[Date Prev][Date Next]
[Chronological]
[Thread]
[Top]
Re: (erielack) Lackawanna 0-8-0s
There's been a few posts about pushers on passenger trains out of Scranton and I'll defer to guys like Mr. Yungkurth. I DID experience a closeup of a pusher out of Wilkes-Barre on the Lehigh Valley. This was in the World War 2 era and my father who'd previously worked at the Vulcan Iron Works plant in West Pittston got a much better job at a Westinghouse defense plant in Philadelphia. No interstates then, so it went like this............ We didn't have a car, so dad walked across Spring Street and asked the neighbor (who had a Model A Ford) to take us to the Pittston station. It was dark and we boarded a packed train......I mean NO seats at all. This was 1942 & soldiers & sailors were all over. A man gave my mom his seat and dad & I went to the last coach where we witnessed a big 2-8-2 (I think) chuffing toward us. A man was riding the footboard & got off as the engine eased to a stop & after opening the knuckle, signaled the engineer ahead to
make the joint & stretch it. (I of course didn't know all this then - I learned it on the ERIE & EL). Shortly we heard a whistle & now came the fun.......that bald smokebox got a little closer & we enjoyed the ride all the way to Mountaintop listening to a steam engine working away.
Chuck, this is why I so enjoyed ur book on the Lehigh Valley steam for the memories it brought.
Regards to all
Walt Smith
From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paul.tupaczewski_@_alcatel-lucent.com>
To: EL Mail List <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 1:51 PM
Subject: (erielack) Lackawanna 0-8-0s
NOTE: This message had contained at least one image attachment.
To view or download the image(s), click on or cut and paste the
following URL into your web browser:
http://lists.railfan.net/listthumb.cgi?erielack-07-25-11
DLtaylor.jpg (image/jpeg, 1972x1565 1300878 bytes, BF: 2.37 ppb)
Hi folks,
Chuck Yungkurth forwarded me this shot he took at Taylor Yard, circa 1945, of DL&W 0-8-0 #256 working hard. It's got a very "railroady" feel to it, and I thank Chuck for sharing this with the list. Chuck's comments are also very insightful, and I've attached them below.
Thanks, Chuck!
- Paul
I couldn't stand the sight of these 0-8-0 switchers since there were about 8 of them stationed at the Scranton enginehouse and they seemed to be everywhere. Whereas the glamorous Hudsons and 4-8-4s could only be seen at the station or on moving mainline trains. But now that I look at the shot, it truly reflects anthracite railroading, what with the crew rind the tender, guy sharing the fireman's seat, and the unpainted wood framed house in the background. Train is going between Hampton and Taylor yard and is on the track from Hampton to Bridge 60 that by passed Taylor. Think it was called the Dodge Cut-off. #256 was usually assigned to switching duty at the Scranton station where is was there pretty much 24 hours a day.
While talking about Scranton, I never saw a Lackawanna passenger with diesel power that had a "helper" ahead of the road engine. All passenger trains east and west out of Scranton got a helper attached ahead of the road engine, but never a pusher. One exception was the eastbound milk train that originated in Binghamton. It was usually powered by one of the 1500 class 4-8-4s and the engine ran thru from Bing to Hoboken and it never got a helper. Also the only train I recall where the engine took on water at the Scranton station.
But old timers told me that on occasion and 0-8-0 switcher gave an east bound push as far as the Nay Aug tunnel to help them get started. But I personally never saw this. It was not uncommon for a freight to get stalled in the tunnel and an engine had to be sent up to help; particularly when one of the road engines was stalled in the tunnel.
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
http://EL-List.railfan.net/
To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
http://EL-List.railfan.net/
To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html
------------------------------