Transfer Table May 2004

THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

VOLUME 26 NO. 2

MAY 2004

MARCH 18, 2004 MEETING NOTES

The Chapter's monthly meeting was called to order by President Phil Snyder in the Delaware Room of the Claymont Community Center due to a mix-up by the Center folks. We enjoyed the "board room" atmosphere as the minutes were approved as read by Secretary Dan Frederick and the report by Treasurer Ralph Stevens. National Director Tom Posatko informed us that the Board of Directors (National) was to meet in Altoona on 4/1-4/04. He reported that national membership is slowly declining and the budget was down from $500,000 to $400,000. He told us to watch for the 5 issues of The Bulletin per year in the new, larger, (and cheaper to produce) format. August will be a Do-it-yourself trip INSTEAD of the normal monthly meeting.
Mike Burkhart's slide program covered his trips and sights over roughly the last two years. We were treated to cab units in south Jersey in Salem and Swedesboro and the Napa Valley Wine Train. We saw trolleys on the F-Line in San Francisco, PCC's at Lake Tahoe in the snow, the M-Line street cars in Dallas, Texas, and Dallas Union Station. There were also views of City Steel in Claymont, a U23B on the Lancaster Northern, and various images from Sand Patch, Cumberland, South Philadelphia, and Kutztown. We discussed the slide of an NW5. Or was it an NW3? We saw the East Broad Top, the Middletown & Hummelstown first day of steam for #91, and the New Hope & Ivyland. It was another fantastic show.

APRIL 15, 2004 MEETING NOTES

The Tax Day meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM by President Phil Snyder. Minutes were approved as read by Vice President Ron Cleaves, sitting in for our traveling Secretary. Treasurer Ralph Stevens ' report was approved as read. For only the second time in ten years, the Chapter lost money on a trip. But, even though we lost $270 on the last Septa Trip, we are still ahead $95 over the last two trips. National Director Tom Posatko reported that Colorado Rail Car's DMV unit was to be on display at 30th St. Station in Philadelphia on April 16.
After the break, we were treated to another extremely informative slide presentation by Richard Hall. He read from a detailed script that he had researched and typed for the occasion to explain every slide. We were treated to light rail cars at the Boeing Vertol facility and a variety of other unusual shots. Most of the program showed various "visiting" freight and other operations on the Wilmington & Western over many years. We saw Buffalo Creek & Gaully equipment on the W&W, a 1979 view of the W&W in Wilsmere Yard, an air insulated tank car with an unusual "skirt", and a PRR Metroliner (yes, a PRR, REALLY, complete with keystone logos on side and ends). There was the Conowingo sub-station in 1974 where we learned stock pens had been earlier. We also saw and learned about a Sperry Rail Inspection Car in 1973 which was built in 1954 as a Mack rail bus at 48,000 lbs, but weighed 76,000 as the diesel inspection car. We had to cut the program short after seeing a steam Philadelphia & Reading locomotive rounding the curve in Phoenixville from an unusual vantage point on a nearby hill. We can't wait to see the rest of what he had prepared for us!

FROM THE EDITOR

All of the recent "post cards" were due to a lot of business travel that had me traveling most of the first quarter. There should be less travel in the second quarter as the project changes. I hope that you enjoy this "mega issue" which gets us pretty close to our average "page count" for the year.

THANK YOU

[Editor's note - Ed Thornton had an unusual kind of stroke and continues to recover slowly. He is getting around more each day and had hoped to make the last meeting. He asked me to publish this "thank you."]

To my fellow members and friends of the Wilmington Chapter, NRHS: Please accept a belated "THANK YOU" for your gifts, cards, visits, and phone calls while I was in the hospital and convalescing at home. It meant so much to me to know that I am remembered by the group even though I only show up about twice a year! I hope to be more visible in the future. Thanks again!

DRAW BRIDGES

Chapter Member Richard Hall is looking for prints or slides of ANY Wilmington area bridges THAT OPEN. Please contact: Richard E. Hall 500 W. Summit Ave. Wilmington, DE 19804-1814. Phone: 302-994-3911

DUES REMINDER

If you haven't sent in your dues yet, our Treasurer's new address is now: Ralph E. Stevens Jr., 1432 Governor House Circle, Wilmington, DE 19809- 2485 (phone number is still the same 302-762-3361)

NEWS BITS

Ex-Philadelphia & Reading Class A4-b 0-4-0 "Camelback" #1187 was moved from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania across PA Route 741 by Strasburg Railway 44-tonner #33 on January 6, 2004 for several months of thorough inspection to determine if it is worthwhile to restore it to service. It originally arrived at Strasburg on November 25, 1962, was last operated on May 25, 1967, and last left the museum on January 3, 1987. [from Harrisburg Chapter's Harrisburg Rail Review via Lancaster Chapter's Lancaster Dispatcher]

New railroad display in Coatsville, PA at the Lukens Historic District = directly south of the ex-PRR stone viaduct. On exhibit is a 3-foot-gauge mill train complete with restored 0-4-0T steam locomotive lettered Lukens No. 10 [from Philadelphia Chapter's Cinders]

NJ Transit's River LINE now has their own website, http://www.riverline.com/ which is separate from NJT's. The billion-dollar, 34-mile long diesel light rail line runs between Camden and Trenton, NJ [from Philadelphia Chapter's Cinders]

There is a website for steam locomotive fans at www.survivingworldsteam.com with information on 31,000 steam "engines" in 140 countries and 2,000 photos [from the Rochester Chapter via Philadelphia Chapter's Cinders]

Excerpt from a Letter From the Director of the B&O Museum: [ http://www.borail.org/]
I am proud to announce that the New Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum will reopen the weekend of November 13-14, 2004! "Better than ever" has been the theme of all involved in the planning and execution of this tremendous restoration project. New exhibits, activities, programs, visitor facilities and experiences await the grand re-opening and your return. The tragic events of the February 16-17, 2003 snow storm and the impact that this cataclysmic event had on the museum's National Landmark 1884 Roundhouse and the world class collections contained therein, have evoked letters, e- mails and telephone calls from around the globe. Partners and friends from museums worldwide, historical organizations, clubs, individuals, families and children all over continue to express their heartfelt concern and care. In addition, unsolicited donations are still received from every corner of the globe to aid in the restoration, rebuilding and reopening of this great American treasure. Throughout our website you will find detailed information on the Museum's progress, recent stories in the press, a magnificent archive of images and host of other resources intended to keep you informed and up to date. Please explore this experience with us.

    B&O Railroad Museum: Restoration Reports: [ http://www.borail.org/]
>> Friday, February 20, 2004
       As stated in the February 6, 2004 Roundhouse Restoration Report, the Museum was faced with accessibility challenges for its visitors. Prior to the collapse, only twelve different locomotives and rolling stock in the Roundhouse were accessible to the public by way of wooden steps.
    In order to make the collection accessible to the entire public, the Museum constructed two large outdoor exhibition platforms in the backyard. These train platforms will be accessible to the public by way of switchback ramps. Once on the platform, visitors will be able to view the collection pieces at eye level, looking into car windows or at certain times into the cars themselves.
    The platforms will also serve the Museum's mission by sheltering and therefore preserving as many as 10 to 12 locomotives or cars at a time. Pieces of the collection will be rotated for different programming objectives. The train sheds will increase the Museum's public facilities as well as create an additional experience for the visitor.

