׉?ׁB!בCטFu׉׉ 7cassandra://eVfqV2BlZLhEVZr5IoWhkLAXInCEYZzu5ORpTCkL78Mja`׉ 7cassandra://aurBXPhNfx3BevWc3-jO21dGY3mqPirX7cNhFeCwX-srC`u׉ 7cassandra://J9KGpu9l5eq6AG-E3AiuBAvhaW88FS_tofusceH0nDA&G`׉ 7cassandra://3V2jxBzGupVnsKvLNEwSCrzTdZIQR-ZdsnYSga5Zl0M͠f[V>䰍W)טFu׈׈E[V>䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://J9KGpu9l5eq6AG-E3AiuBAvhaW88FS_tofusceH0nDA&G`[V>䰍W)[V>䰍W)4FבCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://0hMeJl1xHSBK-HZjpsuJXLxlS9-EuYp18fL7kYMfLLE`׉ 7cassandra://sZAWDQ-bXaQrIpsTc97YtLCKpqDB-E-NAsIarRILK30uz`s׉ 7cassandra://FwjkfW5Q8FEqR3h3QK75dC74hdKaQ9Mytttjw7XbV8E$`׉ 7cassandra://9KVAducadf1BaQEF1siv89ix8X8xTYGcvloDRnvnp9o(͠][V:䰍W)Nט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://IDG7iCIKj24TGXL0Ccap48gO_8pLnLrEaYlRyeEWxb4`׉ 7cassandra://bWsI3bmAqz3b_-MgQhYoa5YH1NshuCty9cVeBXyItRA|-`s׉ 7cassandra://N3FkiR6XuVM84N5PJNaV0-FIZeevgi9CP9j7mIkzsqw%`׉ 7cassandra://TA_z2dqOowErwUgNgHWuvFngaqXLscBRZIvTVhtHGE8<͠][V:䰍W)O׉EFeature Articles 4 The New York Susquehanna & Western Passaic Industrial Branch Brian Cronk Departments 2 3 Hi All, It’s 2016 and I’m sitting here looking at 30 inches of SNOW! Boy am I looking forward to warm weather, the smell of spring and being able to see the rails again! We have some new and exciting things in the works that will happen this year. That along with the “normal” excursions we run, will make for an interesting year. Now is the time to come out and help us get ready for the new Season. 2014 marked the first time we ran a Polar Train on a Friday. This was necessary because of demand for tickets. 2015 was no different except we added another Friday that sold out in 10 minutes! The way our tickets sell we are doing better than Rock Stars! As it looks we could add a bunch more days and still sell out! A special Thank You goes out to all who worked to make our Polar and the whole Year the success it was. As always there are a ton 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. Upcoming work in 2016. Working on the Coaches Getting the M1 ready for service. Getting the 501 ready for service. Brush cutting along the ROW Work in the Station Area Looking to continue extending our tracks further South, we are not far from River Road crossing in Riegelsville. Our next push should get us there! Come on out to help make 2016 a Great Year for our Society! As always, my “door” is always open to you, our members. President John Stocker 2 President’s Message John Stocker Harold Fredericks Richard Onorevole 10 Bel-Del News 12 Maywood Station Historical Committee Ed Kaminski 13 18 From The Current Time Table Ralph Bonanno Shop Talk Martin Den Bleyker Covers Front: Light engine move breaking up the snow in Maywood on 1-24-2016 Photo: Ed Kaminski Rear Top: The SU-99 at Rochelle Park on 2-17-2015 Photo: Kevin Quinn Rear Bottom: NYSW #142 steams through the pumpkin patch on The Great Pumpkin Train. Photo: Dylan Vieytes Meeting Dates March 12th in Paterson May 14th in Paterson July 23rd in Phillipsburg September 10th in Paterson November 12th in Paterson ׉ 7cassandra://FwjkfW5Q8FEqR3h3QK75dC74hdKaQ9Mytttjw7XbV8E$`[V:䰍W)7׉EZploits, family history, and articles for various historical societies, especially about railroads and other related occupations. One of his noted Railroad works was “The Wilkes Barre & Eastern Railroad, the Susquehanna Railroads Path to the Poconos”, published in 1986. He was also active in the Boy Scouts of America for over 60 years. Harold was also active for many years with the Pearl River Methodist Church, and later on with the Gracepoint Gospel. Arrangements were held at the Wyman-Fisher Funeral Home, Pearl River, New York. By Richard Onorevole Editors Note: For many years I have put together the “Reflector” our Society’s magazine. For just as many years, Harold was always there to help me with content. If he wasn't suggesting a story he was providing one. T he Society and both the railfan and historical community lost an icon this year with the death of noted historian Harold S. Fredericks who died on May 12th, 2015. At the remarkable age of 101. Harold was a friend of the Society and many related historical and rail groups had always relied on him as an impeachable resource, especially with regard to the Susquehanna Railroad. Harold S. Fredericks was born on August 19th, 1923 in Oak Ridge, New Jersey. His Father was the Station Agent for the Susquehanna Railroad and his mother was the local postmistress. Harold was educated in a small schoolhouse and attended Butler High School, to which he biked to every day despite the conditions. He attended college and graduated in 1937 with a degree in engineering. He was later employed as a draftsman/engineer at the Fibre Conduit Company in Orangeburg, New York, which was considered a “defense essential” corporation during World War II. Along the way he married Alice (nee Marlat) Fredericks who he would be married to for 71 years until her death on November 11th, 2011. The marriage produced a daughter Judith Brown of Schenectady, New York, and a son Donald of Rotterdam, New York, along with five grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren and one great-greatgreat-grandchild. Harold was also an outdoor enthusiast, enjoyed hiking, biking, camping and canoeing. He was a proficient writer and photographer and penned many memories of his early exHarold loved hiking on the old NYSW mainline trails. 3 When it came to story telling, especially about the Susquehanna his tales we not only factually right on, but, quite entertaining as well. I remember one of the first times I met Harold. We were operating the M-1 on the Susquehanna. For whatever reason, we were low on fuel and didn't know what to do. The trip was about to get cut short! Harold got someone’s attention and said “ I might be able to help”. One phone call later, and a Fredericks Fuel Oil truck met us at the Oak Ridge Road crossing. As Rich mentioned above, Harold was 101 when he passed. Much of the Susquehanna history he wrote about, he lived! One of my favorite stories had Harold as a young boy sneaking out of his bedroom window after everyone went to sleep. He would ride with the crew down to Butler, hang out with the crews and come home on the early milk train. This all worked good until the day there was a derailment and he couldn't get home. Let’s just say, there was hell to pay when his parents couldn't find him! One of the articles in the Reflector had some pictures Harold took when he was a boy. They were of Oak Ridge Station and various family members etc. One of our readers wrote me to complain, because I failed to note the photographers name. I had already stated that all photographs were taken by the author. They proceded to tell me that I was mistaken, that’s not possible! They were wrong, it most certainly was. I am very grateful for all the help over the years, but even more grateful for having such a kind soul as a friend. He would call just to see how things were going and was always there to help. Harold, you are missed... ׉ 7cassandra://N3FkiR6XuVM84N5PJNaV0-FIZeevgi9CP9j7mIkzsqw%`[V:䰍W)8[V:䰍W)7(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://lz1f5N7Gj_TiUc9NqekB8fR_WGgy5dKVhLyDSICmJns`׉ 