amtrak cOach
Places Of InterestSedona and Flagstaff AZ Area (2 Nights)Grand Canyon and Page AZ including a SMOOTH WATER RAFT RIDE on the Colorado River no rapids or rough WllterBryce and Zion National Parks (2 Nights)Las Vegas NY (3 Nights)Bakersfield CA (I Night)San Francisco CA (3 Nights) including day trip on the famous Napa Valley Wine Train including lunchGlenwood S~ Colorado (2 Nights) including a day trip to Aspen CO
Three meals a day are included when travel~ in sleep~ rooms as well as 3 breakfasts at various hotels on our trip Hotels are AM 3-diamond properties all with heated pools
Price includes mil fare on Amtrak sleep~ rooms motor coaches en-route tours hotels taxes 3 breakfasts baggage handl~ tips and transferswhile traveling on motor coaches
Price Per Person $221500 Double Occupancy
October 13 (Friday) -October 16 (Monday) 2000 VERMONT FALL FOliAGE TOURIncluding Rail from Rochester NY to Schenectady NY and RutIandvTRochester NY onAmtralcMotorCoach for 4 days 2 nights in a AM 3
diamond hotel in Stowe VT and I night in a 3 diamoud hotel in Ki~ton VT 2 Dinners and three breakfasts Step-won Tour Guide of theStowe VT area 2 hour rail trip on the Green Mountain Railway at Bellows Falls VT baggage handling transfers and taxes
Price Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Approximately $65000 Single
CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW YORK erIV
November 30 Thursday) - December 2 (Saturday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra Seat at Radio City Music Hall for The Christmas Show with The Rockettes transfers baggage handl~ and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $47000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
December 8 (Fridaygt- December J 0 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Seating for Disneys Production of The Lion King transfers baggage handling amp taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
(THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT BUT WE ARE WAIT LISTING FOR CANCELLATIONS)
December J 5 (Friday) - December J 7 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Holel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra seats for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Show starring the Rockettes transfers baggage handling and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates AvailableSome of these rates are approximate due to the time of the trips The approximate pricing is based on our best estimates of the rates based on
previous years trips Final pricing will be available by June 12000
For reservations and information please telephone Jim East NRHS Tour Guide 716-3775389
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
The Semaphore
Chapter Train Trips(Cootinucd from Page I)
very bad and the track to Sodus Point was out of seivice SO we did nol go there either
W did run charters for groupsThe Ontario-Walworth Rotary bas run a
Santa Train for the last 9 years They usethat as a fund raiser to help crippledchildren
Webster Girl Scouts Oct 1990 from Web-ster
Rochester School 46 June 1990 from Web-ster
OC Eogineers May 1991 from WebsterAlbany Democratic Conimiltee l~ the
coaches for their picnicJlUleI991Yesthe coaches went to Albany from Sodus toNewark 00 OMID trom Newark to Roch-ester on Conrail from Rochester to SilverSprings on Rochester Southern and fromSilver Springs to Albany 00 DelawareHudson using trackage rights over Conrailthrough BinghamtolL
Park Presbyterian Church Dee 1991 fromNewark
Webster DeWitt Rd School May 1997 fromWebster
Flea World amp LW Emporium May 1997from Ontario
Sodus Central Schools Oct 1997 fromSodus
Toddlers Workshop Day Care Nov 97 fromWebster
A bachelor party can~ locate the date theybad DonaJcholic beer and a gang stuck upthe train at gun point and captured thegroom
Wedding on the train April 98 SandiDeLine amp Paul Saracen tied the knot asthe tIain rolled down the track
Operation Ufesaver moved onto the trainin 1998 Sandi Saracen of OMID putforth a great effort assisted by naveHulings and his helpers from the cbapterThe train ran 2 weekdays ith schoolsand day cares bringing children to rideand take part in learning about safety atRR crossings and the haiards of playingon railroad property This was repeated in1999 It is an excellent way to educate adults and children on rail safety
Wayne County Tourism organized cbarterbus trips In 1998 a bus charter put peopleon the train at Sodus and they rode to the LW Emporium in Ontario
In 1999 we bad 3 charter bu trips (all inthe same day) include the train fromSodus to the LW Emporium and back toSodus
January 2000
Other Chapter TripsOver the last hundred years the cbapter
bas sponsored many trips MUch did notinvolve the ex-NYC coaches Again wasnot involved for the last 100 years so I canonly relate to trips froml985 or so
I w3s the Iast circle trip aroundLake Ontario 1 believe thai Mike B1IDeorganized ibat trip We left Rochester at9AM Saturday momiDg Got off Amtrak inSchenectady around noon and ate lunch inone of the local restaurants Back onAmtraks Adirondacknp the old DampH RR toMontreaI and a late dinner in MontreaI AtII 30 we could board Vias Cavalier andsettle in the sleeping or chair cars for theover night ride to Toronto know its only a4 Or 5 hour train ride froin Montreal toToronto but they did it in 7 hours so wecould sleep Breakfast in Toronto Back 00
AmtraklVias Maple Leaf and in Rochesterby 3PM Sunday The Via Cavalier is nomore
Mike B1IDe organized a trip to AlbanyWe took Amtrak to Rensselaer then a bus tothen Cornails Selkirk yards After a tour ofthe hump operation and locomotiveservicefacility we returned to Amtraks Rensselaershop for a tour
Mike led a bus trip to the old TiogaCentral at Owego then on to the West ShoreRR in Lewisburg PA and on to Stearntonin Scranton PA I think that was June 1990
Mike lead another to Kane PA to rideover the Kinzua bridge on the Knox amp KaneRR Next on to Stearn Town for anothervisit and a night in the lackawanna Hotel
In 1999 John Redden organized a trip toWellsboro PA for a ride with dinner on thenew Tioga Central RR
Last but not least are Jim Easts Amtraktrips allover US and Canada For the last 8years Jim bas organized and escorted 4 or 5trips a year with destinations like New YorkCity amp Pbantom of The Opers NYC forRadio City Music Halls Easter Sbow andtheir 1banksgiving Show Several to Mont-real amp Ottawa one to Boston WilliamsburgMaine Connecticut Washington DC andMichi~an including Mackinac Island All thetrips also covered attractions in their areaand were via Amtrak and motor coach (bus)There have been 3 lross-rountryor roWldthecountry trips These nul eery other year and2000 is the next one As an exampleAmtrak to Chicago to Seattle to LA toNew Orleans to NYC and home Bus sidetrips to Las Vegas Grand Canyon ele Jimsmost JXgtpularand on-going is the Radio CityMusic Hall Christmas show Every year hehas run 2 or 3 trips to it
Page 5
Of course the people mentioned did notrun all these trips alooe they bad help frommany merobers
Together we will even do better in thisnew century
On Last Months MysteryPhoto
Two persoos bave replied concerning themystery photo in the December issue Ashypothesized it was the Kodak Camera Clubcrew that made the film The VanishingAmaicanllbull Video versions of the film weremade the last two cOpies were sold at theDecember meeting
Bob Fitch coniacted one of the memberslisted in the credits and will try-to get thenames of thOse in the photo One was BruceKelly founder of the Aotique WirelessMuseum in East Bloomfield NY Brucedied about two years ago
