THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

VOLUME 26 NO. 7 DECEMBER 2004

Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site

OCTOBER 21, 2004 MEETING NOTES

    President Phil Snyder called the meeting to order. Vice President Ron Cleaves read the "minutes" for the last meeting from The Transfer Table which were approved as read as was the Treasurer's Report by Ralph Stevens. National Director Tom Posatko reported that he would not be going to the Director's meeting in Utica but that Ed Thornton might go. Phil Snyder and Greg Ajamian reported on visiting Pete Cramer who was in the Christiana Hospital with pneumonia and an infection. Frank Ferguson  reported as Chair of the Election Committee.

    John Iwasyk reported that the Wilmington & Western had arranged for monies from FEMA, DEMA, and other state funds. But, the FEMA funds were only good for 30 months, and as a result of various bureaucracies and paperwork, there was only 13 months left to use it for the six totally destroyed trestles and the one with a "dropped" pier. Phil Snyder reported that NS was still doing wiring work on the Shellpot Bridge replacement. Richard Hall reported on the status of the Air Brake Car restoration at Strassburg.

    We had 18 members and 3 guests this evening including Dave Warner from the Washington, DC Chapter and Charlie Horan and Al Giannantonio from the Philadelphia Chapter of the Pennsylvania RR Technical &Historical Society.

    After the break, Al Giannantonio, President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the PRR T&HS presented a special computer projection program on the history of the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Tom Posatko had seen him give this program and invited him to share it with our members.

    Al worked at Baldwin from 1968 to 1972 when it closed as Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton. He prepared the program for the 2003 National Convention of the PRRT&HS, which was held in Essington, PA. He opened with a 1916 photo of a wall where the first Baldwin locomotive was rolled out of the factory in 1831. By 1905, Baldwin had built 25,000 locomotives. Al's excellent commentary explained many details of the history of Baldwin and added a great deal to the photographs. We saw a variety of builder's plates including the last one of red brass specially made on the last day of operations. We were treated to views of the K4, K5, M1, and T1. We saw the S1 with longest frame ever built at 77'91/2" and overall length of 140 feet. We also saw the S2 turbine, a 6000-hp diesel, and multiple demonstrator units. Our thanks to Tom for making the connections and to Al for a fantastic and educational program.

NOVEMBER 18, 2004 MEETING NOTES

    The meeting was called to order by President Phil Snyder, the minutes read by Dan Frederick, and the Treasurer's report by Ralph Stevens, and both approved as read. National Director Tom Posatko did not have a report but was thanked for bringing Al Giannantonio to our last meeting. Election Committee Chairman Frank Ferguson reported no new entries for the ballot so it looks like we have the same slate of officers for another year. Phil Snyder reported that the Holiday Dinner will be delayed a few minutes while the restaurant staff cleans up from a previous group in the room we are to use. He also reported on the re-opening of the B&O RR Museum in Baltimore. He indicated that there is a new entrance, there are five empty tracks around the turntable, and there is only one car (=non-loco) in the roundhouse. He also mentioned that the Shellpot Bridge is in operation, Pete Cramer has been moved to a rehab center in Wilmington, and the W&W held a ceremony for #98.

    Al Patterson reported on the W&W's double-headed steam special the previous weekend. There was a discussion about the former Octoraro not running while SEPTA arranged for a new operator. Bill Folger indicated that he will be donating to the Chapter the material that he had converted from 8mm and Super 8 to video.

    After the break, Richard Hall presented the second part of his program of vintage local images. We saw a test of DuPont herbicide pellets being applied to the Wilmington & Western, B&O #8408 on the Octoraro, and #9 and #722 on the W&W. There was the Reading MU #863 on the W&W and images of the Belfast (Maine) & Moosehead Lake engine. We saw the Genesee & Wyoming at Perryville, the 1973 reopening of the St. George's Bridge, and the first test run of the W&W gas electric. There were multiple images of the work train and crew on Bread & Cheese Island in 1966, as well as views of Wilsmere in its 1979 configuration - much different in appearance from today! We were privileged to see to a Northern Pacific "Pig Palace", the Valley Forge Railroad in 1988, the Wawa & Concordville open car (converted from a box), CN #89 arriving at Strasburg in July 1972. We were reminded of our 1969 Chapter Trolley Trip, Winterthur Station, and the PPL exhibition train at Strasburg in 1971. We all learned a lot from Richard's excellent and well-prepared commentary as we enjoyed all of the wonderful images. Thanx for another great program!

NOTE

    Chapter Holiday Dinner will be pushed back a few minutes due to a previous booking in the same dining room. Instead of the usual 5 PM, the room should be available  between 5:15 and 5:30 PM. Of course, you could have a drink at the bar while you wait.

NEWS BITS

CHAPTER ARCHIVES - Thanks, Trivia Contest, & A Request

THANX -
On behalf of the Chapter, the Editor wishes to thank Ed Thornton who provided a large box of old Wilmington Chapter newsletters (most of which were originally mailed to Russ Fox!). Notice that I did not say "The Transfer Table" because many of the newsletters pre-dated that title! I have added these to the unofficial archive collection which was substantially based upon my own collection plus the generous mailing from H.C. "Woody" Massara whom we thanked not too long ago.

TRIVIA CONTEST -
1. When was the first issue of the Chapter's Newsletter to be called "The Transfer Table" ?
2. What was it called before that?
3. When was the previous title first used?
4. And what was it called before that?

REQUEST -
And now the request, the "unofficial archives" is still missing a few issues. If you have any of the following, please send them (or a photocopy) to me as soon as possible.
Thanx.

BACK ISSUES OF CHAPTER NEWSLETTER NEEDED FOR THE ARCHIVES

Anything prior to December 1973 and the following issues:
Apr-74 
Jun-74 
Sep-74
Aug-76 
Mar-77 
Jun-77 
Aug-77 
Dec-85
Oct-87
Dec-88
Sep-89
Oct-89
Dec-89
Feb-91
Mar-92
Feb-93
Mar-93
May-93
Jul-93
Sep-93
Oct-93
Dec-93

UPCOMING WILMINGTON CHAPTER NRHS STREETCAR TRIPS

Laurel Line Photo Special December 12, 2004
Travel over the ex-Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley from Scranton to Montage, Pennsylvania, using a vintage streetcar from the Electric City Trolley Museum. Bring your tripod and cable release for a "daytime night photo session" inside the Crown Avenue Tunnel. Trip departs the loading platform at Steamtown National Historic Site at 12:01 p.m., returns about 4:00 p.m. Fare $38.00 Tickets Available On-Line starting Oct. 1 at http://www.daylightimages.com/streetcar/

Super Saturday Streetcar Special XII February 5, 2005
A Wilmington Chapter tradition! Super Saturday Streetcar Special XII sponsored by the Wilmington Chapter NRHS. Rare opportunity to ride and photograph a newly-rebuilt PCC-2 on southwest Philadelphia trackage (these cars will be assigned to Girard Avenue when Route 15 opens). Numerous quality photo stops. Trip departs Elmwood car house (near I-95) at 10:00 a.m., returns approximately 3:30 p.m. Fare $35 from Wilmington Chapter NRHS, c/o Steve Barry, 117 High Street, Newton, NJ  07860; MC/VISA accepted at www.daylightimages.com/streetcar; information phone 973/383-3355 (9am-6pm ET).

Can't order via Internet? Make checks payable to Wilmington Chapter NRHS and mail your order to:Wilmington Chapter NRHS Trips, c/o Steve Barry, 117 High Street Newton, NJ 07860

   A BRANDYWINE CHRISTMAS by Phil Toman

    As NRHS members we are all interested in railroading, the full size edition. There are, however, many of us who find interest and enjoyment on slightly smaller "scale" railroading as well. The scale I refer to in this case is "O." Watching and operating these model trains can be great fun, especially in the bitter winter months.

    There is a model railroad designed for just this purpose and it sleeps tucked away all summer, but when November and December roll around, it comes to life, a very glorious life at  that. The railroad is the one which takes up the second floor gallery of the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa. It is part of the museum's annual celebration of "A Brandywine Christmas.

    "During the 2004 holiday season, the Brandywine River Museum continues its famous tradition as "A Brandywine Christmas" returns November 26 through January 9 with delightful sights and sounds of the holidays.

    As in years past, the museum's well-known and expansive O-gauge model railroad features non-stop action on over 2,000 feet of track. Five moving trains operate at all times and include a seemingly endless 60-car freight train winding past a village, stone quarry, oil refinery, mountains, Herr Foods plant, running waterfall and animated skating scene. A miniature Santa and his sleigh fly over the railroad. New to the train layout this year is a model of the first streamlined diesel-powered passenger locomotive, the 1934 Burlington Line Pioneer Zephyr. The Zephyr is accompanied by Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends, Clarabel and Annie, just in case you want to take some children or grandchildren with you. A companion exhibition features model trains and train posters from over 15 countries and includes information about the  country of origin and manufacturer of each train.