7cassandra://9j55iYByeppQyS3qoKpdUmmb4TpMiFts47e1Oz5gaJIw`s׉ 7cassandra://eh4Ynyb0okLEEruFc9WPln8w_k_2gbCZhebheM0aWr4"`׉ 7cassandra://NwG7QPKB2ypNGqVyLB2gwT2iduKZclJz4c2oJi5emlI͠][V:䰍W)Qט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://qAE5JRyOdT-96BSe0Iy8qQxmrRGZl1zpX4EbqDr5HWw`׉ 7cassandra://mnciZNtupK1Ff9PMuU-O9hOVE1gzZOKvOJEFHx2FeRw͑c`s׉ 7cassandra://F6fYGQSBLIC2fAkOjfXqDmz8j1mGm5grYeAhcngBYAQ*`׉ 7cassandra://S_Ga_9o1ljwT0WuPyxvgDnhj2VwTNSZhx0nKBBl66BE F ͠][V:䰍W)R׉E The flagman returning to the 1800 after protecting the crossing. During daytime train crews would protect with flags and utilize a lighted fussee at night. Ray Wetzel photo 1980. The New York Susquehanna and Western Railway’s Passaic Industrial Branch. By Brian Cronk R ailroads throughout the United States provide vital transportation services. They link businesses with the vast markets the world provides. With time, these businesses are what built communities that eventually developed this country. Many of these communities host all kinds of industries along a common rail line. These industries were critical in employing citizens of the very same communities they manufactured the goods in. Occasionally, industry would be located far away from the main rail freight lines. Factories, warehouses and assembly plants would spring up in desolate locations. Ideally, the reasoning behind this was due to development around a source of energy or readily available resources. This could be bodies of water, location to the power grid or even telephone access. The first resource, water, would prove important for several manufacturing processes. Some of these include providing a means for producing steam, provided coolant for manufacturing processes and also supplied a critical ingredient in raw material production. The power of water when harnessed correctly powered the mills, spun turbines and produced all sorts of products a growing country needed. In the 19th and 20th century’s modern roadways, motor freight 4 transport and electricity was not a common fact of life. The industrial revolution was underway and better technologies were being sought after. Canals and rivers dictated where factories would be built. Unfortunately, main rail arteries failed to reach some of these industrial centers built around sources of water. Hence forth, the branch line was built. A branch line, like its name implies, leaves the main line and extends its way toward industry off the main line. With due time, this branch line evolves into the main shipping artery for that industry. Branch or spur lines are found on every size railroad. Class 1 freight carriers, regional and short lines all benefit from the advantages a branch line offer; they originate from a source far away from the railroads common path. For the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway branch lines are what built the many industrial areas they served in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Long before the housing and population boom seen in modern times, the railroad had purchased or built tracks to serve all kinds of industry along their main line in Northern New Jersey. These factories produced goods using raw materials such as coal, wool, paper, rubber and chemicals. Finished goods would be shipped for nationwide consumption. In war time these goods would prove more valuable for the war effort. The NYS&W maintained several branch lines in New Jersey along their Southern Division. The Sussex, Edgewater, Lodi, Passaic, Paterson City and Hanford were all branches built to extend main rail service direct into the industry. These branches carried many different commodities and varied commerce. As the decades passed, motor freight improved with successful roadway construction. Road way improvements also ׉ 7cassandra://eh4Ynyb0okLEEruFc9WPln8w_k_2gbCZhebheM0aWr4"`[V:䰍W)9׉E brought an increase in residential neighborhoods, sometimes even right along the rail lines. A certain fate would emerge on many of the branch lines serving this country. Unit trains along with diminished domestic manufacturing led to declines in branch line rail traffic and the NYS&W was not immune to this. The NYS&W was a well-established railroad in the late nineteenth century. Established in 1881 from the New Jersey Midland Railway the Susquehanna would go on to serve a heavily industrialized North East region. They carried commerce to and from the coal fields of Eastern Pennsylvania into the metropolitan markets of New York City. Aside from freight, the NYS&W also carried passengers to and from major cities in Northern New Jersey. This vital freight line would soon become the life line for sprawling businesses in Bergen, Passaic, Sussex and Hudson Counties. NYS&W’s Passaic Industrial Branch The story of the Passaic Industrial Branch starts in July of 1885 within the growing city of Passaic. Bird Spencer, Richard Morrell, David Campbell Jr., Richard Outwater, Dr. Cornelius Van Riper and Thomas Moore were a group of businessmen looking to expand their assets in Passaic. They came together and formed the Equitable Land Company. The Equitable Land Company purchased large parcels of land between the current streets of Monroe and Harrison in Passaic and slated to sell the property for mill and factory development. The land would also be used for building residential properties required to house the influx of future mill NYSW Alco powered RS1 238 and 240 with a cut of box cars at the sharp curve and switch leading onto the line that heads to the Passaic Junction yard. This section of the railroad lies on the Garfield/Elmwood Park (East Paterson) border. Ray Wetzel photo NYSW 1802 having recently cleared Market Street is shoving empty boxcars down the Passaic Industrial. This section of track runs through the "Cherry Hill" section of Elmwood Park. Brian Cronk photo, 1998 5 workers. In order to entice the industrial land buyers, transportation systems within and into the city needed improvement. Well before the Equitable Land Company was conceived, Passaic was reliant on canal boat to transport commodities for businesses. The Passaic River (originally named the Acquackanonk River) provided a direct means of transport from other port cities such as Newark and New York. Canal boat transportation was slow and difficult, especially during colder seasons of the year. Truck and wagon service was also available, but roadways were not fully developed for efficient service. Railroads existed in the late 1800’s with the Erie Railroad and the New York Susquehanna and Western as the forerunners of local freight transport into and around Passaic. Unfortunately the main lines of both the Erie Railroad and the New York Susquehanna and Western avoided the heart of Passaic, where Equitable Land wanted to market their industrial property. These men sought to change that with the construction of the Passaic and New York Railroad. It was in 1885 that the modern day Passaic Industrial Branch was laid. As their railroad name implied, Passaic and New York Railroad, the Equitable Land Company wanted to reach the lucrative markets of New York. New York offered so much in the way of commerce and marketing. It was a gateway for worldwide commerce. In order