Arnold Williams of Lexington MAcalled to also veritY that this was theoccasion for the photo He was not able toidentitY any of the individuals
The search goes on
Natianal NRHSNewsNRHS National Office Desires Data
The National is compiling a database torecord all the existing roundhouses remain-ing the the US Data desired falls in threeclasses Basic Intermediate and Detailed
Basic data is requested by Feb IS 2000and can be sent to Richard B Shulby AlA11017 Spice Hollow Court Charlotte NC28277 Fax (704) 414-1917 e-mail Rshulb-yaolcom
2000 Convention stamford CT
The Western Cormecticut Chapter 1S
sponsoring the NRHS 2000 Convention tobe held July 11-16 in Stamford
The Year 2001 Convention will be in StLouis June 19-24
The Year 2002 event is optl1to bids
Input due for Activities Bulletin
Chapters must submitted their annualactivities reports by Wednesday March I tobe included in the Bulletin Annual Activi-ties Issue 2000 Submission in electronicform (e-mail 0 computer disk) is desired
Deadline for photos is Monday April 3
Notice to Exchange NewslettersSending your ChapterClub newsletters
to The Semaphore Gale Smith 299 SenecaPark Ave Rochester NY 14617-2433 11facilitate the exChangeof neSor ideas
great folds of earth into piles th theChapters husky 07 bulldozer Acting than almost musical rhythm Dan Waterstraatpicked up the soil Dan vas operating theChapters big orange front loader As ScottGleason backed away Dan continued toscoop up double yard loads of soil He thencarefully maneuvered the loader towering thescoop over Bobs truck Deftly he advancedthe loaders scoop tipping it to allow theload to pound squarely into thedump truckssizable bed Just three or four such scoop-loads filled the truck
Souuding his hom for safety and th apush on the fool peddles and a moderategrinding of gears Bob was once again on theway io the southern iuld lower end of theearth filling project We slowed Merounding the building This allowed JimJohnson to back up the massive~yellowpainted Galion road roller smoothing apathway for us
We encountered Dale Hartnett a creativeaild enthusiastic member~ at the west railsite He was instructing two lads in the useof a surveyors transit needed to ensure theproper grading of the west storage trackroute The teenagers members of DalesuYoung Railfail group are a Wlique compo-nent of the Rochester Chapters continuedefforts to benefit and educate the communityin railroad history and rail operations
We left Bob ten we sponed a group ofmembers working within the restorationbuilding Richard Dick Bean was hoveringover his pel restoration project a vintageBurro rail crane Much of it had been takenapart scraped primed and painted yellowHe told us that he was now ready for theinstallation of a flywheel and a revitalizedengine Nearby Jeff Carpenter and his father-in-law Ed Van Hom were using the Fordfork lift to pull a vintage White MotorCompany truck from the ~rail ham Thespace is needed for other projects
To our sUlprise it was soon past noontime for hmch All the work crews ambleddon to the depot We settled into the chairsin the agents office as others groupedthemselves into the seats in the depotssouth waiting room and the desk in the northoffice Most of us thanks to the timelydeli very service provided by Bill Chapinenjoyed a variety of submarine sandwicheshed purchased in nearby Scottsville
While hWlgrily devalUing our sandwichwe chaned th Rand Warner Art Mum-mery and some new members from Brock-port and others whod been working in the
Page 6
Building a Yard (Conld from Pg2)
January 2000
restoration building The conversations weremostly about railroad related topics and theweather
Some spoke of George Knab our con-struction vehicle specialist We miss him alot George is at SI Marys HoSpitalrecover-ing from a stroke Other thoughts were aboutthe wopoundk ahead th numy of the work crewfeeling like theYd already done a days laborand it was only one PM Dark rain cloudsloomed over the depot aswe departed for anappointment As we drove away~we w0n-dered about how many of those dedicatedguys who make it happen u1d continueto work in the chilly rain
Library Report- CharlBs Robinson Chairman
The Chapter library ro1be open forgeneral use on Sunday 2-5PM January 23We were pleased that in December a numberof members came o~t to uSe the libraIy Thelibrary staff also is usually at the facility on
-Monday iriilJgtts73()930PM However dur-ing the winter months it is important tocheck th the Library Chainnan CharlesRobinson at 71amp-3774245 to be certain thatsomeone II be at the Library on Mondayevenings
Dan Cosgrove has donated about 12books most of which are new to our shelvesBernie Cubin also donated a number ofbooks including several on Lionel trains andother hobby books TheSe are being cata-loged and 11 be available for borrowingWork is continuing on checking and correc-tion the Woodbury negative list
We have received some interesting bookdonations from members Dave Luca hasdonated New Yok CelltaJ Tacbide byEugene Van Dusen an attractive well ex-ecuted book on NYC color photos JacobAdams has donated a rare book The Routeof The OUlge Limited by William Gordonabout the Rochester-Geneva interurban rail-way We have also been given two volumesof The 50 Best of The BampO by HowardBarr a collection of magnificent prints of the8amp0 in the age of steam Unfortunately thechainnan does not recall the donor LikewiseI do not recall to donated the 1994-95Edition The Official Locomotive Roster ampNews but we now have two copies DonShilling donated a copy ofMainline Modelerthat contains Harold Russells article thatfeatures details along the two Rochesterrailroad museums right-of-way Once thesebooks are cataloged most will be availablefor circulation We with to thank themembers who have so thoughtfully madethese publications available to Chapter mem-bers
The Semaphore
The Chapter Library does not keep modelrailroad periodicals but when we are giventhe we route the to NYMf where DickLuchterhand maintains a collection of modelmagazines We do collect and have modelrailroad books that do cireulate So if youare interested in model trains be certain todrop by and see hat we have to offer
The Library and Archives have recentlybeen given some interesting collections thatneed to be carefiilly organized and properlystored for historical purposes Anyoneinterested in helping out th this taskplease contact the Library Chairman and joinour group on Monday evenings
=
Reading RR Author OleJames L Holton the author of a two-
volume set on the history of the ReadingRailroad died in September in Reading PAHe was a professional newsman for NBCNews who covered many of the nations andworlds events [Lehigh Lines Aug-Dec 99J
Year 2000 Last UP Calendar
Probably the oldest of the RR calendarsbeing published may also be the last Theadministration must consider whether thecalendar is still important to promoting UPbusmess
For the Year 2000 one 450000 wereprinted featuring 8 theme montage for eachmonth crammed th vintage photos orartwork [The trainmaster Dec 1999J
(Your editor did notice an UP advertise-mentin a CWTentRR publication requestingphotos for a Year 2001 calendar)
O Winston link ExhibR In AlbanyThe New York State Musewn Empire
State Plaza is exhibiting O Winston Linkfamed railroad photographs from Jan 11 -March 12
The Mohawk amp Hudson Chapter NRHSis sponSoring a special free program at130pm on January 15 2000th Mr TomGarver no was Mr Li~s assistant nenthe famous photos were taken A prepaidbuffet luncheon II precede the program
