by jmchitvt
Just recently, after spring lambing (Nine!!), we headed to southeast Tennessee to visit family.
As we came west of Harriman on 84 the active and not-so-active rights-of-way were noted as well as that Rte 208 to Maybrook. But, no desire to make a turn-off. I'll just remember it as it was.
Approaching Exit 2 we see High Point and I tune in WNNJ 103.7 FM. Didn't keep it on for long. Remember when friends from Seton Hall and me volunteered weekends way back when the weekday staff was off. Some different music then.
Anyway keeping in mind the familiar "you can't go home again" - just maybe we can.
I'd be calmed crusing through "Allamuch" and Tranquility then turn onto 206. The day man was only to happy to leave.
Usually OA-1 was gone, #34 might be on the connector and a late-running AO-4 might still be coming. You'd have that eastbound DL&W milk train with the boring BLACK GP-7 with a trail of museum pieces. But, Mr Barbara was friendly with his big wave. As I recall it his son was about to be manager of Steamtown in VT.
After a big lull the two "per diem" jobs headed your way. Long before car hire by the hour, and that "incentive" tariff, it was of utmost importance to get all those empties off the property. Get #33 to Port Morris yard limit board and OA-3 by L&H Junction (west end of the Delaware River bridge) before midnight and "whamo" the connecting line pays that day's per diem.
On a sultry Summer evening the southbound 206 traffic especially hated #33. Flashers go on as they stop for the hand throw at the east end connector, s l o w l y pull forward to do the hand throw the other end and all those empties hammer to a stop. Traffic keeps backing up with all those Jersey "weekenders" heading back to the city. #33 is in no hurry if it's well before eleven (and they won't get #30 to come back with for a few hours). I think they really didn't mind that what looked like a mile-long back up on 206.
They were working, not on holiday.
When OA-3 came by you had to be especially careful. Get back quickly after the head-end hand up. Those empties from the NH could be BAD NEWS. You'd have steel strapping dragging along with a flat car, then there was THAT reefer with a swinging door!!!!
Actually, you wouldn't EVEN have an order if there wasn't that Employee Time Table Special Instruction #6: "Double tracks are in service between Mansfield Street and "G" Tower. The normal position of switch at Mansfield Steet is for eastward track."
So you'd have one or two stations issuing over a thousand Form 19's every year for YEARS that read: "Extra (#) West has right over eastward trains on Eastward Track Mansfield Steet to G Tower".
Time to clear the desk for the third trick man. He'll have the "hot" #35 coming soon, then after the merger, the "Yankee Jet One" bringing new business, and recognition of smart railroading with a feature article in a national magazine, "POPULAR SCIENCE"!!
As we came west of Harriman on 84 the active and not-so-active rights-of-way were noted as well as that Rte 208 to Maybrook. But, no desire to make a turn-off. I'll just remember it as it was.
Approaching Exit 2 we see High Point and I tune in WNNJ 103.7 FM. Didn't keep it on for long. Remember when friends from Seton Hall and me volunteered weekends way back when the weekday staff was off. Some different music then.
Anyway keeping in mind the familiar "you can't go home again" - just maybe we can.
I'd be calmed crusing through "Allamuch" and Tranquility then turn onto 206. The day man was only to happy to leave.
Usually OA-1 was gone, #34 might be on the connector and a late-running AO-4 might still be coming. You'd have that eastbound DL&W milk train with the boring BLACK GP-7 with a trail of museum pieces. But, Mr Barbara was friendly with his big wave. As I recall it his son was about to be manager of Steamtown in VT.
After a big lull the two "per diem" jobs headed your way. Long before car hire by the hour, and that "incentive" tariff, it was of utmost importance to get all those empties off the property. Get #33 to Port Morris yard limit board and OA-3 by L&H Junction (west end of the Delaware River bridge) before midnight and "whamo" the connecting line pays that day's per diem.
On a sultry Summer evening the southbound 206 traffic especially hated #33. Flashers go on as they stop for the hand throw at the east end connector, s l o w l y pull forward to do the hand throw the other end and all those empties hammer to a stop. Traffic keeps backing up with all those Jersey "weekenders" heading back to the city. #33 is in no hurry if it's well before eleven (and they won't get #30 to come back with for a few hours). I think they really didn't mind that what looked like a mile-long back up on 206.
They were working, not on holiday.
When OA-3 came by you had to be especially careful. Get back quickly after the head-end hand up. Those empties from the NH could be BAD NEWS. You'd have steel strapping dragging along with a flat car, then there was THAT reefer with a swinging door!!!!
Actually, you wouldn't EVEN have an order if there wasn't that Employee Time Table Special Instruction #6: "Double tracks are in service between Mansfield Street and "G" Tower. The normal position of switch at Mansfield Steet is for eastward track."
So you'd have one or two stations issuing over a thousand Form 19's every year for YEARS that read: "Extra (#) West has right over eastward trains on Eastward Track Mansfield Steet to G Tower".
Time to clear the desk for the third trick man. He'll have the "hot" #35 coming soon, then after the merger, the "Yankee Jet One" bringing new business, and recognition of smart railroading with a feature article in a national magazine, "POPULAR SCIENCE"!!
