׉?ׁB!בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://MWgfXD50tNAOW5JaWyw43NoPa0KfDuOiDvdv9CkAMto`׉ 7cassandra://yrJ6FTtetZhRPgJ5Z40puLZpBk9XwncYikZmDbxeXz0t`s׉ 7cassandra://C8wmiASol1P-TGouQ93aGvj8ED_UBY3v_5__klgrr08+r`׉ 7cassandra://OmWxAPvc6vF3_2RA9JIXTaCnIHpOCWjHnSTybAW_tgs͠][W=䰍W*jט(u׈׈E[W=䰍W*h׉E׉ 7cassandra://C8wmiASol1P-TGouQ93aGvj8ED_UBY3v_5__klgrr08+r`[W=䰍W*i[W=䰍W*h(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://zoSgy7SqVhWvClsV1BiriUcR1x3k8xeKoGMFSHhveXgU`׉ 7cassandra://6VAYvg64DC6dsoKK_Az79zwAfQRBwI-7UHcSdaQmWeI}`s׉ 7cassandra://TwkRDI5KufiBY2lXGW9p97-V42vMWf86oxOJKHBV5hU'`׉ 7cassandra://EdkMeGoWxKXl_tXXSexRwMPjbyKLsUiJsBl0LWxWxBoh2͠][V5u䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Z2hQ1WI6dzkbjY4xdH5h9u2BQ4Y3Gjl3cFlevPQOHcsV`׉ 7cassandra://2xYxhAy77h-xO2807EBEnjgoyKOMixFRzWwMAW9k9Poͥ`s׉ 7cassandra://QKL5iEmJQ_iUWCwGMPaIDJQtzGolfIE0EqaIrFM2GOI1`׉ 7cassandra://1YvaRVcWYMmr59OTG1c7dHOUhurcCEPbYt-piLhvrq0 ͠][V5u䰍W)׉E As I sit here writing this, I am reflecting on the past, but setting my sights on the FUTURE! Feature Articles 3 We have accomplished so much, yet have so much more we can do. We took our Winery Train and cut the Bus ride down from around 30 minutes to around 7 minutes with the addition of the new stop a Springs, and now we are moving the stop even closer to Riegelsville. Chris Cotty had this crazy idea of an exploding mine, what a hit that has turned out to be. Each year we try to add something new/different. I can't wait to see what 2011 brings. And with the group of dedicated Volunteers we have, the Sky is the limit! However, for us to continue to grow, we cannot do it with out you, our Members. To those of you who have come out and helped in 2010, a big Thank You, we cannot do this without you! To those who I haven’t had the pleasure of working with yet, I look forward to! I hope to meet a lot of “new” faces this year. If you can give an hour or a day, it all helps, just come on down! New in 2010, the Addition of more track and the exploding Mine! 2010 accomplishments, Successful Easter Trains Warren County Winery Trains Day Out With Thomas Addition to the "Ole Susquehanna Mine" Great Pumpkin and Corn Maze trains The Polar Express Maywood Station: NYS&W Alco S-2 locomotive No. 206 added to the State of New Jersey Historical Register. Upcoming work. Bringing the M1 to Phillipsburg to finish the work on it. Brush cutting along the ROW Coach and gift car work 142 and Tender work Let’s continue to work together and make 2011 a Great Year for all aspects of our Society! As always, my “door” is always open to you our members for your comments and or suggestions. President John Stocker President John Stocker 2 A shot from the final days of passenger service on the NYSW. Departments 2 Getting There & Being There Harold Fredericks President’s Message John Stocker 10 Bel-Del News Les Coleman 12 Maywood Station Historical Committee Ed Kaminski 14 Shop Talk Martin Den Bleyker Covers Front: NYS&W 206 on display alongside of Maywood Station just after the snow of January 7th 2011 Photo: Ed Kaminski Rear Top: Susquehanna #3010 on the SU 100 at Maywood Station February 10, 2010. Photo: Ed Kaminski Rear Bottom: The NYSW 4054, 4052, 4050 at White River Junction - taken at 1851 hrs on 12/11/2010 on the NECR train 324-10 south. Units are obviously en-route back to the NYSW (according to George King) after being returned to service at New England Central's St. Albans, VT shops. The 4050 had sat with a blown generator for more than a year, while the other two units had seen intermittent service on the NECR until late summer. Photo: Kevin Burkholder 2011 Meeting Schedule & Entertainment March 12 — Wyckoff May 14 — Wyckoff ׉ 7cassandra://TwkRDI5KufiBY2lXGW9p97-V42vMWf86oxOJKHBV5hU'`[V5u䰍W)׉ETT he Erie Railroad family pass afforded many enjoyable trips to destinations on the Susquehanna. “Being there” often was a necessity but “getting there” made the day. The train consisted of two or three wooden cars, a baggage car, a passenger car, and a smoking car. The trainmen wore