>> Friday, April 9, 2004
    Construction on and around the Roundhouse continues as weather conditions permit. Structural engineers reported that the original Roundhouse lantern lacked sufficient structural integrity and therefore needed to be rebuilt. The new lantern will be an exact replica of the original except in some cases where modern materials are used. The ring at the base of the lantern is of steel construction as opposed to wood. Once constructed on the ground, the lantern will be secured on top of the Roundhouse.
    The window frames for the clerestory level windows have been delivered and are awaiting installment. The window frames for the clerestory level windows are ten feet high.
    The building of the larger outdoor exhibition platform is progressing as scheduled. The roofing is completed and the platform decking is currently being installed. Both outdoor platforms will have switch-back ramp access on one end, and an emergency stairway at the other.
    Thank you for your continued support. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum will reopen on November 13, 2004. For further questions please contact: Ed Williams, Deputy Director & Chief Curator, B&O Railroad Museum 410-752-2462 ext.211

    The next SEPTA Timetable change will take place on Sunday, April 25, 2004 (Monday, April 26, 2004 for Delaware). The notable changes effecting Delaware trains are as follows:
    #9235 SB - Will arrive in Wilmington at 2;16 p.m., four minutes earlier than previous timetable.
    #4245 SB - All times change between Elm Street, Norristown and Wilmington by about six minutes on average.
    #0265 SB - Will arrive in Wilmington at 7:25 p.m. p.m., two minutes later than previous timetable.For other timetable updates, go to: www.septa.org. [From: Douglas Andrews via Ralph Stevens ]

    60-year-old Timonium, Md. railfan wants to restart service on the former Penn Central tracks that follow the Heritage Rail Trail through the southern part of York county. He has equipment and experience and York County has tracks, but no trains. Mr. James Riffin essentially wants to run his own 1:1 scale model railroad, since he already owns a lot of the rolling stock assembled. He said he already owns some freight cars and two vintage 1954 passenger cars in excellent shape. He plans to restart some commercial freight service to generate at least some revenue. The state lease obligates the county to upgrade the line and accommodate freight service "if an operator decides to provide freight service on that rail," County Administrator/Chief Clerk Chuck Noll said. Riffin said he would repair the line himself, absolving the county of what Noll said could be "an extremely large financial obligation." But, one absolute condition would be that the trail part of the rail-trail continue in operation and the state would need to be consulted about any lease arrangements.
    It's the second-oldest rail line in America, started after the Baltimore & Ohio, Riffin said. It began as the Northern Central Railway, completed from Baltimore to York in 1838, and the only railroad going north and south. In 1911 Pennsylvania Railroad leased the assets of Northern Central, which eventually merged with New York Central to become Penn Central. Penn Central abandoned the line in the 1970s after Hurricane Agnes. The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad/York Rail operated the line until 1990, and then from 1998 to 2001 an excursion train with dining facilities ran from New Freedom, sometimes as far as York. In shuttering the excursion railroad in 2001, company president Kenneth Bitten cited low sales and financial considerations as the primary reasons. However, he also noted that issues with New Freedom borough, the train's base, were instrumental. Residents and borough officials had complained about noise and unsightly storage. The company's assets were to be auctioned off when service ended.
    More than 250,000 people annually walk or ride bicycles along the 22-mile trail, which opened in 1999. One of York County's largest tourist attractions, it includes several historic bridges and the hand-dug Howard Tunnel, which opened in 1838. Plans to extend the Heritage Rail Trail north of York City and construct a similar trail to Hanover have been under consideration. [from JACK SHOLL Dispatch/Sunday News via Ed Thornton]

Kinzua Viaduct will not be rebuilt. The 121-year-old former Erie Railroad Kinzua Viaduct, most of which was toppled July 21, 2003, by a tornado, will not be rebuilt, according to a story in the Bradford (Pa.) Era newspaper. Abe Amoros, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, said the state could not afford the estimated $45 million to rebuild the bridge, which stretched almost a half-mile and towered 301 feet above a gorge near the Allegheny National Forest, 110 miles northeast of Pittsburgh near the New York state line. Rendell's decision is supported by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which owned the viaduct, part of a state park that bears its name.
The Kinzua Viaduct - 1552 tons of iron - was built in 94 days and was hailed by some as the Eighth Wonder of the World. It was rebuilt with steel in 1900 to accommodate heavier trains. But after standing for more than a century, the aging engineering marvel was ripped apart in 30 seconds by a tornado with 94 mph winds. According to a report by state park officials, the storm was more than the bridge's 111-year-old anchor bolts could withstand; 11 of the bridge's 20 triangle-shaped support towers were ripped from their brick foundations. No one was injured when the bridge came down, largely because state park officials a year earlier had halted the Knox & Kane from operating its tourist train across the bridge. Officials later also banned walkers from the bridge. Knox & Kane continues to operate tourist trains to the south end of the bridge. The viaduct is on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks and National Register of Historic Places. Considered an important tourist site, the bridge hadn't seen a freight train since the Erie Railroad stopped using it in 1959. The bridge came down just as a construction company was working to stabilize it for more permanent repairs.

    150th Anniversary Of "Horseshoe Curve" Features Major Fourth Of July Tribute Norfolk Southern and OSRAM SYLVANIA Engineer Lighting Extravaganza; This Year's Event Will Trump the 1954 "SYLVANIA Big Shot" ALTOONA, PA - With the commemoration of Horseshoe Curve's 150th anniversary this year, the Railroaders Heritage Corporation today announced that it will "pull out all the stops" with a major evening spectacular on July 4th. This extraordinary event will be reminiscent of the famous 1954 "SYLVANIA Big Shot," which featured the simultaneous deployment of more than 6,500 SYLVANIA Blue Dot flashbulbs to light Horseshoe Curve. This time, OSRAM SYLVANIA and Norfolk Southern will provide technology, equipment and sizzle for the celebration of this major transportation and engineering milestone in American history.
    "We are excited to once again help bring notice to such an important moment in American history," said Scott Cessna, executive director of the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona. "In 1854, an enterprising young civil engineer named J. Edgar Thomson opened the first railway to scale the mighty Allegheny Mountains in Central Pennsylvania. To avoid a sharp incline, which would be impossible for heavy steam trains to manage, Thomson routed the right-of-way in a horseshoe shape, so the rise would be gradual. The feat was considered a major engineering masterpiece at the time and was pivotal to opening commerce across the continental U.S." The American Society of Civil Engineers recently recognized Horseshoe Curve as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark during a ceremony in Altoona.
    "Horseshoe Curve is a vital component of Norfolk Southern's 22-state freight rail network," said David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "The 150th year of operation of this American industrial and engineering landmark, its role in the westward expansion of the U.S. and its continuing importance to the national economy are certainly deserving of celebration."
    Today, an average of 60 Norfolk Southern freight trains and four Amtrak passenger trains operate over Horseshoe Curve daily. This volume translates into more than 100 million gross tons of freight annually. Commodities coming through Horseshoe Curve include mail, consumer goods, coal, finished automobiles, construction material and agricultural products.
    SYLVANIA technology continues to focus public awareness on the remarkable feat of engineering that Horseshoe Curve represents. In 1954, SYLVANIA and the Pennsylvania Railroad captured the imagination of children and adults alike with the illumination of Horseshoe Curve, which was the sixth in a series of 18 photographic achievements known as Big Shots. All 18 Big Shots were illuminated using SYLVANIA flashbulb technology. Photographs of the 1954 event can be found at www.railroadcity.com/hsc1954.
    "We recognize the historical significance of the anniversary of the construction of Horseshoe Curve and are pleased to support the recreation of the spectacle of the first lighting. As we did in the past, we will be using the most innovative products available on the market today," said Charlie Jerabek, president and CEO of OSRAM SYLVANIA. "Many of the lighting products available through OSRAM SYLVANIA today were developed within the last five years."
    In order to provide the safest and most comfortable atmosphere for the celebration, the event will be ticketed. Entertainment will be provided the entire day both at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona and Horseshoe Curve, culminating with the lighting of Horseshoe Curve and a display from Zambelli Fireworks Internationale - the "First Family of Fireworks." Ticket information is available by contacting the Railroaders Memorial Museum at 1-888- ALTOONA.
    About Railroaders Heritage Corporation: Railroaders Heritage Corporation is a not-for-profit organization established in 1972 with offices in Altoona, PA. The Corporation owns and operates two significant historic sites in the Altoona area - the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark and the Railroaders Memorial Museum. It is the mission of the Railroaders Heritage Corporation to reveal, interpret, commemorate and celebrate the significant contributions of railroaders and their families to American life, past and present. Please visit us at www.railroadcity.com.
    About Norfolk Southern Corporation: Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates 21,500 route miles in 22 states, the District of Columbia and Ontario, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. NS operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is the nation's largest rail carrier of automotive parts and finished vehicles. For further information, please visit our Web site at www.nscorp.com.
    About OSRAM SYLVANIA: Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., OSRAM SYLVANIA is the North American lighting operation of OSRAM GmbH. Together we are the second-largest lighting and materials enterprise in the world, serving customers in more than 140 countries. We manufacture and market a wide range of lighting products, including automotive, electronic and magnetic ballasts, and precision materials and components for industrial and commercial users, original equipment manufacturers and consumers, sold primarily under the SYLVANIA brand name, but also under the OSRAM brand. OSRAM SYLVANIA also offers lighting systems installation and maintenance services. For further information, please refer to our Web site at www.sylvania.com. [from http://www.nscorp.com]