Members of The Utica and Moha1ltValley Chapter NRHS will be takingAmtrak to and from the occasion [TowerTopics Dec 1999 amp Jan 20001
The exhibit will remam for public view-ing until March 12
The semaphore January2000 Page 7
2000 Rochester Chapter N R H S Sponsored Escorted Rail Tours
May 3 - 21 200019 Day Rail Adventure BEST OF THE WEST RAIL TOUR From Rochester
Escorted touf travel~ standard sleep~ rooms from Chicago-Flagstaff AZ and San Francisco-Rhester Other mil travel ift a reservedsection of an Amtrak cOach
Places Of InterestSedona and Flagstaff AZ Area (2 Nights)Grand Canyon and Page AZ including a SMOOTH WATER RAFT RIDE on the Colorado River no rapids or rough WllterBryce and Zion National Parks (2 Nights)Las Vegas NY (3 Nights)Bakersfield CA (I Night)San Francisco CA (3 Nights) including day trip on the famous Napa Valley Wine Train including lunchGlenwood S~ Colorado (2 Nights) including a day trip to Aspen CO
Three meals a day are included when travel~ in sleep~ rooms as well as 3 breakfasts at various hotels on our trip Hotels are AM 3-diamond properties all with heated pools
Price includes mil fare on Amtrak sleep~ rooms motor coaches en-route tours hotels taxes 3 breakfasts baggage handl~ tips and transferswhile traveling on motor coaches
Price Per Person $221500 Double Occupancy
October 13 (Friday) -October 16 (Monday) 2000 VERMONT FALL FOliAGE TOURIncluding Rail from Rochester NY to Schenectady NY and RutIandvTRochester NY onAmtralcMotorCoach for 4 days 2 nights in a AM 3
diamond hotel in Stowe VT and I night in a 3 diamoud hotel in Ki~ton VT 2 Dinners and three breakfasts Step-won Tour Guide of theStowe VT area 2 hour rail trip on the Green Mountain Railway at Bellows Falls VT baggage handling transfers and taxes
Price Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Approximately $65000 Single
CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW YORK erIV
November 30 Thursday) - December 2 (Saturday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra Seat at Radio City Music Hall for The Christmas Show with The Rockettes transfers baggage handl~ and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $47000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
December 8 (Fridaygt- December J 0 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Seating for Disneys Production of The Lion King transfers baggage handling amp taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
(THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT BUT WE ARE WAIT LISTING FOR CANCELLATIONS)
December J 5 (Friday) - December J 7 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Holel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra seats for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Show starring the Rockettes transfers baggage handling and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates AvailableSome of these rates are approximate due to the time of the trips The approximate pricing is based on our best estimates of the rates based on
previous years trips Final pricing will be available by June 12000
For reservations and information please telephone Jim East NRHS Tour Guide 716-3775389
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
great folds of earth into piles th theChapters husky 07 bulldozer Acting than almost musical rhythm Dan Waterstraatpicked up the soil Dan vas operating theChapters big orange front loader As ScottGleason backed away Dan continued toscoop up double yard loads of soil He thencarefully maneuvered the loader towering thescoop over Bobs truck Deftly he advancedthe loaders scoop tipping it to allow theload to pound squarely into thedump truckssizable bed Just three or four such scoop-loads filled the truck
Souuding his hom for safety and th apush on the fool peddles and a moderategrinding of gears Bob was once again on theway io the southern iuld lower end of theearth filling project We slowed Merounding the building This allowed JimJohnson to back up the massive~yellowpainted Galion road roller smoothing apathway for us
We encountered Dale Hartnett a creativeaild enthusiastic member~ at the west railsite He was instructing two lads in the useof a surveyors transit needed to ensure theproper grading of the west storage trackroute The teenagers members of DalesuYoung Railfail group are a Wlique compo-nent of the Rochester Chapters continuedefforts to benefit and educate the communityin railroad history and rail operations
We left Bob ten we sponed a group ofmembers working within the restorationbuilding Richard Dick Bean was hoveringover his pel restoration project a vintageBurro rail crane Much of it had been takenapart scraped primed and painted yellowHe told us that he was now ready for theinstallation of a flywheel and a revitalizedengine Nearby Jeff Carpenter and his father-in-law Ed Van Hom were using the Fordfork lift to pull a vintage White MotorCompany truck from the ~rail ham Thespace is needed for other projects
To our sUlprise it was soon past noontime for hmch All the work crews ambleddon to the depot We settled into the chairsin the agents office as others groupedthemselves into the seats in the depotssouth waiting room and the desk in the northoffice Most of us thanks to the timelydeli very service provided by Bill Chapinenjoyed a variety of submarine sandwicheshed purchased in nearby Scottsville
While hWlgrily devalUing our sandwichwe chaned th Rand Warner Art Mum-mery and some new members from Brock-port and others whod been working in the
Page 6
Building a Yard (Conld from Pg2)
January 2000
restoration building The conversations weremostly about railroad related topics and theweather
Some spoke of George Knab our con-struction vehicle specialist We miss him alot George is at SI Marys HoSpitalrecover-ing from a stroke Other thoughts were aboutthe wopoundk ahead th numy of the work crewfeeling like theYd already done a days laborand it was only one PM Dark rain cloudsloomed over the depot aswe departed for anappointment As we drove away~we w0n-dered about how many of those dedicatedguys who make it happen u1d continueto work in the chilly rain
Library Report- CharlBs Robinson Chairman
The Chapter library ro1be open forgeneral use on Sunday 2-5PM January 23We were pleased that in December a numberof members came o~t to uSe the libraIy Thelibrary staff also is usually at the facility on
-Monday iriilJgtts73()930PM However dur-ing the winter months it is important tocheck th the Library Chainnan CharlesRobinson at 71amp-3774245 to be certain thatsomeone II be at the Library on Mondayevenings
Dan Cosgrove has donated about 12books most of which are new to our shelvesBernie Cubin also donated a number ofbooks including several on Lionel trains andother hobby books TheSe are being cata-loged and 11 be available for borrowingWork is continuing on checking and correc-tion the Woodbury negative list
We have received some interesting bookdonations from members Dave Luca hasdonated New Yok CelltaJ Tacbide byEugene Van Dusen an attractive well ex-ecuted book on NYC color photos JacobAdams has donated a rare book The Routeof The OUlge Limited by William Gordonabout the Rochester-Geneva interurban rail-way We have also been given two volumesof The 50 Best of The BampO by HowardBarr a collection of magnificent prints of the8amp0 in the age of steam Unfortunately thechainnan does not recall the donor LikewiseI do not recall to donated the 1994-95Edition The Official Locomotive Roster ampNews but we now have two copies DonShilling donated a copy ofMainline Modelerthat contains Harold Russells article thatfeatures details along the two Rochesterrailroad museums right-of-way Once thesebooks are cataloged most will be availablefor circulation We with to thank themembers who have so thoughtfully madethese publications available to Chapter mem-bers