uniforms. They joked with the passengers and entertained the kids. The trip was never too long. The steam engine was a big attraction. Trips were made often from Oak Ridge to Jersey City and then to Bayonne to visit grandparents. Train No. 902 departed at 7:22 and arrived at Jersey City at 9:00. The train made fourteen stops. There was a flurry of activity with exchange of mail, express, and passengers. From Jersey City a trolley made the trip to Bayonne. It was nice to visit but “being there” was not as interesting as “getting there”. Sometimes we would go to New York City. We walked through the Erie passenger station to reach the ferry. There were trucks with solid tires. Horse drawn wagons and automobiles loaded on 23rd Street in New York. “Being there” walking the streets of New York could not compare with “getting there” on the ferry with the view of New York City. Annual trips to the dentist at Franklin were made during summer vacations. We 3 took the westbound train at 11:05. There was a short top at Stockholm and a long step at Beaver Lake. Here we tool the Hanford Branch down Sparta Mountain. Sometimes there was activity at the coaling station. We got off at Franklin Junction and made the short walk to the dentist office. Needless to say, “getting there” was much more fun “being there”. Lake Mohawk, in Sparta, was dedicated on June 26, 1927. A celebration was planned with the real soldiers in a mock battle. Levi Chamberlain, a neighbor, took me to the show. We boarded the morning Stroudsburg train (Continued on page 4) than ׉ 7cassandra://QKL5iEmJQ_iUWCwGMPaIDJQtzGolfIE0EqaIrFM2GOI1`[V5u䰍W)[V5u䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://Az4xgM88s-t8cbj-cMfFa3SVtGTy9bYSadP11SRBJfEH`׉ 7cassandra://i6ycQzVb7Q9wHw9lLG033PFQOyE74dtQRwPtuRy2AH4iX`s׉ 7cassandra://YJ8GlfOkEmyZiorARCrOpQRcmoQAHkASiMZ7HsBpPqs!`׉ 7cassandra://w8vvetV7ISOzOXI2Rd6p447o32OdRtA_ETy7llfyjYk ͠][V5u䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://J0VHaBPXMNmqNxi9mDmM29LxiuS3cvbbBxT4jicoF9w`׉ 7cassandra://PXxXYs9IdJRhb54PvUuctM_D-ExsWsIZQ0Wg8dTsks0^]`s׉ 7cassandra://Fe8OAC5uqC-oSE2_09Lo21S2WeJFTuYc3K1SHAVMfIA `׉ 7cassandra://Q3ig_ZCcbrjXABeWx-K5ea634u_WGrxkpwFPWicUIy0^ ͠][V5v䰍W)׉EEJersey City , New Jersey 1924 Photo by Jim Speer and got off at Sparta Station. There was music, speeches and food. The battle ended with the artillery demolishing a stone farmhouse. “Getting there” and “being there” were both exciting times. On an Indian summer day in October 1938, I was privileged to ride a Stroudsburg to Oak Ridge. We crossed over the Delaware River bridge and viewed the Delaware Water Gap from the cupola of the boose. caWe passed through Dunfield and Columbia with a two car train. At Hainesburg Junction eighteen loaded coal cars were added. The engineer pumped up the brakes and we were off for the pleasant trip through Paulinskill Valley. We passed Vail, Blairstown, Marksboro, Stillwater, Swartawood, Halsey, Warbasse and Sparta Junction. The scene changed at Sparta. The steep grade on Sparta Mountain slowed the train down to a walk. At Beaver Lake, I boarded the engine, No. 2481. The Susquehanna freight train from East engineer told me about bringing ice down the White Lake and other stories. With instructions from the enginemen I jumped off the moving train near home and I was home. “Being there” was good but “getting there” on a freight train was an experience that I will always remember. (Continued on page 6) Franklin Junction, The Lehigh & Hudson River Railroad 1924 Photo by Jim Speer 4 ׉ 7cassandra://YJ8GlfOkEmyZiorARCrOpQRcmoQAHkASiMZ7HsBpPqs!`[V5u䰍W)׉EuThe view from a caboose cupola in Hampton Township. Photo by John Treen Sparta Station circa 1917. Photo Jim Speer 5 ׉ 7cassandra://Fe8OAC5uqC-oSE2_09Lo21S2WeJFTuYc3K1SHAVMfIA `[V5u䰍W)[V5u䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://QCjCD22eBD8jI5jo8jDxcFW9SUGnROysKyuFxw0ww1w4`׉ 7cassandra://si6kU_Xv_jZnFdCDnAcsQFFKHT8EZfYP2m70SKo7jOAz`s׉ 7cassandra://s3FfSTHwZAxJjebpJs6xNEfi1wLbWKl3t0r527i5E50$_`׉ 7cassandra://padWrDHaQvUPjX-8nn1kMdUIsK2fVJnR9YSTFKK3Scc1 ͠][V5v䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://C53SZ0uQwzjO0lR8zkhJguTOJ7X3Du9MA-AywypqVOI?