    A popular feature back this year is the caternary system which permits Pennsylvania electrics to move their trains through the system in all the splendor that was once The Standard Railroad of the World. The Brandywine River Museum is located on US Route 1 in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The museum is open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Christmas Day. Admission is $8 for adults; $5 for seniors ages 65 and over and students; free for children under six and members. For more information, call 610-388-2700 or visit the museum's web site.

    By the way, the tracks adjacent to the Brandywine River Museum were part of the fallen flag Wilmington & Northern Railroad which began its journey to Pennsylvania from the Eastern end of the Wilsmere Yard of another fallen flag, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

THE THUNDER MOUNTAIN LINE by Tom Smith

    Do you like to go around the country riding the scenic tourist railroads that fill out the pages of the Empire State Railway Museum's Tourist Trains guide? There are many fine trips listed in these pages, but one of the most underrated is Idaho's Thunder Mountain Line. One of the best kept secrets in tourist railroading, it is a trip that rivals the Silverton for scenery, but without the gestapo to keep railfans from viewing the equipment. It may be too far away for a weekend jaunt (unless you can nail down some bargain air fares to Boise), but the NRHS Convention is in Portland in 2005, and you may be looking for some stops to make along the way. Or it is a great vacation destination in itself. You could also renew your acquaintance with some veterans of eastern commuter railroading, including F units from Boston's MBTA. There are 5 of them here!

    A schedule that always fascinated me in old Official Guides was a Union Pacific mixed train between Nampa and McCall, Idaho. Legendary rail photographer Henry R. Griffiths exposed film on this line in steam days, so if you have viewed Griffith's photography, you have probably seen photos taken on this branch which existed primarily to serve timber-related businesses. Over the years some of the track at both the north and south ends of the branch have been abandoned and removed, and Union Pacific has since conveyed the entire line to the shortline Idaho Northern & Pacific.

    The IN&P connects with the UP at Payette, Idaho, and between there and Emmett there is a small amount of freight traffic. On the remaining 73 miles of the branch, however, there is none, and the IN&P is keeping it active with an excursion train operating under the name Thunder Mountain Line. Using former Long Island commuter coaches, open air cars, and former MBTA "FP10" cab units (rebuilt for Boston commuter service at Paducah from GM&O F3's), the Thunder Mountain Line takes its passengers on an spectacularly scenic ride through the Payette River Valley.

    Horseshoe Bend, MP 49.7 on the railroad, and about 30 miles northwest of Boise, is where most trips originate. Their schedule calls for weekend round trips from both ends of the line. However, the trip you should take is the monthly "Cascade Limited" which covers the entire distance between Horseshoe Bend and Cascade (MP 99.5 at the end of track). It takes about 5 hours for a one-way trip with a bus return, following the rushing Payette River, through 2 tunnels, several bridges, and ranch lands at the north end. One of the tunnels is reported to be the shortest rock tunnel in the USA, at just 37 feet.

    The Long Island coaches with their fixed 3&2 seating and small windows may not seem ideally suited for a scenic train trip, but the FP10's can provide power for heat, light and air conditioning if needed, and the open air cars are available for those who want to experience the ride close up. Some of the coaches are equipped with tables and chairs for dinner and brunch trips which are run from time to time. There are also "River and Rails" trips in which rafts are carried aboard the train, and then launched for a whitewater rafting experience.

    I made the trip in September, and found it exceeded my expectations. Beautiful scenery, mountain railroading, a friendly crew, and classic EMD cab units are a hard combination to beat! It is a bit out of the way, and tourist facilities are not plentiful. There is one very nice motel in Emmett, but there are plenty of motels about 30 miles away along Interstate 84 in Nampa, Boise or Ontario.

    Schedules tend to vary, so it would be best to check ahead of time before your visit. Information can be obtained from their toll-free number, 877-432-7245, or from their website, www.thundermountainline.com.

INFORMATION FOR CONVENTION GOERS

From Wilmington Chapter Charter Member now in the Portland, Oregon Area:
    With the NRHS Convention coming up in Portland in 2005, Tom Smith says he will be happy to provide answers to any questions any Chapter member might have about railroading in Portland and SW Washington, for those looking for "extracurricular" activities outside of convention events. There are many things to see and do around here, and if it's in Portland, I've been there.

This is only for those looking for things to do before, during slow days, or after the convention.

I do NOT have any info on the Convention itself.

Anyone wishing to may contact Tom Smith by e-mail at <tomandkaren@integrity.com>

NORTHWEST RAIL ATTRACTIONS by Tom Smith

    With the NRHS Convention being held in Portland in 2005, here are some sketches of area tourist rail attractions that can be worked into a visit. Some of these may be part of the Convention, but of course they cannot include everything. This summary does not focus on known convention events, but is offered to help visitors find other attractions. Portland offers many attractions, including an extensive light rail network, many scenic rail photo locations, and a pleasant summer climate. Most of these attractions are within a one day visit. So plan on coming to Portland for the 2005 convention; it should be one of the best yet!

Sumpter Valley Railroad
The Sumpter Valley RR was one of the last narrow gauge shortlines to operate in the US, closing down in 1947. It extended from Baker City, Oregon, (about 300 miles east of Portland), to Prairie City, a distance of 80.1 miles. In 1933, the line was shortened and trackage into Prairie City abandoned. The rest of it was torn up after  abandonment in 1947. Its primary mission was hauling timber products for owner Oregon Lumber Co.

    Few traces of the railroad remain. Highway construction, a gold dredge at Sumpter, and natural reclamation of the roadbed have obliterated most of the original right of way. Depots at Baker City and Prairie City are still standing; the latter is a museum.

    In 1971, just 24 years after the railroad was abandoned, a group of citizen volunteers formed with the purpose of restoring at least part of the railroad. In the 34 years since, the dream has become a reality, although progress has been slow. The Sumpter Valley RR currently operates about 5 miles of track from McEwen into the town of Sumpter, constructed on the best approximation of the original right of way. A gold dredge that operated until 1954 buried the valley around the old railroad under tons of rock tailings. The SV has some of the best ballasted track in the world! Don't bother looking for McEwen on your map; it was an old stage coach stop of which nothing remains, about 22 miles west of Baker City on state highway 7. It is now the site of the railroad's shop, yard, and depot. Sumpter is a wild west town that is a popular destination for tourists. The old dredge is still there and can be toured.

    Rail and ties for the restoration were donated by the Union Pacific from abandoned trackage. SV volunteers had to dismantle the track, transport it to Sumpter, and relay it to 36" gauge. Miraculously, the restoration group has been able to locate some original Sumpter Valley equipment, including a coach and caboose. They have also  acquired some additional rolling stock from the D&RGW, White Pass & Yukon, and the East Broad Top (Hopper cars).

    For motive power, the group found a wood burning 2-truck Heisler from Boise Cascade that had been built for the W.H. Eccles lumber company for use on logging railroads that fed the Sumpter Valley. It was restored to service in 1976. A valiant attempt was made to find the SV's most famous locomotives, a pair of 2-6-6-2's that were acquired from the abandoned Uintah RR in 1939. After the SV shut down, these locomotives were sold to Guatemala, where they were still running in the early 1960's. Alas, it was determined that the articulateds had been scrapped. Their tenders, however, were still extant and were shipped back to Oregon.

    However, there was a fortunate byproduct of the 2-6-6-2 saga. When SV acquired the articulated, they disposed of some of their smaller road power. A pair of 2-8-2's built by Alco in 1920 were sold to the White Pass & Yukon in 1940 along with some passenger equipment. The 2 derelict Mikes were still in Skagway and were purchased by the SV restoration group in 1977. Following a 4-year restoration by Doyle McCormack's group, former WP&Y 81, now carrying its original SV number, 19, was restored to service in 1996, and is the primary motive power.

    A visit to the Sumpter Valley can begin at either McEwen or Sumpter. Trains run only on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through September. The short season is dictated by weather--it snowed on my visit in late September! Three trips are operated each day. The engine runs around the train at each end, and pulls it in  reverse in one direction.It's in the middle of nowhere and is not the most scenic of rides, but it's one you should take just for what it is; a re-creation of a historic railroad using some original equipment. Information can be obtained by calling the railroad at 541-894-2268 or from their website, <www.svry.com>.

Eagle Cap Excursion Train
    This is a new operation over the former Union Pacific Joseph branch which runs between LaGrande and Joseph in northeastern Oregon. The branch was operated by the Idaho Northern & Pacific, but traffic has nearly vanished and the line is now operated under the name Wallowa Union Railroad, named for the two counties which own the right of way.

    I do not have a personal experience with this operation since I have been waiting for it to expand. Trains currently operate only on parts of the line out of Enterprise and Joseph. I have followed much of the line by car, and it is quite scenic. Info can be obtained from their website <www.eaglecaptrain.com> or calling 800-585-4121.

Crooked River Dinner Train
    Operates over the City of Prineville RR departing just north of Redmond, Ore. It operates only on weekends, but does run year round. Passengers ride in former Milwaukee Road lightweight coaches, pulled by a COP GP9. This is not an elegant dining experience (you can't do much with a Milwaukee coach!), but it is fun. Decor is  utilitarian, and the wait staff are clad in Wild West outfits--the better to fight off the inevitable train robbers, and it is one of the best train robberies going, with plenty of shoot-em-up action.

