×‰?×B!›×‘C’×˜š Í ÍÍFu×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://lFy5fLIS1gDFCujLp-e3gy9SWX2CZxth-0n9uwl5sA0Î ^iÍ`Í÷Í¬×‰	Ú 7cassandra://x0nz8y8s_NMTd_T7GWQNdb-Si4FkmoDFuRYwbaYyhd8Í†àÍ`ÍuÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://5oKBYsPooLy0OCt5u_QEJvOd8YS52yHHb-WmDNVeeQgÍ+úÍ`ÌÇÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://S5SS2DoHsZW6_VyQPrgsqrtxx1SWOG_Q-2Isg_bDaxoÎ Ï Í ÍfÍñ×[V<Fä°W)ý‡×˜š   ÍÍFu×ˆœ×         ×ˆE×[V<Fä°W)ý…×‰E×‰	Ú 7cassandra://5oKBYsPooLy0OCt5u_QEJvOd8YS52yHHb-WmDNVeeQgÍ+úÍ`ÌÇÍ ×[V<Fä°W)ý†×[V<Fä°W)ý…Í4ÍF×‘C’×˜š   ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://KcLsBcQWXym12Q47RVkgxJqHN302imfOxVL32r6nCWsÎ ÆêÍ`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://Uydl2GHDDsGLzgtJqefhtv8qsr8n-zxPl_BjC09xSCgÍvÍ`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://-okYvQYLYAC1wuukGDZvHJaIhDtypZ6PH_WgrhAMgPwÍ%[Í`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://9yP2l6EaskmBK-PBz9roAQX-iRuN7ZlehpNMSTIkhvcÎ •ÏÍ Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÑ×˜š Íü ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://1-m8q9JJxMepdads7Jiuc7rMgKPf438qdHgi3r7InskÎ TÍ`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://3GwE25L7G7z0vPxax-zaI7OE6uVYNXT7zKftxNrDznEÍ“Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://nNXhc8_4_Vdjx0bTNd1aiRR-7NREoHM3c-46UyKUbskÍ).Í`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://RTx3KxKxbzfOltFPSo4H9weY7L2Y-zgLp4b_br24OgQÎ ƒ´Í Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÒ×‰EÚ
DHi All,
The 2012 Season is now just a
memory and I am looking forward to
the 2013 Season.
I do want to take some time to reflect
on 2012. In many ways it was a
Feature Articles
3
successful one, yet we endured many hardships. We lost
some good friends, members and relatives. Bill Doran,
Tommy Who and Chrisâ€™ Dad to name a few and we had to
endure the wrath of Sandy. Each year that passes I look all
the faces and realize we are getting - older. What
encourages me are the young faces showing up and getting
involved. They are the future of our organization and we
need to encourage them and guide them so that they can
take over when we are not able to. I encourage all our
members to become a mentor to the younger crowd and
foster a love of trains and what we work for.
We will be running the Easter Trains in March and our
regular Season starts Saturday May 4th. Thomas will be
back again this year as well as our other themed rides and
we need your help staffing the trains. For those who helped
out last year, THANK YOU! For those who have not yet
come out, give it a try.
We gained a little more track last year. My hope is we can
add even more in the near future.
I want to put out a big Thank You to Keith and Jesse Dorn.
They brought their Speeder and Hand Cart to the Milford
Days Festival. It was a HUGE success. I cannot tell you
how many rides they gave the people attending. It was so
busy, Martin had to take over on the Hand Car. The
Organizers of the event said we were the talk of the event
and want us back next year.
As always there are tons of things to do and so little time to
do them. Your help will make it happen. Come out and give
an hour or a day, it all helps.
ï‚¨ Upcoming work in 2013.
ï‚¨ The 142 Annual Inspection
ï‚¨ Working on the Tender.
ï‚¨ Getting the M1 ready for service.
ï‚¨ Working on the 501 Snack Car
ï‚¨ Brush cutting along the ROW
ï‚¨ Painting the Gift Car
Letâ€™s continue to work together and make 2013 a Great
Year for our Society!
As always, my â€œdoorâ€ is always open to you, our members.
President
John Stocker
2
Greg and Gary relaxing in the shop after a hard day
working on the locomotive.
Departments
2
8
NYS&Wâ€™s EMD SD60 Locomotives
Ralph Bonanno
Presidentâ€™s Message
John Stocker
Bel-Del News
13 Maywood Station Historical
Committee
Ed Kaminski
14
18
From The Current Time Table
Ralph Bonanno
Shop Talk
Martin Den Bleyker
Covers
Front: NYSW 3802 on the SU-100 in Maywood NJ on
11-3-12
Photo: Ed Kaminski
Rear Top: NYSW #3810 on the SU-100 at Maywood NJ
on 6-22-12
Photo: Ed Kaminski
Rear Bottom: The NYSW 3016 at Ridgefield Park NJ on
1-26-13
Photo: Ed Kaminski
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://-okYvQYLYAC1wuukGDZvHJaIhDtypZ6PH_WgrhAMgPwÍ%[Í`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)ú»×‰EÚNYSW 3800 on SU-99 at Oak Ridge, NJ July 2, 2012. All photography by Ralph Bonanno unless otherwise noted.
The spring and summer of 2012 will be known for the
arrival of new (to the NYSW) power for use on the road
trains, work trains, and occasional local service. The railroad
had been relying on, for several months, several leased
CEFX SD40-3s (in SD45 carbodies) to handle the road and
local work, and while these proved adequate, they also were
an expense the railroad could have done without, as they
were on a lease arrangement. After scouting the used locomotive
market for some time, the railroad finally settled on a
fleet of six EMD SD60 locomotives, coming off lease to
another railroad. These were originally built by EMD and
were originally part of a fleet of locomotives built for
Oakway, with a long term leasing plan to the Burlington
Northern. But first a little backgroundâ€¦â€¦
In the mid 1980â€™s, with traffic in its Powder River Basin
increasing, the BN was looking to supplement its fleet of six
axle locomotives. EMD built three SD60 demonstrators for
the BN, and with a two year lease, they were immediately
placed in service hauling coal. They quickly proved their
worth, and with the most important factor, fuel economy
being a deciding factor, BN began talking with EMD about
acquiring a fleet of the 3800 HP units. But the BN was hurting
a bit financially with higher than wanted operating costs,
and lower than wanted earnings, the railroad explored leasing
options, and the most cost effective leasing arrangement.
3
The arrangement that came about involved a â€œpower by
the hourâ€ arrangement, a novel and innovative concept at the
time. This meant the BN paid for the locomotives for only the
time the locomotives are in service and operating, even though
more power and kilowatts per hour are consumed when the
locomotive is operating at notch 8 for extended periods. Part
of this novel arrangement was that BN didnâ€™t provide repairs/
maintenance on the units. This was handled off property by a
third party, and not by BN. Eventually, the work was moved
on property to one of the BNâ€™s shop facilities.