to reach these markets their short line needed to connect with a much larger railroad in ׉ 7cassandra://F6fYGQSBLIC2fAkOjfXqDmz8j1mGm5grYeAhcngBYAQ*`[V:䰍W):[V:䰍W)9(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://zH8HovfZA5oauoBISJwQZ2RvHuDYR4fVULWtIROKfmw`׉ 7cassandra://OW7ZQCW_H0i69Ixqt5rTHUsuaTJGdd8R8qCzxvjdlsY͎`s׉ 7cassandra://Fus5LVNGf_PhOW-c-LoJZKDKSBDwyxKl-ag4tahOCmc*`׉ 7cassandra://p82wj4UJhx8sdRnB5SfGNVOaCvs3bXOBm6TlthoZulwY ͠][V:䰍W)Uט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://aJDXq98LJj2SgMz6FXa906laKMIjtdtbG1aAtW4w7_Is `׉ 7cassandra://bf3eCQHVScfhvVp_nzyEVXZcwsMeTTqyG1vxJj6iEng͇`s׉ 7cassandra://dwEsx-zEuR7a7R7nORF533393R1u--i5UxJ5f0UiJrQ*l`׉ 7cassandra://PWe7HXwg7-Ge6SDeOLNDD0_q66R_WfWbWHHZbljLKKo8 ͠][V:䰍W)V׉EA duo of NYSW GP18's pulling a pair of box cars past Arctic Ice on Semel Avenue and the line that traverses past the Garfield High School. Ray Wetzel photo, 1979 order to achieve their goal. Building a mainline through Passaic was too big an undertaking and also impossible due to the alignments already in place as well as the current logistical layout of the city. An alternative was needed, which came in the form of a branch line. This branch line would serve the industrial needs of their new tenants. The Passaic and New York Railroad was constructed at a cost of $70,000 using private funds. The route of the Passaic Industrial Branch was traced out in an era when land was plentiful and few barriers were in the way of planners. Inside Passaic, the rails followed closely along the Dundee Canal. This canal was originally conceived to carry boat traffic. This idea never materialized and the canal was used a source of cooling for the many mills and factories spread out. The connection of this branch line would be made with the New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad at Passaic Junction. Passaic Junction was so aptly named for the connecting railroad from Passaic in modern day Saddle Brook/Elmwood Park. Through a transfer of stock, the New York Susquehanna and Western Railroad would take over operations and become the sole operators of the line in 1886. At the time of construction, the entrepreneurs of the Equitable Land Company may never have realized the impact they made with developing the city of Passaic and the state of New Jersey. The Passaic and New York Railroad, later named Passaic Industrial, would go on to become a vital transportation link enticing development of mills, factories and also spawning a major increase in Passaic’s population. These mills and factories would prove vital not only for Passaic’s development but also for the needs of the war efforts stemming from both World Wars. In the beginning, the Passaic Branch carried freight and passengers into and out of Dundee/ Passaic. Passengers could ride a train from Passaic (M.P. 21) or Garfield to Passaic Junction and transfer to other Susquehanna trains. The Garfield station on this branch was located on Belmont Avenue and River Road (M.P. 18.9). In 1898 passenger service ended, bringing a close to non-freight revenue on the Passaic Branch. Passenger service was not the only use of the Passaic Industrial Branch. Large and small industry was being attracted to the city of Passaic. U.S Rubber, which was located at the southernmost section of the industrial, produced hard and soft rubber for various industrial uses. Raw materials as well as coal deliveries were commonly spotted at U.S. Rubber. Okonite Wire manufa ctured high quality cables used in many electric, telephone and submersible cable installations. Most of their factory in Passaic still stands to this day. It must also be noted that the Erie Railroad interchanged with the NYS&W at a junction point near the US Rubber factory. Campbell and Morrell operated a coal lot and building materials yard within Passaic. This yard was situated between the current Jefferson and Passaic Streets of today. The Susquehanna hauled many commodities including coal which proved vital for the many industries springing up along the newly laid rail line. Reid and Barry, along with The Botany Worsted Mills, Forstmann and Dundee produced wool, textiles and lanolin within the city of Passaic. In fact, Botany Mills was the largest mill on the branch employing over 5500 employees in their massive mill. Parts of the mammoth Botany Mills still stand to this day. The Pantasote Company produced synthetic leathers used in furniture upholstery along with wall coverings and window shades. They later went on to produce polymers from chemicals. Pantasote remained an active customer after the GP 18, NYSW 1800 pauses at Outwater Lane in Garfield. Garfield Town Hall can be seen in the far right hand side of the photo. Today, this location is now home to the Garfield Fire Department. Ray Wetzel photo 1979. 6 ׉ 7cassandra://Fus5LVNGf_PhOW-c-LoJZKDKSBDwyxKl-ag4tahOCmc*`[V:䰍W);׉E NYSW 1800 and 1804 pulling a few cars past the Garfield Woolen Mills and Presto Lock. In 1979 this was the southernmost customer on the Passaic Branch. Ray Wetzel photo, 1979. NYS&W ceased operations in Passaic. This was done by service from the Erie Railroad. Small traces of rail service still remain in Jefferson Street crossing. Another large factory on the Passaic Branch was the Andrew McLean Company. They manufactured billions of yards of fine screen mosquito netting. All these mills and several other smaller businesses were serviced by the NYS&W Railway in Passaic. The City of Passaic lies separated from the New York Susquehanna and Western mainline by means of the Passaic River. This river provided the flow of water needed for the Dundee Canal. As mentioned earlier, the canal provided cooling water for the industry within the city. Bridging the Passaic River was necessary in order for the Susquehanna to service the industries of Passaic. The “Black Bridge” as it was called consisted of wooden pilings driven into the river and canal bed. This wooden bridge remained in place for heavy freights to cross until its failure in 1968. The bridge over the Passaic River was deemed structurally unsound. The Susquehanna had to rely on Erie Railroad trackage from the present day New Jersey Transit Bergen County Line down Monroe Street in Garfield (currently NY&GL). Since the Erie had a connection with the NYS&W near Jefferson Street this link allowed continued service into Passaic. This lasted only a short time before the Susquehanna ended all freight service to Passaic by the 1970’s. Industry within Passaic was in serious decline and the need for railroad service into Passaic dwindled. The Passaic Industrial Branch no longer served its namesake city and dead ended in Garfield at River Road. Outside of Passaic The stretch of track leading from Passaic Junction to Passaic was not strictly limited to Passaic industries. Garfield and East Paterson, later Elmwood Park, would also benefit from this industrial rail line winding through their back yards. Bergen County in the early 20th century looked far different than its current populated state. Open land lay in abundance and with the influx of immigrants industry had all the proper catalyst to develop. The Passaic Industrial branch, which had already been established for Passaic, became a life line for raw materials to be brought in for many new sprawling industries within Elmwood Park and Garfield. The same industrial shipping benefits found in Passaic were now helping to develop Rare CF7 Santa Fe 2425 shoving a lone covered hopper through the Garfield Lumber facility on its way to Stull Engraving. This unit was on lease to the NYSW for a few years. Ray Wetzel photo, 1985 7 ׉ 7cassandra://dwEsx-zEuR7a7R7nORF533393R1u--i5UxJ5f0UiJrQ*l`[V:䰍W)<[V:䰍W);(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://QJbZaqAJiSJeavdvwSG94TAnckezWxJtzLMfp3ANE7ci`׉ 7cassandra://D4F1W2JI9sfLDZqTaPzp06dB9PqmFFbwQpJjVuMzyUM|r`s׉ 7cassandra://W-VqmTu_ho1PlHWStqeYfyNrAs5hirtJteJ34ESMwfA$i`׉ 7cassandra://m0UAxUVr-iXzcTCyWLu-rfX3G65yqSyjrkJ47wYbtBc͠][V:䰍W)Yט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://i-6QAEPcl6VBSRwUoeB7OPCzTjyIHdNYLgLeRWgXI5c?