The Semaphore
The Chapter Library does not keep modelrailroad periodicals but when we are giventhe we route the to NYMf where DickLuchterhand maintains a collection of modelmagazines We do collect and have modelrailroad books that do cireulate So if youare interested in model trains be certain todrop by and see hat we have to offer
The Library and Archives have recentlybeen given some interesting collections thatneed to be carefiilly organized and properlystored for historical purposes Anyoneinterested in helping out th this taskplease contact the Library Chairman and joinour group on Monday evenings
=
Reading RR Author OleJames L Holton the author of a two-
volume set on the history of the ReadingRailroad died in September in Reading PAHe was a professional newsman for NBCNews who covered many of the nations andworlds events [Lehigh Lines Aug-Dec 99J
Year 2000 Last UP Calendar
Probably the oldest of the RR calendarsbeing published may also be the last Theadministration must consider whether thecalendar is still important to promoting UPbusmess
For the Year 2000 one 450000 wereprinted featuring 8 theme montage for eachmonth crammed th vintage photos orartwork [The trainmaster Dec 1999J
(Your editor did notice an UP advertise-mentin a CWTentRR publication requestingphotos for a Year 2001 calendar)
O Winston link ExhibR In AlbanyThe New York State Musewn Empire
State Plaza is exhibiting O Winston Linkfamed railroad photographs from Jan 11 -March 12
The Mohawk amp Hudson Chapter NRHSis sponSoring a special free program at130pm on January 15 2000th Mr TomGarver no was Mr Li~s assistant nenthe famous photos were taken A prepaidbuffet luncheon II precede the program
Members of The Utica and Moha1ltValley Chapter NRHS will be takingAmtrak to and from the occasion [TowerTopics Dec 1999 amp Jan 20001
The exhibit will remam for public view-ing until March 12
The semaphore January2000 Page 7
2000 Rochester Chapter N R H S Sponsored Escorted Rail Tours
May 3 - 21 200019 Day Rail Adventure BEST OF THE WEST RAIL TOUR From Rochester
Escorted touf travel~ standard sleep~ rooms from Chicago-Flagstaff AZ and San Francisco-Rhester Other mil travel ift a reservedsection of an Amtrak cOach
Places Of InterestSedona and Flagstaff AZ Area (2 Nights)Grand Canyon and Page AZ including a SMOOTH WATER RAFT RIDE on the Colorado River no rapids or rough WllterBryce and Zion National Parks (2 Nights)Las Vegas NY (3 Nights)Bakersfield CA (I Night)San Francisco CA (3 Nights) including day trip on the famous Napa Valley Wine Train including lunchGlenwood S~ Colorado (2 Nights) including a day trip to Aspen CO
Three meals a day are included when travel~ in sleep~ rooms as well as 3 breakfasts at various hotels on our trip Hotels are AM 3-diamond properties all with heated pools
Price includes mil fare on Amtrak sleep~ rooms motor coaches en-route tours hotels taxes 3 breakfasts baggage handl~ tips and transferswhile traveling on motor coaches
Price Per Person $221500 Double Occupancy
October 13 (Friday) -October 16 (Monday) 2000 VERMONT FALL FOliAGE TOURIncluding Rail from Rochester NY to Schenectady NY and RutIandvTRochester NY onAmtralcMotorCoach for 4 days 2 nights in a AM 3
diamond hotel in Stowe VT and I night in a 3 diamoud hotel in Ki~ton VT 2 Dinners and three breakfasts Step-won Tour Guide of theStowe VT area 2 hour rail trip on the Green Mountain Railway at Bellows Falls VT baggage handling transfers and taxes
Price Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Approximately $65000 Single
CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW YORK erIV
November 30 Thursday) - December 2 (Saturday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra Seat at Radio City Music Hall for The Christmas Show with The Rockettes transfers baggage handl~ and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $47000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
December 8 (Fridaygt- December J 0 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Seating for Disneys Production of The Lion King transfers baggage handling amp taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
(THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT BUT WE ARE WAIT LISTING FOR CANCELLATIONS)
December J 5 (Friday) - December J 7 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Holel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra seats for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Show starring the Rockettes transfers baggage handling and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates AvailableSome of these rates are approximate due to the time of the trips The approximate pricing is based on our best estimates of the rates based on
previous years trips Final pricing will be available by June 12000
For reservations and information please telephone Jim East NRHS Tour Guide 716-3775389
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
The semaphore January2000 Page 7
2000 Rochester Chapter N R H S Sponsored Escorted Rail Tours
May 3 - 21 200019 Day Rail Adventure BEST OF THE WEST RAIL TOUR From Rochester
Escorted touf travel~ standard sleep~ rooms from Chicago-Flagstaff AZ and San Francisco-Rhester Other mil travel ift a reservedsection of an Amtrak cOach
Places Of InterestSedona and Flagstaff AZ Area (2 Nights)Grand Canyon and Page AZ including a SMOOTH WATER RAFT RIDE on the Colorado River no rapids or rough WllterBryce and Zion National Parks (2 Nights)Las Vegas NY (3 Nights)Bakersfield CA (I Night)San Francisco CA (3 Nights) including day trip on the famous Napa Valley Wine Train including lunchGlenwood S~ Colorado (2 Nights) including a day trip to Aspen CO
Three meals a day are included when travel~ in sleep~ rooms as well as 3 breakfasts at various hotels on our trip Hotels are AM 3-diamond properties all with heated pools
Price includes mil fare on Amtrak sleep~ rooms motor coaches en-route tours hotels taxes 3 breakfasts baggage handl~ tips and transferswhile traveling on motor coaches
Price Per Person $221500 Double Occupancy
October 13 (Friday) -October 16 (Monday) 2000 VERMONT FALL FOliAGE TOURIncluding Rail from Rochester NY to Schenectady NY and RutIandvTRochester NY onAmtralcMotorCoach for 4 days 2 nights in a AM 3
diamond hotel in Stowe VT and I night in a 3 diamoud hotel in Ki~ton VT 2 Dinners and three breakfasts Step-won Tour Guide of theStowe VT area 2 hour rail trip on the Green Mountain Railway at Bellows Falls VT baggage handling transfers and taxes
Price Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Approximately $65000 Single
CHRISTMAS TIME IN NEW YORK erIV
November 30 Thursday) - December 2 (Saturday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra Seat at Radio City Music Hall for The Christmas Show with The Rockettes transfers baggage handl~ and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $47000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
December 8 (Fridaygt- December J 0 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Hotel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Seating for Disneys Production of The Lion King transfers baggage handling amp taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates Available
