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  • All about the Arcade & Attica Railroad
All about the Arcade & Attica Railroad

Moderator: Benjamin Maggi

 #754559  by BSOR Patarak
 
My sister works at a Library and brings me old and obsolete books from time to time. This Christmas it was two children's books about, of course, railroads. I was thumbing through one and what did I see? A photo of the early A&A Excursion Crews checking their watches next to #18. It is a photograph taken by Mr. Ron Ziel of Bridgehampton, NY and shows Bud King and Lyle Sherlock in their A&A uniforms, dated 8-18-1963. The book does not caption this particular photo, nor does it talk about the A&A. It was just interesting to see as the picture just jumped out at me.

I wonder how many other odd books have used photographs of the A&A in them. Below I've listed a few that I've seen, or have. Feel free to list any publications you know of!

All Aboard! The Trains That Built America, by Mary Elting, Copyright 1969 by Franklin Watts, Inc., Pg 84, Ron Ziel Picture of Crew (children's text on history of railroads, general)

Trains of America, by Donald J. Heimburger, Heimburger House Publishing, Library of Congress # 89-84380, Pg 7, 18 Crossing at Curriers (color picture book of various railroads) This one mis-captions the photo and states that it is #14

Great Trains of North AmericaCrescent Books, NY, Third Printing 1978, Pgs 138-140, Two color pictures, 1 of 18, 1 of 14, text about railroad history. This book is a general hard cover book about many railroad subjects.

Trackside around Buffalo 1953-1976, by Stephan Koenig, Morning Sun Books, Copyright 2001, Pages 120-121

of course Arcadia's Arcade & Attica Picture Book by Ken Sprigrith, Copyright 2009

Then for general research, there is the two versions of the Lewis Book, The smaller brown book put together by the Western New York Railway Historical Society, Dunn's History of Railroads in Western New York and then George Hilton's American Narrow Gauge Railroads (that covers the narrow gauge lines).

There was one other picture book of steam that was published in the mid 1990's that had several shots of 18 being fired up at the shop, but I don't remember what that was called yet. I have to see if a copy is still floating around somewhere.

Anyone have any other ones to add?

Pat
 #754563  by BSOR Patarak
 
The other book I was thinking is Steel Smoke Steam Guide to America's Scenic Railroads, Copyright 1992. It is a soft cover picture book of various tourist railroads, including the A&A.
 #754758  by Otto Vondrak
 
Ron Ziel is (was?) a prolific photographer based on Long Island, chaser of steam locomotives, and historian of the Long Island Rail Road. Was a fixture at train shows where he sold prints of his photographs.
 #755099  by BSOR Patarak
 
Any one know of what might have become of his collection? I have a copy of the picture that was published and is marked with his name on the back. I'd guess he must have taken more of the A&A while there...
 #755127  by Mountcastle
 
Unfortunately I can't recall, at the moment, the precise title, but there is a--how does one actually describe this--a paperback coffee table book in three parts? Well, whatever it is, it's called something like "Railroads of the Niagara Frontier" or "Trains of Western New York" and it's sold at Niagara Hobby, perhaps elsewhere.

Whatever its title, each of the three volumes features an image of the Arcade & Attica. One volume features a magnificent image of No. 14 in steam in front of the engine house, with Manley Hakes either boarding or disembarking the cab, if I recall correctly. He's in the photo, at any rate. Brad might be as well. Another shows a picture of a freight being pulled by a centercab diesel. I don't recall the third image.

I'm trying to recall anything else, and all I can come up with is an album cover that a friend of mine once had in the 70s, but we've had that discussion on another thread.
 #755483  by BSOR Patarak
 
Oh yes James, I forgot those. They are called "Niagara By Rail I, II and III". Peter Jehrio put them out and are short picture books depicting WNY scenes, new and old. I don't have #III to know what picture is in it. I is 112 at a frozen pond just north of the big beaver pond, photo by Ken Kraemer. II is a shot of 14 under steam w/Manley climbing the cab steps. It looks like it could be brad raking the ashes into the pit below. Photo by Robert Stuhr.
 #757041  by BSOR Patarak
 
I just found 3 of the above title on ebay for less than $4 each!

Another one I thought of is Archie Robertson's "Slow Train To Yesterday". It is an excellent look at shortline and back woods passenger trains written in 1945. It is the stories of a traveling salesman on many tiny little railroads before they abandoned their service. There is one photo of an A&A Fan Trip with the Iron Horse Ramblers from 1940. No credit to a photographer. No other real mention of the railroad in the book, but it is a good read none the less.
 #757597  by joesbag
 
One more is the Arcade Sesquicentennial spiral bound book "Progress with a Past" published in 1957. Pages 42 to 46 gives a brief history of the A&A up to then. Several pictures are included. Book also has a single picture of a Buffalo & Susquehanna pasenger train going under the Pensy, a shot of the B&S station, and mention of the B&S in Arcade's history as well as a section on the Pennsylvannia with a few photogrphs including the station at Arcade Jct. and President McKinley's funeral train. Hopefully a scan of the cover of this book is attached.

"Mixed Train Daily" by Beebe and Clegg mention their stay at the hotel in Attica across from the Erie station and their trip to Arcade in A&A's caboose, sitting on wooden benches. There is a photo of the hotel but none of their train. Their narrative is roughly 3/4 of a page.
 #757644  by jgallaway81
 
Thanks for the info... both of the books mentioned have been added to The A&A Archives library.
 #873589  by BSOR Patarak
 
There are two more titles with A&A pictures that are available or will be shortly.

The first is "Focused on Steam" by Ken Kraemer. It is a look at nearly 50 years of steam since the class 1 railroads dieselized. Ken is a Western NY photographer that has a love of steam and railroads. This book has many local steam excursions including over 15 photos of the A&A from various years. It is available at: http://www.rrtraxstudios.com. It includes color and B&W with 18, 14 and the double header from 1967.

The second was mentioned elsewhere on the board as the author was requesting pictures some time ago. It is a Morning Sun book covering New York State Shortlines in color. It will be a 2 volume set with the A&A being in number one. There is finally a publication date of Feb 2011. http://www.morningsunbooks.com/new.html