`׉ 7cassandra://MnWQsaTbDGxK0XfvZmBayKMTyikTzlj7-tcw-sbN4tg͋`s׉ 7cassandra://eagEw6_w7AxKFasQ1MUCKZe7tYYGj6iD7IdiZYBwbYE'7`׉ 7cassandra://RjSmPJcMAhLoF0570qtF3y11z30SPSsUO2fKvZ1cdWUu͠][V:䰍W)Zנ[V:䰍W)X ̨9׉Hmailto:conrail_66@yahoo.comGׁ ׁ rנ[V:䰍W)aWr 9ׁHhttp://fromRailroad.netׁ ׁ Јנ[V:䰍W)`x9ׁHhttp://www.railroad.netׁ ׁ Јנ[V:䰍W)_W?9ׁH0http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Photographׁ ׁ Јנ[V:䰍W)^W)O9ׁH0http://www.garfieldnj.org/content/2182/2627.aspxׁ ׁ Јנ[V:䰍W)]̠9ׁHmailto:conrail_66@yahoo.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E here the trackage entered what was known as the Forstmann Huffman Woolen Mills complex. Like so many woolen factories in Passaic, Forstmann required large amounts of raw materials to produce wool garments. In 1957 the NYSW 1800 working deep within the old Forstmann Mills complex in Garfield. This local is switching newsprint cars into Garden State Paper plant. cities outside of Passaic A few feet from the underpass of the present day NJ Transit Bergen Mainline at Saddle Brook the NYS&W Passaic Industrial splits off their mainline. It takes an almost 90 degree turn into Elmwood Park. Along this stretch of track some small industries sprung up. Kerr Concrete Products built pre-cast pipe sections, Bergen County Bluestone offered quarried products and a few lumber distribution facilities sold building products. These building product distribution facilities were located within the current shopping mall located on Market Street. Most of these building products were used to build houses and develop the land surrounding the very same tracks they served. The tracks cross Market Street and take a winding route through a wooden cut in Elmwood Park. It passes through “Cherry Hill” which housed government workers that were involved with war time manufacturing in the area. On the other side of Cherry Hill the tracks make a few more crossings at the Boulevard and again at State Route 46. Prior to the mid-1990’s these two crossings were unprotected. Train crews needed to flag the crossing by day or light a fusee at night. This challenging highway crossing was not as heavily trafficked in the early century as it is now. No other industry resided between Market Street and the highway. The Passaic Industrial “main line” remained on a southern route from Route 46 into the city of Garfield. Prior to entering Garfield a spur was built to service another massive woolen mill located in Garfield, adjacent to the Passaic River. This spur track crosses Garwood Court and Ray Street on its way to the mill. These crossings were all manually protected and required the train to stop and protect every time they approached traffic. After crossing Ray Street the Passaic Branch crosses Fleischer’s Brook. From woolen mill closed down, but the complex remained an active customer of the NYS&W. Industrial pioneer Richard Scudder constructed a paper plant close to the woolen mills facility that turned recycled paper board and cardboard into reusable paper products. Garden State Paper manufactured mostly newsprint rolls which are required in the printing of newspapers. Along with Garden State Paper, Finkle Outdoor Furniture and a coal fired power plant was also located within the Forstmann Huffmann Mills facility in Garfield that utilized Susquehanna rail service. Some of the Forstmann facility remains to this day. However, Garden State Paper was torn down around 2010. As of 2015, Passaic Industrial trackage remains in place from the switch before Garwood Court all the way to Fleischer’s Brook. Back on the Passaic Industrial “main line”, the track continues south and serviced smaller industries. A recent customer, Garfield Lumber, received inbound car loads of lumber. At City of Passaic photo taken around the late 1970's. The ROW and Dundee Canal are still intact along with several mills. Decades later this scene will be dramatically changed with the arrival of State Rt.21. Photo archives from The Library of Congress. 8 ׉ 7cassandra://W-VqmTu_ho1PlHWStqeYfyNrAs5hirtJteJ34ESMwfA$i`[V:䰍W)=׉EQLanza Avenue is where the present day Passaic Industrial tracks end. The City of Garfield purchased the railroad The Boulevard crossing in Elmwood Park seen in modern times. The line is currently used to stage unused gondola and trash cars. Brian Cronk photo, 2011 Right of Way from Division Avenue all the way to the Passaic River in the 1980’s. Development of housing and a new fire house soon took over the ROW. Remnants of the ROW still exist and even small artifacts surface occasionally unknowingly showing the historical significance this rail line was. When the tracks were active south of Lanza Avenue they would have continued south toward Passaic. Dabal and Sons Scrap, Stull Engraving, Arctic Ice and Coal remained customers on the line. The branch crossed many small side streets south of Lanza Avenue. Division, Banta, Market and Semel Avenues all had manually protected crossings. Near present day Columbus Avenue another small spur line branched off the Passaic Industrial “main line”. This line was in close proximity to the city high school and served another wool mill. Samuel Hird and Sons manufactured many woolen textiles. This spur was ripped up and removed in the late 1950’s. Today a food and convenience store stand on the property used for this trackage along Outwater Lane. The Passaic Branch continued south with a crossing at Outwater Lane. After crossing Outwater Lane the Passaic Industrial Branch went on to service Presto Lock, Empire Box and Corrugated and yet another woolen mill, The Garfield Worsted Mills. The light colored brick of the Garfield Worsted Mills are still standing to this day, a testament to the strong brick and mortar construction practices of the early 1900’s. The stretch of track from the mill wound through Garfield and eventually would cross the Passaic River into Passaic, the terminus of the Passaic Industrial. Garfield’s passenger station was located at the foot of Belmont Street and River Road. As mentioned earlier, this station was closed down when passenger service ended in 1898. Being a native of the area it’s easy to see how the NYS&W Railway helped to develop this densely populated area. The Passaic Industrial Branch built up the area both with industry and population. Labor used by these mills and factories built houses which later developed these towns. With time and progress things change and so does transportation needs. Water from the Passaic River no longer powers and cools factories in Passaic. The Dundee Canal was covered up in the late 1990’s to make way for a highway. Small businesses rely on trucking to handle small less than car load business. These trends signaled the end of the Passaic and many other branch lines built to serve businesses far away from the main line. As of this writing in 2015, the right of way remains from Lanza Avenue all the way back to the NYS&W mainline junction point in Saddle Brook. The Passaic Industrial branch hosts car storage for when a down turn in business warrants laying up unused freight cars. I would like to thank the following contributors: Ray Wetzel, Jeff Burek, Tom Stanko, Mark Kolodny, Joe K. and many other online contributors who discussed operations through the years. conrail_66@yahoo.com Bibliography City of Garfield, NJ. (2015). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from http://www.garfieldnj.org/content/2182/2627.aspx Kaminski, E. S. (2010). New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad in New Jersey. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing. Library of Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved 3 25, 2015, from http:// www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=Photograph:% 20nj1660&fi=number&op=PHRASE&va=exact&co %20=hh&st=gallery&sg%20=%20true Lucas, W. A. (1980). Railroadians of America: History of the NYSW. Mohowski, R. E. (2003). The New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Schmitt, J. C. (2009). Historic Rails of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad. West Milford, NJ: Tinfoil Rose Design. Scott, W. (1922). History of Passaic and Its Environs. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. Tupaczewski, P. R. (2002). New York, Susquehanna and Western. Scotch Plains, NJ: Morning Sun Books. NYSW 1800 crossing the manually protected Route 46 highway crossing in Elmwood Park. This crossing remains intact today and with electronic signals. Ray Wetzel photo, 1980 9 various. (n.d.). www.railroad.net. Retrieved March 1, 2015, fromRailroad.net ׉ 7cassandra://eagEw6_w7AxKFasQ1MUCKZe7tYYGj6iD7IdiZYBwbYE'7`[V:䰍W)>[V:䰍W)=(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://s_-ZU3OBGg-mQIOvOhFtUQx1wVpIiIiQfUWptzrEveA>`׉ 7cassandra://Vhlb1VxIfk9mh8Ic-JJsAE22529wR-5e0uNQtnD3xGI͠`s׉ 7cassandra://MZR-N5XfCn2mvk1I5c3lOcixDsj9KSMv-x5v4PR0IuE1`׉ 7cassandra://k8lMZ75HJBkJ0jbsIDnppHthwc7WbCc05PMSR51lIu4͠][V:䰍W)bט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://ARhoADdXQableI9xigGboAWP7Jel5OTLKXpWaWg300I~`׉ 7cassandra://OiMwRCQfVHwHgaxUhkDFMrZa8x8DTnoEy1bzBRCAm20~`s׉ 7cassandra://yJhK7LYwaV8w6JoOjHXpt0H8XX9txSXzZ4MgSeVxL50+`׉ 7cassandra://WHXYeT1OnNr5FbWlXulFeUy9rURDEtRcgjVzDwYt1mAݛ͠][V:䰍W)c׉ET he best way to show what's going on around the railroad is with pictures! Here are some pictures of the work. Left to right, top to bottom: 1. Hank Webber turned 70! At the November 14th general meeting we celebrated Hank Webbers birthday with some surprise guests, Wes Camp and Ross Rowland. 2. At the Ol’ Susquehanna Mine it turns out we have a real archeological dig! Temple University has found many Indian artifacts from thousands of years ago! 3. For many years Bill Lammers has overseen the whole Great Pumpkin train pumpkin patch operation. In appreciation of his hard work we awarded him a silver pumpkin! 4. this year we added a huge, 40 foot tall Christmas tree to the station grounds. 5. The line is finally getting extended to Riegelsville. Here ties are being deposited for insertion. 6. A truck full of Christmas. Moving the many decorations we have to the storage car. 7. Greg blowing down the locomotive during The Great Pumpkin Train. 8. In October the feature film “The Broken Ones” was filmed at Lehigh Junction. 9. In September Martin, Dylan and Chris installed a new security system with 8 HD cameras. 10. #142 has been put into the engine house and winter repairs have begun. 11. This year we created a huge lighted Christmas tree out of the water tower at the mine. Here Dylan is wiring it up. 12. January 16th was spent getting firewood for the shop stove. Wood provided by falling trees on ROW. Thanks to Gary, Dylan, Don Gardner, Don Young, and John Wiese. 13. Devin is busy at work doing demolition work on the 501 which is soon to be our new snack car. Once the 501 is completed we can finally reassemble the M-1 which is currently being used as our snack car. ׉ 7cassandra://MZR-N5XfCn2mvk1I5c3lOcixDsj9KSMv-x5v4PR0IuE1`[V:䰍W)?׉E׉ 7cassandra://yJhK7LYwaV8w6JoOjHXpt0H8XX9txSXzZ4MgSeVxL50+`[V:䰍W)@[V:䰍W)?(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://4N1CaUFWUQSb2SNRaGZvJojIz6TzpZHD89izmTDs21g`׉ 7cassandra://Hi6VR67TusW3S3osUe-S3QqmMT5xOiBzq9h8bwc36Qk͎`s׉ 7cassandra://7gwPYW3-d6aduvsa3z2vUUv0Tw-jvcwoL7wF3FMHFkc,`׉ 7cassandra://ddpdFAorBwEfsN0LH2Fx1Py-nui0FSN--TdGT_Tl8dI R'͠][V:䰍W)eט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://XhCkGChtPkoMktHutMk0LJ15oNmC3Mxy0LbKEDQ9naE`׉ 7cassandra://D9IXdnl8kxihEFpxQVhxEy1k1w7nSbkhplAlBCCgCb4͒[`s׉ 7cassandra://09GzpFY829drSF1_XP1HhgEFpHS1vsS64z1LadOOU4Y,`׉ 7cassandra://iwsDh8WSeoe61LsxdaxjAU776g45oT39QgPNv7QS0Tw͠][V:䰍W)hנ[V:䰍W)kف̹9ׁHmailto:info@maywoodstation.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E cBy Ed Kaminski Santa Made His Annual Visit to the Maywood Station Museum on December 12, 2015 Santa made a special visit to the Maywood Station Museum for the 14th Annual Santa at Maywood Station event on December 12, 2015. Santa met with each good little boy and girl and every child will receive a bag of treats courtesy of Myron Corporation; Operation Lifesaver; Atlas Model Railroad Company; the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway; and the Maywood Station Museum. Each child attending also was given a free chance to win special raffle prizes including a BMW Junior Bike Tricycle courtesy of Park Ave BMW, which was won by Raaga Lalisetti and an HOScale Train Set courtesy of Atlas Model Railroad Co., which was won by Nidhun Ranjan Refreshments will be provided by Moon Doggie Coffee Roasters. The Maywood Station Museum was saddened to learn of the passing of original member Rich Fritz. Rich was a member during the restoration period of the station until he retired and moved to Delaware in late 2004. A painter by trade, Rich helped with the interior and exterior painting of the station; reglazing of windows; trim work; the reworking of imperfections in the original station woodwork; and assorted other items. Our condolences go out to his wife and family. H.O Scale Model of Maywood Station Museum’s Historic Locomotive is Available Now! A finely-detailed, operating, H.O. Scale limited-run model of the actual National Register Listed, 1942-built, New York, Susquehanna & Western Alco S -2 Locomotive #206 that is cosmetically restored and located at the Maywood Station Museum has been produced by the Atlas Model Railroad Company. The model is available EXCLUSIVELY through the Maywood Station Museum while supplies last and all proceeds will benefit the museum. The Maywood Station Museum is accepting orders while supplies last. The model is available in Item # MSHC-01 (Analog/ Decoder Ready) for $125.00 each (MSRP $149.95) and Item# MSHC-02 (Decoder Equipped with Sound) for $220.00 each (MSRP $259.95). To place an order for a model(s), please send an e-mail to info@maywoodstation.com with the quantity you wish to order and specify either Item# MSHC-01 or Item# MSHC- 02 including your name, address and telephone number. The Maywood Station Museum mourns the unexpected passing of original and longtime member Doug Earls. Doug was instrumental in the restoration of Maywood Station and our vision to become a museum. He even remained a member after moving with his wife to Texas with his job a few years ago. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Doug's wife, his family and his friends on their loss. Rest in Peace, Doug....... 12 ׉ 7cassandra://7gwPYW3-d6aduvsa3z2vUUv0Tw-jvcwoL7wF3FMHFkc,`[V:䰍W)A׉ERetirement gathering of employees for Sid Baldwin's last run, Binghamton, NY June 2015 OK folks, it’s that time again. Time to survey the scene and report on recent doings along the NYS&W the past several months. It certainly hasn’t been a quiet year along the railroad, to be sure, so sit back, relax and I’ll try to decipher all of the activities. OPERATIONS What better place to start than to recap the day to day dealings of the railroad. To start with it was announced after the last issue went to press that the NJ Transportation Trust Fund would be supplying a grant of $4.3 million dollars for the replacement of the iconic drawbridge just east of Bergen Turnpike crossing (MP 10.73) in Ridgefield Park. The bridge, nearing the century mark in terms of age, handles roughly 25,000 cars per year for the NYS&W (DOT figure), and is long overdue for repair/replacement and is a vital structure for the railroad. And speaking of repair and upgrades….. This summer saw the delivery of more welded rail to the Southern Division, which by now has been installed. The welded rail was installed primarily east of Butler and west of Sparta Jct, making the railroad close to 90% welded rail on the mainline. Included was installation east of the aforementioned drawbridge as well as towards 83rd Street in North Bergen. The rail installation has been supplemented with ballast tamping and regulating. Also included in the capital improvement projects this summer and fall was several grade crossing upgrades as well as tie replacement in various locations on the main as well as in the “MC” yard in Ridgefield Park/Bogota. The MC yard is also slated to get some of its stick rail replaced as well, though it’s not believed to be welded rail; just heavier and newer stick rail. Also among the improvements is the installation of a “pit track” at Ridgefield Park, on the “house track”. The installation of this will allow for underside inspections of locomotives, particularly the traction motors, which must be done as part of a periodic 92-day inspection. This would allow the full 92 day inspections to be done at Ridgefield Park, instead of sending home road units to Binghamton for the inspections. Currently NS and CSX leased units are inspected by their owners either at Selkirk NY or Enola PA. As for day to day operations, on the Southern Division at least, it would seem that things are busier than ever. There are several “WS” jobs every day, plus the SJ-1 based at Sparta Jct. It’s not uncommon during the work week to hear on the radio 3-4 yard crews all fighting for radio space. Add to the mix the SU-99 the days it runs, plus the CSX crews that come over (Y-120 and Y220, plus the occasional Y-337 at night), and it can get downright colorful on the radio, though no one has gotten hurt and most times crews TRY to respect each other’s airspace (assuming they can be heard by others). There really hasn’t been much of a change in terms of assignments from my last column earlier this year. A few starting times may have been tweaked here and there but for the most part is still the WS-1 and WS-2 early mornings, with the WS-3, 4,and 5 all mid to late afternoons and the SJ-1 still on at 430 PM Ron Updike and Sid Baldwin prior to his last trip west June 2015 13 (revised from 4pm), and all working pretty much MondayFriday, supplemented by extra crews on weekends if need be, and the occasional extra crew for Sparta, sometimes running from Ridgefield Park under an LF-1 symbol. A good barometer is the North Bergen Industrial, which runs east from Little Ferry to Jersey City where the railroad interchanges with NS. This stretch of track, while not wide, has seen significant development over the years with (Continued on page 14) ׉ 7cassandra://09GzpFY829drSF1_XP1HhgEFpHS1vsS64z1LadOOU4Y,`[V:䰍W)B[V:䰍W)A(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://zSDCH_FYbnucKLd1bKcVpn_Y_jshLJE1U4VVjTQZRv8֗`׉ 7cassandra://XaytkCTi_fb146xyYceZW8Nk_KWOfoLy9Xy9zlITWOI~`s׉ 7cassandra://CXIb7m42HunhZFpyrOTDznLpBtCVVWjVfCG6jznc1vY$`׉ 7cassandra://5L5-Cclav8TOrKKsZJhumzWju86X0LXYgU76__S1-NoU͠][V:䰍W)lט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://UBw_9terc2iBJA0APmGQM4D_GIg1nff3FRaaunkLDek`׉ 7cassandra://y2FdxYzkZW5UXWXRN1QF71gM_d0G2ww1Kw59XXImtUA~`s׉ 7cassandra://c-KYtTw0yxJekpkvSqSSXRxi-jthUhL_A31KzBACTx0&`׉ 7cassandra://-JPetGGGSp-w3jBs_ipYBb4-VmleLMlr1S1egKPuA4Q͠][V:䰍W)mנ[V:䰍W)j"n̎9׉Hmailto:blet601@gmail.comGׁ ׁ rנ[V:䰍W)sq̈9ׁHmailto:blet601@gmail.comׁ ׁ Ј׉Esignificant expansion at Resources (former transloading site for Hanjin stacks for those with memories) with significant auto rack traffic moved onto the property primarily from NS via Croxton yard in Jersey City, NJ. In a Northern Division incident in July, a 13 year old boy admitted to releasing the brakes on a covered hopper in Utica, with the result that it rolled down Schuyler Street, causing one motor vehicle accident in the process before rolling to a dead end track adjacent to the Amtrak Utica Union Station, ramming into a stationary display steam locomotive and pushing THAT into part of the station structure related to a passenger overpass over the CSX tracks that pass through the station. Miraculously no one was hurt in the incident which resulted in significant damage to the car, the display steam engine and the station itself. Also on the Northern Division, Utica side, on November 6th, the railroad ran a test train (read: light engine) on the Utica branch south from Sangerfield to Sherburne. This portion of the line had been embargoed since 2009. As explained by someone online with a reputable reputation, NY State provided the money for the work to be performed to be able to operate a train over this segment of the line. If the train didn’t run, the funds provided would have to be reimbursed to NY State, so the train operated to prevent the reimbursement and to show the necessary repairs were made. There is currently no significant customer base or potential for customers on this segment of the line. There is one lumber company that currently gets their traffic delivered from CSX Dewitt yard. But, as they say, never say never. Stay tuned. Back on the Southern Division, detours operated again via NJ Transit in September when the Middletown & New Jersey had several grade crossing repair/upgrades ongoing at the