`׉ 7cassandra://JrpJu3cicjnSJTGZy2NRSZOF-zijv22Aw8LkZHrAVUIo``s׉ 7cassandra://ggfHm4DYQ40bM6Imuv1K7kO-aceV8-pbN08h1-m7Ep0'`׉ 7cassandra://GX-2LtKGJ6L8AwikDoOVOaHPQPgTShtkdcSihtG7O_I͠][V5v䰍W)׉EPompton Riverdale in 1965 North Newark, on Erie’s New York & Greenwood Lake Division was the station stop by which I reached Newark. I traveled weekends between Oak Ridge and Newark to attend college. I would more often take the train from Pompton. Sometimes I took the Susquehanna to Pompton Junction. There was a fifteen minute wait in the darkness for the Greenwood Lake train. I signaled the enginemen with a flashlight. The crew did not like to stop, especially for a deadhead (a non-paying passenger). “Being there” for college was important but “getting there” by train was arduous. The following years I drove a Model A Ford to Newark. In the early 1930’s there was an opportunity to take the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern mixed train to Plains, the end of the line. “Getting there” by railroad would have been a memorable experience. Trains, stations, and other structures could be photographed. The mixed train wound around the mountains, crossed the Panther Creek viaduct and descended to Plains. Plains were an ordinary, small residential town. There was no reason for “being there”. Page 7, 8 & 9 photo captions 6 Page 7 top:The NYSW on the SU99 at Ridgefield Park New Jersey October 22, 2010. Photo Ed Kaminski Page 7 bottom: Susquehanna SU 100 headed by 3022 on November 1, 2010 taken in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. Photo Ed Kaminski Page 8 top: The r eturn of the SD-70’s! 4052 on the SU100 in Ridgefield Park New jersey on December 30, 2010 Photo Ed Kaminski Page 8 bottom: Maywood Station basking in the sun just after the Blizzard of 2010. Photo Ed Kaminski Page 9 top: NYSW 230 on train #910 at Maywood in 1964. Photo G. Berisso Page 9 bottom: NYSW 230 once again at Maywood on train #929 in 1965. Photo G. Berisso ׉ 7cassandra://s3FfSTHwZAxJjebpJs6xNEfi1wLbWKl3t0r527i5E50$_`[V5u䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://ggfHm4DYQ40bM6Imuv1K7kO-aceV8-pbN08h1-m7Ep0'`[V5u䰍W)[V5u䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://dUUBkNRCvE1Sb6QzgMasKEsIsNHMI0LHel-qXkuLMHg`׉ 7cassandra://aazOgMfz3EhZzQfHrC2YW738A-O05r_pCp2i6x96ALQf`s׉ 7cassandra://cShLCbfFSZ3b8GAclcahXW_RtC8QXDtlKUkZqwlEo3s#`׉ 7cassandra://lCT1bVafekZ6TUX2WRsHixMboUaR_RY4zbjkCQcBurM%͠][V5v䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://pNWsVrdx-yWOIDpImRNOW-RefDkVZ5WLA6Eh39WZk5I]`׉ 7cassandra://Mg3imdEEa5FUV6IER6TgMLcAjxR4H7qZyqisq-3aFZA^R`s׉ 7cassandra://BzsFmtvNIdHiY-vvj2lVCdkxPpWg8beyA-BRSkpn3rw!`׉ 7cassandra://ano_lKQi3vADzU2RsaRy1FR6394fI7-s6vErroyT0SA͠][V5v䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://cShLCbfFSZ3b8GAclcahXW_RtC8QXDtlKUkZqwlEo3s#`[V5u䰍W)׉E׉ 7cassandra://BzsFmtvNIdHiY-vvj2lVCdkxPpWg8beyA-BRSkpn3rw!`[V5u䰍W)[V5u䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://fm14CSd3fOiinm5JXFNgoYOAocF0LKFRb2_0tZ5N4y4`׉ 7cassandra://RzF5KZxq2RwFhWew_7h83mMijDtxq0O6w1x7CO1soLI͛&`s׉ 7cassandra://QpgUfihUlsfXPIbY5Gdt_0Y0R06oOPOGwAGouhYt0yY,`׉ 7cassandra://NckDw5CG3vVm0TnqbWonlONmq8mDanxebKCvkzlBzqg ͠][V5v䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://xPaowk25BtVksraGzeWEhW3mYoptMFN6bUYlLHl6dyA`׉ 7cassandra://ZQve1M-1P0eedgmLVyEwPs_LahCFKNVWAwDgBkm0Vd8~\`s׉ 7cassandra://idev5GAEDCRWk1TFVV7kgU3dvjEN75JOgzHY6A_lE9g'A`׉ 7cassandra://HAXHNCQO02rXD9VBO6LVn3Ys1wizExgB54HSMFDb_Ec ͠][V5v䰍W)׉EWhat an exciting season it’s been on the Bel-Del. Easter, the regular season, mine and corn maze all set new ridership records. Thomas came back to thrilled crowds. Polar Express again sold out and was bigger and better than ever. Equipment was bought, repaired and modified. Our dedicated crew of volunteers has performed miracles at every turn. Even our gift car sales increased by 30%, thanks to the hard work of Gary and Bev Shea. And the usable track is now a mile longer