After months of speculation, a fleet of 100 SD60â€™s began
arriving on BN property, in a somewhat modified EMD
demonstrator paint scheme. In an industry first, BN began the
concept of purchasing â€œpower by the hourâ€ from these
locomotives, owned by EMD, and leased to Oakway, Inc, a
subsidiary of New Jersey based Connell Rice & Sugar. Instead
of leasing the locomotives as a whole unit from a leasing
company, which was the traditional way of doing business, the
BN was purchasing only the electrical energy exerted by the
locomotives.
Initially, the SD60â€™s were assigned to a variety of services
to test and evaluate their abilities. An increase in coal ship(Continued
on page 4)
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://nNXhc8_4_Vdjx0bTNd1aiRR-7NREoHM3c-46UyKUbskÍ).Í`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)ú¼×[V9ä°W)ú»ÍøÍ(×‘C’×˜š   ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://pgMzNpWLWxGJI6InAQgmt1NPiB4GgITfZisn_7XHiU4Î }ÁÍ`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://O1jjnLsKLjlDwijmzzSb1WgO03q9tT-u1i36LQCpK18Íz Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://g35Uw7-ialYcIRJMEtCTCZ_WCyRg8Wjk9s23QPrVGggÍ&3Í`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://grK7g-hjrLm7Jn6-SzDALFR6ti_ceTK2DXjYCtoqAIsÎ Í Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÕ×˜š Íü ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://A_6Udd_WXAERQrQr365Fbrj-ex1RVfUkK5liYJaN1t8Î €ßÍ`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://8JmB1OUGmB7rBDj-no-MTwU4hEnYMoJhW9-rH9ht7n4Íx1Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://Q0fH4I6LT8sDGNfQd-KxXkPiKztngYUPqmQK2Nn23a0Í$ZÍ`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://YQMBrp6PHZRQHxloxkegDfCspGstSbyJr3lDmQHCpd0Î ”ÔÍ Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÖ×‰EÚ
NYSW 3810 on SU-99 at Pompton Jct
ments and shipper demands had them reassigned
back into coal service, though on occasion
they were used in general freight and intermodal
service. They eventually came off of
lease to the BN and its successor, BNSF,
and the fleet found itself spread out over several
regions of the company, with the Norfolk
Southern having leased a significant number of
these units. It was about this time the NYS&W
found itself in need of reliable six axle locomotives,
and the Oakways came up on the radar
screen for inspection and evaluation. After doing
inspections and
evaluations of several
units, six locomotives were selected for long
term lease (10 years) with an option for full
purchase. Once selected, these units were overhauled
from the frame up at VMV in Paducah,
Kentucky and eventual delivery to the NYSW.
But Iâ€™m getting a little ahead of myself here.
Lets look at the basic statistics and data of these
units (as built):
As you can see, these are heavy duty locomotives,
and at almost 400,000 Lbs, they are
meant for heavy duty pulling and pushing for
extended periods. Now, onto the NYS&W versions.
Once
the NYS&W decided on the model
(Continued on page 5)
4
July 13, 2012
The SD60
HPâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..â€¦â€¦â€¦ 3800
Powered axlesâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦. 6
Diesel Engineâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..â€¦â€¦710G3
Number of Cylindersâ€¦â€¦â€¦..â€¦â€¦..16
Full Speedâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..â€¦â€¦904 RPM
Idle Speedâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..â€¦â€¦â€¦204 RPM
Main Generatorâ€¦.AR11 WBA-D18A
Maximum DC Voltageâ€¦â€¦â€¦..â€¦1350
Lube Oil Capyâ€¦â€¦..243 Gal standard, 395 Gal increased Capacity pan
Cooling System Capacityâ€¦â€¦â€¦.... 276 Gal
Total Sand Capacityâ€¦â€¦.................56 Cu ft; 76 Cu Ft Special
Fuel Capacityâ€¦â€¦ 3200 gal standard, optional 4000, 4500
or 5000 gal tanks available
Retention Tankâ€¦â€¦â€¦. 100 gal. Reduces fuel tank by same amount
Traction Motorsâ€¦â€¦â€¦............... 6, Type D87B
Type of TMâ€™sâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦............DC series wound
Air Brake Scheduleâ€¦â€¦â€¦........................... 26L
Air Compressorâ€¦â€¦.....Model WLN, Type 3 cyl, 2 stage
Storage Batteriesâ€¦â€¦...32 Cells, 64 volts, rated 420 amps/hr
Dimensions:
Height(based on HTC trucksâ€¦â€¦â€¦......................... 15â€™ 7 1/8â€
Width Over Handrail Supportsâ€¦â€¦..........................10â€™ 3 1/8â€
Length Over Coupler Pulling Facesâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.............71â€™ 2 â€œ
Approx. Weight on railsâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦360K Lbs, Typically equipped 390K lbs
Weight on Driversâ€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..... 100 %
Minimum Curve Negotiation Abilityâ€¦195 ft Radius, 29 degree curve
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://g35Uw7-ialYcIRJMEtCTCZ_WCyRg8Wjk9s23QPrVGggÍ&3Í`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)ú½×‰EÚethey wanted, they then had to go select which specific locomotives
they wanted. Representatives of the railroad, after
inspecting and evaluating several units settled on the following,
which, following NYSW tradition would be numbered
in a series to match their HP (in this case the 3800 series) and
as they were all multiple unit equipped, would be given even
numbers, 3800 through 3810. The old and new numbers were
as
9061.â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..NYSW
9067.â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..NYSW
The standard move was to move the locomotives to Cinfollows:
GMTX
9016 â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦. NYSW 3800
GMTX 9044.â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦..NYSW3802
GMTX
GMTX
GMTX
GMTX
3804
3806
9082.â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦ NYSW 3808
9094.â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦ NYSW 3810
Once the specific units were decided upon, and terms and
arrangements of the lease were negotiated, the locomotives
were then moved into the VMV locomotive shops for a
complete tear down and rebuild, one by one, with NYSW reps
in attendance. Just by luck of the draw, the units were not
released in any specific order. The first unit released as the
3810. As the units were released, after paining and lettering
(rumor has it some of the stencils for the lettering were
supplied by the NYSW T&HS), they were then released for
testing and break in service in the area around the VMV
shops, usually on CSX trains. Once sufficient testing was
completed, and the railroad as well as the forces at VMV
were satisfied, the locomotives were then released and
shipped to home rails via CSX to Syracuse, NY.
cinatti, OH, where CSX placed them on Q366, a manifest
train that operates from Cincinnati, OH to Selkirk, NY.
Upon arrival at Selkirk the plan was to then move the locomotives
west for delivery to interchange at Syracuse. One of
the locomotives took a somewhat different route to Selkirk
via Birmingham, AL to Waycross GA and movement to
Selkirk occurred via train Q410, which runs Waycross to
Selkirk. It took a couple of extra days, but delivery was without
incident.