(THIS TRIP IS SOLD OUT BUT WE ARE WAIT LISTING FOR CANCELLATIONS)
December J 5 (Friday) - December J 7 (Sunday) 2000Including Round Trip Reserved Amtrak Coach Rochester NY - New York City 2 Nights Stay at New Yorks Holel Metro 2 Breakfasts and I
Dinner Orchestra seats for Radio City Music Halls Christmas Show starring the Rockettes transfers baggage handling and taxesPrice Per Person Approximately $50000 Double Occupancy Single Senior Triple and Childrens Rates AvailableSome of these rates are approximate due to the time of the trips The approximate pricing is based on our best estimates of the rates based on
previous years trips Final pricing will be available by June 12000
For reservations and information please telephone Jim East NRHS Tour Guide 716-3775389
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
Page 8 January 2000 The Semaphore
Significant Dates in the History of BO Caboose C-2631Compiled by Dwight Jones
01ai 2nd sub-division
with sliding sections The center ltindowsin the cupola ends were removed on all buttwo or three cabooses (Why these kept thecenter windows is a puzzle) The handbrake was changed to ils presenl typeInside plywood was used 10 give the cab amodem clean _look And the interior wasfmisbed in a two-Ione green paint job whichlooked much better ( think than the presenlChessie mud and gray
Where the 2631 spent most of its life Idont know Devan Lawton reports it ranbetween Bulralo and East Salamanca in thelate )9605 It came to Rochester Ul
February 1969 fresb from a lanuuy repaintat Dubois 11worked here for a year maybetwo In September 1971 it wa the LeRoycabooge as uKheated by some switchmgorders foWld inside
In 1971 the 3amp0 red gave WY 10Chessie yellow the cwrenl color At somtpoint after that the caboose was stored for
M~te~~~-10-23 Buill new for BRampP ina 2BO b Siandard Steel Car Co1135 Remar1lted BampO C-2631 al Buffalo Creek NY4-51 Air brakes modified at 8amp0 silo
3-3153 Ins ed car ins or al Clarlon Jet PA11-53 Painted al BampO silo3-54 Painled al BampO silo Du Bois PA31-54 At hacksho at East salamanca NY329--55 A-1 caboose valve installed East Salamanca shops11-14-55 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd Sub-division condudor HO Jacobson11-1gt55 Assigned to Riker to Salamanca 01 1st sub-division condudor HO Jacobson1212-55 Assigned 10Buffalo Division 2nd SulHlivision19-56 AI East Salamanca7- Painted al BampO silo11-58 Repainted assigned to East Salamanca1-28-58 Air age tested at East Salamanca 8amp0 she11-13-58 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca pool4-27-59 Ass ned East end Buffalo Division 1st sutH1rvision8-7-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca8-10-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to East Salamanca1119-59 Assigned to Buffalo Division 2nd sub-division I6-2()60 Assigned to Buffalo Division East Salamanca to Riker pool119-61 Assigned to Buffalo Division Salamanca pool conductor JT Si ko1-24-61 Released from BampO sho s Du Bois PA6-11-61 at Du Bois sho for repair1()61 Modified to meet state laws for sanitation facilities Ou Bois sho215-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E salamanca pool2-28-63 Assigned to Buffalo Division Riker to E Salamanca pool1-69 Repainted al BampO shops Du Bois PA7-1-70 Caboose in selVice at Rpchester NY12-31-70 Caboose being refur1Jtslled at BampO shops Chillicolhe OH1-71 Re[urjgtished and re ainled e1lowat BampOsho _Chinicolhe OH
10-14-71 Caboose in service at Silver S gs NY1-74 Retired from active service BampO shops Chillicothe OH
131-74 Donated 10NRHS Rochester NY chapter2-1774 Caboose stored at BampO sho Chillicothe OH
indows the other side three Heat wasfrom a coal stove An unusual feature ofthese cabooses was a ohistle In addition tothe small shrill peanut 1listle on the endplatform there was a cupola-mounted airwhistle of considerable size and voiceactivated by a rope in the cupola Alas thi~was removed aboul 1971 Early plans showa tool box hanging from the floor betweenthe trucks on either side but one wasremoved when the brake system waschanged from a K brake 10 a type ABbrake The dale or this change is not known
Probably the 263 was shoppltoltfor minormamtenance and changes several times Amajor facetift was given the 2600 seriescabooses in 1961 at the Dubois Pa sbops
The coal stove was replaced by an oilburnt with an accompanying fud tank l11cwindow by the stove was eliminated as wasthe toilet window leaving onJy vne windowon that side The two side windows in thecupola were replaced by one lar~e vlndov
Our caboose the C263 started its lifeon the Buffalo Rochester and PittsburghRailway Tracing the exact dale is difficultWe do know that il was one of 66 Class 1-10cabooses acquired when the 8amp0 took overthe BRampP in 1932 The BRampP numberswere from ISO to 314 so obviously therewere gaps in the nwnbers somewhere TheStandard Steel Car Co built 50 of these cabs for BRampP in 1923 so this is the most likelyAnother source a gentleman in Ohio quotesofficial company information as showingthese 66 cabooses were built between 1910and 1923 which still doesnt contradict theabove So take you choice for the date built
At any rate these cabooses are woodth steel Wlderframcs Inside length isaboul 24 feet overall length i 28 feel 8inches Originally one side had two
Rochester Chapter CabooseNo C2631
I John Redden submitted the chart onthe right compiled by Dwight Jones on thehistory 0[2631
Mr Jooesspeciality is 8amp0 caboosesresulting in a =t book Baltimore ampOhio Cabooses VoL 1 - Pboto amp Dia-gram It is hardback 128 pages and isavailable for Dwight Jones 536 ClairbrookAve Columbus OH 043228 The pricetomembers of American Railway ealxioseHistorical Educational Society Inc membersi $2895 signed and shipped
2 The article below was written som~time ago by former member Don Brown andsubmitted by Lynn It may bave appeared inthis newsletter sevaal years ago
Comparison between the two is lett as anexercise for the reader
By Don Bron
Submitted by Lynn HeintzNote In writing this biograpby of our
caboose I have relied often on nOIHgtfficialinformation that is facts gathered fromtalking 10 or writing 10 others In manyinstances contradictions between versionshave come up Since getting the one truestory would be very difficult if not impos-sible I have tried to present either the mostlikely version oc both sides of a contradic-tion 1 bope anyone having further informa-tion about this caboose or any others in itsclass will make it known
Two items on ourBRampPBampO Caboose 2631
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
The Semaphore
disposition at Salamanca It was donated tous just in time for even as we got the OK amix-up sent it to the Chillicothe Ohio shopsfor salvage and dismantling Luckily thatwas caught before too late
Among the stories Ive heard of the 263135 that it had gone for a bull~ in SilverLake NY while on the LeRoy jobHowever if the incident is the Same thiswas about 65 or 66 I heard about it about amonth after it happened and the cabooseinvolved was supposedly the 2625 This issupported by the fact that the 2625 formerlyaround here disappeared just about thattime The 2631 hadn1 been here from thetime I started keeping tabs on the numbersin I1 Whichever it was the caboose wasfished out shopped and retunied to serviCe