than it was in the spring, leaving us only 1.5 miles from Riegelsville. Picking up where we left off last issue, Thomas came back this year. With our crews busy getting the third bilevel and 533 done and ready, we had even more room this year for riders. While the Thomas trains did not completely sell out, we had a nice increase in ridership on the 142/Mine trains. The weather cooperated again this year, with hot, muggy days and no rain. We added a new 40 foot long inflatable obstacle course to the various activity stations. On a safety note, Dave Hutsabaut provided lime and a liner to make a safety line along the platform to keep people back from the train, which worked so well, we even heard children telling their parents to stay behind the line. So many people contributed to the success of this event, but a shout out needs to go to Chris Cotty, Helene Meissner and Phillipsburg Mayor Harry Wyant. The Ol’ Susquehanna Mine received a new attraction this year, thanks to the imaginings of Chris Cotty. He designed and built an exploding mine shaft to supplement the 2 sluices. Now our visitors come in to the mine shaft area and our guides explain the mine history and other general mine info. Then he has one person push on the TNT plunger, and the mine starts to rumble, shake and explode, with the roof rattling and smoke coming out the door. It has raised many An aerial view of this years Corn Maze. The maze is thirteen acres and is cut by a GPS enabled tractor. There are two mazes in total in the design with over 8 miles of trails! 10 ׉ 7cassandra://QpgUfihUlsfXPIbY5Gdt_0Y0R06oOPOGwAGouhYt0yY,`[V5u䰍W)׉E'The crew of the Polar Express on the final day of operation for 2010. Many people that made this happen are not in this picture as not everyone worked every day. A great effort was put in by all and we had a great time . eyebrows and even scared a few. The Corn Maze drew a record number of visitors this year, including over 900 Cub Scouts and their families one late September Sunday. The hot, dry August caused the corn to brown earlier than usual, but the rain in September helped preserve it through the end of October. For the computer savvy, the updated satellite shots on Google Earth show the maze in full color. The best news came on the last operating day in October. We received clearance to run down on the latest section of renovated track, which gets us to Pincher’s Point. This is MP 43.8, giving us another mile this year, totaling 6.6 miles and counting. This will become a stop off picnic area next year at a very scenic bend in the river. Once we crossed the bridge south of Edinger’s in July, we shaved off 7 minutes of bus ride for our Winery Train riders, and now we will be even closer. Gary Matthews and Martin Den Bleyker made a new platform for the wine bus to stop at, and now will move it further south in the spring. They also added 2 more loading platforms at the Kilns to help speed up loading time during Easter and Pumpkin seasons. Last but certainly not least, was the 2010 Polar Express season. The cars were cleaned and decorated, trees and 11 brush was cut back, 28 trips sold out by the first week in November, and Santa came for a wonderful visit. In addition to the regular staff of waiters, musicians, Santa and his elves, we added a world class juggler, Josh Horton, who roamed the train juggling coffee cups, pins and colored balls. Also added was a traveling Band Organ that delighted our guests with music, lights and mechanical musicians while they waited at the station. The crews worked hard preparing and running these trips, and deserve a big THANK YOU for a job well done. Promotions Jesse Dorn to Fireman Steve James to Conductor ׉ 7cassandra://idev5GAEDCRWk1TFVV7kgU3dvjEN75JOgzHY6A_lE9g'A`[V5u䰍W)[V5u䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://q3pbkQdsLBQU2NwJF-oCkE802ZytS8utls0R685bnPw.