Eventually all six units made it to Selkirk NY and then to
Syracuse where they were accepted and moved dead in tow
to Binghamton for preparation into service, which included a
complete fueling, filling of sand, oil and other fluids to capacity,
installation of radios and head end telemetry, and
the initial on property inspections. Contrary to rumors, the
locomotives were delivered dead in tow, not under power,
and despite rumors to the contrary, they were delivered with
seats in the cabs.
Aside from the 3810 striking a tree on the Hudson secondary
and putting a small dent in the nose on the engineers
side, the units have all been placed into service with minimal
teething pains. There has been the occasional electrical
glitch, but overall, the units have performed without incident,
and can now be seen in multiple on the SU-100/SU-99
turns, as well as working north between Binghamton and
Syracuse. Coupled with the 4 SD40T-2 tunnel motors and
the two SD40-2s, the railroad once again has a sizable fleet
(Continued on page 6)
NYSW 3806 on SU-00 at Bergen Turnpike, Ridgefield Park, NJ July 23, 2012
5
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://Q0fH4I6LT8sDGNfQd-KxXkPiKztngYUPqmQK2Nn23a0Í$ZÍ`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)ú¾×[V9ä°W)ú½ÍøÍ(×‘C’×˜š   ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://0ZvzJlQ18LGghug2iu3U-dEERSCpmE2h4xjVl0ZjBVwÎ $-Í`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://uFeniZDUnzE-LcyE22ydfvHDTIMc0jdPMIvfxJ3FpHEÍcSÍ`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://fGVFbhSkR2WYHzt6XRNcduLJqnPumsnkHZT4xpF_kl4Í!IÍ`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://yETLCgzWtFaJdn7GU44TAmxloUsPmzIbPVK8vMz0c7kÎ ÈõÍ Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÚ×˜š Íü ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://vpxgv4KUBw8XzETPRLtlFCdOgtQuv6dOli6a5EjMgMoÎ ¬Í`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://7Y7BFhrE8SnnV-BVREe3yl6uBrj-dZTlpjXDk50AfCEÍf·Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://kqTRH7pOPotq9vDFLx_FyPcZnX0rTGnM0p5zidUThYMÍ#–Í`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://zT6yXf_qz3rgOEvw-txTP3hWaFA0Gi25T9YzDJVYDisÎ „4Í Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÛ×‰EÚæNYSW SD60 control stand, July 2012
of six axle road power it can call its own and in its own colors,
presenting a unified corporate image to its shippers and the
public.
The crew members, like everyone else, have their opinions on
these â€œnewâ€ locomotives, and you can be sure they are varied.
But the fall of 2012 was the first season with the locomotives
where the normal stalling on the mountain between Butler NJ
and Sparta, as I recall, there were for the first time in many
years, no stalled trains, and while they may have had to crawl
up and over Sparta Mtn (as well as the grade southbound out
of Syracuse) they have worked their hearts out, with minimal
wheel slip, maximum tractive effort, and have gotten the job
done for which they were selected and obtained. Unless something
significant happens, expect to see these 3800 HP locomotives
working as hard as possible creating revenue for the
NYS&W. Expect to see them for several years in all kinds of
service with the possible exception of passenger service...But
who knows what the future has to offer. In the mean time, the
turbocharged sounds of EMDs fill the valleys and hills along
the NYS&W for the foreseeable future.
The NYSW 3800 at Ridgefield Park, June 25, 2012. Ed Kaminski
6
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://fGVFbhSkR2WYHzt6XRNcduLJqnPumsnkHZT4xpF_kl4Í!IÍ`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)ú¿×‰EÚ kNYSW 3802 at Ridgefield Park, NJ September 14, 2012
NYSW 3804 at Cross St in the snow, December 26, 2012
7
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://kqTRH7pOPotq9vDFLx_FyPcZnX0rTGnM0p5zidUThYMÍ#–Í`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úÀ×[V9ä°W)ú¿ÍøÍ(×‘C’×˜š   ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://_RwMvogULWibveM9J-6DqC3_9sKXvjEg9W_M1Vm0G8QÎ t\Í`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://V7sCjdY10-B6P4H96ug0JH7jCM7UbQxN0dy0qM2FyRsÍ–Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://EsLS6prahYLhqTELzWH8BQpvm_NJ9mmq8Gj03KLZ5K4Í+ÉÍ`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://jMhdvSvnYdAtmhnXoS52gyiB0oz4tMiTNkAL3fm6shAÎ ¡ÍØÍ Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÝ×˜š Íü ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://_4Mbr1ggmHr-Nc_BKdANtqrKgrFEHx16deFPYhff96wÎ «bÍ`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://yvvI7o4RllD7WnIxsL6job_gAIJ4G9gycWJc02KKS9wÍ‰,Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://HKXzz_sNg4qvWUcVwrcSInFIS_4yO_YRoBHOub-2Ey4Í,SÍ`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://Za4GNHx_aYxTGEuZUaOVLWf1D0VpRtMcEOZ12tR4k9kÎ Ã Í Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úÞ‘× ×[V9ä°W)úà Ì Í³r9×H·http://877trainride.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚöThe past few months have been busier than
ever. Our Polar Express trips are becoming so
popular that 70% of the tickets sold out in
just one day. That was August 1st! We had a
great compliment of volunteers, about 50 a
day, and everything ran smoothly. Our season
came to an end with a grand dinner just
after the last trip, at La Bella Via in Phillipsburg
Over 60 attended . Our next big trip will
be the Easter Bunny Train Ride and Easter
Egg Hunt, March 23,24 and 30th.
Over the next few months there is much work
to do on the equipment. Every Friday,
Saturday and Sunday, Gary Matthews our
CMO is on site at Baer Quarry and can
always use a hand. To view what we are
doing and where, visit our members portal by
logging on to 877trainride.com then clicking
on the â€˜membersâ€™ link at the top.
Steven James keeps it updated with weekend
work schedules and other society events such
as our membership meetings.
Education is one of our primary goals on the
Delaware River Railroad Excursions. With
no railroad experience at all, you can come
on down and get involved. You can start as a
car host and with some basic training move
on to Trainmen.
From Trainmen you have two choices. Either
move to locomotive service or on to Student
Conductor and then Conductor. If you
are interested in locomotive service you
would start with Student Fireman, then,
Fireman, Student Engineer and finally
Engineer. Our emphasis is always on
training and safety, and there is a lot to learn!
Even if you aren't interested in working on
the train, there is always plenty to do ,from
brush cutting to mechanical work in the shop.
If you have any questions just got to our web
site and click on the contact link, President
Stocker will be more than happy to answer
your questions.
On April, 6th we will be having our yearly
training class. If you are interested in helping
in any way, it is important to attend. The
classes range from basic railroad safety to
engineer training. Keep an eye on the
members site for more information as the
date approaches.