The 2600 series ex-BRampP CabooseShavebeen long-lived Of the 66 the BampO tOOkover in 193261 remained in 1950 and 55 in1960 At least 20 were still around in 1973Here are a few of interest
The 2603 was bought by a raiIfan andpartially restored to old BRampP plans by theWestern Maryland shops Now sporting acoal stove again irs the Livonia Avon andLakevilles lone hack
The 2620 2640 and 2654 were sold tothe Wellsville Addison and Galeton andavoided the I I rebuilding These arealmost the only ones I know still with theoriginal coal stove window arrangement andIloor plan
The 2618 minus trucks sits on cinderblocks in Weedville Pa apparently used asa cabin
The 2664 burned in I8 while the crewwas switching at Kodak ScraPPed
And another caboose nwnber Wlknownsuffered a tate worse than that The truckswere removed and great holes cut in theside With changes and additions that madeits original identity almost unrecognizable itbecame a hot dog stand just outside DuboisFa The final humility came when it wentout of business
Picture ThisAn Erie locomotiVC pulling an Erie
freight or passenger consist past an Eriedepot along an Erie track
All the parts and pieces to make thishappen are on hand accessible or availableWe could make it happen
Something to think about
January 2000
Video ReviewCHICAGO AURORA amp
ELGINA Videotape from Sunday River
ProductionsReviewed by Bill Heron
Until I saw this tape I had not realizedwhat a truly first class operation the Chi-cago Aurora amp Elgin was On this tape theviewer sees miles of first class line nicelygraded and heavily ballasted The mainlinefrom Wheaton to Chicago is double trackedand the cars moved Wt- The only had thingabout this tape is thelump itleaves in thethroat caused by the awareness of how muchhas been lOst
The CAampE began operations in 1902 andran into 1957 hen Chicagos CongressStreet Expressway which cut off theCAampEs entry into downtown Chicago did itin The shapeof the liiie was like a Ylying on its side There was a straight linefrom Chicago to Wheaton a 25-mile tripwhich the CAampEs Cannonball made in 41minuteS At W1ieatonthe liiie split with asegment thatnm northwest to Elgin and asecond segment that ran southwest to Au-rora
The two segments were single track withsidings All cars had trolley poles and thirdrail collectors The use of the trolley poleswas confined to trackage within city limitsTypically eastbound trains left both Elginand Aurora at almost the same time Whenthey reached Wheaton they were coupled forthe run into Chicago
The tape showsa full eastbound run fromAurora to Wheaton and from Elgin toWheaton and then the run of a combinedtrain to Chicago All of the footage is incolor and much of it was shot from a carsfront window Testimony to high speedrunning is a smashed bug on the windowwhich is quite visible for a lot of the runThere also is a little bit of footage of themotorman at work interesting for those whoaspire to operate electric cars The cabshots are first class (excepting the bug) andgive the viewer a realistic idea of ~ibat itmust have been like to ride the RoarinElgin
The photography is excellent and almostall of the footage was shot on sunny days The tape also includes a map a feature Ialways appreciate There also are numerousviews of CAampEequipment in operation thatwere shot from the groWld Ibese areinterspersed vith the cab window views andthey do nicely to provide a change of pace aswell as to give additional infonnalion There
Page 9
is some footage of the CAampEs main yard atWheaton I would have liked a bit more ofthis There also are some shots of CAampEfreights although the narration tells us thatthe CAampE never was much of a freighthauler There were two interchanges withthe Elgin Joliet amp Eastern
Various l)pes of CAampE passenger equip-ment are shOWIL lhis could have been donein a more organized way but there wasnarration that covered some of the kinds ofinformation in which rail fans would beinterested I guess I would have liked abigger servWg Admittedly I dont knowmuch about the CAampE just what I saw andheard in this tape Since all of the footage inthis tape was shot within a rather shortperiod of time neaf the etid of theCAampEsexisteDce I got the impression -perhaps anerroneous one that they tended to hang on toolder equipment The tape showS woodencars from Jewell built in 1914 and tatersheathed in steel (I have heard that a trolleycollector in the Cleveland area has preservedmore than one of these) Also shown areCAampEs heaviest cars 50 tons built in 1927by Pullman as well as CAampEs newest cars43 tons built in 1945 by St Louis Car Co
This is a really great tape Ill take a bugon the window any time if it goes along withall the goodies this production provides
Book ReviewTHE MAINE TWO-
FOOTERSBy Linwood W Moody
Ediled by Robert C JonesReviewed by Bill Heron
For years I had been dimly aware thatthere had been such a thing as two footgauge railroads in the state of Maine I evenrecall taking our three sons to Edaville manyyears ago where their remnants were operat-ing But I knew nothing about the two-footers and just hadnt gotten around tolearning anything about them That changedduring 1998 when I as fortunate enough tovisit the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad andMuseum in Portland Maine My impres-sions from that visit where the subject of aTrip Report printed in the February 1999issue of The Semaphore
At Portland I learned quite a bit aboutthe two-footers examined a collection of asignificant part of the equipment that stillexists and even enjoyed a short ride on a twofoot gauge train pulled by a diminutivediesel-electric locomotive Now I have fOWldthe best source yet of printed information onthe subject The author Linwood Moodv
(Continued on Page 10)
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
Page 10 January 2000 The Semaphore
loved the little trains and had the happyprivilege of seeing them and riding on thembefore they became extinct He8Jso s onfriendly terms with many of the people MlOhad worked on the two foot lines and able to pick their brains for infOIlIlJltionbackground material and some very interesting anecdotes
This book was originally published in1959 and has been out-of-print for manyyears In the meantime Mr Moody passeday The man who edited the new edition Robert C Jones was a personal friend ofMr Moody and has had the good sense toleave the origina1 text entirely intact He hasadded some infoIlIlJltion eg The SandyRiver 50 Years Later written bY LinwoodMoody in 1982
This is a very complete book It coversthe beginning of two foot gauge railroads inthe US and follows throUgh to the biller endA man from MassachusettS GeOrge Mans-field is said tohave visited Wales and Seenthe Festiniog Railroad in operation Theconcept of railroading via a very slim gaugelooked appealing since it otTered construc-tion and operating costs much less than wasthe case for standard gauge Back home inMassachusetts Mr Mansfield induced civicleaders in two small toTIs Billerica andBedford to provide capital for the building ofa h o foot gauge line connecting the twotonsIn due course the line was built opened
and operated but not for very long Appar-ently there just was not a viable traffic basefor the eight mile haul between Billerica andBedford True operating costs were tow butrevenue turned out to be a lot lower Sixmonths after the Billerica amp Bedford Rail-road started operating it closed for good onJune I 1878