`׉ 7cassandra://rWOJWTBF2QN3cYQkQHtXI-y9Tx-KIyGN5f7ENG2A-Os͗|`s׉ 7cassandra://Eg7YHtMBrkGwB0Dp0J7F4MYkZ2b6xUU1XwuIaahXf9Y-`׉ 7cassandra://w_uqBFh7Z6-22IJkiSdlpd2pMResZIsc3hkYgmI8xs4=9͠][V5w䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://8HH0ErlW6JBGdNlnaSeEK83YOOGZv0Wj-AgYpwQ3wCsbU`׉ 7cassandra://cDfCOr7QiIWVYZiZ-2Ei9pXD_a51brc1Osn4zSbvw7s͙`s׉ 7cassandra://RiKQL9lQVLP6_tGMl0tBwJ9N4VFcvwCUpAA0-AI142U+s`׉ 7cassandra://NUQs5ChDQ4PyZm9yHYziVvIiWZdTFOeD_fI6iUVsduEm͠][V5w䰍W)׉E Patel. Santa said he's going to try to make a visit again next December but said everyone must remember to be good little boys and girls in 2011! ANNUAL RAILROAD DAY AT MAYWOOD STATION By Ed Kaminski SANTA and the Operation Toy Train Visited Maywood Station on December 11, 2010! Santa arrived at Maywood Station on Saturday morning, December 11, 2010 onboard the NJ Operation Toy Train to collect toys for the U. S. Marine Corps Annual Toys for Tots Drive. The public was invited to bring unwrapped toys to be donated onboard the special train for the Toy Drive. After the train departed, Santa made his way into Maywood Station for his annual visit at the 9th Annual Santa at Maywood Station. Santa greeted a huge crowd of enthusiastic children and their parents and a definite holiday vibe was in the air. Santa met with each good little boy and girl and each child received a "goody bag" courtesy of Myron Corporation, Operation Lifesaver, Atlas Model Railroad Company, the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway and the Maywood Station Historical Committee. Each child attending was also given a free chance to win special raffle prizes including a BMW Roadster Child's Riding Car courtesy of Park Ave BMW; which was won by Ray Barbara; an H.O. scale Starter Train Set courtesy of Atlas Model Railroad Company, which was won by Luke Schwaiewedi; and an N scale Starter Train Set courtesy of Atlas Model Railroad Company which was won by Kelly Chen; and a Bachmann H. O. scale “Shrek” Limited-Edition Holiday Train Set, which was won by Mayur This year’s Annual Railroad Day at Maywood Station event was held on October 3rd. Great weather and large crowds enjoyed railroad historical societies, model railroad clubs and railroad memorabilia vendors participating with sales tables and displays on the station grounds; the Northern New Jersey N-Trak Club displayed their operating N-scale modular train layout; and Joe DeLuca, a retired employee of the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad and PATH displayed a variety of items from his railroad career. The event turned out to be one of the largest to date for the Maywood Station Museum with nearly 500 visitors in attendance. At the Annual Railroad Day at Maywood Station event on October 3, 2010, Joe DeLuca, a Maywood resident and retired Hudson & Manhattan Railroad and PATH employee (top) displayed a collection of historical items from his railroad A little boy sits on Santa's lap as he tells his holiday wishes at the 9th Annual Santa at Maywood Station event held on December 11, 2010. (Photo by Rosemarie Kaminski) 12 career while the Northern New Jersey N-Trak Club (bottom) displayed their operating train layout and unveiled their Maywood Station modular section on their layout. (Top photo by Ed Kaminski; two bottom photos by Doug Earls) ׉ 7cassandra://Eg7YHtMBrkGwB0Dp0J7F4MYkZ2b6xUU1XwuIaahXf9Y-`[V5u䰍W)׉E The MSHC 2010 Year in Review Overall, 2010 can be viewed by the membership of the Maywood Station Historical Committee as a somewhat quiet but steady year. Although we did not have a “major project” to work on this year, membership remained busy with many smaller projects including finishing up several details on New York, Susquehanna & Western S-2 #206; changing and enhancing displays inside the museum; and working on cataloging and archiving recent donations. A new display case was also added to the museum in 2010 and the museum’s archive continues to grow. Public attendance figures to the museum’s 2010 schedule of seven open houses between April and November and the Annual Santa at Maywood Station on December 11th set a new record. This year we experimented and reduced the usual Sunday three-hour open house schedule from six dates to four while adding three Wednesday