    This is the only Dinner Train that will rate mention here. It is included only because it is an opportunity, and the only way, to ride a unique American shortline. The City of Prineville RR is owned by the city of Prineville itself, and for many years was the only municipally owned railroad in the USA, and it still may be. The very existence of  the railroad is threatened by closure of the sawmills in Prineville which have deprived the railroad of nearly all freight traffic. The privately owned Dinner Train is about the only operation on the railroad now. It is a pleasant ride, and covers the entire railroad, if you collect mileage. Don't put off taking this trip. Dinner and Brunch trains are offered. Info: 541-548-8702; Website <www.crookedriverrailroad.com>

Les Dalles Portage Railroad
    The price is right; it's free. Visitors to The Dalles Dam in The Dalles, Ore. are transported from the visitor center to the dam aboard a train consisting of a wooden caboose; a semi-open car, and a GE 44Tonner that once belonged to the US Marine Corps.

    The ride is about three quarters of a mile long, and follows a section of the original Union Pacific mainline that remained after the track was relocated when the dam was built. There is a stop midway at a picnic area. It operates only during the summer months. HOWEVER it may not be operating at all; the dam was closed to visitors as a "security" measure, but some visitation has again been allowed. It's right off I-84 at the east side of town.

Mount Hood Railroad
    This one will probably be a part of the convention. Of course I am biased, but I think the Mount Hood is one of the best tourist railroads in the USA. The ride is just the right length, the train travels at a good speed, the track is good, the people are friendly, the scenery is nice, you have a layover at the end of the line, and the operating season is long. You can't go wrong! Excursion and Dinner/Brunch trains. Info: 800-872-4661; Website: <www.mounthoodrr.com>

Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad--Oregon Coast Explorer
    The Port of Tillamook Bay has taken over the former Southern Pacific Tillamook Branch, a line which snaked its way from Portland to Tillamook near the Oregon Coast. Its raison d'etre is still logging and lumber. The branch boasted the northernmost point reached by the SP, and it is incredibly scenic, whether crossing the tall timbered Coast Range mountains or running along the Pacific Ocean. The remote Salmonberry Canyon is inaccessible by any other means.

    The POTB offers a number of short passenger excursions over parts of the line, using either a former CNJ RDC, a 2-truck Heisler, or a diesel powered excursion train. Unfortunately, none of the trips cover the entire railroad. Hopefully the NRHS Convention will cover this railroad with a longer trip than the weekend excursions.

    The schedules and itineraries of trips vary, so you need to know before you go. Try calling: 800-685-1719; or Website <www.potb.org/oregoncoastexplorer>. But BEWARE: the people who answer the phone often are clueless. I have gotten serious misinformation every time I have called them, like telling me the train is running when it isn't, or telling me it isn't running when it is. And the posted schedules often omit critical information likes dates of operation. So just drive over to Tillamook and see--it's a nice outing and the Oregon Coast offers some spectacular seascapes and Pacific sunsets at Cape Meares.

Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Assn.
    The name of this delightful operation tells you where it is; in Chehalis, Wash., right at Exit 77 from I-5. You can see it from the highway. It's about 80 miles from Portland, and is the closest steam operation to the Rose City. They own a small 90-ton 2-8-2 built by Baldwin in 1916 that was a fairly typical rod engine on logging railroads and run westward over a portion of former Milwaukee Road trackage.

    This line will most likely be part of the convention, so not many more details need be given. As an all-volunteer operation, trains run only weekends and holidays, Memorial Day through September. The ride takes you through pleasant rural scenery; nothing spectacular, just a nice trip. Tel. 360-748-9593; Website <www.ccra.com>

Mount Rainier Scenic RR
    The Mount Rainier Scenic RR is in Elbe, Wash., a little over 100 miles from Portland, via I-5 to US12 East to SR7, and also operates over former Milwaukee Road trackage. They offer a ride through wooded and rural country with views of Mt. Rainier on a clear day. Trains run to Mineral, where there is a stop beside a lake. Operations are on weekends starting Memorial Day through October, with daily trains in July and August.

    The Mt. Rainier stables a sizable roster of operable steam locomotives, including a Porter-built 2-8-2, an Alco 2-8-2T; and a Shay, Heisler and Climax. Unfortunately, not all of them, or none of them, may be in use at any one time, in which case they also have an EMD NW2 or Alco MRS1 to fill in. They also have several inoperative steam locomotives.

    It's best to visit this railroad on special occasions when one or more locomotives are fired up, since their equipment or shop buildings are not in public view. It is the only place where you can see all three examples of geared locomotives in operation. One end of the line has a loop, the other has a runaround, so if you are planning on photographing, keep in mind that that the engine will either be running backwards or forwards on two consecutive trips. Tel. 888-783-2611; Website <www.msrr.com>

Battle Ground, Yacolt & Chelatchie Prairie RR (BYCX)
    If you can find Yacolt, Wash. on your map, then you will be able to find this railroad, more commonly known as BYCX, about 30 miles north of Portland. It is one of the most recent additions to the tourist railroad scene, and like many other all-volunteer railroads, BYCX operates only on weekends and holidays during the Memorial Day- Labor Day period, although special event days keep it going into December. What makes it special is that it is Alco powered, using an S2 switcher built in 1940 for the Los Angeles Jct. Ry, and one of the oldest Alco S2's in existence, since 1940 was the year Alco began S2 production. The BYCX is restoring another Alco, but this one is a 2- -2T, no. 16, belonging to Pete Replinger. It was advertised for the 2004 season, but their optimism was a bit premature--they are volunteers, and restoration took longer than expected. When it is steamed up, the BYCX will be the closest steam railroad to Portland.

    The track on which it operates has an interesting history. Intended originally to link Vancouver to Yakima, it got only as far as Yacolt, and was used as a logging railroad by the Northern Pacific, and later was known as the Longview Portland & Northern. With the logs gone and the mills closed, the line was going to be abandoned, but it was acquired by Clark County Washington, which still hasn't decided what to so with it. It was operated by the Lewis & Clark RR for about 15 years, and offered excursion service for a few years. The line between Battle Ground and Vancouver has a trickle of freight traffic, and is now operated by the Columbia Basin RR with a locomotive based in Battle Ground. The line north of Battle Ground is leased to BYCX.

    Passenger trains run south from Yacolt through a heavily forested and scenic area, and pass through a 330ft tunnel and cross the Lewis River on a steel truss bridge. A stop is also made so you can view Moulton Falls. Passengers ride in cabooses, an open air car, and a coach converted from an SP&S RPO car that had been rebuilt from a Pullman tourist sleeper. It is a laid back fun trip, and the folks running it are friendly because they are having a blast running their own railroad. Tel: 360-686-3359; Website <www.bycx.org>

Other Attractions
    Some other attractions a visitor to Portland can see include:
    Portland Zoo Railroad: An Aerotrain replica and steam locomotive hauled trains on a 30" gauge railroad. Can be reached by Tri-Met bus or MAX rail.

    Lake Oswego Trolley: an electric streetcar towing a generator follows a portion of the SP Red Electric route between Portland and Lake Oswego. Can be reached by Tri-Met bus.

    Vintage Trolley and Portland Streetcar: Part of Tri-Met, the Portland Streetcar links two Portland neighborhoods passing through downtown. Beautifully done replicas of original Portland streetcars can be found running on these lines along with new streetcars.

For Railfanning:
    Columbia River Gorge: Hot action on BNSF on the north shore and UP on the South. The best photo locations are east of Bonneville, Ore/North Bonneville, Wash. about 40 miles from Portland. For highly detailed maps and charts of the UP in the Northwest, go to <www.fogcharts.com>.

    Weyerhaeuser Timber/ Columbia & Cowlitz: At Kelso, and Longview, Wash about 40 miles north of Portland. The Weyerhaeuser Woods train retains much of the flavor of an old logging railroad on their private right of way. Trackage between Rocky Point and Longview is shared with Weyco-owned common carrier C&C with many publicly accessible locations. The show is usually over by noon.

This copyrighted article was written for the "Transfer Table", the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society by Chapter Member Richard E. Hall © Richard E. Hall 2002 & 2004

THE ODYSSEY OF A 2-6-0 by Richard E. Hall

    There is no questioning the fact I like steam locomotives as much as I like the Pennsy's "passenger cars, automotive", their gas and diesel electric motor cars like the 4662 now on the Wilmington & Western. Of course my favorites are the beautiful, at least they are to my eyes, PRR locomotives, but not necessarily just the big "favorites" of many younger fans. I like the class D16sb #1223 in the museum at Strasburg, but my favorite D16sb was #5079 with it's big 7,000 gallon tender and pilot foot boards. I also like the PRR's older classes A4 0-4-0, E5s 4-4-2, H6s and H6sb 2-8-0, the long gone class F 2-6-0's, especially the F3c's and the non standard Lines West "F's" and some "odd F's" from subsidiary lines.