Top both pages: Our beautiful Pumpkin Patch as set up by Bill Lammers, the â€œPumpkin Masterâ€ Above top left: Dylan helps
to insert conduit during the â€œBig Digâ€ to install electrical service to the station area. Above top right: Even trainmasters (Martin)
can be trained to do hot chocolate service! Bottom left and right: the installation of the conduit from behind the station and up the
hill.
Next page top left: Tammy handing out Hot Chocolate on â€œThe Polar Expressâ€ . Next page top right: Martin snapped this
picture of the crowds waiting to board â€œThe Polar Expressâ€. Next page Center left: Chuck manning the Pumpkin Patch. Next
page Center right: Our grill at the mine. Every Saturday night we have a BBQ where all train crews are invited. Great food
and friendship, nothing better!Next page bottom left: The ticket booth beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. Next page
bottom right: Bev and Gary posing for a picture in one of the very few quiet moments in the gift shop during â€œThe Polar
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1942 â€“2012
Bill and his buddies, Roxanne and Max, riding our members
special in July of 2011
It is with great sadness that I report the loss of a good
friend and society member Bill Doran. Both Bill and I
owned businesses in Dunellen New Jersey and we both
belonged to the Dunellen Merchants Association. He was
president and I the Vice President. Bill got involved with
the society after the Merchants Association and the Society
ran â€œDunellen Railroad Daysâ€. Dunellen Railroad days
was hugely successful, and during that event Bill fell in
love with railroading and the society. We were quite lucky
to have both Bill and his wife Ilene get involved with the
operation. Bill dove in head first, and was instrumental in
building the operation we have today. Bill was a
Trainmen, Brakeman, Conductor, Trainmaster, DSLE
Secretary and most of all a great friend.
Bill was born June 29, 1942 in Teaneck to Edward D. and
Helen Catherine Steinhuff Doran. He was raised in
Teaneck and was a graduate of Don Bosco High School.
Bill had resided in Dunellen for several years and in Green
Brook since 1983. He had worked as a Project Manager
with A T&T in Bedminster for 23 years, retiring in 1989.
Bill became the owner of the Lincoln Avenue Hardware
Store in Dunellen for 10 years until 2001, after which he
worked as a locksmith with Colline Bros. Lock & Safe Co.
in Summit.
Bill is survived by his family including his wife, Ilene
Remes Doran; son, James M. Doran of Seattle, Washington;
daughter, Catherine Cicero and her husband Randal
of Portland, Oregon; sister, Elizabeth Gangeri of Park
Ridge; brother, Thomas Doran of Plattsburg, NY and
granddaughter, Avie Cicero.
Bill stayed involved with the society right to his final days
and was always there to give me great advice and to lend a
helping hand.
Bill will be dearly missed.
Left to right, Bob Wyatt, Santa ( Les Coleman) and Bill Doran on
The Polar Express in 2011
Bill also was a teacher! Here Bill is teaching basic railroad safety
at our annual rules class in 2011
10
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://dU600slY_JTCLvGxB7jD28ytCT71HjuEDzFgcjTeQjQÍ'tÍ`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úÃ×‰EÚÖThomas Bartkovsky
1964 - 2012
the privilege to work with him â€“ and the fortunate ones, myself
included, that had the opportunity to learn the craft from a
master. By 1988 Tommy was the senior Freight Conductor at
Black River when he took advantage of a Conrail hiring session.
Tommy went to work for Conrail, but he never left
Black Riverâ€¦ For many years after my grandfather retired,
Tommy continued to do the Freight Agent work for us. His
accuracy with car numbers was uncanny â€“ probably instilled in
him by those LVRR Yardmasters. Tommy and I shared an
unspoken understanding that the Railroad runs on paperwork,
not on tracks. We shared a love for the past and understanding
that change is inevitable. Tommy hated remote control locomotives,
GE toasters, GP-15s, and the loss of craft distinction
with Conductors forced to run trains. But he loved being a
part of the grand resurgence of the railroad industry. With 24
years of seniority Tommy was able to hold just about any job
he wanted out of Oak Island. Often he picked jobs that would
allow him to take care of his mother, suffering from Alzheimerâ€™s.
Most recently he was holding a local job which worked
12 hours every day. If you knew The Who, you know he
worked this job not for the money, but because he loved what
he did, even if he had to *run* the locomotive. (Let us not
forget that Conductor Bartkovsky was also an accomplished
Steam and Diesel Engineer.)
For Tommy, the end of the line seems too soon. But I doubt
he had any regrets and he was able to railroad to the end. We
should all be so lucky.
Tommy Who was a good friend and a Legendary Railroader.
Thomas Bartkovsky AKA Tommy Who, was not only a
NYSWTHS member and Bel-Del DSLE but a long time
member of the Black River and Western Family. Tommy was
always very helpful and kind and for that we will never forget
him. What follows is the obituary written by our friend and
partner in the Delaware River Railroad Excursions, Kean
Burenga.
Tommy Who died Saturday night (Oct 20th) in his home in
Alpha. He was 48. Black River has never known a kinder or
more beloved railroader. We share our loss with Tommyâ€™s
colleagues at Conrail. Tommyâ€™s railroad â€œcareerâ€ started in the
Manville yard office typing up waybills for the Yardmaster on
an old manual typewriter. The local Lehigh Valley crews
would compensate him with cab rides in his favorite â€œpupsâ€
and when Conrail disposed of their caboose fleet, Tommy
sought out a car he rode in his youth which is the Who Hack at
Ringoes. Tommy came to Black River in 1978 or 1979. With
a somewhat difficult to pronounce last name, my grandmother
dubbed him TomSki. But it was Bill Manes that gave him the
railroad moniker that stuck. Tommy had a habit of banging
his hand against anything that rattled, whether in the cab of a
locomotive or sitting in the engine house office. This drumming
earned him the nickname â€œWhoâ€ from the legendary
rock bank, with the rock opera Pinball Wizard and its main
character Tommy. The Who painted every piece of MW
equipment on the property in the early 1980s before being
promoted to train service. It is his skills as a Brakeman and a
Conductor that will be remembered by all the crews that had
11
Tom Bartkovsky- LVRR 2nd trick Manville Yard
Clerk Trainee
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S
anta Visited Maywood
Station on December
15, 2012.
Santa made a special visit to
the Maywood Station
Museum for the 11th
Annual Santa at Maywood
Station on December 15,
2012. Santa was greeted
with record-size turnout of
adults and children as he
met with each good little
boy and girl and all children
received a bag of treats courtesy of Myron Corporation; Operation
Lifesaver; TD Bank; Children Are Creative; Atlas
Model Railroad Company, LLC; Piko America, LLC, the New
York, Susquehanna & Western Railway and the Maywood
Station Museum. Each child attending was also given a free
chance to win special raffle prizes including a BMW Roadster
Child's Pedal Car courtesy of Park Ave BMW won by Matthew
Bernal; an H.O. Scale Train Set courtesy of Piko America,
LLC won by Devon Moran; and an H.O. Scale Train Set
courtesy of Atlas Model Railroad Co. won by Kanna Shah.
