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From: "Paul R DOT Tupaczewski" paultup AT comcast DOT net
Date: Fri, 7 May 2010 14:27:58 -0400
Subject: "News in the days of the EL".... THE STOKER
"stoker03-2-EL.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1384x1478 (256c)

Hi folks,

I mentioned a few years back (wow, probably close to 10 years now!) that I
found an issue of "The Stoker" in a pile of EL "paper" I purchased. The
Stoker is a photocopied 4-page enthusiast-written newsletter for the
northeastern US, and as you can imagine, there's usually pretty good EL
content in it. I scanned in the EL stuff and posted it here, and asked about
whether anyone knew where I could get other copies of this periodical.

Coincidentally, lister Randy Brown - who was the publisher of this
newsletter - wrote me and offered to let me borrow the complete set to copy
it. WOW! So I copied all 65 issues (published every three weeks, they start
with issue #2, because Randy mentioned in the text that the first issue was
for "trial purposes" - can I get a copy of that one? :), and sadly, it
lingered in a binder I put them in for quite a few years.

Fast forward to last month. I was traveling back and forth to Phoenix, AZ on
business every week, and I needed something to read on those 4-1/2 flights.
I found the Stoker, and read every issue. They are truly engrossing as a
"snapshot" of the time, and feature lots of things I never knew about (the
LIRR ordered U23Bs, but later cancelled them?!?). But the EL content is just
priceless.

Now, I figured this would be a great resource to share with the EL
community-at-large, and with Randy's permission, I've started scanning in
the issues, a few at a time as my spare time allows. To reduce list clutter
with non-EL-related items, I'm only posting the pages that have EL content
(and to make it even easier, I've highlighted the EL content with a gray
box). Eventually, I'll compile the complete issues into PDF files at some
point down the road, but for your quick EL fix, this will have to work for
now. :)

Attached are the EL-relevant pages from issues 2, 3, and 4 (dated 2/2/73,
2/23/73 and 3/16/73, respectively). Enjoy the "time machine" now at your
disposal!



I'll make a few comments on some of the items (keeping in mind that
hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20!)....

stoker03-3-EL.jpg:
* Bob Malinoski's DL&W-side schedule show that the NY Cannonball was
analogous to 1st100 (NY-100) - where they just combined, or was NYCB the
same as NY-100?
* Anyone have photos of the Greek EMD export units on the EL?
* Interesting mention that the "EL is refurbishing Stillwell coaches in the
old colors for commuter trains and the 2102 fantrip in may" - I assume they
mean the two-tone green? Hmm, this news item doesn't make the other story
you hear ("we found lots of leftover paint!") sound too plausible...

stoker04-2-EL.jpg:
* Note that Erie Baldwin #612 was retired... in Erie paint, in 1973!

stoker04-3-EL.jpg:
* Once again, hindsight is everything... "Better get those EL MU's, because
they are beginning to decline in numbers." Really? And they ran for another
decade? ;)

stoker04-4-EL.jpg:
* This has been discussed here before... though the news items isn't very
specific, I think they might be referring to the U25Bs who lost the white on
the inside of their nose heralds? I find it humorous that the writer
attributes this to "adverse weather conditions." :)




Thank you, Randy Brown, for having developed such a wonderful newsletter!
Fans back in the day appreciated it, and historians today appreciate it even
more!

- Paul


stoker03-2-EL.jpg

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