    My interest in the 2-6-0 type even extends to the locomotives of other railroads, some more than others. Other than the PRR classes, the Wilmington & Western's now inactive ex CN #92 rates high on my list of 2-6-0 locomotives. It was the only full size steam locomotive I ever had an opportunity to run. The B&O's chunky 2-6-0's also rate high with me, including their former Alton 2-6-0 locomotives. All of those locomotives are now just memories, except for one PRR narrow gauge 2-6-0 which was preserved, the PRR's standard gauge 2-6-0's disappeared from this world shortly after I appeared, so I don't remember actually seeing them. There is one 2-6-0 locomotive in which I have developed some special interest and it is still in existence, although I can't get out to where it is displayed so I might see it again.

    See it again? Yes, I remember having seen it rather briefly soon after it was placed in service in 1932. The date is quite late for a new 2-6-0, but it had been built a few years before, which may be a clue to the locomotive which I am referring to. It is certainly no antique, it is only one year older than I am, built by Baldwin in 1925. But the locomotive was not sold by Baldwin until 1932 and was placed in service the same year. From being built by Baldwin, to it's present home in a museum, there is an  interesting odyssey for this little 2-6-0.

    Back in 1925, things looked good for the Baldwin Locomotive Works up in Eddystone, both domestic and export orders were still coming in. The 2-6-0 type locomotive was popular in Cuba, Baldwin and ALCO had both shipped several locomotives of basically the same design to the island. Baldwin was so optimistic there would be additional orders coming, they built a Cuban 2-6-0 to have in stock for shipment when the next order was received. The locomotive is listed as built in late October 1925 and was fired and tested on October 30. But there was no "next order" received from Cuba for any additional 2-6-0's, so the new locomotive remained at Baldwin, it's future uncertain. It was referred to by Baldwin during that time as "Havana stock". Although somewhat similar in design, it was smaller than the last few 2-6-0's produced for domestic orders, such as the Biever & Southern. In addition, the locomotive built for Cuban stock was not superheated.

    Now lets go back a few years to before Baldwin built the locomotive for "Havana stock" in order to establish some background for what took place for the start of the little 2-6-0's odyssey through the mid 1900's. One might consider the story actually starting during the war effort of World War I. The U.S. Government built a plant to produce Ammonium Nitrate for the U.S. Navy on land purchased at Perry Point. They worked around the clock to complete the plant and a self supporting town in six months time, then turned it over to the Atlas Powder Co. to operate. Atlas operated the plant for six months, then World War I ended and the Perry Point plant immediately became surplus property. It was first transferred to the U.S. Public Health Service, then the Bureau of Veterans Affairs which became the Veterans  Administration. Stated briefly, a warehouse was converted with a few beds for a hospital, another for living quarters for some nurses, then a small number of patients were transferred from a facility in New Jersey. New hospital buildings were built, and with the transfer of more patients and nurses, the Perry Point Veterans Admin. Hospital was established.

    Built with the Ammonium Nitrate Plant and town of Perry Point, was a large coal fired power house. The warehouses had become a USPHS distribution center for medical supplies, which required some switching, and the power house was in continuous need of coal. A railroad had been built to serve the warehouses and power house. Unfortunately, trying to find out how large the railroad was, or locate a track map or chart, has been extremely frustrating. On the occasions when contact has been made with an actual more or less human being, they act like no one knows there had ever been a railroad on Perry Point. Consequently, have been unable to establish how the switching had been handled prior to 1932. That was some time ago, and I was rather young, but in my mind I am sure I saw a second, smaller locomotive there.

    In January, 1932, the U.S. Veterans Bureau agreed to purchase a locomotive for the Veterans Administration Hospital at Perry Point, Md., and the little 2-6-0 from the "Havana stock was the locomotive. The order was entered in the Baldwin order book on January 28, 1932, and the locomotive was transferred on paper from Foreign Sales Order F-25046. Some work was needed before the locomotive could be shipped to Perry Point. Nearly all of the locomotives for export to Cuba were built as oil burners, so the USVA's 2-6-0 had to be converted to burn coal. Baldwin Extra Order #15015 was issued to cover the work of converting the locomotive to burn coal. The date shipped is listed as February 27, with the same billing date entered. The price Baldwin billed the U.S. for the 2-6-0 locomotive 8-30D, construction number 58797, U.S.V.A. number 1000, with an eight wheeled tender having a capacity of 10 tons of coal and 4,000 gallons of water was listed in the Baldwin Order Books as $8,390.00.

    The 2-6-0 was listed as having 18 x 24" cylinders, small for a locomotive built in 1925, 52" drivers with 46" centers, alligator type crossheads and guides, slide valves and Walscharets valve gear. The light weight was 96,000 lb., weight in working order 112,000 lb., and set for 160 lb. boiler pressure. The tractive effort was not listed with the published information, so using T.P. = d2 x L x (0.85 x B) ÷ D = T.P. (d2 = cylinder diameter, L = length of stroke, B = boiler pressure, D = driver diameter), I arrived at a tractive power of 20,337 lb. The tractive power was later found in Baldwin records as 20,300 lb., which was simply rounded off from the 20,337 lb. figure.

    John Hayman gave some of the story of USVA #1000 a few years ago in his book "Rails Along The Chesapeake". The later travels of the USVA's little 2-6-0 #1000 began after the Perry Point coal fired power house was replaced with an oil burning facility. Number 1000 was declared surplus by the USVA and transferred to the US Army. The date #1000 left Perry Point has not been found, again no records, but it has been reported at Camp Davis, N.C. in 1941-1942 era. The Army renumbered the locomotive to USA #5631 and it was used by the Quartermaster Corps. It was transferred to the 829th U.S. Air Force Base at Gladsden, Ala. and renumbered to 6932. The  War Assets Administration listed #6932 as being for sale at Gladsden in 1947. The locomotive was bought by the Mobile & Gulf Railroad, a common carrier  subsidiary of the W.P. Brown & Sons Lumber Company in 1948 and again renumbered, this time becoming #97 on the G&M roster.

    The Mississippi & Gulf had started as a logging railroad and had at one time served a W.P. Brown & Sons Lumber Co. sawmill at Fayette, Ala., in addition to the logging operations. The Brown's had acquired the railroad with a lumber company purchased from the Baskett Lumber Co. in 1919. Brown soon extended the lumber railroad to a connection with the Mobile & Ohio, later GM&O, at Buhl, and had it chartered as a common carrier. By coincidence, Brown had the M&G chartered in 1925, the same year Baldwin built the little 2-6-0 which became M&G #97. The M&G had been cut back 32 miles, leaving only 11 miles for the 2-6-0 to haul trainloads of "raw" wooden poles to a plant where they were debarked, creosoted and then hauled back to the GM&O interchange.

    While on the M&G, #97 received new bottom sheets in the tender cistern in 1965, the running gear and machinery was overhauled in 1966 and the boiler was re-tubed in 1967. At some point in her life, the original short smokebox on #97 had been extended and her arch bar type, elliptic spring tender truck frames replaced with Bettendorf type cast steel side frames, retaining the elliptic springs. It is not known, but the smokebox and truck changes may have been done by the U.S.Army. Otherwise, at the end of her career on the M&G, #97 still looked very much as she had while at Perry Point.

    The little locomotive's last run on the Mobile & Gulf was made on August 25, 1970. The former Perry Point U.S.V.A. 2-6-0 #1000, operating as Mobile & Gulf #97, had the distinction of being the last steam locomotive in the U.S. to be used in regular scheduled operation on a common carrier railroad. After #97 was retired, some service continued for a few years. The last 11 miles of line between Brownsville and Buhl, Ala., were officially abandoned in 1981, but the rails were not removed until 1984.

    After it's service on the M&G ended, the little 2-6-0 was sold to Historic Railroads Inc., in June 1090, and was eventually used briefly on the Ocean City Western. But that was far from their original plan. Historic Railroads Inc. had been formed by two railfans to operate fan trips in the Severna Park area of Maryland and was organized and chartered in 1970. By then there were three principals involved, Dudley Eichorn of Cape St. Charles, Noel G. Wilkinson of Annapolis and George A. Norcross of Severna Park. Plans to operate a "sightseeing railroad" on 6.5 miles of the Baltimore & Annapolis between the station in Severna Park and the Severn River were announced. The B&A's long Severn River trestle had been declared unsafe in 1968, cutting the Annapolis end of the line off from Baltimore.

    The backers of the project applied to the Public Service Commission in 1971 for permission to operate the line "with the little 56 ton locomotive converted to burn clean fuel oil and run at 12 miles per hour. They claimed it would cause less pollution and make less noise than the traffic on the Ritchie Highway running nearby. A second appeal was made in April 1971. Not anticipated was the very vocal, but certainly not knowledgeable, NIMBY's which attacked the tourist railroad proposal as being terrible and dangerous. The extent of the NIMBY's knowledge, or lack of knowledge, may be judged from their objections as expressed in the newspaper. They objected to the little 56 ton #97 as being a "huge main line passenger locomotive of the 1940's, topping the scales at over 350 tons and being several hundred feet in length". It would certainly be interesting to know where the NIMBY's came up with such a description for a locomotive operating on a tourist type railroad line.