Santa said to behave in the upcoming year and heâ€™ll see everybody
again next December.
The happy winner of the Grand Prize free raffle sponsored by
Park Ave BMW at the 11th Annual Santa at Maywood Station
event on December 15, 2012 takes his new ride for a spin.
A family poses with Santa at the 11th Annual Santa at Maywood
Station event on December 15, 2012. (Photo by Ed Kaminski)
The
Maywood Station Model Train Layout during the open
house April 15 , 2012
13
The Maywood Square Dance Club performed an exhibition
at the Maywood Station Museum on October 21, 2012. (Photo
by Ed Kaminski)
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://Wyu1-R1KYfdAD61oxmJ1jq4TvJPc0hxQzsLNsWwXVlsÍ. Í`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úÅ×‰EÚA record-size crowd came out to meet Santa at the 11th Annual Santa at
the Maywood Station event on December 15, 2012. (Photo by Kristen
Kaminski)
The Maywood Station Museum hosted Annual Railroad
Day and a Free Concert by Blue Plate Special
on September 30, 2012
The Maywood Station Museum hosted Annual Railroad
Day at the Maywood Station Museum and an
outdoor free concert by the band Blue Plate Special as
part of the Maywood Station Museum Backyard Summer
Concert Series sponsored by Park Ave Acura on
September 30, 2012. Assorted railroad collectibles
and model trains were offered for sale by numerous
vendors, model railroad clubs and railroad historical
societies plus Blue Plate Special performed a concert
featuring a mix of folk, bluegrass, country and rock.
Michael De Marco (left) is shown with MSHC member Mike Szymanski
(right) holding a circa 1900 American Railway Express sign that was
originally on Maywood Station until the 1930â€™s. Mr. De Marco recently
found the sign in his attic, which was being used upside-down as footboard.
After turning it over, he noticed what it was and donated it to the
Maywood Station Museum on September 30, 2012. Thank you Mr. De
Marco, for returning a significant piece of Maywood Stationâ€™s history to
the museum! (Photo by Ed Kaminski)
Maywood Station was impacted by the devastating Hurricane Sandy on October
29, 2012 suffering a tree limb through the roof and into the interior ceiling. The
MSHC thanks Tom Charette of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway
for his help in promptly removing the tree limb and Maywood resident Johnny
Hayes for quickly and professionally repairing the roof damage. MSHC members
performed the interior ceiling repairs, which were completed in time for the November
4, 2012 Museum Open House. (Photo by Ed Kaminski)
14
Blue Plate Special played on the back deck of Maywood
Station and wowed the crowd at the Annual Railroad Day
at the Maywood Station Museum event on September 30,
2012 with their unique mix of folk, bluegrass, country and
rock music. (Photo by Ed Kaminski
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for testing to ensure any bugs could and would be
worked out, and they would be fine tuned before shipment to
home
rails.
They were not completed in sequential order, but it didnâ€™t
Well, its been a while, but its that time again, time to
sort through the news and events of our favorite railroad and
try and catch up on things. I should note that the events in
this particular column are current up to the beginning of
January, 2013. I donâ€™t pretend to admit that everything that
has taken place in the past several months will be recorded
here, but none the less, there is still plenty of news to go
around, so put your feet up and as Jackie Gleason once said:
â€œAnd away we goâ€¦.â€
MOTIVE POWER UPDATE
Iâ€™ll start this time with the locomotive/power report,
since this is one of the areas with the most visible changes to
the THS membership (and non THS members as well). As is
known by know, the summer of 2012 saw the arrival of new
(to the NYS&W) power to the NYS&W, in the form of six
EMD SD60 locomotives. These 3800 HP heavy duty
locomotives were selected from a feet of former Oakway
leased locomotives that saw most, if not all of their service
careers on the BN, and later BNSF. As such they were
originally built to the specs of the BN. After their careers on
the BN, they were transferred to a leasing company and put
on the open market, so to speak, looking to be leased out to
new operators. The NYS&W, having had CEFX leased units
on the property for an extended period, was looking to
expand its own fleet of locomotives for a variety of reasons,
both financial as well as of as public relations nature. After
all, it helps to promote your own corporate image with your
own â€œbrandâ€ out there for the public (and the customers) to
see on a regular basis.
The railroad sent its personnel out to inspect these
locomotives, and eventually six SD60â€™s were selected. They
were GMTX (the owners of the units at the time) #s 9016,
9044, 9061, 9067, 9082, and 9094. In keeping with past
practice, they were numbered by the NYS&W in accordance
with their HP, and even numbers only, indication MU
capability. They were numbered 3800 to 3810. One by one
they entered the shops at VMV, a locomotive rebuilder in
Paducah, KY, and were basically rebuilt from the frame
up. Their trucks were given new components, new air brake
and electrical components installed, the cabs were overhauled,
and of course, a paint job into the NYS&Wâ€™s corporate
colors of black & yellow. And boy, did they look sharp
14
matter. Soon, the first of the units were on their way to the
NYS&W via CSX. Several of the units traveled from Paducah,
KY to Cincinatti, OH via CSX, where they were placed on
Q366, a train that ran to Selkirk, NY. At Selkirk, the plan was
to then place the units on a westbound train to Buffalo, NY,
and dropping them off enroute for interchange at Syracuse,
NY. For some reason, one unit in particular was re routed south
east from Paducah via Alabama to Atlanta where it made its
way to Syracuse via Q410 to Selkirk, NY. In the end, it didnâ€™t
matter as the locomotives soon found their way to home rails.
Upon arrival and pick up at Syracuse, the locomotives were
then moved to Binghamton, NY where they were examined,
inspected, and prepped for service. This included the initial
inspections on home rails, plus installations of radios and head
end telemetry devices. Contrary to rumors, the locomotives did
arrive with seats installed and ready for use. That said, on July
8th, the first â€œall SD60â€œ SU-100 operated east with NYSW
3808 - NYSW 3800 - NYSW 3810 with 40 cars departing
Binghamton. Suffice to say, that although the train ran east
under the cover of darkness, it was the following dayâ€™s SU-99
that garnered the most interest, as it left Ridgefield park in the
late afternoon, in daylight.