Despite the B amp Bs failure from aneconomic standpoint its brief life served toprove that the two foot gauge concept heldpromise Accordingly several more two footlines were built all in the state of MainePromoter Mansfield had a band in thebirthing process for more than one of themMansfield must have been quite a characterIn his book Linwood Moody just cant seemto make up his mind whether Mansfield wasa laquovisionary or a shyster Perhaps he wasa combination of the two
The book gives detailed accounts of thebirth life and death of the other two footgauge railroads in generous measure Eachroad is the subject of its OTI chapter Alsothere are many many very interesting photo-
Restored LV BusincsltCar 353Beow Dining area of ear
Photos from brochure in AI Hamilon-Danns collection
Attention Lehigh Fanslby Mary Hamilton-Dann
The Lehigh Company Car No 353 of theBlack Diamond is currenlly owned by JohnScully of Mill Valley CA Delivered to theLehigh bY Pullman in 19I6 at a cost of$33000 this all steel car was usuallyhoused in the facilities at Sayre PA As aresult it was maintained in mint conditionthroughout itS active life In 1997 it wasmeticulously restored to its steam era ap-pearance rnahogany panelling carpetingfurniture decorative motifs~bedroom fabricsetc With some upirading of mechanicalequipment it is now qualified to run onAmtrak at speeds up to 110 mph It is oneof the oldest cars moving on Amtrak
During its 60 years of service No 353transported company officials as well as suchnational figures as Richard Nixon and Gen-eral Douglas MacArthur
~ The car was in-Mirmesota in 1998- It cheduJed to traeI around the countryeventually comingto rest at SteamtOn inSeranton PA for a protracted stay
bull [Editor Mary submitted the above inAugust of 1998(1) Although timely at thetime it llnfortW18telygot shumed into thefiller me My apologies to Mary for a vc-rytardy publication date]
graphs more than I would have thoughtmight have existed And there are =Personally I am very fond of maps particu-larly those that accompany printed materialabout railroads The author has done a verygood job of satistYing this need In additionthere is infOIlIlJltionabout Edaville as it usedto be as well as locomotive rosters for thevarious too foot gauge Jines as well asselected time tables
The author has demonstrated here thatthere is no need for a history book to be dulleven thoUgh~its subject has PaSsed on toglory
(Conld from Pg 9)Maine 2-Footers
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
Regarding Dispatching Main Line 1940s Styleby Dan Cosgrove
The Semaphore
Main Line Dispatching had a philosophyof its owo With multiple tracks manymany scheduled trains and many freightsand locals working arowul the clock thingsprobably looked pretty routine Most of the towers maintained all four tracks with allsignals cleared for straight movement oftrains Frequently if all went Well most ofthe trains moved straightforward When a train hit the bell on the approach the apiJroach bell rang eonstantly until you hitthe acknowledge button and a light lit onthe ehart indicating a train approaching on aparticular track If the signal showed a green aspect all was well and the train wentalong The time was noted and the dis-patcher was notified - Twenty ~ Hellotwenty - WeStbowul on 3 the 2789 bYat1225 AM - OK twenty whatWas- yourwuthar
All towers recorded the weather fourtimes a day and midnight was one of thetimes Only a few towers gave weatherreports and few told the dispatcher unlessasked Light snow twenty-five degreesOK twenty
Crossovers were bandied individually1th different criteria as to hat you can andcan not do
The Syracuse Division four tracks wereconfigured with the two westhowul tracks inthe center and the two ustbound tracks onthe outside (Looking north the tracks werenumbered Track 2 ustbound 1 west-bound 3 =hound and 4 westbounci)
So a train crossing ustbound bad to runthe gamut of the two westbound trains Ifyou planned a ustbound crossing you had totake in to account the westhowul traffic Alleastbound trains would tie up the westboundtracks from the moment you cleared a signalfor a crossover until they physically clearedevery switch or the crossover The approachmight take five minutes actual crossing fiveminutes actua1 aligning of the track andsignals a minute or two - so it did take timeIf a passenger train was due to pass thetower in 20 minutes you had perhaps 15minutes to get a train over - not too badThe westbound would likely ever get ayellow signal out of the move so it would befusible The first time you did it youwould have moments of tensio~ but onceyou were successful it became secondnature Sometimes you tell a towerman 18- let the westbound passenger train by thencross the ustbound to 2 and you knew that
January 2000
it would be all righLTrack 2 ustbound passenger track speed
was 60 for freights 80 to 85 for passengersthen Track 1 westbound passenger again 60for freights imd 80 10 85 for passenger Thento Tracks 3 and 4 4S for all trainsMovements from 3 to I and I to 3 were asnap if you wanted to ~ oereither wayyou had not conflicls so it waS done inminutes Howeva ~~ ~movementfrom 2 to 4 or 4 to 2 required some thoughLA passenger train down the road seemed faraway but at 80 to 85 mph he could be onyou in minutes and if you had a slow trainthat yOuWere trying to get over you couldbe in trouble in moments
You could get iDtrouble by trying to besafe Say you are working the west end ofthe- main line and the ust end Dispatcheradvises you that 139 is by Palmyra Because 139 is a hot mail train for the Falls Roodthere are no trains ahead of 139 so hy notclur all the signals from Wayoeport toAmes Street where 139 will divert for theFalls ROad~Pieceofeake right
The minute you clur all those signalsup Rochester yard advises that he has a pullof 20 cars that would like to cross over asthey are hot cars for Kodak Suddenly yourealize that you can not make the move asyou clured up for 139 a long time before hewill show up If you change the signalsnow there is an automatic protection lock onthe signals and they will not release for aleast 5 minutes By the time you have thesignals set back and the track clured upyou wont have time enough to get the pullover and clear before 139 shoS Also younow see a train on Track 4 that can not comedown to Rochester Yani because you havealrudy clured for 139 from Track 1 to theFalls Rood at Ames StreeL Now these delayscan be covered but the fact is you showedpoor judgement You can clur all the tracksfor straight moves and maybe get by ith itbut the odds are against you
When working the main tine you recordthe time a passenger train passes each towerbut as you note the time you always check tosee that the train is numing as he isscheduled
When the running time beteen tvotowers is nonnally 15 minutes and the traindoes it in 17 minutes - something is oTongThe towennan says the train seemed to bemoving at speed A quick lookat hIS times
Page 11
suddenly you see that his time by othertowers is slower than it should be Time towalch the train carefully What is goingwrong
The towerman may well say that helooked normal but immediately you need towatch oul You have no radio~ you aredependent on information direct from thetowennan and from the train There is aphone every lillIf mile along the railroad butthat doesnt mean that the train ill stop totell you Yhat his problem is If he is introuble he wilL blow fora relief Cnginewhich is your tip from the crew that their