    Easter trip may have been the last on the Stewartstown Railroad. Train cars at the Stewartstown On the way to New Freedom, the rear car of the train, while traveling about 5 mph, came off the track. but no one was injured on what could be the historic last trip through an iron bridge between Stewartstown and Shrewsbury. The railroad has 15 workers, including 13 volunteers. In the last several years, an increase in insurance liability expenses caused a financial hardship for the rail line, which specializes in special event trips. But George Hart, the president of about 50 railroad stockholders, hopes the trips will continue. He said he's been involved with the railroad for about 30 years. Hart said he hopes people will pay attention to a sign outside the station for details on the future of the railroad. "It will be kept up to date," he said.
        HISTORY LESSON
    In 1884, a group of local citizens chartered the Stewartstown Railroad to connect the town and its thriving agricultural area with the nearest rail line - the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Freedom. The seven-mile stretch ends at New Freedom, where, in 1885, it made an important connection with the main line of the Northern Central Railway. Stewartstown's first locomotive, Hopewell, hauled freight and passengers. The depot or train station dates to 1915 and features an original waiting room and ticket office. A plaque states it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior. In recent years, the train carried passengers to New Freedom and back to Stewartstown for special events, including Mother's Day, Halloween and a Civil War re-enactment. Sources: http://www.parailways.com, http://www.fieldtrip.com
        A DARK DAY
    In 1923, a car carrying several passengers and crew members became uncoupled from a train on the Stewartstown Railroad and drifted down a grade. A freight train, going at a rapid speed, met it head-on and plowed through the passenger coach, "telescoping" about two-thirds of the length of the car. Four women passengers were scalded and burned when thrown against a boiler, and two men were treated for cuts and bruises. The engineer of the freight train, Lewis Roseberry, was injured when he jammed on the brakes and jumped from the train. The accident remains the most serious in the railroad's history. Source: "Never to be Forgotten" by James McClure [from an article by TERESA McMINN, in the Daily Record, April 14, 2004 via Ed Thornton]

    Georgetown Loop Railroad, Inc. Prepares for Last Season in Summer 2004. The Georgetown Loop Railroad Inc. invites you and your family to ride the railroad this summer and help us celebrate our last year operating the Georgetown Loop Historic Mining Park & Railroad Park. After reaching an impasse with the Colorado Historical Society, we will finish our contract through the 2004 summer season. The railroad will re-open on May 29th and run daily through October 3rd, 2004. On behalf of all of us here at the "Loop," we wish to extend a warm "Thank You" to all of our guests from around the world who have helped make this railroad so successful and a pleasure to operate. We hope to see many of you this summer! Of course, we are now taking reservations online, or give us a ring at: 1-800-691-4386 or 303-569-2403 (inside area code 303). The Georgetown Loop has been a major economic engine to Clear Creek County and many are concerned over the potential loss of the tourist railroad. "This could be a really huge hit," Clear Creek County Commissioner Jo Ann Sorenson said. "I hope there is some room to revisit this decision."
    "It would be a travesty if they left. The Georgetown Loop is a major destination in the state of Colorado," said Peggy Stokstad, president of the Clear Creek Economic Development Corp., a group that distributes federal grants in rural Clear Creek County. "I would hope the society can reconsider this decision," Stokstad said. "We have got to make this work."
    The same operators have also been successful in operating the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, located in Canon City, Colorado. The scenic train takes passengers through the spectacular Royal Gorge. This same train also has the only gourmet dinner and lunch trains in the state. Help Save the Georgetown Loop Railroad! If you would like to voice your concern over the loss of this famous railroad, please write or E-Mail the Honorable Bill Owens, Governor of Colorado at: 136 State Capitol, Denver, CO 80203-1792. Phone: 303.866.2471, FAX: 303.866.2003. We appreciate the outpouring of support from our guests. Thank You! [from http://www.georgetowncolorado.com/]

RailAmerica's engineering department completed a study last year and found that 1,500 of their track miles had 90-pound rail. To accommodate the newer 286,000 pound cars, it has to be heavier than 90-lb. Since it costs $250,000 to upgrade one mile, it will cost them $375 million to do it all. [from Baltimore Chapter's Interchange]

"Roanoke's Newest Landmark," the O. Winston Link Museum, seems to be a success. Over 1000 people attended the opening, paying $1,600 in admissions by 3 PM (closing time is 5 PM) and spending an additional $3,000 in the gift shop. There are 270 of Link's photos, interactive exhibits, railroad artifacts, and some of Link's personal effects. [from Roanoke Times via Potomac Chapter's Potomac Rail News via Delaware Valley Chapter's The Observation Car]

    A new Amtrak train station planned for Paradise Township should be built and ready for passengers by this time next year, county officials. The long- lanned Paradise Rail Station will be built on the east side of the Route 30 bridge over Amtrak's right of way on 1.33 acres that will be purchased from Stock Building Supply. The station will be accessible from the south side of Route 30, opposite the Keim Chevrolet dealership. It will be built where Strasburg Rail Road reaches the Amtrak right of way in Paradise. The proposed station also will be a new stop for Strasburg Rail Road, said Jeff Glisson of Red Rose Transit Authority. Glisson also is an alternate member of Lancaster County Transportation Coordinating Committee.
    The station will be unmanned, but there will be plenty of lighting for its eastbound and westbound 300-foot-long covered platforms. The platforms and their access paths will be handicap accessible. The station will include a circular driveway, a passenger drop- off area, hitching posts for horses and buggies, parking for about 30 cars and a bus-waiting and drop-off area. The station will be served by RRTA buses. A pedestrian walkway from the eastbound Amtrak platform will connect to another new platform that will serve Strasburg Rail Road. The $2.75 million project also includes the construction of a turntable allowing the coal-burning steam-powered Strasburg Rail Road locomotives to turn around for their return trip to Strasburg.     Officials hope the new station will boost tourism as it will enable anyone with access to Amtrak to visit Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg and other sites. A trip could be made entirely by train, with the last 45 minutes aboard America's oldest short-line railroad.
    "We are also working on what kind of service options RRTA could provide to tourists once they get to the Strasburg railroad museum," Glisson said. "For example, if they came here on Amtrak from Harrisburg International Airport, we'd like to be able to provide them transportation from Strasburg to other venues and attractions so they could see as much of Lancaster County as possible without bringing a private automobile."
    An environmental-impact assessment for the project was completed in December 2002, and a required archeological study of the area is under way. Although the county has not received in writing Amtrak's commitment to serve the new station, which is required, Glisson said it doesn't appear that will be a problem.
    "The meeting with Amtrak in September went very well, but we're still waiting for the official word," Glisson said. "Based on previous meetings, Amtrak appears willing to serve the station." Work on the final design of the new station began in January, and the county plans to seek bids for construction in spring subject to the review and approval of the plans by Amtrak, Paradise Township and receipt of a highway occupancy permit issued by the state Department of Transportation. The $2.75 million will come from a combination of federal, state and local sources. Construction should be completed by December 2004, Glisson said. [from an article by Charles Lardner in the Intelligencer Journal (PA), 12/12/03, via Chesapeake Railway Association's High Green & http://www.railfan.net/lists/rshsdepot- igest/200312/msg00048.html]

