.....Well not exactly found, I knew it was always their. Just the last time I went through this preticular chest, I was to young to know. Thankfully nothing was ever thrown away! Anyway I had gotten into my Attic once again and dug out my grandfathers B&O footlocker, which I call it being its a footlocker from his Army days, and all, but he had stored his uniform from the Millitary, and his badges in it, (which is another treasure for serving this country!), along with ALL his B&O engineer paper work, manuels, and a asortment of things. In all the papers and books and leaflets issued by the B&O Railroad.... I had also found something in the corner of this chest. That I will cherrish the rest of my life! A B&O signal lock... I had looked for a key to it, and their is nothing. Its closed, in the "locked" possition. But in great condition otherwise! This is membillia I had never noticed in the chest when I was younger (just didn't know what I was looking at) and the "revisit" to the chest was worth it. Even tho it took 3 hours to get too.. It was worth the time! I have a real good gut feeling, that in my attic, theirs more that I never been to or went through, or found... Being I found notes in this chest that my grandfather had acknowledged that their are other things in another chest. or maybe even 2 more chests. I have to look.. Who knows what I may find! Anyway, this B&O signal lock will be displayed in the display case with my famous EM-1 #7600 (which in real life, my grandfather had engineered in from 1946 to 1956). I will display it with the loco that I had modeled from fond memories and from being my grandfather kind of put the "love" for that loco in my blood, it will be in the front of the EM-1 sat against the back away from the loco, and still able to be seen, on the same shelf!... This is a true Grandfather to Grandson gift, planed for one day I'd find it (or thats how it seems to feel now).. Something from his career to remember him by besides the HO scale trains! That won't ever wear out, or get broken (the thing i know weighs one full pound in weight!) And something with age an history.... Grandpa, may you Rest In Peace! [ 25. August 2002, 21:52: Message edited by: 7600EM_1 ]
Dick, Thats how I see it happening. This all was given to me. I mean left for me. Not one other grandkid in my family was into railroading. out of the 18 of us. I'm the only one! So, as I see it, my grandkids will get it.. Just hopefully I can get one of them to like the railroading history in my family to except it an take care of it.... Along with the HUGE HO scale train collection I have.... Anyway, thats some find! I never knew it was in that chest.. I knew about the paper work etc but I never knew that signal lock was in their. And if the notes are right. And I find the other chests. I might find the key to it in it... Which would be nice! But then I may find more and better membillia in it or them. I just have to look.... And see what other treasures he may have left to be found....
John Keep looking. I for one would love to hear if and when you find any more. Please let us know. I had a uncle who worked as a conductor for the Milwaukie out of Portland, Or. He had enough seniority that he worked on the local switcher delivering and picking up cars for industries around Portland and retired sometime in the "60's" He is long gone now.
As I find, I'll be sure to post what I find an all.. I have some papers a friend of mine had scanned for me. but these are B&O issued paper work, that god only knows how old... But as I find things I'll be sure to say! And even to get the paper work scaned when I can (being my uncles scanner doesn't always work) so... I know so far I have things to look forwards in finding...
John, don't forget to hug your mom's neck for keeping all that for you! Most women would have thrown all that "junk" out long ago. Go to an office supply store and get a package of the clear plastic folders with the three binder holes along one side. Place one sheet of those papers in each of the folders for safe keeping. You can get binders up to 3" thick with huge rings for this. Do not store them out in the sunlight, or they will fade away with time. Those are great keep sakes, along with your models.
Guys, I know! WHAT A FIND! and I huged my moms neck and my Grandmas neck as well. Being she is still around. Shes how I knew to go dig for this all! Years ago! So. That was then (I was a kid and left it alone) and then she reminded me the otherday about it! So.. BUT This all will go to my kids an hopefully their kids... As a family tradition for generation to generation.... ALL will be cherrished! So far I have about 1/4th of it in protective sleaves to fit in the 3 ring binders that have B&O railroad company markings! Nothing was loose. It all was in binders. Just didn't have the clear plastic sleaves so. I have a ton but all my clear protectors are history now. So I have to buy more. But all of it will go in these an then back into the binder the papers came from one by one.... And for the papers being out of the last 1940's to the 1960's its all in mint condition! The paper isn't as "yellowed" as much as I had thoguht it would have! I found an old wrench in the basement about 12 to 14 inches long, and heavy with a point on one end an the wrench head on the other, I know the thing weighs 15 pounds at least! I believe it was for the RR crossing wooden cross ties so that cars could go over the tracks. Being I remember seeing the way the bolts were put in them to hold them in place and counter sunk into the wood.... and the wrench has an of sided head. That looks as if it was made to fit into the counter sink hold to get on the bolt.... But no markings of a railroad on it so... Just a guess on this....
John, What a great find and it will bring back those cherished memories of your grandfather. Consider yourself lucky. Hug your grandmother and mother again for keeping that stuff around. In my case, my father's toy trains ended up going to a junk dealer, before we had a chance to know that they were gone.