    Having no better luck on their second try, the Historic Railroads Inc. promoters turned their attention across the Chesapeake Bay to the Eastern Shore for a rail line where they could operate #97. An item in the Queen Anne's Record-Observer dated September 9, 1971, states the Queen Anne's County Commissioners had endorsed a plan for Historic Railroads Inc. to purchase the track between Queenstown and Denton. The line was to be abandoned by PC, but there was a question if an easement held by Delmarva Power & Light Co. would interfere with the tourist railroad operation. PC insisted Historic Railroads Inc. still headquartered in Servena Park would have to submit a bid for the line. It soon became obvious #97 would not be operating between Queenstown and Denton.

    Historic Railroads Inc. then looked farther east across the Delmarva Peninsula and finally found a track on which they could operate #97. The Ocean City Western Railroad came into being, a mighty long way from where they had wanted to be in Severna Park. In addition to #97, by then Historic Railroads Inc., owned two coaches, a track motor car, two push cars, re-railers, jacks and an assortment of tools.

    Number 97 was loaded on a 60 foot flat car for shipment to the former PRR enginehouse in Delmar, Del., in July 1972. On July 30, while passing through Birmingham on the Southern Railway, a crew switching in Norris Yard apparently did not check the bill of lading and mistakenly switched the flat cat carrying #97 to a track at the Norris Shop. They reportedly thought the locomotive was to be overhauled for use on fantrips such as the Southern Railway was operating at the time. When #97 did not show up at the next check point and no one could account for it's whereabouts, #97 was declared as being lost in shipment. After many frantic phone calls, #97 resumed it's journey, passing through Norfolk and delivered to Penn Central on August 13th, on it's way to Delmar.

    The town of Delmar was founded by the Delaware Railroad, which was chartered to build south as far as the Delaware-Maryland State Line. The Delaware Railroad ended in an open field at the state line. The railroad south of the state line in Maryland was built in 1853 using a charter which had been granted in 1833 to build the Eastern Shore Railroad running down the peninsula from Elkton. About 12 to 15 miles of the right of way was prepared south of Elkton, and an even longer section on the Lower Shore, but no track was ever laid. The charter remained valid and was used to build what became part of the NYP&N. The Delaware Railroad established the town of  Delmar in the field at the state line, with the town soon expanding so it was located in both states.

    Number 97 was restored to serviceable condition at the Delmar Shop and was moved on it's own wheels, but not it's own power, over the old PRR tracks to Berlin, Md. for service on the new Ocean City Western Railroad. Ocean City Western began operation on July 4, 1974, with the 2-6-0 #97 and two ex CNJ coaches, and ended in 1975. The 2-6-0 was withdrawn from service in June 1975 due to unspecified "mechanical problems". Former Lehigh Valley SW-1 #114 served to the end of the passenger  season, which was also practically the end of the Ocean City Western.

    There had been a copy of a publicity release about #97 torn from a newspaper and tacked on the bulletin board in the W&W crew room. Someone had sure dreamed up a rather wild story for the publicity release. It said the locomotive had been built for use in building the Panama Canal, but had been shipped to Perry Point instead for the U.S. Government. How wrong can you be? With the 1925 built date, it could hardly have been to use in building the canal and Perry Point was not established as a U.S. Government facility until World War I, with the U.S.V.A. hospital established following the war.

    In November 1976, ex Perry Point #1000, ex U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, ex M&G #97, was loaded on a flat car and shipped west to the French Lick, West Baden & Southern Railway. The French Lick, West Baden & Southern Railway is a tourist railroad operated by the Indiana Railway Museum at French Lick, Indiana. They operate a 20 mile round trip between French Lick and Cuzo and a two mile trolley trip between French Lick and West Baden. Number 97 was restored to serviceable condition, but  just how much service she saw is not known. A photo of #97 under steam on the FLWB&S was published in the March 1980 issue of "Trains Magazine", but it did not have a train. The photo caption stated the 2-6-0 was a former War Department locomotive, but not U.S.V.A., former M&G and Ocean City Western. The Indiana Railway Museum displays #97 as being the former M&G #97.

    Although it has been a very long time since I saw U.S.V.A. #97 shortly it arrived at Perry Point, it is nice to know the little locomotive is still in existence. The reason I was back in the area where visitors normally did not go was because my grandfather had worked there as a baker. The little #97 did not get to run to Denton, which is where my grandfather had owned a bakery and where my mother was born. After moving to Port Deposit, he had an ice cream plant until spending his last few years as a  baker for the U.S.V.A. at Perry Point. I was fortunate to have had the chance to see the locomotive #1000 at Perry Point in 1932 only because of my grandfather working there. I would not have had a chance later, he passed away after a short illness in 1933.

    Because the little Baldwin built 2-6-0 had been in service at Perry Point, it had earned a place in the notebook of Cecil County railroad history I was compiling. I was able to obtain a copy of the page in the Baldwin Record book showing the sale of the locomotive to the U.S.V.A. in 1932. But as with the U.S.N. locomotives and track at Bainbridge, I wanted to include a track map and drawing of the locomotive used at Perry Point. As was mentioned previously, the people contacted act like they know nothing of a railroad having been there, so how could they have a map? As to a drawing, there are no such locomotive drawings with the Baldwin Record Book.

    The best bet for obtaining a drawing of #1000, or in this case, #97, seemed to be the Indiana Railway Museum having one with the copy of the Form 4 with the locomotive. Three telephone calls were made to the Indiana Railway Museum explaining what I was looking for and that it was for a history project. Each of the three calls produced the same promise, a diagram of #97 and the mechanical information would be sent in a few days. But no drawing, diagram or information on #97 was ever received from them. It sort of makes you wonder, are they actually a sincere railroad history oriented organization, or just another railroad theme tourist trap?

    The little 2-6-0 had a rather questionable future after being built by Baldwin as "for Havana stock", or an export locomotive. But after finally being bought to serve the U.S.V.A. at Perry Point, she went on to have a rather interesting life story, had one notable distinction bestowed as the last common carrier steam locomotive in scheduled operation, and she also had a local connection.

    The next time the NRHS Chapter has an outing, or a picnic at Perryville or Perry Point, pause for a minute and look out over Perry Point. Try to visualize things as they once were, with the little 2-6-0 #1000 shifting cars there. The U.S.V.A. Perry Point track had connected with one of the old PRR Perryville Branch yard running tracks. The tracks in that section of the Perryville Branch had been the old main line tracks before the new bridge was built in 1906, long before the U.S.V.A. was there.

    There still is, or at least was, a track connection with an Amtrak yard track which leads under the old railroad gate into Perry Point. It is near Mill Creek, at the end of a track extending through the Amtrak maintenance yard at Prince, which was formerly Principio on the PRR. There is even a wee bit of the U.S.V.A. track visible on the other side of the fence, although it is lost under the heavy growth of weeds and brush on the Perry Point side of the gate.

    It is nice the little Baldwin 2-6-0 survived and is now preserved in a museum. I hope she will be properly cared for and will survive there for many more years. © 2002 & 2004 Richard E. Hall

This copyrighted article was written for the "Transfer Table", the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society by Chapter Member Richard E. Hall © Richard E. Hall 1999 & 2004

PHILADELPHIA & BALTIMORE CENTRAL OPENED TO RISING SUN by Richard E. Hall

    A charter was issued by the State of Maryland in 1854 to form a company to be known as the Baltimore & Philadelphia Railroad. The Baltimore & Philadelphia was formed as part of a plan to build a new railroad line connecting the cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore. A company known as the Philadelphia & Baltimore Central Railroad was chartered in Pennsylvania the same year. The two companies held a joint meeting of stockholders in Oxford later the same year and voted to consolidate the company chartered in Maryland with the company chartered in Pennsylvania. The company formed by the consolidation was to be known by the name of the Pennsylvania company. The Maryland chartered Baltimore & Philadelphia name was short lived and the company to undertake building the P&BC Railroad as we knew it had been formed.

    A word of caution, do not confuse the Maryland chartered Baltimore & Philadelphia Railroad of 1854 with the B&O subsidiary Baltimore & Philadelphia Railroad chartered in Delaware in 1882. The B&O backed B&PRR was formed in order to consolidate it with the Delaware Western Railroad which owned the revised Wilmington & Western charter which permitted the construction of a branch line from the DWRR to the state line. It was the revised W&W charter which permitted the B&O to build through Delaware without having to ask for a special act of legislation permitting the construction of the railroad. With the strong influence of the Wilmington based PW&B objecting, such a request for a charter by the "outsider" B&O would almost certainly have been denied in Dover.