    Valley Forge Labs is currently responsible for the design and construction oversight of the new rail station at Paradise, PA on Amtrak's Harrisburg Line. The project involves design of the station facilities including eastbound and westbound platforms and parking facilities for approximately 30 vehicles. Special attention is being afforded in the areas of accommodation of transit buses, ADA requirements and pedestrian facilities. Both low level and mini-high level platforms have been incorporated in to the design.
    The station is expected to initially serve at least six trains per day on Amtrak's Keystone Service, but may eventually serve both the Pennsylvanian and the Three Rivers/Broadway Limited. The station will provide important local connections to both Harrisburg and Philadelphia where the traveler can access the entire Amtrak system. The station will also serve as the terminus of the Red Rose Transit Authority's Route 14 Transit line linking the station with the historic Amish country, the Lancaster outlet area around Rockville Square and the City of Lancaster, itself. The parking facilities have been designed to incorporate and bus turn-around loop for the Route 14.
    Eventually, the station will also serve as the western terminus for the Strasburg Railroad's steam passenger train service ("The Road to Paradise"), providing a rail link to the historic Strasburg area and the Pennsylvania State Railroad Museum. [from http://www.valleyforgelabs.com/ex.paradise.html]

    "The Lost Engines of Roanoke" are four little-known survivors of the steam era. Hidden among the creepers at the Virginia Scrap Iron and Metal Co. yard on South Jefferson Street in Roanoke, VA, are four steam engines that time forgot. Norfolk & Western locomotives 917, 1118, 1134, and 1151 have been there awaiting their fate since they were sold for scrap in 1950. Something should be done to preserve them, before it's too late. You can see Scrapyard Photos of the "Lost Engines" of Roanoke - a look at the engines as they are today at http://lostengines.railfan.net:
    Norfolk & Western 1118 - M2 class 4-8-0
    Norfolk & Western 1134 - M2 class 4-8-0
    Norfolk & Western 1151 - M2c class 4-8-0
    Norfolk & Western 917 - W2 class 2-8-0
[from Roanoke Times via Potomac Rail News via Baltimore Chapter's Interchange]

RAILROAD FAIRS

A feature by Phil Toman

{Editor's apologies for not getting this article into print BEFORE the exhibit closed]

When I was young man there were industrial museums, history museums, art museums and never the twain did meet. I am happy to say that distinction has blurred and we are all the richer for it. A case in point is my Transfer Table topic for today.

Certainly one of the finest industrial museums in the tri-state area is the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Now through April 19 the museum offers an exhibit which combines its work as an industrial museum with the work of an art museum and the work of a history museum. We are offered a wonderful chance to relive the great Railroad Fairs of times gone by. The multi-faceted exhibit is called "Pageant of Locomotives: Photography from North American Fairs."

The term "Railroad Fair" may be a new one to some younger readers. But in my own lifetime they caused excitement and great anticipation. People older than I have even more recollections of these exciting events. They were PR showplaces for railroads. They were circuses. They were many things to many people and literally had "something for everyone to enjoy."

The new exhibit has captured the majesty and the allure of Railroad Fairs in a unique and most interesting way. It is done with vintage photographs, booklets, tickets, posters, film footage and many artifacts of those great fairs. The show will bring back many memories for some and new experiences for others. Just like the fairs whose stories the exhibit retells, there is "something for everyone to enjoy."

To the fair goers of those days the railroads were something very special. They had united our country as nothing before had ever done. They were THE way to travel. They were excitement. They were the stuff of which dreams were made. They were many things to many people. They were a far cry from today!

As a boy I had opportunities to attend two of the last great Railroad Fairs, the one at the New York World's Fair, 1939, and The Chicago Railroad Fair, 1949. The latter is, of course, much more vivid in my memory. But the exhibition has the stories of many more fairs to tell. It tells these stories beautifully.

Of the photos from which museum PR director Deborah Reddig gave me from which to select, I like the one which shows so many facets of these fairs. There is the brass band. The Parade. The special track going by the reviewing stand. The circus tents to protect the reviewing stand. American flags flying from every post. On and on it goes.

Museum Curator Bradley K. Smith put it so very well when he commented that no aspect of railroad history can match the splendor of the great Railroad Fairs. "These spectacles of nostalgia and progress gave railroad companies an opportunity to showcase their celebrated equipment of the past and to unveil their latest technology and innovations, which helped to shape the habits and attitudes of an entire nation!"

In the era of the Railroad Fairs there were many great railroads crisscrossing America and each wanted to have its time in the sun. Today there are only a few great roads and only one of them carries overland passengers. It is a far cry from the 1890s and the start of the 20th century when railroads had reached the zenith of transportation evolution and were regarded by many as leading the country in the revolution of technology.

Each fair has its own story. With the "Railroads of Tomorrow" exhibit at the 1939 World's Fair the Pennsylvania Railroad presented many of its historic locomotives and glimpses into the future. It is interesting to note many of those exhibits are preserved at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and are part of this exhibit. By 1949 things had changed drastically. Railroads were on the wane. But they made one more valiant attempt to recreate what once was with the Chicago Railroad Fair. All of those stories and many more are recounted at this exhibit.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Museum in Strasburg, Pa., is open Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 5 p.m.

WAS THERE A PENNSY CONNECTION TO THE W&W? By Richard E. Hall

The wording of the title does not mean a track connection to the PRR. We all know such a track connection between the W&WRR - DWRR -B&ORR and the P&NRR - PRR had existed at Landenberg. We also know the big PRR never had any financial or operating interest in the little W&WRR or it's successor, the DWRR. Or do we actually only think we know?

There are many times when what we think we know, is actually only because we don't know otherwise, or we do not necessarily know all of the true facts. Or sometimes we simply overlook some small part of something relating to a bit of history about which much is already known. A major problem observed in many recent histories about railroad companies is the author often fails to realize railroads in general are so complex and interrelated it is quite often necessary to look beyond the corporate structure and physical plant of almost any railroad to better comprehend its history. That even includes such relatively small railroad lines as the original W&W had been.

I have often applied the old expression "a day late and a dollar short" to the W&W. The W&W should have been built at least ten to twenty years before it was finally started. Like so many railroad projects of its era, the W&W was undercapitalized and therefore was unable to reach its initial goal, much less its ultimate destination as was stated. The often encountered problem of overestimating the traffic potential before a line was built and the change in the prevailing economic conditions soon after the original section of the line was opened prevented the W&W from continuing construction of the line on to Oxford.

It is unfortunate, but the mindset of many of the individuals now involved with the modern W&W is it was only a B&O branch line. The thought is that it was never intended to be anything else or associated with any other railroad. They even say the DWRR was sold to a B&O subsidiary company which did not even exist at the time the B&O actually acquired control of the DWRR in 1881. The B&O line through Delaware was built as authorized by the 1877 revision of the W&W charter and the DWRR was later merged with the B&O subsidiary Baltimore & Philadelphia Railroad which was chartered in Pennsylvania in 1883. It is most regrettable to find a supposedly history oriented organization does not even present its own History Red Clay Valley and Wilmington & Western Railroad history with any reasonable degree of accurately. Considering that, it should come as no surprise to find HRCV does not present a true picture of the origin of the original W&WRR from which it drew its name or how, why and when it became a branch line of the B&O system.

The following is not intended as an attempt to slaughter any "sacred cows" in the history of the W&WRR, as presently perceived. Nor does it contain enough solid facts to prove a point beyond any reasonable doubt. But there may be enough stated to establish some questions worthy of a far more in depth study. Here are just a few random, but rather interesting points, regarding the W&WRR - DWRR and the PRR.