same time. The result was that several SU-99’s operated west to Passaic Jct where an NS pilot crew met the train, tied on to the head end, did a brake test and then departed out at “BT” and controlled the train to Hudson Jct where the NYS&W crew resumed control of the train. As NJT is cab signal territory to Hudson Jct and the NYS&W units are not equipped and the crews are not qualified, the pilots and cab signal equipped power was necessary. One westbound departed with a pair of NS GP38-s leading 4 NYS&W SD60’s and 75 cars, making for a particularly nice sound through Ridgewood at just after 1 AM on September 26. MOTIVE POWER REPORT Things have been somewhat quiet in this department the past few months, so not too much this time around to report on. The SD60’s are earning their keep on the road trains, the CSX and NS leased units are doing the same and the pair of leaser GP38’s can be and have been rotated between the Northern and Southern Divisions as needed. The Sparta Local, the SJ-1 has been using the 3018 or the 3022 for a while, as this assignment is best suited for a six axle locomotive. It’s safe to say that six axle power could also be reasonably applied to some other locals on the Southern Division given the traffic levels. As for the two SD45’s, the 3618 has been seeing service on the Northern Division of late while the 3634 was recently (October) spotted in Binghamton awaiting reinstallation of its dynamic brake grids and fans. As of press time there is no confirmation of this heading back into service. 14 The two tunnel motors that have been out west for rebuilding and conversion to ECO locomotives (thanks to grant money) have yet to return to home rails though reports indicate that time may be drawing close. The railroad could really use having the additional units available. As for the 4 axles, the NS 5291 and the 5294 as well as the CSX 2782 and 2732 (the “William Smith”) have been earning their keep without any major down time except for returning to home rails for their 92 day inspections. But given the demands of service on both 4 and 6 axle units these days, the less down time the better. RETIREMENT TIME …AGAIN The generational changing of the guard continues on the railroad. This time there were two retirements of note, both from the Northern Division. First off, in June, longtime road engineer Sid Baldwin retired at the end of the month. Sid started in 1979 for Delaware Otsego (the NYS&W’s parent company) and was initially employed in the track department. He also spent time on the Lackawaxen and Stourbridge, as well as the Fonda, Johnstown & Gloverville. He transferred to Train & Engine (T&E) service in 1983 and has worked out of Binghamton NY ever since. He was, for several years, also the General Chairman for BLE&T Division 521, as well as one of (Continued on page 15) Joe White and myself at Ridgefield Park NJ Oct 2015 ׉ 7cassandra://CXIb7m42HunhZFpyrOTDznLpBtCVVWjVfCG6jznc1vY$`[V:䰍W)C׉E RSid Baldwin's last SU 99 at PC, Saddle the National Vice Presidents for the National Division of the BLE&T. Sid was also a true professional, and while I didn’t work with him, he treated me as a true brother engineer, and I tried to do the same. I consider him a friend and wish him well as he leaves the railroad behind. He was given a nice send off by his current and former coworkers in Binghamton as he headed east for his last SU-100 to New Jersey, and the turnout was quite good, with food, drink and cake. Asked what his plans were now that he would be retired, he stated: “Golf and Scuba diving”, among other things. Enjoy, Sid; you earned it. And speaking of retirements, another one of note took place October 30th, and this one had a direct bearing with the THS. It was that of Northern Division General Manager and VP Joe White. Those with memories will recall he was the host (so to speak) for the years the THS would help staff the Cortland-Marathon shuttle trans for the annual Marathon Maple Festival, usually in March of each year, depending on when Easter fell on the calendar. In terms of dealing with the THS, Joe could not have been more professional, more accommodating, or more of a gentleman. Joe started his career on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, then going to Conrail in 1976 when they took over the LV and others. He then went to the NYS&W in the early 80’s as an engineer, eventually moving up to trainmaster and road foreman as well as becoming General Manager for the Northern Division. He became well known in circles for his affection for ALCo's. A simple stop at the Binghamton yard office would often result in a several hour visit. If the timing was right, lunch would be at local Italian restaurant Cortese’s across town. But for myself, he always had time to 15 talk, and never made me felt as if I was imposing on him when I would stop by. Personally, he couldn’t have been nicer or more gracious towards me over the years, and I will not soon forget his kindness. Granted I didn’t have to work with/for him, so my relationship was different than that of his employees. But I’m glad to have counted him as a friend, and brother engineer and railroader. Enjoy, Joe. Well, the column is a little shorter this time around as you can see. But that’s doesn’t mean there's never the need for news. Please feel free to email me at: blet601@gmail.com if you come across or have any news you feel we can use. The magazine is for the membership, and they should also help assemble it with their news items. Until next time… Photographs on next page.. All photographs by the author. Top left :SU 99 Along Route 23 at Newfoundland NJ June 2015 Top right : SU 99 at Wortendyke NJ June 2015 Bottom left :SU 99 on a late summer's day at Franklin NJ June 2015 Bottom right: Eastbound SU 100 crossing the Delaware at Hancock NY 6/28 (Continued on page 17) ׉ 7cassandra://c-KYtTw0yxJekpkvSqSSXRxi-jthUhL_A31KzBACTx0&`[V:䰍W)D[V:䰍W)C(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://dxq3g3UfZLrnWmWNSBsifUTnvfhntEaSdr3DP29C5dg`׉ 7cassandra://x6cWQa1vs621EvX_C7TnN-PIJuxG1SGE8nDvTPNz6Ik͎$`s׉ 7cassandra://M1cm2i039-zGPim0dvH7bEa8R3Ec7blzwpNL8bUG2r8-`׉ 7cassandra://Po5z_PIbETTc_M-xivbmGPmrvrLiDt_L9OP2e7rr7jc͠][V:䰍W)oט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://sR0j8B6p_MUZ-jfsi9hH2GNmGyIONbxSTviXCJ6GVME#`׉ 7cassandra://lZD6uwR08L0PRqMHzIlIKZDVpieiWcWh2p_u88Kkqb8͖`s׉ 7cassandra://BSWvbgb-MpkbvdTuD_OnxoasoL0kL-KfNL4osXEBaD8/`׉ 7cassandra://2ov9Cl594PxV8eqVPGmbY6tSJmw_SejyHkygIkXKiQo:͠][V:䰍W)p׉E׉ 7cassandra://M1cm2i039-zGPim0dvH7bEa8R3Ec7blzwpNL8bUG2r8-`[V:䰍W)E׉E׉ 7cassandra://BSWvbgb-MpkbvdTuD_OnxoasoL0kL-KfNL4osXEBaD8/`[V:䰍W)F[V:䰍W)E(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://WUMKKHkcXNJ_lihFjo4YP7GQQA7WTcxEdLxw7hwGoNQ`׉ 7cassandra://1lbAOln-jKpg1KDrxWUNep4vzUHJWzqOkARX5mFu6Xc͢`s׉ 7cassandra://OHWoxaaTqU6FoKd4-nl-X8ihPTsi2I1syWal-jOq5Xc/`׉ 7cassandra://zamB4jU_N0w2reWnDcNTBSPCEnXK1x8k4biSc_HOeO0 ͠][V:䰍W)tט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://oLIY0UBOecRz8m_meNP7SKVio5tEybTU43kseMlFJiM`׉ 7cassandra://FRo72MO89J3AKCqpgEqClKhCn6ogY0fOgscJwrMkOEE͒s`s׉ 7cassandra://WfKxWdlfhAS8J74hEk-lk9iADH8gnVkl8zqGCXNi8N0,L`׉ 7cassandra://QcejLqqg5Syl9pl5ECXZ7RwBhvRV43Jy9TrwgguZiYc͠][V:䰍W)uנ[V:䰍W)rN̵9׉Hmailto:Mechanical@nyswths.orgGׁ ׁ rנ[V:䰍W)zI̮9ׁHmailto:Mechanical@nyswths.orgׁ ׁ Јנ[V:䰍W)y N9ׁHhttp://imdb.comׁ ׁ Ј׉E :to Thomas. Another place we’re treading water is our concession cars. The paint used on 500 has consistently dried with black spots due to the tint failing. The paint company had offered restitution for this but a final paint coat has yet to be applied. Meanwhile, 501 still awaits metal work on the end vestibule decks and panels before it can even hold up a paint job. For some reason, finding a metal worker for this job has been utterly fruitless. Until that work is done, electrical work and moving the snack bar into it is on hold. This means finishing the floor and replacing the seats in M-1 is also on hold until the snack bar is removed from it. A slow mechanical report leaves me more room for T here’s actually not a lot to report since the last issue. We been treading water a bit – something that’s expected to change soon - but here’s the latest report. The winter 2015 maintenance program for 142 called for some thirty stay bolts to be replaced according to the ultrasound and that was done. Then enters the conundrum of the lack of a decent shop. The shop can’t be considered a “heated” building, since that would mean heat that runs itself and not require someone to stoke a wood stove constantly, so filling the boiler with water is not an option before the last freeze. You know when the first freeze will happen but you can’t know the last one. This was emphasized by the second harsh winter in a row. While this one started late, it also finished late with a short spring to follow. When the boiler was filled and pressurized, four other staybolts leaked and needed replacement so, start the process again and 142’s 2015 debut was held back until June. It did, in fact, get unnervingly close operational things. Thomas the Tank Engine came along the second and third weeks of July and there was only one 90 degree day, ironically on the second weekend. Ironic as we moved it one week later last year to get out of the normally two hottest weekends but then again, the 4th fell on the first Saturday anyway; another reason it was moved last year. Thomas saw an increase in ridership this year but frankly, has become a bit routine now. That brings us up to August. It seemed that dinosaurs just weren’t cutting it so a new venue was explored for a special event to replace it. We came in contact with a group of Renaissance Faire organizers and while there was still snow on the ground, we had them up for an inspection of the property via a caboose ride. Plans were drawn up for a Renaissance Faire on the station grounds while a train ride to the Kilns provided a backdrop we called “the ruins of Kilns Castle” for King Arthur’s Tournament. This is something we were looking forward to with great anticipation. As with any new event, it was not to be routine. The station grounds were home to rows of craft vendors, food and stages for several acts that included comedy, gymnastics, music and laying on a bed of nails. The Knight Train transformed our pumpkin patch into a theater . The New Jersey Renaissance Faire worked in partnership with us to make this quite an event! 18 ׉ 7cassandra://OHWoxaaTqU6FoKd4-nl-X8ihPTsi2I1syWal-jOq5Xc/`[V:䰍W)G׉EWhile this is the normal offering of a faire, the main event was the train to the tournament. There, as “Queen Guinevere” described it, within Merlin’s time bubble, “you have been transported here by a conveyance, Merlin assures me, is from our future and yet, it is from your past.” The train was often referred to as the “metal conveyance.” In a shout-out to the strong-women-in-cinema fad in the movies, Lady Elaine is elevated to Dame Elaine via an archery contest and allowed to participate in the tournament to become the queen’s protector, but not without tampering from the evil Mordred in the process. Merlin also provides us with some of his magic along the way. As a first-time Renaissance Faire, the event was successful enough that we expect it to be the regular August, at least for now. The audience at the tournament was thrilled with the show and a new one will be written for 2016. Meantime, the show’s the thing and these folks are capable of three more of the seven for a half-mile addition to the run that we weren’t able to use until just into January. Well, it’s ready for our next season and the Wine stop moves south again. The hope is that there will be still more extension by May to actually step one foot into Riegelsville. There is yet another ballast issue once there, this time in the form of wash-ins. The next issue will have a further update. Returning to mechanical things, one theme we have been emphasizing of late is permanence. Having come to realize that the Bel-Del is home to our operation, temporary things are, or should be, no longer considered the normal way of business. In two years, 142 is going to need the most severe periodic inspection there is. That means a complete teardown and, as you can see, it adds to the necessity of a better facility to work in than what we have now. The immediate realization is that the cost of moving 142 to any location where we can find better accommodations CMO Gary Matthews puts on quite a show while reinstalling new screen in the smokebox of #142. other thematic shows that can be staged on the railroad. They are looking forward to working with us again as much as we are in having them back. A quick note to add one more movie credit to our operation. A film entitled The Broken Ones was shot in Lehigh Junction station October 21st. This appears to be a really low budget independent film but you can find it on the Independent Movie Data Base (imdb.com) and you can add another notch to our film credits. Not much to report on this year’s Polar Express either but we came close to it being notable. With the warm autumn, including a December that saw Polar crew in shirtsleeves, we got additional track work done. The two-tenths that got ties last year had the ballast issue rectified with two retaining walls to keep the ballast from sliding into the river. Another seventenths of a mile got ties installed but this section had a new twist to it. Two trees had grown under the rail so large as to disrupt the alignment. For now, we gain the two-tenths and 19 will probably cost us easily half the cost of building a new shop ourselves and, rather than tossing that money out the window on transportation, that will now be the push in advance of that inspection. It’s a big project, one we’ve done before and another step toward permanence. Once there, we hope to see increased activity on all our equipment. More on this in the next issue also. So again, it’s all about how we need help. Metal workers, painters and other specialties, while they can be hired, keep cost down if they’re done in-house. But grunts and gophers are also needed as are all levels in between. No special skill is required to contribute time to our restoration efforts and many skills can also be learned along the way. Our operations also need more people to run the trains or help out on the grounds during a special event. 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