[Date Prev][Date Next] [Chronological] [Thread] [Top]

Re: (erielack) Vestal Industrial Track

Tim,

    I worked out of Conklin  as a fireman & engineer in theearly 60s until 1971. There was a 5-day a week job called the 'Over the River' job. It was on duty early in the day & usually had a S-2 Alco - occasionally, we'd get a GP7. We'd get our train at the west end in Conklin & leave for the city. Prior to coming to West BD, we'd let ourselves onto the old DL&W mainline. We'd roll thru Johnson City & usually do our first work at the 'candy man' (Caramel Co.) near the old passenger station. sometimes there'd be a car or 2 for EJ. Then on to the power plant where we'd deliver coal & gather some MT hoppers. after this we'd run to Vestal where we'd have cars for the lumber co. & maybe a car of feed. This was the end of track & we'd run around the train & hang the caboose on the other end for the trip to Conklin. If the engineer was feeling generous, he'd say "Here, kid, you take her in". This almost spelled disaster for me one day when we had a Geep.
 Here I was on the former DL&W mainline with a 'big' engine instead of an Alco S-2 & noticing that the engineer was studying the horse races in the paper, I decided to re-enact the 'Glory Days' of the Phoebe Snow & went to #8 throttle. The short train flew up the straight track until we got to Willow Point where for some reason the track forces simply lined the #2 track onto #1 track. The geep gave me a thrill when it went through the 'S' turn at several times the safe speed & the caboose must really have 'cracked the whip. The radio came on as the coonductor inquired 'What the HELL was going on???".
I'd already slowed down, but the old engineer decided I'd had my fun for the day & ran the rest of the way.
    On reflection I now know it was reckless & dumb, but I bet there was a lot of stuff like this even in the steam days. If you survived, you learned. Good thing they didn't have text messaging then.

Regards,

Walter E. Smith - Employee # 102156




________________________________
From: Chuck Yungkurth <raildata_@_comcast.net>
To: tphalon1_@_yahoo.com; EL Mail List <erielack@lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 5:14:12 PM
Subject: Re: (erielack) Vestal Industrial Track

I am not sure of the date any more but I think by CR days the Vestal branch was torn up at the Bridge crossing the Susquehanna and CR just supplied service the the Goudy Station power plant.

Chuck Y
Boulder CO


- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tim Phalon" <tphalon1_@_yahoo.com>
To: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 9:13 AM
Subject: (erielack) Vestal Industrial Track


> Content-type: text/plain
> 
> List, would anybody have any info regarding the former lackawanna main between binghamton and vestal in early EL days (called the vestal industrial track by conrail). Did a local work out of Bing,what was it called?
> 
> Tim Phalon
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> List, would anybody have any info regarding the former lackawanna main between binghamton and vestal in early EL days (called the vestal industrial track by conrail).  Did a local work out of Bing,what was it called?
> 
> 
> 
> Tim Phalon
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 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





	The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
	http://EL-List.railfan.net/
	To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html

------------------------------