The first item to consider is Wilmington's railroad tycoon, Col. H.S. McComb, the President of the Delaware Western Railroad, successor to the Wilmington & Western Railroad. His ties to the PRR are not known to have been especially strong, but they did indeed exist, and there is enough known to generate some interest. But to understand the origin of the connection Col. McComb had with the PRR, we must first turn our attention westward to the Union Pacific Railroad which was then being built.

At one time, Col. McComb held 4,832 shares of Union Pacific Railroad stock and had been elected to the Board of Directors of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1863. While serving the Union Pacific Railroad as a Director, Col. McComb certainly would have become acquainted with Thomas A. Scott of the PRR. Mr. Scott was also the President of the Union Pacific. Although the President of the Union Pacific, Mr. Scott was still employed full time by the PRR as a Special Assistant to the President. Mr. Scott was also a Director of the PRR from March 21, 1860, to June 1, 1880, he served as the second Vice President of the PRR from March 21, 1860 to June 3, 1874, and was the fourth President of the PRR from June 3,1874 to June 1,1880. Part of the time period was when Col. McComb held a slight advantage in the amount of stock needed to control the DWRR.

Col. McComb's post Civil War venture with the three railroads in the Mississippi Valley was primarily backed with PRR financing. It had been intended the railroads would eventually form a new PRR line from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico. At one point, the PRR even had reported they controlled the lines involved in the route, but had not identified them by their names. Col. McComb was able to get the directors of the expanding Illinois Central Railroad to repeatedly advance large sums of money to improve and expand his line which connected with the southern end of the Illinois Central Railroad. It was the PRR stockholders resistance to further expansion causing lower dividends which forced the formation of a Stockholders Investigating Committee in 1874. The committee report resulted in the grand plan for the Mississippi Valley line to be abandoned by the Pennsy management. The Directors of the Illinois Central Railroad took action to lease the lines from the Southern Railroad Association for a period of 400 years and they became the ICRR main line down the Mississippi Valley to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico.

Col. McComb was definitely not to be considered as one of the PRR's major stockholders. I can only account for 500 shares of PRR stock in Col. McComb's personal ledgers which was purchased in October 1869, compared to thousands of shares of stock in such railroads as the Union Pacific, the Erie and the Philadelphia & Reading. He had also invested in the stocks and bonds of a long list other railroads. Col McComb also owned stock in the PRR controlled Philadelphia & Erie and the Pennsylvania Steel Co. and the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore RR and Christiana River Improvement Co., a local holding company He had invested some in the bonds of the Eastern Shore Railroad which, by way of the NYP&N, eventually became the southern end of the PRR's line own the Del-Mar-Va Peninsula. Perhaps it may come as no surprise the Eastern Shore Railroad was eventually dominated by A.J. Cassett who had resigned as Vice President, Traffic, of the PRR on July 7, 1882 to build that short line into the NYP&N before returning to the PRR as President on JUNE 9, 1899. His frequent visits to President Gowan of the P&R often were followed by the purchase and/or sale of large blocks of stock in the Erie and P&R railroads, sometimes both buying and then selling in the same day. There were no rules against acting on inside information back in those days, it was an accepted practice.

The Directors of Col. McComb's holding company operating the southern railroads, the Southern Railroad Association, had included Thomas A. Scott, by then Vice President of the PRR and President of the Pennsylvania Company, a PRR subsidiary, J. N. McCullough, 1st. Vise President of the Pennsylvania Company and William Thaw, 2nd. Vice President of the same PRR company. The Pennsylvania Company had been formed to operate the railroads west of Pittsburgh and Erie which were controlled by the PRR. Col. McComb also had some real estate dealings with at least one of the above PRR men, Thomas A. Scott. The purchase of a large tract of pine barrens from Thomas A. Scott by Col. McComb lead to the founding of McComb City, Mississippi, now called simply McComb, and was named for Col. McComb.

The southern railroads supposedly controlled by Col. McComb were actually intended to have eventually become part of the planned PRR western route down the Mississippi Valley to the Gulf of Mexico. Col. McComb had gained control of the 235 mile long Mississippi Central Railroad in 1864, then with his "associates" formed the Southern Railroad Association and turned their attention to acquiring the stock of two other railroads. The New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern and the Mississippi & Tennessee Railroad. When the railroads were operated as one railroad, they formed a through route from New Orleans to East Ciaro, Ky., just across the Ohio River from Ciaro, Ill. and the Illinois Central Railroad. Col. McComb then established a car ferry connection with the ICRR across the Ohio in 1873 with the ferry "H.S. McComb" having a capacity of 12 cars. The ICRR had advanced large sums of money to Col. McComb and the Southern Railroad Association and continued to do so, which proved to be a mistake on their part.

The PRR had also gained control of several railroads south of Washington, D.C., to form another eastern line to join the intended western route to the Gulf of Mexico. There was to have been a line forming a connection between the two lines at Memphis. Several of those eastern lines were incorporated into the Southern Railroad when that system was later formed. That is why there were still a few antique Altoona built, PRR standard, 4-6-0 type locomotives still on the Southern Railway roster well into the 1920's. A total of 10 locomotives were built by Altoona for the PRR controlled Richmond & Danville in 1879 and 1880. All were built as the original PRR class E which was later changed by the PRR to class G2.

When Col. McComb was talking of building a new railroad line between Philadelphia and Baltimore, using the Delaware Western Railroad as the basis on which to start building the line, he made many business trips to Philadelphia. He also made several one day trips to New York. His diary mentions taking maps and legal documents including the W&WRR, DWRR charters and the revisions. It was provisions of the charter revision which later made the DWRR charter valuable to the B&ORR. Most of the trips were to visit the well known financiers of the era in both cities. Many of them were also personal friends of Col. McComb who was considered the wealthiest man in Wilmington at the time. But some of Col. McComb's trips to Philadelphia were to visit the offices of the President or Vice President of the PRR. This may be verified by the entries found in the personal diary of Col. McComb for 1880.

Newspapers of the late 1800's had no qualms of printing rumors as if they were facts, but an interesting point is the rumors were often more accurate than the supposedly accurate and factual stories, but they did also make mistakes. When the DWRR was organized after the sale of the W&W RR, Col. McComb held about 2,500 shares of the DWRR stock and he had a partner in Philadelphia who held another block of about 1,000 or more shares. The newspaper stated the partner had ties to the PRR but he has not been identified as being a PRR official, but then neither was Col. Mc Comb and he had acquired the Mississippi Valley route for the PRR.

With that in mind, consider a line printed in one newspaper story regarding Col. McComb's financial partner in the take over of the W&WRR. He was Mr. W.T. Carter, who was described as a Philadelphia capitalist, but one line in the newspaper story also stated Mr. Carter was "rumored to be operating in the interest of the Pennsylvania Railroad". If the rumor was true, Mr. Carter was simply a front man for the PRR, much as Col. McComb had been with the earlier venture into the Mississippi Valley railroads. That is all very interesting.

But if the rumor was true, it also raises an important question, why would the big PRR have any interest in the rather insignificant little W&WRR? The fact is the PRR had a very valid reason to be interested in the line operated by the W&WRR, but for a different reason than later made it of interest to the B&O. But to understand why it would be, we must look beyond the W&W to other things which had been taking place on the local railroads. And remember, at the time the PRR did not yet have any known presence in the Wilmington area. It is interesting to note that Samuel Felton, after serving as the President of the PW&B and then as a Director became a PRR Director. While still serving as a Director of the PW&B, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the PRR, serving from February 26, 1873 to September 12, 1883 and also served as the President of the Pennsylvania Steel Co., a PRR subsidiary. Note from the dates Mr. Felton was a director of the PRR prior to the PW&B and PRR having any known interest in the PW&B.

Over a period of many years, the PRR had been very much interested in establishing a coal shipping port on the Delaware River at a point south of Philadelphia. There were many problems due to the Philadelphia railroad yards and harbor both being very congested. Two towns were seriously considered for the location to develop the proposed coal port, New Castle and Delaware City. But Wilmington was also given serious consideration, and the W&WRR tracks did reach the Christina River at two points in Wilmington. The tail of the "C" St. wye extended across to Christiana Ave. and ran parallel to it to reach the W&W docks on the south bank of the then Christiana River. The old W&W track in "C" Street extended beyond the wye to reach the Christiana River at a point where the upper portion of the present Port of Wilmington is located, just below where the I-495 bridge crosses the river today.

The New Castle & Wilmington could also be reached from the Delaware Western tracks which was another point to be considered. The coal pier was to have another purpose besides exporting coal, rather it would be located in New Castle or Delaware City. It was to be used to coal the steamships of the American Steamship Co. which sailed between Philadelphia and Liverpool. The American Steamship Co. was a line in which the PRR had an investment, they had subscribed to $400,000 of the authorized $700,000 stock and guaranteed a bond issue of $1,500,000 in 1870. The PRR also had a traffic agreement with the International Navigation Co. sailing between Philadelphia and Antwerp but there does seem to have been any PRR financial investment in that steamship company.

As an attempt to eliminate the prevailing confusion over the use of both the original Swedish and the later English spelling and pronunciation of the name for the town and river, the politicians addressed the issue in their typical manor. An act passed by the Delaware Legislature in 1937 made it illegal to spell the name of the river with the second "a", becoming the Christina River and Christiana for the name of the cross roads town which had once been the head of navigation on the river. Bet you can guess how well it worked.

As part of the coal port plan, several plans for building new railroad lines were proposed and some lines were chartered, some were surveyed, but none were built. These included the Columbia & Octoraro Railroad, the plan was later revised as the Octoraro Railroad, and also the Cecil County Railroad. The idea for a coal port was promoted, then died out for a few years and was again revived and promoted. There had been a coal pier built, but it was used only to transship coal brought to Delaware City through the C&D Canal by barge. The long coal pier built at New Castle as a joint venture by the PRR and Philadelphia & Reading was not a success and the P&R line leading to New Castle was not completed to reach the pier. There was a pier in New Castle still owned by the P&R into the early 1900's. Packet Alley led from what was then Front Street, now called The Strand, directly onto the Reading pier.

The PW&B had a track to a pier on the north side of Delaware Street and owned three more piers between there and South St., the area now occupied by Battery Park. The original NC&F short branch line going south along the river bank which had built to serve the old New Castle Manufacturing Co. was still in place to serve one of the Delaware Iron Co. plants and there was another PW&B pier opposite the plant. With the exception of the middle pier in the Battery Park area and the one by the iron company, all of the piers extended out to the Port Wardens Line. The Port Wardens Line was not established quite as far south as the iron company pier, ending at about the north edge of that property. Over a period of time there were several railroad lines planned to be built from the Susquehanna River Valley to reach a proposed PRR coal pier on the Delaware River, but none of those lines were built.

The PRR acquisition of the Pomeroy & Newark Railroad and the Newark & Delaware City Railroad was part of the coal port plan. In addition, the N&DC was also intended for, and used as, a cut off for traffic moving to and from the Delaware Railroad and the west, and also for freight traffic moving south over the connecting PW&B line to Baltimore. It is an interesting coincidence the W&W was only built as far as the point where they made a connection with the Pomeroy line which connected with the PRR main line. It is also an interesting coincidence the surviving records of the PRR board files contain a copy of the prospectus for the Wilmington & Western Railroad. The Pennsylvania Law granting a charter to the Delaware & Pennsylvania Railroad Company was amended to change the name to the W&WRR in that state. As amended in 1870, 1872 and 1873, it permitted building the W&W to Oxford and beyond. It also permitted a branch line of not over four miles in length from the state line above Yorklyn to Kennett Square.

The Delaware Western roster only had four locomotives which were the former W&W locomotives. They were numbered 1, reportedly a switcher, but about which nothing is known, and numbers 2, 3 and 4. Those three were all 4-4-0 type locomotives built by Baldwin in 1872, with 12"x 22" cylinders and 57" drivers. Locomotive number 4 was replaced by the DWRR in 1879 with second number 4, a somewhat larger Baldwin built 4-6-0 with 16"x 24" cylinders and 52" drivers.

The normal traffic on the DWRR had been light, but there was an optimistic reason for getting a larger and more powerful freight locomotive. For a very brief period of time, the DWRR had received some coal traffic moving from the PRR at Pomeroy, to the DWRR interchange with the Pomeroy & Newark RR at Landenberg. The coal trains were so heavy the DWRR's little 4-4-0's had to "double the hill" to get them up out of both the White Clay Creek Valley leaving Landenberg and from the Red Clay Creek Valley from Greenbank.

There is another question which arises here, did the DWRR freight train crews actually pick up some of those trains from the PRR main line interchange at Pomeroy, not at Landenberg? A Chester County newspaper and the Wilmington Republican, both reported in 1879 the DWRR trains from Wilmington were running through to Pomeroy on the P&N, or Pennsylvania & Delaware as it was referred to then. The PRR by then controlled that railroad and it was reported the DWRR was operating the trains over the line in the interest of the PRR.

Such operation would have required the blessing of the PRR management and it would not have been likely without some PRR financial involvement in the DWRR. We may also consider A.J. Cassett was then serving as the PRR Vice President, Traffic and soon left the PRR to build the Eastern Shore Railroad into the NYP&N and Col. McComb's ledgers show he had invested in a block of the Eastern Shore Railroad stock. The PRR wanted to test the Pomeroy line but if the PRR had operated the trains it would have tipped the public to what was being considered and the real estate prices would have increased to inflated values on any land needed for the coal port project. There are letters in the PRR records for other projects where the PRR ordered the surveyors to stop working until additional land had been quietly obtained so the prices did not rise because the railroad wanted to use the land. Land speculation drove up the land prices in Delaware City to the point where it was a factor in eliminating the location for the coal port and those who had invested heavily in buying up land suffered severe losses on value of the land they had purchased.

The Pomeroy line had many grades and very many sharp curves. It was reported in the newspaper many of the DWRR trains had to be double headed when going south from Pomeroy and that would account for the DWRR buying the heavier 4-6-0 locomotive for freight service.

It was all part of an interesting picture, but one in which some facets of the picture are almost contradictory. At the time of the heavy trains, the P&NRR was in very poor physical condition and there had been very little regular traffic for some time. There had been so little traffic the PRR first suspended all operations on the line south of Landenberg, then on all of the line from Pomeroy to Newark. The track on the entire line was in very poor condition, out of surface and out of gauge, derailments had been a frequent occurrence. But very shortly after the poor track conditions were reported was when the Chester County newspapers reported the Delaware Western trains from Wilmington were operating through from Landenberg to Pomeroy with heavy traffic.

Neither the brief diversion of coal and other traffic from the PRR to move over the P&N and DWRR, or the DWRR crews operating on the line to Pomeroy, could have taken place without the blessing of the management of the PRR. Considering the PRR, such blessing would not very likely have been given by their management without some type of special interest or some financial stake in the DWRR.

Looking back, it is difficult to understand why even those relatively few such obvious test trains were run over the P&NRR and DWRR by the PRR. Both railroads had too many grades and too many curves to efficiently move heavy trains. The P&N track had been so poorly maintained it was in such a deteriorated condition service had been suspended on the line between Landenberg and Newark. Neither of the two small railroads had the larger motive power needed to properly move such heavy coal trains. Although the PRR then controlled the P&NRR and had the heavier locomotives needed, the limited traffic on the P&NRR did not support the expense of upgrading the track enough to use them. But it seems the idea was also intended to have been somewhat of a secret, and making the track improvements and the use of PRR locomotives would have tipped the public as to what the PRR was doing. A similar element of secrecy was the reason little was known of the dealings of Col. McComb with the representatives of PRR interests in regard to the DWRR.

