(erielack) Early diesel days on the Scrantondivn

["Walter Smith" <wsmith5957_@_hotmail.com>]

To all members NRHS, and EL listers - I was hired on the ERIE (Mahoning 
Div'n) in 1959, & transferred to the Scranton Div'n after the merger (1961). 
You've got to remember that at this time steam engines hadn't been gone too 
long and the engineers were mostly steam men and the tool kit provided for 
the early deisels (some of which, like the Alcos & Baldwins resembled their 
ancient cousins) was as follows - 1 LARGE wrench, 14 inches or so; a large 
cold chisel; and a 5 pound sledge hammer with a cutting edge on one side 
opposite the hammer side. These were the tools of choice for a steam engine 
where u might be required to loosen the nut holding the valve motion with 
the hammer & cold chisel or perhaps to take off a leaking  airhose with the 
wrench (I've done this).
    I had been called off the extra list to cover the firemans position on 
the Stroudsburg (east) local. The locomotive was a Baldwin 1140 class (1500 
hp & 4-wheel truck) roadswitcher. The engineer was in his late 60s & 
obviously had served on the old DL&W steam engines. We left the roundhouse, 
ran out to Bridge 60 tower & were let down thru Scranton yard to the east 
end where we coupled onto about 11 or so cars & caboose. The head man got on 
& after the air test, we headed up the hill to peddle cars here & 
there.....Moscow,Tobyhanna and on to Stroudsburg where we arrived near 11am. 
We crossed over to the westbound maintrack & worked a few industries & the 
small yard across from the station & the tower let us out to go toward 
Analomink where there was (I believe) a lumberyard. Back again to the small 
yard at East Stroudsburg where we waited for The Phoebe Snow to go west with 
the understanding that we'd follow her up the hill. #1 left, the dwarf 
signal lit up and we came out to head to Scranton.
   All went well with the old Baldwin chugging away until around Henryville 
and the Baldwin came to a stop as though it were tired. The oldhead engineer 
set the brakes, whistled out the flag and tried to prod the engine into 
motion. It responded to the throttle (IE the diesel revved up) but wouldn't 
move an inch. I had opened the electrical cabinet & saw that all the fuses 
looked OK, knife switches were closed, etc. I hadn't heard a traction motor 
cable blow, but I got out & looked & sniffed underneath . While I did this, 
the elderly engineer got the 'toolkit' & proceeded to deal with the Baldwin 
diesel like it was one of the 2-8-2s or 1600 class 4-8-4s. He opened the 
electrical cabinet and dealt the reverser a few hard whacks with the 
sledgehammer driving it to one side where it would be in forward. He sat 
down & opened the throttle ---NOTHING. With a few well-chosen words he got 
up again, opened the electrical cabinet & dealt the reverser & other 
components some firm blows. Still no response. Finally the dispatcher was 
notified that we were stuck. I was near the phonebox & heard some of the 
most vivid cursing since I'd been discharged from the USAF 3 years before. 
WE WERE DELAYING PASSENGER TRAINS!!!!  This was an era when passenger trains 
were IMPORTANT!!
    Several trains were detoured around us on the eastbound track and after 
several hours a GP& arrived and towed us to Scranton. I never heard another 
word about it, but I'm sure the roundhouse people had a talk with the 
dispatcher as well as the engineer......especially when they looked in the 
high voltage cabinet and saw the damage. I still have a sledgehammer with 
ELRR stamped on the handle & a big wrench too. They ARE useful, but I don't 
try & do electronics repair with them.

Regards to all,

Walter E. Smith - President F.E.C. Chapter/NRHS

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