In short order, with the last of the units delivered by mid
August, the fleet of â€œbluebirdâ€ CEFX SD40-3s were soon
relegated to the dead line to be returned to their owners and
lessors, as they were now rendered redundant. As for the
SD60â€™s, the past several months (up to press time) saw them on
work trains on both the Northern and Southern divisions, as
well as the Binghamton-Syracuse turn jobs and the SU-100/99
turns. And apparently management is quite pleased with their
performances. This past autumn marked the first in the years
since the Sparta mountain route was reopened in 1986 (has it
really been THAT long ago??) that there was no significant
loss of time due to road trains stalling west of Butler, NJ owing
primarily to the leaves on the rails, as in the past. In fact, I can
attest to seeing several westbound SU-99â€™s in excess of 80 cars
making the hill at Midland Park, NJ, and west of Butler pretty
much close to track speed. And even those trains that ran
slower than track speed, they didnâ€™t stall either, even if they
were â€œon their kneesâ€ at times. On January 7th, SU-99 ran west
with 4 SD60â€™s and 86 cars, they made track speed at Midland
Park, and made short work of the grade west of Butler, doing
what they were acquired for. It looks like the railroad is getting
their moneyâ€™s worth from these units and will do so fore the
foreseeable future.
As for other motive power, as mentioned, the CEFX bluebirds
are no longer being used and as of early January, a few of
them were in the dead line in Binghamton, NY awaiting disposition.
Also on the sidelines in early January were the 3 SD70â€™s
(4050-4052-4054), one SD40T-2, the three GP20â€™s (2062-2064
-2066) and 2 SD45â€™s (3618-3634). Last reports indicated the
SD45â€™s were stored serviceable, but were on the sidelines
primarily due to their excessive fuel consumption. No word to
report on any possible disposition of the remaining sidelined
locomotives.
The Southern Division still continues to be the home for
â€œborrowedâ€ 4 axle locomotives from both CSX (GP38-2
#2732) and NS (GP38-2s # 5288, and 5291), plus a six axle
NYS&W unit (usually the 3022 or one of the SD40T-2s), with
these units being used primarily on the Sparta turn job (WS-5
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://SmUa6Ny-tZQJG-jnX9hU2drKtd0fsN1XFY1nCnUQuhsÍ)´Í`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úÇ×‰EÚ‰CSX Q156 detour at Newfoundland, NJ Sept 2, 2012 . Ralph Bonnano
or 6). However, the past several months saw a new 4 axle
visitor to the property, in the form of GMTX GP15-2 # 499.
This locomotive, built originally for Conrail in 1979, is a
prototype locomotive owned by GMTX, the same people who
held title to the former Oakway SD60â€™s. This locomotive was
rebuilt from the frame up, had dynamic brakes added (which
the Conrail GP15-1s never had, and had upgraded electronics
added, thus the â€œ-2â€ designation. While only possessing 1500
HP, it was used in a variety of tasks on the NYS&W for a few
months. It has since left the property, departing on an SU-99 on
January 3rd, bound for its next home, the New England Central
Railroad for testing there.
OPERATIONS UPDATE
This time around, the heading â€œoperations updateâ€ will cover
a wide variety of news and events. Going back a few
months, Iâ€™ll start with the last round of detours. In late August
2012, CSX announced that they would be replacing a bridge
just west of Selkirk that would necessitate closing their main
line for approx. 36 hours. The upshot was that CSX informed
the NYS&W that they planned to use their route from Syracuse
to Binghamton to Little Ferry/North Bergen for two trains
Q004 and Q156, both stack trains that terminate in South
Kearny, NJ. Suffice to say news of these two detours garnered
significant interest by the railfan community. It had been a
couple of years since the last detour (owing to a wreck just
south of Selkirk, NY), and the Labor Day holiday also coincid15
ed
with the detours, ensuring a good amount of people would
be out for these, as it was a holiday.
The first detour, Q004, departed Buffalo, NY at 8 AM on
Sept 2nd, and while it ran south from Syracuse in a good chunk
of daylight, the second detour, Q156 was the one to watch as
that would hit the Southern Division after daybreak. While
both trains ran without incident, It was the Q156 that had the
crowds out, as it passed Campbell Hall, NY about 830 am, and
got to Ridgefield Park with about 15 minutes to spare before
the road crew hit the 12 hour limit at 130 PM. What slowed it
down enroute (aside from following an NJ Transit train east
from Port Jervis, NY) was a 10 MPH order between MP 60 and
59 on the Southern Division. This was due to the overnight
destruction by fire of the original NYS&W Sparta NJ station,
built in the 1870â€™s. The fire department and arson investigators
on the scene required the trainâ€™s slow passage. Interestingly,
the Q004, the first detour had passed the area several hours
earlier, about 3:15 am, and didnâ€™t notice anything unusual. This
led to the rumor mill that the fire may have been started by
sparks from the first train, but a subsequent investigation revealed
this not to be the case. This was truly a significant historical
loss for the areas and the railroad itself. But these were
the only detours to operate via the NYS&W in the past several
months, and at press time, no other re routes were planned.
In other news, track work has been the big story of the past
several months. Over the summer three welded rail trains were
received in interchange from the NS at Marion yard (Jersey
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://qrQ7rAjvSb9hgIyvFi8YGyDZi4XcjC3Z1Z8QocPLy7oÍ#ôÍ`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úÈ×[V9ä°W)úÇÍøÍ(×‘C’×˜š   ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://Xqke-jPdDoAbh-ZnYhDlGd6uLlrOOK6yA7jyOgPlWwAÎ ¯)Í`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://j-E6PIop-XGImu4L7Cb3nt_BaEuDafx-oLoZH8QonhUÍ…Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://t2QCjCP2BPLW4wYnkhEAg6UGSPZ6KsTzLSRaDqhDYTgÍ&àÍ`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://VNdVOpBZavOpA6bhqqYzqTsTChJG7C1VWgRBlo-F3_QÎ ÷+Í Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úî×˜š Íü ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://kaTXujtu8YytYf7VM7kGXoEo0kvCxMyHtMznpOSxbEcÎ ÙåÍ`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://HEaUmtodAGdhpjveaxR2N5wH9vRNozN4aS-t7sjfalIÍf“Í`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://d-QoqXH2WFeeDdv7DZb5jt1vbT-4Wn_AOT2gnRZ4TZAÍÍ`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://YJPHhQI5-BbZJs_BTmEN2Qnp8sCi3q9oupR9aOv8-KwÎ £ìÍ Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úï’× ×[V9ä°W)úí ÍÍ´Ì9×‰H¸mailto:blet601@gmail.comG××ÒÔÔÔrÒïïïÌ× ×[V9ä°W)úñ ÍÍ·Ìˆ9×H¸mailto:blet601@gmail.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚuNYSW SU-99 at Midland Park, NJ Sept 5, 2012 . Ralph Bonnano
City, NJ) for the installation of welded rail in several locations.
This coupled with the arrival of several thousands of
ties via gondola and ballast/stone trains all added up to a
major capital investment by the railroad in 2012, the likes
of which hasnâ€™t been see for several years. The former
L&HR portion, from Sparta Jct to Warwick, NY received
the greatest attention with new heavy duty welded rail,
ties,and ballast making for a much improved ride, and increased
travel time for the road trains. Several grade crossings
in the area also received replacement and crossing
protection upgrades in the process as well.