    The first ground was broken for the construction of the P&BC at Concord (Concordville), Pa. in January of 1855. It was not until February 1st, 1856, that ground was broken for building the Maryland portion of the P&BC. That was done by Dr. Franklin Taylor, the president of the P&BC, at Rising Sun. The exact location the ground breaking took place at Rising Sun is not known, but it was reported to have been near the location where the station was later built. On hand for the ground breaking was Edwin Haines of Rising Sun, who had been one of the directors of the chartered Baltimore & Philadelphia Railroad. He later became a director of the P&BC, after the Maryland and the Pennsylvania chartered railroad companies were consolidated as one company.

    Beside Edwin Haines, there were others in the Rising Sun area who were active in getting the railroad built. Among those, the most prominent were Dr. S.B. Stubbs, who also served as a director of the P&BC, Jesse Kirk, Job Haines, Henry Briscoe and Azariah Rittenhouse. It was their combined efforts which brought the railroad through the town of Rising Sun. The route which was preferred by the engineers laying out the line would have by-passed Rising Sun by following what the engineers called "the Ridge Route". That route would have passed just to the north of Rising Sun, between the town and the area known locally as "Tick Ridge". The engineers favored the Ridge Route because following it would require some eighty thousand cubic yards less of grading than was required for the route taken to pass through town. The Ridge route would have also bypassed the towns of Colora and Liberty Grove in Maryland, but not Oxford in Pennsylvania, and would have eliminated the need for the big rock cut at Rolandville.

    Even the "Ridge Route" was not the route originally projected for building the lower section of the proposed railroad between Philadelphia and Baltimore. The first route proposed at the time the company was formed would also have by-passed Rising Sun, but in the other direction. The early proposed route was described vaguely in some reports, but not in any great detail. It was to have followed a more direct route from an unidentified point just south of Avondale to a point on Basin Run just north of Liberty Grove. It was rather specific as to where it would cross the state line, but not entirely clear for some of the other points beyond there. It was to have crossed the Maryland- Pennsylvania line east of Lombard at a point a few hundred feet west of the Little Elk Creek, but beyond there, some of the route is not so specific. It was to have passed through the farm of Miss Worrall (or Worrel?) near Fairview and near the crossroads of Blueball, then passed one half mile south of Brick Meeting House, between the small towns of what is now Calvert and Zion and on to cross the North East Creek before reaching Farmington. It actually would have crossed the upper reaches of several branches of the North East Creek before reaching Farmington.

    Here the route is a bit more questionable, one description seems to have it pass between the small communities of Farmington and Greenhurst. Another description mentions names which suggest it may have been intended to pass through on the other side of Farmington, about where the Farmington Airport is now located. It is also found as passing through the farms of Joseph Haines and W.M. McCullough and on to some point south of Barnes Corner before reaching "the nearest headwaters of Basin Run". The mention of the W.M. McCullough farm raises a special interest for me. Could it be the same 150 acre farm which George E. McCullough sold to Alfred Fox for $7,500 in 1902. Although by then advanced in years, when I was growing up Fred Fox owned the 150 acre farm next to ours on what was then called Telegraph Road. At one time I had tried to project the possible "southern route" of the P&BC and one of those projections had led across the upper end of the Fox farm and possibly the upper end of our meadow and one of our fields.

    There is vague mention of the railroad crossing "the road to Port Deposit", but which one? At one time in the far distant past, the road through Chrome, Pa., down through Calvert, Cathers Corner and Battle Swamp, or Woodlawn on the modern maps, was a main road between Philadelphia and Port Deposit on the way to Baltimore. In the mid 1900's we knew it as "Telegraph Road", a name now applied to the road from Rising Sun through Calvert and Fair Hill toward Newark. It was called Telegraph Road for the simple reason there was a telegraph line following the road. Although I can remember the poles and many wires, it was too long ago to remember just how many arms and pins per arm there were, but there were several arms and a lot of wires. A short section of that road was abandoned many years ago, the remaining segments are known as Calvert Road, Post Road and south of Cathers Corner it is Hopewell Road to north of Woodlawn where it is now joined by Rt. 276 to become part of the Jacob Tome Memorial Highway.

    What was considered to be "the nearest headwaters of Basin Run" in the mid 1800's? What looks like the nearest headwaters on today's maps would have been just before it crossed the present Hopewell Road between what I knew as Coxes Corner, south of Barnes Corner, and Cathers Corner. If they had followed that route, it would have passed within a mile of the farm where I grew up on the old Telegraph Road, what is now Post Road.

    Some later reports referred to the proposed route as the "southern route" of the P&BC to be followed by another railroad. One of the later newspaper reports mentioned the survey for the "Southern Route" of the P&BC was to be to be used in the proposed extension of the Delaware Western Railroad, the successor to the Wilmington & Western Railroad, with a new line to Baltimore. A map of the Delaware Western extension as proposed showed a branch line from the Lewisville area to Oxford. In a way, it is not surprising. Col. H.S. McComb of Wilmington was the promoter of the "scheme to build the new railroad", that is the wording found in Col. McComb's 1880 personal diary.

    Col. McComb had close ties with the highest levels of PRR management starting when he was a Director of the Union Pacific and the President of the UP was on the PRR payroll as a Special Assistant to the President of the PRR. He had also been the "front man" in assembling the lines to form the proposed PRR route from Chicago to New Orleans, what became part of the ICRR line south.

    The PRR then owned the old P&BC records and surveys so it would have been no problem for Col. McComb to have obtained copies of the survey for the P&BC southern route to use as the proposed new line to Baltimore as part of the plan, or scheme. What might indeed be regarded as the "scheme" was the desire of Col. McComb and his PRR associates to unload the Delaware Western on the B&O after the combined Pomeroy & Newark and Delaware Western lines and had proven to be unsatisfactory for moving heavy coal trains into Wilmington for establishing an new coal port on the Delaware River. The initial plan of the B&O after they acquired the DWRR was to complete the original plan to Oxford, then go to Baltimore from there which would have taken the B&O main line through or close to Rising Sun.

    Construction of the P&BC progressed rather slowly due to a number of problems which arose. At times, the work had to be suspended because there was simply no money available to purchase material, or to pay the contractors. Some of the contractors received part of their payment in P&BC Railroad stock which left them short of money to pay their workers and other bills for materials used. The prevailing shortage of cash created many problems with getting contractors to work on the railroad and keeping them on the job. The tracks were finally laid and the line finished to Oxford, with the first train being operated to there in 1860. All of the right of way had also been graded from Oxford through to Rising Sun at the time. Although the grading of the line from Oxford to Rising Sun was completed, the track laying between those two towns was delayed for quite some time. There were two reasons for the delay, one being the continued shortage of funds, the other being the Civil War.

    Without some financial aid from the PW&B, the P&BC might not have been completed as far as it was. The track was built with rolled iron "T" rails having the pear shaped head typical for the iron rails of the era. The rails used in building some of the earlier sections of the line had weighed 50 lbs. per yard, but a rail section weighing 57 lbs. per yard was soon adopted for building the remainder of the line. The cost of the 57 lb. iron rails was $50.00 per ton in 1859. Those "T" rails were placed directly on the wooden ties. The use of tie plates under the base of rails did not come until much later when locomotives became so heavy they caused the rails to "cut" into the top surface of the wooden ties and also caused the spikes to work loose. The tie plates not only prolonged the tie life, they also aided in holding the spikes tight and the rails in gauge.

    Although the right of way was graded, laying the track was delayed and not completed to Rising Sun for almost five years after the line had been opened to Oxford. With track laying delayed so long, the first train was not run through to Rising Sun until March of 1865. A man named George Babe was the engineer at the throttle of the first train to officially run over the new line to Rising Sun. The tracks had actually been completed as far as Rising Sun for a couple of months prior to the date of the first trip, but initiating service was delayed. Regular service had not been started at the time because there were still no station facilities at Rising Sun for the passengers, and no provision for servicing and turning the locomotive. Rising Sun remained the end of the line for all P&BC trains until the tracks were completed through Rowlandville and on to Octoraro Station. There was no money to start building the long bridge to cross the Susquehanna River and reach the Deer Creek Valley.

    Changes came to Rising Sun along with the railroad. What had been undeveloped land along Queen St, began to have new houses being built and the alignment of the street changed where it left town and was crossed by the railroad tracks. Just a short distance beyond where the old ditch which was little more than a spring drain crossed under the then unpaved roadway, the street bore slightly to the right on a gentle descending grade to be crossed by the tracks at a point which was about the lower end of the last freight house, then crossed the meadow to join the existing alignment at the curve by the first farm house on the Farmington Road, what is now Biggs Highway. That section of road had a reputation for being practically impassible in wet weather and in the spring time, it was also in the way of where the railroad intended to locate their enginehouse. The road was realigned as we know it to pass by the new railroad station with a short grade down to cross the tracks.

    A warehouse was established where the track crossed the main road at a point which then was just to the east of town. The newspapers would print almost any rumor back in the 1800's, most were false or without merit, but some actually proved to be more accurate than the news stories. One of the baseless rumors circulating in October 1897 made it to print in the paper. I stated the B&BC was negotiating for land in the area of the A.L. Duycknck Co. warehouse where they were to build a roundhouse. It would be most interesting to know how such a wild idea for a roundhouse in such an unlikely place originated when there was a very active one in Oxford.

