NYC Duel With Darren

The first two cars may be milk cars. They look similar to the Bordens and Hood cars the New York Central, Boston & Maine, and Rutland pulled for many years.

Hank

 

I think your right. The first one is simular in design to the type the D&H also pulled...

 

Alan,
Refering to the photo you posted showing the Dominion Of Canada #60010. I found a photo of a similar design , housed at the Museum in York. I don't which railway owned her, but she is identified as Class A4, #4468. I'm sure you're familiar with her.

Thanks to Darren for the Basel SBB link that he posted on his European Vacation topic. It led me to the York Museum site. The parent website to both the SBB and York sites appears to contain links to rail-related photos from most European countries. Fascinating stuff.

 

WOW...Do any of them still steam? If so, I would be back in the UK in a New York Second* to see it!!!

* (A New York Second is the span of time between the traffic light turning green and the NY taxicab behind you blowing his horn!)

 

Yep, milk cars. How could I forget that? Today's Hudson is a step back from the J-3's, but it was taken in 1951, at Harmon, where the electrics out of Grand Central handed their trains over to steam. In 1951, just about all of the Hudsons looked alike. This one is a J-1d, but man, has it been modified over the years. Baker valve gear, no sign of the booster exhaust, but it may be there, big sand dome just like the J-3's, she still has spoke drivers, Elesco feedwater heater and the six wheel truck tender. Ta-da, 5312 from Mr. Vollrath's collection.

 

This is great stuff Jim, keep them coming...

 

From information I have from the BLHS, nearly all the D&H Milk Cars were gone by 1946. I hoping to obtain a book more on this topic that I recently found out about but havn't picked it up yet.

 

I can't answer that either, Ken, but would bet that when the interstate highway system came together that the railroads lost that business to trucks. I sure remember the milk trains on the NYC as a kid. Trains picked up milk cans from local dairies and took them all the way to Noo Yawk City.

 

The Rutland was running a dedicated daily milk train into New York City at least through the summer of '53. I think I read that it continued through 1957.

The train would be assembled by picking up cars at various towns as it moved south through Vermont during the morning and early afternoon. Then it would leave North Bennington, VT mid-afternoon, be routed over the Corkscrew to Chatham, NY where it would be handed off to the NYC Harlem Division around 10PM. It then went south to the City, going through the suburbs after all the commuter operations were complete.

The empty cars from the previous night's run would then be returned north after the southbound arrived, possibly with the same NYC crew and engine, and before commuter operations began in the morning. Then the cars would be handed off to a Rutland crew at Chatham around dawn.

I remember seeing the southbound on the Corkscrew for many years. I believe the Rutland assigned a 2-8-0 Consolidation, but I can't really rely on my memory after 50 years.

 

Hank, I'm trying to remember where I saw a detailed account of the milk trains to New Yawk, I think it was in an issue of the New York Central "Headlight". Will try to find.
Meantime, it's Super Bowl Sunday, so here are three of NYC's "Super" Hudsons, 5445, 5447 and 5448, at West Albany in 1938. West Albany isn't far from Schenectady and the Alco plant. These were probably brand new, destined to power the 20th Century Limited. From Mr. Vollrath's collection.

 

Jim, I'd love to help dig through my brother's Headlight back issues, but they're 1800 miles away and I doubt if I could motivate him....!!!!

By the way, I understand that Rutland's Corkscrew Division was abandoned and torn up within a few months after the "Rut Milk"* was cancelled.

*(How the Harlem dispatchers identified that train.)

[ 07. February 2005, 00:54: Message edited by: Hytec ]

 

I have exhausted the Hudsons from Mr. Vollrath's collection. Here is a MOHAWK, 4-8-2, no. 3115. I 'll give y'all 24 hours to tell me what class, builder, year.

 

I'll hazard a guess....Class L-4A, Lima, 1942.

Actually, I kinda cheated by finding this photo of 3115 (halfway down the page), thanks to Google.

Note - The above linked page implies that the builder was ALCO, but another NYC Website stated that all 50 L-4's were built by Lima....?

[ 09. February 2005, 13:39: Message edited by: Hytec ]

 

Hank, you are right. Mr. Vollrath's notes on the photo say "Lima, 1943" and she was photographed in 1956 at Wabash, IN. The smoke lifters cover the builders plates or it would have been obvious. I'll be scanning some more a little later.

 

This one is an L-3a, built by Alco-Schenectady. Compare this to the 3115 by Lima above. Talk about two companies working from the same set of blueprints! There are some subtle plumbing differences and the steam turrets are shaped a little differently. From Mr. Vollrath's collection.


The Central had 600 of these babies, only two of which remain. Some of the L-3 and all of the L-4 class were built as dual freight and passenger service locos. L-3's had 69 inch drivers and L-4's had 72 inch drivers. Most had no boosters, but L-3b 3035 through 3049, Lima, did have. The dual service models had the cast pilot, where all others had footboards. L-3a 3000 through 3025 were built by Alco, as were L-3b 3025 through 3034. L-3c 3050 through 3064 were Alco built. L-4a 3100 through 3124, and L-4b 3125 through 3149 were all built by Lima. Whew!