evening two -hour open houses to the schedule. The museum never tried Wednesday evening open houses in the past and I’m happy to report that they worked out very well and we saw exceptionally good attendance at each one. For the year, the Maywood Station Museum schedule of seven open houses and the Annual Santa at Maywood Station event drew 2351 visitors. This represented a 1% increase from 2009’s total of 2289 visitors and matched up well against previous totals of 1982 in year 2008, 2142 in year 2007, 1967 in year 2006 and 1621 in year 2005. The museum saw a 34% increase in revenue from open houses as compared to year 2009, which was 46% higher than year 2008. The new books Maywood - The Borough, The Railroad, and The Station and continued good sales from Museum Store items such as The Maywood Station Story DVD, holiday ornaments, calendars and Maywood Station models contributed to much of the revenue gains as well as general donations. Some highlights of 2010 included New York, Susquehanna & Western S-2 #206 being formally placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 19th. The locomotive was previously placed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on September 10, 2009. At the Annual Railroad Day at Maywood Station event on October 3, Bergen County Executive, Dennis McNerney, presented the Maywood Station Museum with a proclamation honoring the work that the museum’s volunteer membership has accomplished. The event that day also marked one of the museums largest to date with close to 500 visitors in attendance. Year 2010 also brought many new additions and donations to the museum including the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad’s original Centralized Traffic Control Board and Telegraph/ Telephone circuit board; various railroad paperwork; railroad hardware; and photographs. Some of these items will be worked on through the winter months and appear in the museum in 2011. We look forward 2011 and invite you to visit and experience our museum for the first time if you haven’t in the past, or come and visit us again and see history. Large crowds waited patiently to meet Santa inside Maywood Station at the 9th Annual Santa at Maywood Station event on December 11, 2010. (Photo by Ed Kaminski) On December 11, 2010, NJ Operation Toy Train stopped at Maywood Station before the 9th Annual Santa at Maywood Station event to collect new, unwrapped toy for the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots Toy Drive. Crowds are shown in this photo donating toys onto the train. (Photo by Robert P. Pisani) 13 ׉ 7cassandra://RiKQL9lQVLP6_tGMl0tBwJ9N4VFcvwCUpAA0-AI142U+s`[V5u䰍W)[V5u䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://2SOHXyYVAzAH40bhAtZjbWUdl85KrB9czRIZBBUOThsT`׉ 7cassandra://zuP_CUWsJWxewod5Dsy6X_ruQPeR82-Jfv8fB7nwIw4͜h`s׉ 7cassandra://EkKc0fAY_fTJZbqmbkuaVLVBk_5ebWTAkg4FXVwXgPI+`׉ 7cassandra://pPhIPeM8A-I4eiS4wbh2pjC2Nw66P7k6c0ApmgQiPHE^͠][V5w䰍W)ט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://tXmYdb-8nRhC5ym2uhZg-RTsuz1dC-SreaqTWePX88gJ`׉ 7cassandra://Ao4MKOIAvIF7xE7xxFOw-DMIloTPFxt_Uez3fj-zwZ8͗|`s׉ 7cassandra://fc1dX2wTx2Y2Tf5jWXjQxchEBauFkN2AN6AQVzOImt4'M`׉ 7cassandra://pRP2w144_CZyFIs_kYDOiuX-2B28_J09SXtoI3h4rbg7[͠][V5x䰍W)ܑנ[V5x䰍W)9ׁHmailto:Mechanical@nyswths.orgׁ ׁ Ј׉EKand the old tiles stripped. We have another contractor who placed the new tiles down. Meantime, member Keith Dorn continued his efforts to make the walkover feature work on the seats. The LIRR welded the seats in one position as a safety factor, should the cars ever get in a crash, a concern now replaced by locks or gravity clutches like a seat belt. The original estimate was four man-hours per seat to grind off the welds. Keith has it down to 20 minutes, except for the every-car-hasone hard case or two. Some of the seats were also rusting badly enough that the metal had to be built up. This time around, he was taking them home in I have routinely listed the projects we take on and I have reminded us always that the “Technical” in our name is about restoration. I