    The warehouse grew to deal in hay, feeds, fertilizer, coal lumber and other building supplies and in the 1910 to early 1930 era and had buildings on both sides of old Rt. 1. There had been the main warehouse and grain elevator building along the railroad siding, another building parallel to the highway, the covered coal trestle building and a long lumber shed across the east end of the property. On the south side of the highway was another siding serving a hay house and later for such items as roofing material. Along the track at both ends of the building was provision for outside yard storage of building materials such as terra cotta drain pipe, bricks, sand, gravel and stone.

    Even in the hard times of the 1930's, one could often find freight cars spotted on both tracks. At the end of the siding serving the main warehouse, and extending beyond the main warehouse, was the long covered coal trestle.

    In October 1928, a local freight train crew pushed a car loaded with fertilizer past the warehouse, off the end of the trestle and through the end of the coal shed with one end on the ground. It would be interesting to see a report detailing how they got it back on the rails under those less than desirable working conditions. It is known they had unloaded the car where it was and on Sunday the wreck train got it back on the rails. In 1928, the wrecker would have been class W100a #497013 from Perryville. In getting the car out, the wrecker did more damage to the shed than was done by the car. The wreck crew also did about $1,500 damaged to the warehouse, a stone wall and coal shed.

    The warehouse also owned another hay warehouse almost a half mile away, across from the station alongside what was then Farmington Road. The older hay house was served by the double ended siding which also served the canning house and was used for a public delivery track.

    Next to the older hay house was a stock pen and loading chute located across from the freight house. Although it had not been used for over twenty years and was in disrepair, the stock pen was still there after World War II. In an earlier era, the stock pen had seen much use, especially for the market trains. In an earlier time, there had been a market train originating in Rising Sun two days a week, reduced to one per week before it was discontinued. Although the market train was operated as a passenger train, it carried a stock car originating at the stock pen  in Rising Sun. In February 1902, while some steers were being driven to the stock pens in town to go on the market train, one slipped on the ice coming down Pigeon Hill and broke a leg. The newspaper reported the steer was quickly converted to dressed beef without the freight charges of going to market. The stock pens were not only used for the market train stock car. The newspaper reported in May 1903, the previous week Wayne  Reynolds had shipped 150 pigs to market, making 15 carloads of pigs he had shipped from Rising Sun in recent weeks.

    The long siding in Rising Sun was not used as a scheduled meeting point for trains, but to serve the hay house, stock pen and later, a canning house. There had at one time been a short spur from near the center of the long siding which was just long enough for unloading tank cars for the small Standard Oil Co. bulk storage yard. The pipes for siphon unloading of tank cars were still there in the late 1930's or early 1940's. The pipes leading from the unloading racks to the bulk plant passed under the siding, main track, freight house spur and driveway on the way to the bulk plant. Each pipe was encased in a larger cast iron pipe and buried at least five feet below the base of the rails. A 21/2" water pipe going to the canning house was also encased in a cast iron pipe where it passed beneath the tracks near the warehouse.

    On the same side of the tracks as the freight and passenger stations, there was a large building near the railroad, but back several yards from the tracks, which was built in 1898 as a shoe factory. They seemed to have accomplished things much faster back in those long gone days. The foundation was started in December 1897 and a newspaper report in January 1898 stated the gasoline engine to power the machinery was being brought from Baltimore to be placed in the basement of the factory. There  were to be 14 machines on the second floor, including a marvelous machine which drew buttons from a hopper and automatically sewed them on the shoes and another machine to make the button holes. With no siding, incoming shipments of leather and other materials, and the shoes being shipped out, would have be transported the few yards to the then large freight station. The shoe factory was put up for public sale in 1903, but there were no bids for it. The machinery was offered for sale and was purchased by a man from Quarryville, but it is not known if he moved his small operation to Rising Sun or removed the machinery from the factory.

    Within my memory, the former shoe factory was the Biles & Cameron Warehouse, and latter McCoy's. The shoe factory did not have a siding, at least no record of one has been found. After Biles & Cameron acquired the building, they negotiated a contract with the railroad which permitted them to place a long movable conveyor from the end of the then much larger freight station to their warehouse building. The warehouse was later expanded with a large shed with drive through provision extending out to the track so it could be served by cars spotted on the freight house siding which was shared with the creamery.

    During the summer months after the wheat was harvested, there were many carloads of grain shipped form both the warehouses in Rising Sun. Grain cars, good clean, empty box cars with tight inside sheathing and grain doors installed, were stored on any available track starting early during the harvest so they would be available with a minimum of delay for shipping wheat. In the late 1930's and through the 1940's, they also used the siding south of Rising Sun where the evening passenger trains had been scheduled to meet before the passenger service was discontinued south of Oxford. The same siding was used during World War II for a train of camp cars while the Navy Spur from "GROVE" block station to Bainbridge was being built.

    The P.E. Sharpless Co. built a creamery in Rising Sun and shipped the cream by rail in milk cans to their plant in Concordville to make butter and cheese. The P.E. Sharpless letterheads from the early 1900 era mention P.E. Sharpless Guilt Edge Butter, evaporated milk, Neufchatel and cream cheese. Old post card views show the freight platform filled with milk cans being shipped from the Sharpless creamery. The railroad had requirements for a uniform size of cans and the minimum and maximum amount of milk or cream in each can. Each of the cans shipped by market train or on passenger trains required a special round trip ticket to be prepared by the agent and attached to the can. There was no individual siding, the plant being located at the base of the moderately high fill for the railroad. The Balderston creamery in Colora was sold in 1909, but was soon closed when the new owners moved their work to the Sharpless plant in Rising Sun in 1912.

    The creamery was later sold to Sheffield Farms and converted to a milk pasteurizing and bottling plant. The bottled milk was shipped in PRR express refrigerator cars by trains MD-58 and #4558 to Philadelphia, with one car from train #4558 going on to Baltimore from Philadelphia in main line train #145. A loading shed and a reversible conveyor had been installed to carry crates of empty bottles down to the plant from the cars and the crates of full milk up to the shed to load in the pre-iced refrigerator cars.

    It seemed there were always two or three of the class R50b express refrigerator cars there on the siding and records show the passenger equipped class R7 cars had preceded them, but it is unknown if the passenger equipped class Rf cars had very likely been used before them. Western Maryland Dairy from Baltimore eventually replaced Sheffield and the milk soon was being processed and shipped to Baltimore by tank truck. The milk plant continued to be referred to as the creamery or the condensery long after it was operated as such.

    The freight station many of us may remember was less than half the size of the freight facilities once found in Rising Sun, primarily because of the heavy market traffic to Philadelphia. In the late 1800 to early 1900 era, there was a wide freight house platform with a ramp down to the low level passenger platform. The freight house siding served the milk plant and warehouse and continued past the additional freight houses to dead end against the wide freight platform, with a narrow platform extending down the freight house spur in front of a second building. Both buildings were about the same width with the second building a bit longer at about 20 x 80 feet. The roof was continuous over both buildings and covered a large open platform area between the buildings which had five wide openings on both the track and drive way sides. When the Market Trains were discontinued in the 1920's, the second building, most of the large platform and all of the roof which had covered it were removed.

    At one time in the pre-truck and automobile era, there had been a rather sizable amount of LCL freight for Rising Sun, not only for the needs of the many farmers around the town, but also some local industries. There were two which were not located to be served directly by the railroad, receiving LCL shipments or carload shipments on the public delivery siding over by the stock pen. There had been a factory making wagon tires, the old iron type if you remember them, wooden wagon wheels and axles.

    Another large building housed a wagon and carriage factory in the same era. The appearance of the building remained the same when I remember it in the 1930'ws and 1940's as a large hardware store which also sold some farm implements. Several flour and grist mills, a harness maker and a machine shop northwest of town would all require some LCL freight. Most of the stock for Buffingtons two stores was received by rail. The other smaller merchants would have received most of their stock by rail in the pre-automotive age of poor roads.

    Work on grading the roadbed beyond Rising Sun continued, but the next section of the line was not completed and opened to Rowlandville until 1867. The track construction ended when the rails reached a point to be known as Octoraro Station, with service reaching there in 1868. When the Colora to Rowlandville section of the line had been surveyed, the old school house at Liberty Grove was found to be in the way of the preferred alignment for the track. The school house was demolished to make way for the railroad to pass through the community. Passenger and freight stations were built at Waring's Meeting House (later called Colora), Liberty Grove, Rowlandville and Octoraro. The residents of Rowlandville wanted a larger freight warehouse than the little combined freight and passenger station, but in spite of implied promises, they did not get it.