The Delaware Weekly Republican also mentioned in an 1880 article the PRR was at the time interested in obtaining a line to Wilmington. The Pomeroy line to Landenberg, which the PRR already controlled, when combined with the connecting DWRR, could have provided the line to Wilmington. The same newspaper also states there had been a Mr. Noblit, of Philadelphia, who was reportedly connected with the PRR, being "in a contest with Col. H.S. McComb for control of the Delaware Western Railroad". The remark is strange since from all published accounts, Col. McComb had held the largest block of DWRR stock since the company had been organized. Or was the newspaper report some type of PRR tactic to try and increase the value of the DWRR stock for Col. McComb's dealings with the B&O? Were the B&O negotiations actually a move to "unload" the DWRR because the PRR was no longer interested in it? Had the PRR made some kind of a deal with Col. McComb?

The Wilmington newspaper did make one error in reporting the story on the dealings of Col. Mc Comb and the PRR. It also stated in the above story the mortgage for the Delaware Railroad had been sold in 1879 to a Mr. Dell Noblit, the otherwise unidentified gentleman from Philadelphia who was reported to have ties to the PRR. It was the Eastern Shore Railroad mortgage which was sold on February 19, 1879, but not to the PRR, although A.J. Cassett was personally involved in the venture. Mr. Cassett eventually resigned his position of Vice President, Traffic, to devote full time to completing and developing the Eastern Shore Railroad into the New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk Railroad. He soon returned to the PRR in 1883 to serve as its seventh President.

Much of the above is open to some conjecture, but one often overlooked fact pertaining to the PRR ever having control of the DWRR does remain. The railroad line built by the Wilmington & Western did at one time actually come under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad, but it was only for a few years. Not to confuse matters, but that occurred after the old W&WRR - DWRR had become a part of the B&O system. The B&O control of the W&WRR - DWRR had preceded the building of the new B&O main line through Delaware by a few years. In the late 1890 era, the PRR had begun a program of investing in the stock of other railroads, including the C&O, N&W, Reading and the B&O.

It was not strictly a PRR venture, they had enlisted the cooperation of their rival, the New York Central Railroad, in a "community of interest" plan. Under the plan, the two large railroads would cooperate in each gaining stock control over a number of smaller, or financially weaker, regional railroads. Of the four railroads mentioned above, the PRR would have the N&W and the B&O, and some others, the Reading was among the regional lines going to the NYC. Control of the C&O was divided between the PRR and the NYC. The object was to strengthen the position of the PRR and the NYC in obtaining higher freight rates and try to end the practice of the weaker railroads giving rebates to the larger shippers to keep their business.

The B&O had gone into receivership in 1896 and was reorganized, but the value of it's stock was then greatly reduced. In 1899, the PRR held 100,000 shares of B&O stock, but the amount was soon doubled, then additional B&O stock was acquired. Several officials from the higher management of the PRR were then seated on the B&O's Board of Directors. The management of the PRR then sent a letter to President Cowen of the B&O requesting he resign, which he very reluctantly did in May, 1901. It was then arranged for Leonor F. Loree, the Fourth Vice President of the PRR, to be elected as the new President of the B&O. By 1902, the PRR owned 40% of all the outstanding B&O stock, an amount which gave the PRR full and firm control over the B&O System.

During that period of PRR control, all expenditures for improvements to the physical plant and the acquisition of new locomotives and rolling stock had to be authorized from the PRR headquarters in Philadelphia. It was "dictated from Broad Street" all of the new locomotives and freight cars acquired by the B&O were to be of the PRR's standard designs. There were orders for duplicates of the PRR's class XL box cars and class GL steel hopper cars to be built for the B&O. Gondolas and flat cars were also built for the B&O based on PRR standard designs.

There were a large number of 2-8-0 freight locomotives built for the B&O from the plans for the PRR class H6a. They were built between 1902 and 1904. They were first given class I-7 on the B&O under the PRR administration, then later changed to class E-24 and all were later rebuilt, including new cabs, so they lost some of their Pennsy look. Another less noticeable change was made during their years on the B&O was in the driver diameter. Most class E-24 had the driver diameter increased from 56 to 57 inches, but 30 of the class E-24 locomotives had the driver diameter reduced to 55 inches. The later rebuilding also made their boilers and machinery more like the PRR's later H6sb class. Replacing the Stephenson inside valve gear with the outside Walschaert valve gear made the change in their appearance. Several of the 2-8-0 class E-24 freight locomotives were converted to 0-8-0 B&O class L-1a switchers, but some of those 0-8-0 switchers were re-converted back to 2-8-0 class E-24 freight locomotives. One of those converted 0-8-0 class L-1a switchers was assigned to Wilsmere Yard in the late 1940's and early 1950's.

There were also several 4-4-2 type passenger locomotives built for the B&O from the plans of the PRR's class E3a. Those locomotives received B&O class F-2 when first delivered under the PRR Administration, then later became B&O class A-2. The B&O later had some almost identical locomotives built, but with radial stayed fireboxes, B&O class A-3. The A-3 class were rebuilt to class A-3a74, fitted with 74 inch drivers, but later the class was changed back to class A-3. After rebuilding by the B&O, those class A-2 4-4-2's bore very little resemblance to the original PRR E3a design, except for the boiler having the Belpaire stayed firebox. The B&O soon replaced the distinctive PRR type cabs and rebuilt or replaced many of the PRR type tenders. In addition to the above locomotives, there were two 0-4-0 type switching locomotives, number built for the B&O during the period of PRR control. They were B&O class C-13, number 76 and 77 and were built by Baldwin in September 1902 to the design of the already obsolete PRR class A3, but with a radial stayed firebox substituted for the Belpaire firebox used on the PRR A3 class. Number 77 was scrapped in 1933, but number 76 was renumbered to 317 in 1944 and was assigned to Wilmington for the Market St. Extension and South Wilmington tracks. I recall seeing it working the freight house at South Market St. about 1940. It lasted until after World War II before being scrapped in 1948. In later years as number 76 and later as 317, the little locomotive was serviced by the Reading Co. at their Beech St. enginehouse.

The fact the PRR and B&O had been in a competitive position prior to the PRR acquiring control of the line, was not over looked by the federal government. It was determined the PRR would then have an unfair monopoly on the rail traffic in some of the areas served by the lines of both railroads. The government moved to take anti-trust and other legal actions against the PRR. The PRR management wisely chose to avoid engaging in a long and expensive legal battle with the U.S. Government, a battle in which they realized they had almost no chance of winning.

In September 1906, the PRR sold 400,000 shares of their B&O stock, relinquishing the PRR control of the B&O system, including the old W&WRR, which was by then well established as the Landenberg Branch of the B&O. The PRR had continued to own 142,735 shares of preferred B&O stock and 57,250 shares of B&O common stock until 1912. In 1912 the U.S. Supreme Court had ordered the Union Pacific Railroad to divest itself of 1,260,000 shares of Southern Pacific stock. The PRR worked out a deal where the B&O stock was traded to the UP for 382,924 shares of SP stock. The PRR had continued to be represented on the B&O Board of Directors until 1913, but could see little value to the company in being represented on the SP board and declined when such an offer was made.

So we see there may indeed be some basis to consider the PRR did have some possible connections, both in the areas of financial dealings and management, to what had been the old W&WRR and later to the DWRR, first in the late 1800's and again in the very early 1900 era. There may be some old records which would establish without doubt there had been such a connection, but it would take a stroke of luck to find them. Until it is properly documented, the early PRR connection to the W&W will remain as being somewhat circumstantial and therefore be questionable.

But there is another established and well documented aspect to consider. There is no question the PRR did indeed have one definite corporate connection to the W&W with undisputed PRR control of the line at a later date. It was in the above mentioned early 1900's when the for a short period of time, the PRR had stock control of the entire B&O Railroad System. From 1900 to 1906 the control of the B&O included the Landenberg Branch and all of the original W&W trackage located in South Wilmington and from West Yard in Water Street to French St.