have always left the door open for more people to get involved with these projects. Without these projects, our “Historical” mission to educate the public about trains is lost. This issue, I am going to take on a slightly different tact and focus on several individual projects. Anatomy of a Bad Thing I’m not going to harp on about some moron’s attempt at his 15 minutes of fame by posting a erroneous web page about abandoned places. The fact is, it happened, and the result was the disaster known as our third bi-level. As a reminder, we bought several Pullman-built gallery cars from Chicago Metra, ex CB&Q coaches. We traded some away and kept three, but one arrived later than the others and it fell victim to that web site, with persons unknown making a clubhouse out of it. There was clothing scattered about, graffiti, cut-up seat cushions, broken glass and light fixtures and food and garbage May and June, the garbage was shoveled out, graffiti removed from metal and window surfaces and the painted surfaces were given a new maroon finish. We have a seat upholsterer who repaired the cut cushions. Like its sister cars before it, a dozen new slider windows were installed to reduce the need for air conditioning. And the car was cleaned, cleaned and cleaned again. During the Thomas event, it was added to its sisters to make a three coach train (plus the gift shop) for 142 while Thomas had the LIRR cars. Although it happened only once - the second trip on the last day - it went out packed as were the other two cars. Nonetheless, it saw its share of passengers those weekends, making it all worth it. It finished out the year on the Polar Express where it served as an office for the “Big Guy” in one half and an overflow section in the other. Same Old Grind LIRR coach 533 was next in line to get new floor tiles. After the Easter trips, it was set aside in the yard 14 The Ol’ Susquehanna mine’s exploding mine shaft and outhouse. Winery Train started in 2006, it was at the then-end of track and unloaded onto a public road. With the 2008 track extension, it was moved onto a private drive, which was better, But in 2010, we gained a critical half -mile of track that put us past the railroad’s bridge that was too low for the buses. This was a major move as we expected the 20 minute bus ride could be cut in half. The actual time the first day was seven minutes – almost one third! The problem is, it was only the first phase of track extension we expected for the year. If we reached the year’s goal, we would be back to unloading on a his pick-up a few at a time and working on them evenings. The 533 is now the third car with a new tile floor and the second with walk-over seats. That leaves the “Wine” car, 532, for both jobs and Keith has to go back to the 531 for the seats. Station Keeping If you know LIRR history, you might be familiar with a famous incident of them moving a station for spite because the customers there complained too much. Well, speaking of the Wine Car, we’re moving one again, but to prevent that. When the everywhere. After arriving at the Bel-Del, during ׉ 7cassandra://EkKc0fAY_fTJZbqmbkuaVLVBk_5ebWTAkg4FXVwXgPI+`[V5u䰍W)׉EWork then began on the remainder of the interior project and some mechanical items when it finally arrived in January, 2011. One Last Thought Since the mechanical projects support the operation, which raises money to support the mechanical doings (and much else), I routinely cover the operation here as well. As Polar Express brought to a close the 2010 season, the statement was made, “Look how far we’ve come” as we traversed the new in-service track section, though it was not meant solely as a reference to the mileage. So a quick review after our seventh season seems in order. We started May 1st, 2004 with 3-1/2 miles of track, push -pulling a forty-minute trip hourly on weekends and Turtle runs on Thursdays and Fridays. That was it. We ran a coach and a half (power car) train in DeFirst train to Pinchers Point! Photo by Martin DenBleyker public road. Still, it was that critical that we