Doesn't look promising...

[rhensley@anderson.cioe.co]

I would have to say that survival of this particular forum is not assured. That's too bad because the Central was a great railroad that took a back seat to no one during the majority of it's lifespan.
:-(

Roger

Roger Hensley - rhensley@anderson.cioe.com
== http://madisonrails.railfan.net/ ==
== Railroads of Madison County (Indiana) ==
http://madisonrails.railfan.net/image/tgang_sm.gif

[Robin Matthysen]

Too true Roger. The New York Central has great history that surely some of us are interested in. Some of the How To model railroad books show pictures of actual NYC trains and track in action to use as idea starters for us model railroaders.
<marquee>THE GLORY DAYS</marquee>

------------------
Robin member #35
http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

Maberly and Tayside (http://members.nbci.com/Matthyro/index.html)

[This message has been edited by Robin Matthysen (edited 10 December 2000).]

[fitz]

Roger, I tried to stir up some interest some time ago. Guess I'll try again. Is there anyone out there who has any photos (besides me) of the 1940 wreck of the Lake Shore Limited at Little Falls, NY, or the subsequent track rerouting completed in 1947? I am very interested, being raised in Little Falls.

------------------
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/ http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

[watash]

The only thing I ever heard about was the Empire State Express! I would really like to see pics and hear about the wreck and anything else on the NYC. I don't have any photos except some copywrited in a book and I am not sure if I can post them or not???

------------------
Watash #982 http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/092.gif

[Robin Matthysen]

Movie buffs will tell us that Alfred Hitchcock made a great movie called North by North West starring Cary Grant. There are some great NYC shots on the trip from New York to Chicago. If you haven't seen this movie you should rent it. You will enjoy it. http://www.trainboard.com/smile.gif

------------------
Robin member #35
http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

Maberly and Tayside (http://members.nbci.com/Matthyro/index.html)

[rhensley@anderson.cioe.co]

I'll second that! The movie is great and the train scenes not only add to the movie, but give a real slice of the way we traveled back then.

Roger

Roger Hensley - rhensley@anderson.cioe.com
http://madisonrails.railfan.net/nyclines.gif

[fitz]

Here's a start. The rerouting of the gulf curve in Little Falls has always fascinated me. These two photos (taken by Bob McEvoy of Little Falls) were taken on Nov. 19, 1947, probably the ONLY time the Empire State Express actually stopped in Little Falls, for a ribbon cutting to dedicate the opening of the new curve. Watash, I'll send a photo of the wreck and the old/new tracks in another message. http://www.trainboard.com/biggrin.gif
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/ese1.jpg
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/ese2.jpg

------------------
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/ http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

[fitz]

Here are two fairly poor quality (read OLD) pix showing J-1e Hudson 5315 after the wreck in Little Falls on April 20, 1940 (courtesy Richard Barrett); and the old and new track routing, taken Sept. 1947.
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/5315w.jpg
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/lf2.jpg

------------------
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/ http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

[watash]

Fitz, you have the photos that interest me! I have many times tried to find out how did they clean up a wreck like that? If it took two steam cranes to pick up that engine, how did they get one crane to reach the other end of the engine? That sort of thing. Back in the 20's someone wrote a book on How to go about it Safely. I have never been able to find a copy of it.

The History Channel had a Trains Unlimited show on at 4:00AM Today(last nite) about the 20th Century Limited etc that showed one of them taking on water from a water trough at 80mph! It was the third car back of the engine that the water bucket landed when it hit the end of a trough! The fireman failed to pull it up in time. They normally scooped 5,500 gals into the tender on the fly gaining much needed time on the run. It was an impressive sight.

------------------
Watash #982 http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/092.gif

[Robin Matthysen]

Great pictures Fitz. I hope you have some more hidden away. Keep them coming.

------------------
Robin member #35
http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

Maberly and Tayside (http://members.nbci.com/Matthyro/index.html)

[fitz]

Watash, thanks for answering. I can't keep this forum going by myself. I think I have some photos of the "big hooks" out on that wreck. I am pretty sure that the RR workers just repaired tracks to get the hooks out there. It was pretty incredible what the big roads did back in those days. The passenger traffic on the NYC was rerouted to the West Shore, which in the Mohawk Valley was the South Shore. I don't know how long the four track main was out of service ,but would bet it was only measured in days. Could that happen today? http://www.trainboard.com/frown.gif

------------------
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/ http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

[rhensley@anderson.cioe.co]

Mainlines can still be repaired quickly. railroad time IS money and torn up and blocked tracks 'don maka no money, honey'.

I have photos of a double-header NYC wreck in Ohio in 1946 or 47 with the big hook working. They literally dragged one steamer out of a hill backwards with it. It had to be a 200 or 250 ton crane.

I scanned the photos several years ago and I will take a look to see if I still have the ones with the crane. They never did find one engineer.

Roger

Roger Hensley - rhensley@anderson.cioe.com
http://madisonrails.railfan.net/nyclines.gif

[fitz]

More Little Falls wreck. I apologize for the photo quality. They are old and in some cases second or third copies. All were originally Gregorka photos. The hook and engine ones I have to credit to David Taylor of Little Falls. This a view of a Hudson seen by very few. Unfortunately they have a torch on this girl long before Perlman torched all her sisters.
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/hook1.jpg
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/hook2.jpg
That's what's left of the Pullman Red Ash. http://www.trainboard.com/frown.gif
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/wreck.jpg

------------------
http://www.pioneer.net/~fitzrr/ http://www.trainboard.com/smiles/096.gif

[E-8]

Thanks for the photos fitz!

A friend of mine picked up an old book at a sale a few years ago about train wrecks. It was all steam and had a lot of good photos and information. I have seen the book in several other places since. Quite informative information!

Charlie

------------------
http://www.trainboard.com/e-8/jester.gif Ship It On The FRISCO! (http://www.frisco.org) | IAMOKA.com (http://www.iamoka.com)