PHOTO CONTEST

The National Railway Historical Society's Wilmington Chapter's Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo Contest will be held at the regular Chapter meeting on Thursday, May 20th, 2004.

Here are the guidelines for entering images in this year's contest:
As usual, there will be two separate contests; one for prints and one for slides. Each contest will have the same SEVEN categories. Prizes will be awarded for winners in each category (that is fourteen winners in all), plus additional awards for the best print and the best slide in the show.

Each member can have up to three entries per category (that's 42 total photos if you are really ambitious: up to 21 total slides and 21 total prints!).

Photos for the five normal, standard, REGULAR CATEGORIES #1-#5, as always in the past, must have been taken within the LAST FIVE (5) YEARS (anywhere on this planet).

For the VINTAGE CATEGORY #6 ONLY, the photos can be of any railroad related subject but must have been taken 15 OR MORE YEARS AGO, that is before May 1, 1989. As voted on at the January 1998 meeting, the time frame was changed from "more than 25 years old" to "more than 15 years old".

For SPECIAL CATEGORY #7 ONLY, designed to get people out to take new pictures; photos must have been taken in the LAST TWO (2) YEARS; that is, between May 1, 2002 and May 19, 2004 and must be a photo taken from above a railroad structure or piece of railroad equipment so that you can see the roof or inside of a gondola or hopper.

CATEGORIES [note timeframes]

1) STEAM - Photos with a steam locomotive as the primary subject within the last 5 years.
2) DIESEL - Photos with a diesel locomotive as the primary subject within the last 5 years. This category also includes gas-electrics, Doodlebugs, RDCs, and FL9s north of Harmon, and the like.
3) HEAVY ELECTRIC - Electric power on big railroads within the last 5 years.
4) TRACTION - Trolleys & light rail including streetcars, all subways, etc. within the last 5 years
5) GENERAL - Any photo that does NOT include one of the above as the primary subject within the last 5 years. Passenger and freight cars, stations, signals, railfans, and the like go here.
6) VINTAGE - Any railroad-related subject photographed 15 or more years ago.
7) SPECIAL CATEGORY for 2004 = any photo taken from above a railroad structure or piece of railroad equipment so that you can see the roof or inside of a gondola or hopper. and taken within the last two (2) years.

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 'til whenever - America on the Move at Smithsonian Nat. Museum of American History largest-ever exhibition, has a companion Web site with material from the exhibition, plus behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of the exhibition and more stories from curators about our objects and their place in American history-focused looks at topics ranging from maritime history to motorcycles, from racing to radiator emblems, and an examination of broader issues such as migration, gender, globalization, and technology. A powerful search tool will provide access to hundreds of objects in the transportation collections. http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove

Saturday, May 1 through Monday, September 27, regular RR Museum of PA hours. RAILROADS & PHOTOGRAPHY: 150 YEARS OF GREAT IMAGES: The locomotive and the camera grew up together and the iron horse soon became a favorite subject of photographers. This exhibit features outstanding photographs of railroads from across the United States, compiled by the Center for Railway Photography & Art of Madison, Wisconsin, and suggests how deeply railroading has affected our culture, visual heritage and daily lives.

Saturday, June 5, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 6, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD & PENNSY DAYS @ RR Museum of PA : Discover the rich heritage of the famous Pennsylvania Railroad. Noted PRR railroad authors, fans, and experts. Special lectures, demonstrations, memorabilia and tours of the Museum & Pennsy equipment are featured.

Thursday, July 1, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, July 2, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, July 3, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, July 4, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. READING RAILROAD DAYS @ RR Museum of PA : Remarkable Reading Railroad trains of eastern Pennsylvania history, tours of Reading Company equipment; huge, operating model RR & special presentations.

June 19-20, 2004 Great Scale Model Train Show - Timonium 9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. www.gsmts.com

Saturday, July 24, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. RAILROAD KIDS DAY @ RR Museum of PA : Sing along with popular railroad songs, hear traditional and fanciful railroad stories and learn important railroad safety tips during this weekend of activities designed especially for young railroaders and their families.

Thursday, August 19, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, August 20, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, August 21, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, August 22, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. RAILROAD CIRCUS DAYS @ RR Museum of PA : It'r the fun of the big top in colorful and exact miniature. See scale model replicas of circus trains, equipment and performances, displayed by the David Deacon Blanchfield Ring of the Circus Model Builders International. Included in the regular Museum admission.

Saturday, September 18, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. RAILROAD KIDS DAY @ RR Museum of PA : Sing along with popular railroad songs, hear traditional and fanciful railroad stories and learn important railroad safety tips during this weekend of activities designed especially for young railroaders and their families. Included in the regular Museum admission.

Saturday, October 2, 2004 through Sunday, April 10 (2005), regular Museum hours. FAMOUS EASTERN PASSENGER TRAINS OF THE 20TH CENTURY @ RR Museum of PA : & The purpose of travel is not merely to reach the goal, but to find enjoyment en route, stated literature from the Pennsylvania Railroad. This exhibit recalls the days of elite passenger train travel through historic photographs and artifacts, where you glimpse life on board famous trains like the Pennsylvania Limited, Broadway Limited, Crusader, Royal Blue and the Twentieth Century Limited. Included in the regular Museum admission.

October 9-10, 2004 Great Scale Model Train Show - Timonium 9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. www.gsmts.com

Friday, October 22 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 23 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. HALLOWEEN HAUNTING @ RR Museum of PA : A ghostly evening as you visit the haunted, cavernous Railroad Museum. Kids and adults: come in costume! Jack O-Lantern Station for young children and the faint of heart features seasonal crafts and other activities. Halloween tickets may be purchased in advance in person at the Whistle Stop Shop museum store ages 3 to 12: $4.00 per person and ages 13 and over: $6.00 per person. Halloween tickets will be available beginning February 3, 2004.

Saturday, November 6, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 7, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. TRAINS & TROOPS @ RR Museum of PA : Guys and gals in uniform, experience many splendid railroad and military archival exhibits and displays, enjoy patriotic music and learn the significant role railroads played time and again in the defense of our nation.

Saturday, November 6, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. TAKING THE SWING TRAIN 40S DANCE @ RR Museum of PA : Jump, jive and swing to the popular Sound of Roses live band among the trains in the Railroad Museum's awe inspiring Rolling Stock Hall. Come in uniform or &lsquo40s clothing! Dance tickets should be purchased in advance by phone at (717)687-8628, ext 3008, in person at the Whistle Stop Shop museum store or on line at www.rrmuseumpa.org, using a printable ticket request form. Special savings combination ticket per person for the dance and for both days of Trains & Troops: $30.00; General public dance ticket per person: $20.00. Dance tickets will be available beginning February 3, 2004.

November 7, 2004 Railroad, Steamship, Transportation Artifacts Show 9 AM - 4 PM Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, MD www.gserr.com

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.

CHAPTER EVENTS

Thursday May 20, 2004 7 PM Chapter Meeting Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo Contest 2004 special category: View from Above

Saturday May 29, 2004 ? AM Chapter Picnic/Outing on Middletown & Hummelstown RR

Thursday June 17, 2004 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Bill Folger program entitled: The Red Arrow

Thursday July 15, 2004 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Frank Ferguson

Thursday Aug. 19, 2004 ? PM Chapter Trip Circle Trip to "Yet-To-Be-Determined" (Marcus Hook to new New Jersey Transit from Camden-Trenton? ) instead of the normal monthly meeting

Thursday Sept. 16, 2004 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by special guest?

Thursday Oct. 21, 2004 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by ?

Thursday Nov. 18, 2004 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by ?

Sunday Dec. 5? or 12?, 2004 5 PM Holiday Dinner program by ? Instead of the normal monthly meeting

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

Back To Wilmington Chapter Web Site