establish a temporary station for the bus transfer, even if only for a month or two. That meant clearing some trees and brush, a bit of grading and placing a wooden platform, such as we use at the Kilns for Easter and October trips, topped off with a small sign that reads “Springs” to denote the stop. Springtown is the nearby section of Pohatcong for which it was named. Turns out the second phase wasn’t done until October, reaching Pincher’s Point. That made it useless for the 2010 steam program except, we slipped down there the last two trips on the last day of the season, but it was available for Polar Express. We’re hoping to move a bit farther in the spring of 2011, so the wine transfer will be moved accordingly as that happens, keeping the station on the move toward Riegelsville. Comings and Goings The car that accompanied the bi-levels was a privately owned power car. That car has now been sold and a replacement was needed. The outgoing power car became NS 42. Look for it on their new steam program. As a replacement we purchased a power car, which became our THSX 33. I’m not sure how much is actually known about this car, but it started life as a baggage car and had evidence of a VIA paint job. There’s a 240 v generator in it. That works for the Long Island cars, but the bi-levels need 480 v and it’s not a good Santa office. Another car that left was the #1009 ex-CNJ coach that was trucked to Ringoes. That and later a caboose ended up routed to the Bel-Del instead of the Black River. The caboose is also expected to leave for Ringoes. Meantime, a private sleeper, diner and LIRR lounge car arrived. Add to this the arrival of the third bi -level and the M-1 and we have more cars coming in than going out. We want to put the lounge car and diner into service, but they will require various degrees of work to do so. Finally, speaking of M-1, it received the requisite brake work, but didn’t get a single-car test until November, which it failed the first time, but a week and a minor repair later, passed and was able to be shipped. 15 cember to visit with Santa, while running Santa on NJ Transit for the last time as well. In 2006 we extended to 5-1/2 miles and changed the schedule to every hour and a half (I’ve already noted the Winery Train that year). By this time we were running Bunny trains and the Polar Express. In 2007 we had the first corn maze and created what would later be named Mine Station as we opened the Ol’ Susquehanna Mine in 2008. It was doubled in size in 2009 and the mine “entry” added in 2010. In 2008 we also added just less than 1000 feet of track; however another section was rehabbed further down the line. In 2010 we connected to that section and then some, extending the ride to seven miles, double what we started with. Every year we sell out Polar earlier (turning more people away, I guess), carry more people for the bunny at Easter and picking pumpkins in October. While still push-pulling the steam, we are now at Pincher’s Point, only 1.6 miles from the goal of Riegelsville where we will run-around the train, and more activities are being considered at both spots to keep customers interested and returning. We feel only limited by our imaginations at this juncture. Each of the mechanical projects that make all this possible involves a variety of skills, from the simplest to the more complicated. We keep hoping that additional people get involved. Each project can use a godfather (or godmother) to look over it. If you want to get involved, or at least take a first-hand look at what’s involved, you can get information on how at Mechanical@nyswths.org. ׉ 7cassandra://fc1dX2wTx2Y2Tf5jWXjQxchEBauFkN2AN6AQVzOImt4'M`[V5u䰍W)[V5u䰍W)(בCט(u׉׉ 7cassandra://7-RshXotplrdiNwjJWgzRWs1ABDlio6USHYUdtm3swEw`׉ 7cassandra://Du34_0qFeZD56y3Ono7kooK01KPnMmZqtR_BxGphBocdS`s׉ 7cassandra://CrZriyhS-MFt6oPWXDIyolf08LSOWAi8k4uk1OSotsA"R`׉ 7cassandra://nJuQcy0X_DKQfMJGSO83BXksIKJJWAOxD7SlPhqqT8Y͠][W=1䰍W*d׈E[W=1䰍W*b׉E׉ 7cassandra://CrZriyhS-MFt6oPWXDIyolf08LSOWAi8k4uk1OSotsA"R`[W=1䰍W*c[W=1䰍W*b(,Reflector 14 3[V5q{aE