Welded rail was also installed in several places east of
Butler as well, notably near/around Midland Park, NJ as
well as Hawthorne, NJ. Here too, several grade crossings
were upgraded with concrete inserts and upgraded
protection as well. The railroad is now in a much improved
appearance and ride for the crews and most importantly,
the customers. The main line east of Little Ferry to North
Bergen, NJ also received the benefits of all the track work
with tie and ballast replacement/upgrades all the way to
Marion Yard at the extreme east end of the railroad where
interchange with NS is made.
In a related item, in September, 2012, it was announced
that the NJ Dept of Transportation (DOT) approved
a grant to upgrade a 10 mile stretch of track of the
NYS&W between Butler and Stockholm (Hardyston) NJ.
The $875,000 grant, administered by the DOTâ€™s Rail
Freight Assistance Program, will fund the replacement of
more than 7000 ties, and the renewal of bridge timers on
four bridges on the stretch of NYS&W rails. This was one
of 25 grants from the DOT totaling more than $11.4 million
distributed to a variety of New Jersey infrastructure
projects. The NYS&W will fund 10% of the project
(approx $97,000) and any cost overruns, according to the
16
press release. The President of the NYS&W, Nathan Fenno
was quoted in the press release as stating the repairs were a
high priority that the company has had hoped to address for
the past two or three years as part of an overall upgrading of
the line. â€œItâ€™s a good thing for the
companyâ€¦.itâ€™s a
good thing for the state as wellâ€, stated Mr. Fenno, emphasizing
the importance and efficiency of rail freight travel, and
how it reduces wear and tear on the overtaxed highway
system. Repairs are expected to begin in the spring of 2013
after the project is put up for bid. The work is expected to last
a few weeks with minimal impact on the driving public. Mr
Fenno also noted the importance of railroads in the region,
helping to minimize traffic on the already overburdened
highway system. â€œAnyone who drives on Route 23 at rush
hour knows full well how the highway system is is reaching
its maximum capacityâ€, he stated.
As for operations, on the Southern Division there are still
several assignments that operate each day. The WS-1 and 2
are the early morning assignments, with the WS-3,4,5,
and 6 signing up in the afternoons. Most jobs are Monday to
Friday. Recently there has been two daylight jobs on Saturday,
with just the WS-1 being the only assignment on Sundays,
primarily to yard the Q008 on its arrival and do any
clean up work. Local freight business has been, if anything,
steady. The SU-99â€™s are usually westbound with anywhere
from 50-90 cars. Add to this the interchange made with NS at
Marion on a daily basis, and the interchange with CSX at
North Bergen on a daily basis as well, and traffic is doing
well. Its not unusual for most if not all the local assignments
to make their 12 hour working limits on a regular basis.
Unfortunately, I am suffering from a dearth of news and
information from the Northern Division this time around, and
I really could use some help in this
department. What I
can say is that the railroad still runs several assignments out of
(Continued on page 17)
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://t2QCjCP2BPLW4wYnkhEAg6UGSPZ6KsTzLSRaDqhDYTgÍ&àÍ`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úÉ×‰EÚ	ÅNYSW SU 99 at Franklin Lakes, NJ July 16, 2012 . Ralph Bonnano
Binghamton, plus Syracuse, and on an as needed basis,
Utica, usually a couple of days a week. I do know that the
SU-99, on arrival from New Jersey, drops its CP and NS
blocks, and then heads north to Syracuse with any additional
CSX interchange traffic, before returning from Syracuse
with the Jersey bound traffic. This job (usually BH2
or if need be, a BH-X) usually makes the 12 hour limit,
as there is also traffic to pick up and drop at Cortland NY,
which usually has its own assignment, CL-1, handling the
local customers. The bulk of the traffic, however, is Jersey
bound for the SU-100, and upon arrival in Binghamton,
additional traffic from the CP and NS is added to the train,
it gets recrewed, and then heads east as the SU-100. In
addition, Binghamton is also the main servicing center for
the railroadâ€™s locomotives, and the 92 day inspections and
running repairs are usually made here.
Speaking of the road trains, there is another important
change on the horizon for the NYS&W. This past fall,
Metro North Commuter Railroad (which is in partnership
with NJ Transit and Norfolk Southern) announced that
they will be investing in cab signal installation and preparation
for the required PTC (Positive Train Control) installation
as required by the FRA by 2015 (a deadline that
may not be met by the industry). This means the NYS&W
will have to have a cab signal equipped lead locomotive on
its trains between Port Jervis and Hudson Jct, where they
leave the Southern Tier. At present, the Southern Tier between
Suffern, NY and Port Jervis is pretty much the
only non cab signaled segment of the MNRR/NJT system.
So the railroad will likely have to invest in cab signal
equipment somewhere down the road, or at the minimum,
borrow an already equipped locomotive to lead their trains
once installation is complete. As this also ties in with the
coming PTC mandate, expect changes for the railroad
down the road in this regard.
17
Well, this pretty much winds things up for now. I
apologize for the extended delay in getting this together, but
its due to a variety of factors. I ask that anyone with news to
pass along for the next addition please forward it to me at:
blet601@gmail.com with the notation that it is for the THS
Reflector. I can't do it without the membershipâ€™s assistance,
so, since its YOUR dues and YOUR Reflector, YOU should
not hesitate to contribute in any way shape or form.
Until next timeâ€¦â€¦â€¦
×‰	Ú 7cassandra://d-QoqXH2WFeeDdv7DZb5jt1vbT-4Wn_AOT2gnRZ4TZAÍÍ`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úÊ×[V9ä°W)úÉÍøÍ(×‘C’×˜š   ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://HBPzxsjPKHNqq0XIixL1NFQI4eLJ4ksVnx4P-7ogB7cÎ .-Í`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://ZsbLvHNQbq6uFaQc56Q4fmiPkNZ97LoL7Dzxj0ahHkYÍiÍ`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://IgIPiwrDRtQjP-8AWPCU7jFXpSxzoyEJvB8ZQ3wQf00Í+Í`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://u32twiY5D5jxuHeN5LgvG4JL8zCcDGr9_1JzFb2-JFMÎ ?ÒÍ Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úò×˜š Íü ÍüÍ(u×‰œ”×‰	Ú 7cassandra://ROtpiJZEIn1J2Ma-LAKb-S7nr5p4a6Caq6bpSHqYHiMÎ HÀÍ`ÍòÍ²×‰	Ú 7cassandra://eZmBCZgWqAeT5dcDfYMQBPZBM8uSzRA61yGZH4Cb1GIÍhšÍ`ÍsÍà×‰	Ú 7cassandra://XfGGbeyvv9X9O91fOi8HZsXyPUDAMQoziNdW2X6FHhUÍ ‡Í`ÌÆÍ ×‰	Ú 7cassandra://1jgbXUKfOPtjEzwNHrNNzlxnhcSYrEImV0tqsL-pbTIÎ ÛÍ Í]Íð×[V9ä°W)úó‘× ×[V9ä°W)ú÷ ÍÍtÌ†9×Hºhttp://everettrailroad.com××Ðˆ×‰EÚ‘mile and a quarter. At double the length we started with, we
gained another four-tenths in 2012 and are now just a mile
and two-tenths to reach Riegelsville, which has been our goal
since the beginning for our â€œregularâ€ run. The work has been
done by a contractor but once to Riegelsville, we will have
people available who can do track work in the yard.