    As built, the railroad was not well suited for operating heavy freight trains, but a few did go over the line, in addition to some detoured by problems on the main line. As the Central Division of the PW&B, the later Media Division of the PB&W and Octoraro Branch of the PRR, a few extra freight trains were occasionally operated over the line to provide some relief to generally congested traffic on the on the main line. It was a train of loaded coal gondolas running such an extra freight operating over the Central Division which broke in two and the rear overtook the head end on the grade and derailed in Hunts Cut just north of Rising Sun in the pre air brake days.

    The P&BC entered Cecil County at the highest elevation of any railroad track in Cecil County at the Pennsylvania State Line. From there to the Octoraro Creek was all descending southward with the exception of the track through Rising Sun. There was a short ascending grade southward from just south of Keinholtz Run (we spelled the name Keilholtz) at about M.P. 56.7 for about one half mile to Queen St , by the station in Rising Sun, descended for about 0.2 mile to a farm grade crossing,. From there it resumed ascending to the old Kraus Road grade crossing at about M.P. 58.2. From there it resumed descending to near M.P. 64, approximately M.P. 63.8, about 0.2  mile beyond the C&PD overhead bridge.

    The additional track which had been built for a short distance south of the Octoraro Creek to the point called Octoraro Station remained the end of the line with no connection to another  railroad. Because of a severe shortage of funds, all work on building the remainder of the line was suspended at that point. That location was at a point slightly north of where the bridge was to have been built across the Susquehanna River to reach the Deer Creek valley. Octoraro Station then became the end of the  line for the P&BC, near the Susquehanna River, but unable to cross it, and still with no track connection with any other railroad line.

    Because the railroad company ran out of money by the time the railroad's tracks had arrived at Octoraro Station, the plan to bridge the Susquehanna River and continue on to Baltimore had to be postponed, then abandoned. It had been estimated in 1859 that the 3,300 foot long bridge needed for the P&BC to cross the Susquehanna River would cost $177,450.00 to build. The estimates of the cost per mile to build up the Deer Creek Valley and on to Baltimore had varied with studies and surveys that had  been made over the years.

    Octoraro Station was located just a short distance south of Rowlandville and the Octoraro Creek, on the flat land east of the bank of Susquehanna River. With that being the end of the line, past practice would seem to dictate that there should at least have been a turntable there, if not a small engine house also. That had been done at Kennett Square, Elkview, Oxford and Rising Sun, with Oxford becoming a permanent locomotive facility. It is rather unfortunate that no record has been found describing what servicing facilities were provided at the end of track, or giving a description of the station. Although there was a station established at Octoraro, and it later became a junction point with the C&PD, apparently there never was any serious effort to develop a town at that location.

    George Babe, who had been the engineer who pulled the first train to Rising Sun, was also at the throttle as the engineer on the locomotive of the first train that ran through from Rising Sun to Rowlandville, and on to the end of the track. It was a very big event for the local citizens when that first train of "steam cars" was run through to Rowlandville and Octoraro on the new railroad line. I remember hearing my cousin, the late Hanna Kyle, who was in her 90's, tell about seeing the first train when it ran down through the Basin Run Valley, between Liberty Grove and Rowlandville. She had walked about a mile down the road running along one side of their farm fronting on what is now called Mac Cauley Road, to watch as the first railroad train passed down through the Basin Run Valley.

It was quite a memorable event local event in that area also, the long awaited railroad along Basin Run had at last arrived. The place along the railroad where Cousin Hannah had walked to see the first train pass would have been at a point in the Basin Run Valley which was located about midway between Liberty Grove and Rowlandville. It was the short road which still runs between Mac Cauley Road and Basin Run Road and is now called New Valley Road. It would have been about M.P. 51.5 on the old P&BC, or in later years, about M.P. 62.4 on the Octoraro Branch of the PRR.

Perhaps a note should be added here about Rowlandville, or more specifically, the spelling for the name of that community. Most maps, from the 1877 Atlas of Cecil County, to the modern Maryland Geological Survey maps, show the name as Rowlandsville, spelled with an "s". In Johnston's 1881 "History  of Cecil County", it is foundspelled Rowlandville, without the "s" in the name. The railroads, from the P&BC through the PW&B and PB&W to the PRR, spelled the name of the station  as Rolandville, without the "s". At least they spelled it that way most of the time. Since this account is of railroad related history, the spelling here is as the railroads spelled it most of the time, Rowlandville, without the "s". The mighty PRR, once called "The Standard Railroad Of The World" was not always standard, not even to spelling station and town names. As I recall, you could, and may still, find the name for that small town spelled and pronounced both ways.

© Richard E. Hall 1999 & 2004

SCHEDULE NOTES

Notices, announcements, schedules, etc. are provided here as a service to the members. The Chapter has no affiliation with any commercial operation, museum, or tourist line.

NOW THROUGH December 31, 2004,  Mail in Motion: The Railway Mail Service - Steamtown. A special exhibit, entitled Mail in Motion: The Railway Mail Service is currently available for public viewing in the Changing Exhibits Gallery at Steamtown National Historic Site. This collection of photographs, documents and artifacts focuses on the significant role that American railroads played in the delivery of the mail in the 19th and 20th centuries.

NOW THROUGH January 2005,  Hagley Museum's exhibition on the history of NYC's Penn Station.  This HO-gauge scale model is complete with operating trains.

NOW THROUGH April 10, 2005, Famous Eastern Passenger Trains of the 20th Century at the RR Museum of PA Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 am. to 5:00 pm. and Sunday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p

December 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 & 19: Pioneer Polar Day's on Gettsyburg Railroad Santa rides with the passengers & offers a special "treat" for the young Santa seekers.  Reservations suggested. Train leaves at 11:00 am. Regular fares. Special train on December 18 offers lunch with Santa aboard the Pioneer Crusader Table Car, limited seating, reservations only. Fares for "lunch train" are $20.00 for adults and $12.00 children 12 and under. Lunch and train ride are included in fare costs.

Saturday, December 11, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 18, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS @ RR Museum of PA : Nostalgic glimpse at holiday rail travel. Meet costumed engineers, conductors, ticket agents and passengers representing the past century; enjoy seasonal music and festive decorations and the Jack Frost Station for young children.

December 27 & 28, 2004 Holidays at Auburn Heights, 1 - 4:30? PM, ride 1/8 scale Auburn Valley Live Steam RR, see Stanley Steamers & Antique Std. Gauge trains. Admission $10, Children $7, for info http://www.auburnheights.org or 302-239-6379

January 2, 2005 Holiday Festival of Trains At Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum one of the largest assortments of operating toy train layouts in the region.  Info at <http://www.borail.org/tickets/holidayfestivaltrains.asp> or call (410) 752-2490

May 30, 2005 Grand Reopening Celebration At Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum. Museum will unveil new state of the art restoration facility and open the historic North Passenger Car Shop to the public. Info <http://www.borail.org/tickets/grandreopeningcelebration.asp> or call (410) 752-2490

ANNUAL CHAPTER HOLIDAY DINNER

Sunday, Dec. 5, 2004 - 5:30 PM cocktails
Location same as last year: Maximillian's
Buffet available 5:30-8 PM
followed by
Special Program by Steve Barry

CHAPTER EVENTS  

Sunday Dec. 5, 2004 5:30 PM Holiday Dinner program by Steve Barry at Maximillian's instead of the normal monthly meeting

Sunday Dec. 12, 2004 Noon Chapter Sponsored Trolley Trip at Steamtown, PA

Thursday Jan. 20, 2005 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Allan Patterson entitled "Colorado Narrow Gauge"

Saturday Feb. 5, 2005 10 AM Chapter Trip Super Saturday Streetcar Special XII = Phila.

Thursday Feb., 2005 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Dan Frederick

Thursday March, 2005 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Frank Ferguson

Thursday April, 2005 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Special Guest Larry Goolsby on the Atlanta, Birmingham, & Coast (AB&C) RR (the original owner of W&W's #58)  before it became the AB&A

Thursday May, 2005 7 PM Chapter Meeting Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo Contest 2005 special category: TBD

The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month [except August & December] in the Darley Room at the Claymont Community Center on Green Street in Claymont, Delaware.  Visitors are always welcome. Admission to regular meetings is free. Check out our Website, thanks to Russ Fox at:   http://www.WilmingtonNRHS.com

The Transfer Table
   The Transfer Table is published six to ten times per year as the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.  Items in this publication do not represent the official position of either Officers or Members of the Wilmington Chapter or the Editor of this publication.

    Permission to reprint articles and news items appearing herein is granted to NRHS Chapters and other newsletters provided appropriate credit is given.   Contributions are always welcome and should be sent to the editor at SD40GMA@aol.com or send to: P.O. Box 1136, Hockessin, DE 19707-5136. Deadline for entries is the 25th of the month.

    Chapter Officers
    President:   Phil Snyder
    Vice President & Historian:  Ron Cleaves
    Treasurer:   Ralph Stevens, Jr.
    Secretary:   Dan Frederick
    National Director:   Tom Posatko
    Editor:  Greg Ajamian
    Education Fund:   Ed Thornton
    Public Relations:    Frank Ferguson, Jr.
    Trip Director & Event Photographer:  Bruce Barry
    Web Master:   Russ Fox

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