Erie Lackawanna
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From: "David J DOT Monte Verde" dmvgvt AT earthlink DOT net
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:57:45 -0500
Subject: FW: Old Photo
"img002.jpg" - image/pjpeg, 1446x1002 (256c)

I have had the occasion to carry on an email conversation with an old friend
who used to live on Rt 17C east of Owego, NY. The attached is a photo that
he took from the front window of his old home on NY Rt. 17C about a mile
east of Owego, NY during the winter of 1950-1951.



He took several additional photos with his Kodak Baby Brownie Special, with
as he says, varying degrees of success. This one actually, was taken from a
picture window in his bedroom-every ten year old boy's dream to have the
mainline of any railroad right out your bedroom window! He could hear the
e/b ERIE trains blowing for the Front Street crossing so he merely had to
pull the shade back and shoot the train as it passed by. Also looking out of
the picture windows on the other side of the house, he could see the DL&W
across the Susquehanna River, especially during the winter when the leaves
were gone. The Lackawanna's Twilight, Tr. No. 5, made quite a show with the
coach window lights reflecting in the river, probably 9:30-10 at night.



His Grandfather, who worked for the LVRR out of Sayre, told the regular crew
of the D&H (running on Erie trackage rights to the LV connection at Owego)
job that his grandson was a big railroad fan and where he lived. It got so
that whenever they went by on the way to Binghamton the engineer would blow
the whistle while passing the house. The family would respond by clicking
the front porch light on and off. More likely than not, the job would have
one of those camelback locos.



Not too long after he returned home from school ERIE Tr. No. 8, The Atlantic
Express, would pass by. Many times in the 1950-52 era the train would have
two Alco PA units, two EMD E8 units or one PA and one E8. Always interesting
to hear the different engine sounds when the E8 and PA were combined. The
rear of the train was always brought up by an ancient rider coach; many
times he recalled seeing a lone Erie employee in the car, probably the
flagman.



THIS IS AN ESPECIALLY GREAT STORY:

Owego, NY was a flag stop for Tr. No. 1, The Erie Limited. If the agent
sold tickets for passengers boarding at Owego he would drive out across from
our home, park at the Budman Packard dealership, walk over to the tracks and
place two torpedoes on the rails as a signal to the engineer. During the
middle of winter, when No. 1 was running a bit late, it would be after dark
when the train passed by. Never will forget: Bang! bang! (toot-toot) and
then the wheel of every car turning into a pinwheel of yellow/orange sparks
as the cast iron brake shoes bit down.



Across the river he can recall the big Pocono locomotives on the Lackawanna.
Alas, they did not last too long before the diesels replaced them.



After the Erie/DL&W Binghamton-Corning trackage rights agreement he got to
see some different power-- the big DL&W Trainmasters rolling by. He could
not forget that warbling sound the opposed piston prime movers or the
cooling fans either spinning wildly or turning slowly on the rear hood.



More to come



David J. Monte Verde





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