I usually cover any news about the Bel-Del here as
The year 2012 got off to a good start. Only two stay
bolts were replaced on #142 during the winter. As it was a
more usual winter program, other work moved up the priority
list. The tender, for example, got some body work. New paint
was flowing elsewhere as another car, 530, got the vestibules
painted to match 500. Plymouth #18 has new paint. Also, the
movement to stop the rainwater in M-1 was showing signs of
success, if not totally, and the mechanical work continued,
including repairs to doors,
moldings, a new toilet, engine
solenoids, and when work
resumes in 2013, engine fluids,
finishing the tiled floor and
eventually getting the seats
reupholstered.
In 2011, the three-day
Easter event was a sellout and
March 31st, April 1st and 7th, 2012,
we basically used the entire Polar
train and were able to set a new
ridership record, topping last year
by over 400 customers. The rest
of April was not idle. Two weeks
later, we hosted the New York
University who were filming a
movie, Black Dog, Red Dog on
our train. Logan Marshall-Green
and Chloáº» Sevigny were in this
series of scenes, while Whoopie
Goldberg and James Franco also
appeared in other segments already filmed. Several of our
members were used as extras. It was a long day,
finishing
up near dark, just ahead of a line of thundershowers. The production
staff was quite large with half of them or so being
NYU students learning the craft. The Independent Movie Data
Base does not show a release date as of this writing.
Meantime, the weekend in between, several newer
members with track expertise went to Holland to fill in a 142
foot gap left by the removal of a switch a few years ago.
Straight-railing the section allows us to get speeders and other
maintenance equipment down the entire length of the line in
order to keep it, if not in service, available for service in the
future, including the occasional speeder run down to Milford.
While it has not been part of our Mechanical
Department prior, the track work is integral to the operation
and is worth mention here. The DRRE started with 3-1/2 miles
in 2004, increased to 5-1/2 in 2006, gained only about 900 feet
in 2008, but a section further down of similar length was also
done. We incorporated that section in 2010 as part of another 18
our adopted operational home and as there isnâ€™t often much
else to report, but there were freight stirrings in 2012. The
quarry has a customer for decorative stone in Florida and has
been sending a 100-ton car per month for most of the year.
The real addition is a new building supply company taking
over the old Warren Lumber site. They relocated from
further north in town along the NS track where there is no
siding and are looking for a hundred cars a year. The first
four came in December 27th with several quickly following.
As the Bel-Delâ€™s freight schedule reads â€œTuesday, Thursday,
Saturday,â€ we may see the passenger operation share the
track again at times.
As for passengers, the regular season started May
Bob Wyatt wiring up the junction box for the new
electrical service.
5th, with 142 making an on-time arrival May 26th for the
Memorial Day weekend. Just over a month later came our
biggest steam event of the year, Day Out With Thomas,
when we run two steam engines, with 142 not to be left out
this time. And then another problem arose. On the next to
last trip of the first Sunday, metal chips were noticed on
the engineerâ€™s side running gear.
Turns out the large bronze bearing
was blowing out the babbit, a
soft metal lining molded into it.
This same babbit was replaced
five years earlier. The timing
couldnâ€™t have been better as it
was given to Eric, who was here
from Strasburg to run Thomas,
to take home with him Monday.
Gary and co. had the rod down
Sunday night to do this. Meantime,
it was decided to go with a
brass insert this time and the
material was located in Trenton.
Gary then had to go to Trenton
to get the material and on to
Strasburg, arriving there with
five minutes to spare for a 4 PM
deadline Monday to get the work
done quickly. When Brendan
arrived for his turn on Thomas
Thursday, he had the new bearing
and 142 went back to work that Friday.
This was an exceptionally quick turnaround for such
a repair and credit goes not only to our own crew, but the
folks at Strasburg for accommodating us in such quick order.
It only emphasizes once again why so few people run steam
and our dedication to being one of those few groups who do.
We moved on to our â€œroutineâ€ portion of summer following
Thomas hoping it will be just that; routine.
Itâ€™s a long year that goes by quickly and thereâ€™s
more to report than steam. The day after #142 was done for
the year, Hurricane Sandy moved in, one year to the day after
the freak snow. While nearby Allentown reported a record
wind of 81 mph, rain was not an issue and we didnâ€™t have to
watch the river this time. Still, around fifty trees went down
on the tracks but we had the line open, if not pretty, in two
days.
The day after steam is also the get-ready-for-Polar
starting line. To say this is our most popular event is an un×‰	Ú 7cassandra://IgIPiwrDRtQjP-8AWPCU7jFXpSxzoyEJvB8ZQ3wQf00Í+Í`ÌÆÍ ×[V9ä°W)úË×‰EÚÂFinally, three Polars ago, we were using an exThe
inside of the #33 has a machine shop as well as the electrical
plant for the passenger train. Here Gary is showing
Devin how to mill a part.
derstatement when you consider we sold out in 28 days â€“ in
August. And that was with an extra operating day giving us
1,800 additional seats this year. Besides getting the train
ready, the station building finally got a permanent power
arrangement during this time and it was refreshing to see the
lights come on again for the nighttime operation. There is also
a power/communications distribution point on the picnic
grounds for the tents we use during the big events.
Foreign power appeared this year. The Black River
System had only one diesel assigned to the Bel-Del and we
needed two. All other units being out on lease, an Everett
Railroad engine, 1712, was brought in. Built as a GP-7 for the
Clinchfield, it was converted to a GP-16 by the FEC. You can
read about it on their website, everettrailroad.com.
Pittsburg and Conn-Dot power car to provide 480 vac to our
bi-level cars. During the event, the generator went sour and we
ended up using a generator on loan from the quarry to finish the
event. Said generator would be mounted on a flat car for the
next two years during which time the power car was sold to
Norfolk Southern for their steam program. We then obtained a
baggage car with much VIA Rail paint still showing around the
edges. This became our HEP, and tool car. After rewiring the
generator and other repairs it was painted and made its first
appearance for the public on Polar Express November 24th. The
paint job is a historically correct 1940 Susquehanna color
scheme of gray and maroon. Having never seen a baggage car
on a Susquehanna train after the coaches went all-maroon about
1942, I suspect this is the last scheme used by the railroad for
baggage cars as they were off the trains by the fifties. Does
anyone have some photographic evidence to the contrary?
Once again, I will remind all that this, while not the only, is the
most active part of our Society and it can always use more help
both in the shop and the train operation.
Our power car/ machine shop # 33 with her brand new Susquehanna paint scheme.
19
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