I tell ya, I have never read so much in my life! This all is interesting.... I have found some engineer log books as it looks.. Just little things and all with hand writing in them that my Grandfather had wrote in it where the loco was based, and what the shops had done as far as maintenance, and when it was coaled up, got water from a "Penstock" ...B&O called their water colums "Penstocks" So. I know the meaning of that. And all kinds of interesting things. I as much got when my favorite loco was maintenanced, and where an for what accasion etc... The 7600 EM-1! And I have found that I was mistaken on something I had said prior to finding this.... I had said some point in time my grandfather engineered in the 7600, 7615, and 7616, well add the 7701, and the 7620!!!!!! He also engineered in the B&O's "Big Sixes" S-1a's, 2-10-2's cab numbers 6173, (which I knew this one), plus the 6170, 6171, and the 6101. Which these I did not know he was in... I have also found some books or leaflets from the C&O and Chessie System. As this looks, he must have planed this. Being He did not work for C&O or Chessie! I got stationary products binder from Chessie, and safety rules books from all 3 RR's, B&O, C&O, and Chessie. The Chessie System books an such has to be from my uncles! Or at least one of them, Its almost like it was all collected an put in this chest to be "found". And well being I'm the only grandchild to be into railroading, and all their would have been no fighting over who gets what like it happens in familys an all. (which I had some of this in my family at other times) So.. I think that type thing is in all familys... As it seems an how it feels to go through all this, I get a warm feeling, and a welcome feeling of being in it. When years ago (when I was a kid) I didn't have the same feeling, back then I felt as if I was doing wrong, so I put it all back, and left it alone, and damn near forgot about it. Till like I said in a previous post, my Grandmother had asked me if I ever dug it out an went through it. And that night ole John was in the attic digging! I know I spent 3 hours getting to it, and probably the rest of the night going through the stuff.... And enjoyed it! Well worth the time spent. Anyway, I'm still sorting through it all.... As I find more an all...... Plus read so much at a time, I'll be sure to post what I find....
John, I am really happy for your "find" and share in your enthusiasm. Thanks for sharing it with us Harold
John, you are correct about that big wrench. Those were made in both box and open end type with one side off set to reach down into a counter bore. (A counter bore is flat on the bottom to seat a flat washer, while a counter sink is tapered on the bottom to fit a flat headed screw.) The pointy end of that wrench was used to align one piece with another by sticking the point all the way through and prying the two holes around until they matched up. Usually one of these wrenches was left or held in place while another wrench was used to align another hole. Sometimes, both wrenches were required, while a bolt or rivet was inserted in a third hole. Boiler rivets were installed after alignment of the plates with these wrenches, and installing a few bolts to hold the plates together, while hot rivets were piened or headed. The bolts were later removed and replaced with rivets. The Empire State buliding was also assenbled this way too. You can't imagine how loud it is to be a "bucker" holding the Bucking Bar inside a boiler while a guy with an air or steam hammer pounds the red hot end of the rivet into a head on the outside! But it was a job, back when jobs were hard to find. I guarrantee there was not a single computer injured during the construction or repair of a boiler in our roundhouse all the time I worked there. That record still stands to this day! I'm proud of that!
Watash, You are 100% right! The wrench is a open end wrech, HUGE bolt fit (I might add), and is heavy! I had thought that was for the crossing ties (when wood ties where used instead of pavement, and or rubber crossings). As for the counter bore or counter sink, your right again, it would be a counter bore, not counter sink. I couldn't think of the word I was looking for. It was like a hole drilled with a flat bottom. Not tappered. As for the heavyness of the tool. I'm possitive it was used for heavy work requiring strength as its built design, rugged and strong. Their isn't no bending this thing. It would take some massive heat to even think of bening it! I know the "steel" handle on this thing is at least 1.5 inches in diameter! As for boiler repairs and or builds, I know that it would have to be loud inside as they drove the hot end of a rivet into a boiler. All that hammering.. WOW, that makes my ears ring just thinking of it! HA! As far as computers go. At least their were some real minds at work when steamers were built, shows that minds are the "knowledge" base to the world an its ways! Computers are only as smart as the user thats using them...
Forgot to mention... I'm happy to have what I have found. Being as I said it seems to be have been "left" for someone to find an enjoy.... And will be taken very well care of. Harold, I'm happy to have this to share with everyone... The finding of the lock alone made my day! And even with my favorite, and modeled railroad on it... The B&O!... Alot of fond memories from just opening that chest. I can vagly remember some of the things my grandfather had talked about an told me. Alot of the things he said he did and done on the B&O RR are on paper as they were done, and the date he done them....So it brings back the voice as I remember him talking about it.... The real joy of it is having it all to remember him by, plus as a "souvineer" to the railroad I model and love to give my collection of B&O stuff more then just modeling meaning. This all backs up the history that I'm trying to preserve in the modeling, even in different era's! And for those trains I do have, that my Grandfather gave me or bought me, this makes them worth what they were before I found all this, but now awhole lot more! Plus the ones I bought to model some specific loco, or time period, this stuff being real, gives those ones I bought an custom modeled some authenticity, and meaning to the history I'm trying to preserve with them.
Ok guys, I haven't found anything interesting as of yet. Noe have I found the other chests. But then, I haven't got to the other side of my Attic as of yet either! So.. and if not up their, then I'm going to dig through some of the stuff in the basement. Then again, I haven't had to much time to dig so... Once I get the shop cleared out, and have some time. I'll be back at the scavenger hunt.... I'll be sure to post anything I find tho to share with everyone!