engIDe is not working to perfection If theydo not blow for an engine you may tell thecaller to have the enginernan come in to theofficeso you can quiz him as to what wasgoing wrong Perhaps an automobile racedthe train to an intersection and the trainwent into emergeney in an effort tomiss theautomobile No one gets hurt bllthe trainnurly stops bOforereswriing trackspeed
While you watch the passenger trainsYOU also have to monitor the freights Alocal running ahead of a fast freighL As atrain he moves with the speed of the fastfreights as he comes down the road It isonly at points that the local has to work thathe could delay a fast freight so you takeprecautions When he arrives at a town or atower you arrange for the train to get in theclear to let one or more fast freights to go bythen you arrange to get the local workingThis is nearly automatic The crews knowexactly what you are thinking Once you twoare in agreement the work goes by easilyand fluidly Back in the forties fast freightscould really get over the division within Shours if all went well Regular freights couldmake a tour of the division in 7 or less
While you are plotting moves of yourlrains you are always watching This crewworked a train on their way west and are onanother fast freight working usl They work16 hours a day but they do outlaw When itgets close to their cutoff time they oilladvise the dispatcher Then they are going tonotifYyou that they will be 14 hours on dutyat say 530P hich translates in to a noticeto prepare to relieve them if you cant getthe train in within their outlaw time
Freight trains with livestock in their trainvill have alerted you to the fact they have acar of cattle LFampW 1230P Oct 29th 36hour law LFampW mUllS Loaded fed andwateredraquo This information is relayed to thene~ large yard that the train will enter sothey can protect the cattle as per law
Some mail trains required that if they are
(Continued 011 Page 12)
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
Page 12 January 2000 The Semaphore
The Semaphore is published monthly by the Rochester NY Chapter National RailwayHistorical Society It is mailed free to all Chapter members Non-members subscriptions are$500 and run from January 1 to December 3I Chapter meetings are held the third Thursdayand the Board of Directors meets the first Thursday of each month
Contributions to The SenuJphoe are welcomed and encouraged from all readers Theyshould be mailed to Gale E Smith 299 Seneca Park Avenue Rochester NY 14617-2433Phone (716) 544-lt221 Contributors using a computer are asked to send their submissions onany MS-DOS diskette in ASCD fOJ1D8tas well as a printed copy Deadline First Day ofEach Month
Well I thought a 12-page issue wouldclear up the back-log - it didn1 but itslimmed the tile somewhst
As yo~ notice this edition was mailed inan envelope Result is that the postage tomail each was 22 cents more + the cost ofthe envelope + stamping the necessaryinformation on the envelope Reason to trythis method was to I) reduce productiontime by eliminating making the second foldby hand (420 times) and stapling And 2)the second fold on a 12-pager makes a fatand spong package We wanted to trymailing without the envelope but postalofficials advised against it
Against all the Y2K hype this issue isalso being put together on a 386 clone -and with a much faster response time Thelatter came about -hen about 10 megabytesof image files that I carried along eachmonth just to have them handy weredumped Now there is no file swappingbetween memory and the hard dri ve Some-times it takes some time (years) to recog-nize a problem and the solution
I still like oOrkingin DOS for text-basedwork This includes VP-Planner a Lotusversion 1 clone It works in Year 2000 andis apparently usable between the dates of IJan 1801 to 31 Dec 2099 And this is aprogram from about 1983 Microsoft shouldhave hired that team
Dispatching (Contdrom Pg I I)
running over an hour or more late that thepost offices in certain cities be advised ofthat as frequently a crew is called in to workthe trains when they amve
Freight trains and fast freights varied asto how hot they were NY2 was a hottrain as was NY-4 Another train that randaily was NY8 NY-8 was hot but not ashot as the other two However NY-8 rannightly and frequently there were sections ofNY-8 MC-I was a hot freight as wasMC-3 but MC-7 was just a bit more hotthan a regular freight LSl was a hotfreight but on theother hand LS-5was justabove a local DQ19 ran nightly and wascalled The Dagger for reasons not everexplained to me The Dagger workedevery yard on the way up the railroad and itwas a working train all the way
By the way the symbols did have ameaning NY-8 was a New York TrainMC-I and the other MC lIains were Michi-gan Central Trains 00-19 was a Dewitt toGardenville Train XN-2 was a hot stocktrain for New York XB-2 was a hot stocktrain to Boston
More laler
Rochester Cbapter NRHS Omcer~President Chris HaUfVice President Steve OagleyTreasurer Ira CohenRecording Secretary Jeremy TukeCorrespondence ampc Don ShillingNational Director Bob Miner
Trustees Dale Hartnett Charles Harshbarger Dave Luca Joe ScanlonJohn Slegtart and John Weber
The Semaphore StaffEditor Gale SmithPrinting Bob MinerGale SmithMailing Dan Cosgrove
InterNet (World Wide Web) addresshllpllwwwrochnrhsorg
Truck Convoy Moves RR Adtrnz Elmlr Plant to CloseEquipment in 94 Adtranz the railway unit of Daimler-
Chrysler will close its Elmira plant this by Lynn Heintz spring It is one of six worldwide units to
Bill Herons report on the Maine Narrow shut downGauge (February 1999) reminded me of astoryI read in 1994 It was printed in the About 230 people are employed at EIm-American Truck Historical Societys Wheels ira to assemble 55 light rail vehicles for theon Time magazine Dallas IX transit system They just
finished the delivery of 220 subway cars forIn a well orchestrated effort with all the Philadelphia [Tower Topics Dec 1999]
operational logistics of an army maneuverthe railroad equipment was moved to Port- Lyons NYSlidefest Feb 12land in an uperstion that wOuld warm the Again this year the New York Stalehearts of a large group of our members Slidefest Will be held at the Iroquois Hotel
The ATIlS ATCA and Mack Truck in LyODSon Saturday February 12 Theovners AsSOCall volunteered members to hotel is next io the CSX mainline Discus-
help with the move~ bull - sions and train Wtchiug will occupy theAfter numus phone 11 faxes letters aftenioon At 5 pm begins at the slide
to three goveroors coordination with stale program with food and beverage availablepolice departments turnpike officials and Space is limited and reservations tecomDOTs for oversizePermits a convoywas put mended Contact Tom Trencansky 3 Grey-together for the move stone Dr Dryden NY 13053 for e-mail
tidbitsclarityconnectcom [WipaceMaga-To call it a convoy might be too mildly zine Jan 2000]
puL ---------------South Carver MA to Portland ME is ~ Editors
180 miles They had47 (yes 47) lIctor- amp11 ClIailer loads Almost all flatbeds The move - orner
took place on a SundayEscorted by a motoreycle club made up
of law enforcement officers it slIetched outsometimes five miles and was seen byapproximately 250000 people waiting forthis crazy parsde thariks to excellent pressrelations
The newest lruck was a 1964 MackB-73 and the oldest was a 1938 Mack FJchain drive that had not run in 30 years andWlderwent a one -day restoration to partici~pate
Just imagine being in the southboundlane that Sunday renuning from a vacationin Maine Maybe I can get a tape for theChapter Library
A last note The roster cwiously showedfive participating lruck owners namedGeorge- all in suspenders no doubt
