by jmchitvt
Way back in 1960, long before this forumn, Yahoo groups, Trainorders.com, etc, etc - getting the WORD wasn't easy.
Case in point, steam on the L&H Centennial Train!!
Alvin Smith of Washington, NJ and I drove out to Reading PA to check out the RDG steam program very late in winter or early spring. The famous "Reading Rambles" program was in full swing and getting into the enginehouse there was no big deal. Oh, how things have changed.
Long strory short, we checked out the itineraries and the foreman to our amazement in his usual calm Penn Dutch accent mentioned "Lehigh and Hudson" coming up!! ??
Well, my friend Cliff Brown (L&H Treasurer) quickly verified this and we made sure we got all the particulars as they developed.
Friday night before Saturday's excursions found Alvin and I right at Hudson Yard as tbe L&H pilot boarded Reading 4-8-4 #2124. Bill Flood (L&H Road Foreman) wanted to know who we were looking up at him. When I told him who I was he immediately remembered that my name was right after his on RAILWAY AGE magazine which Warwick mailed down to me.
All Friday night we followed the first steam locomotive to traverse the L&H in just about ten years and after its arrival at Warwick we camped out in the car at the General Office building. Saturday morning we got up early, breakfasted down by the station somewheres, watched the long strings of Erie commuter coaches roll in from Greycourt, and made up into two trains. RS-3's 3 and 10 looked the best since they were new, except for the economy paint job - I swear when I stopped by the Warwick shop Friday late morning the handrails were still tacky!!
We took the second train west which was diesel to Belvidere and enjoyed the steam locomotive on the way. It was turned at the PRR in Pburg - maybe the wye at Mansfield Street wasn't an issue because of the servicing?? At this date some FIFTY-ONE years later some details just don't surface. I'm sure this whole subject has been discussed to death, but then again my few personal notes might be off interest.
Case in point, steam on the L&H Centennial Train!!
Alvin Smith of Washington, NJ and I drove out to Reading PA to check out the RDG steam program very late in winter or early spring. The famous "Reading Rambles" program was in full swing and getting into the enginehouse there was no big deal. Oh, how things have changed.
Long strory short, we checked out the itineraries and the foreman to our amazement in his usual calm Penn Dutch accent mentioned "Lehigh and Hudson" coming up!! ??
Well, my friend Cliff Brown (L&H Treasurer) quickly verified this and we made sure we got all the particulars as they developed.
Friday night before Saturday's excursions found Alvin and I right at Hudson Yard as tbe L&H pilot boarded Reading 4-8-4 #2124. Bill Flood (L&H Road Foreman) wanted to know who we were looking up at him. When I told him who I was he immediately remembered that my name was right after his on RAILWAY AGE magazine which Warwick mailed down to me.
All Friday night we followed the first steam locomotive to traverse the L&H in just about ten years and after its arrival at Warwick we camped out in the car at the General Office building. Saturday morning we got up early, breakfasted down by the station somewheres, watched the long strings of Erie commuter coaches roll in from Greycourt, and made up into two trains. RS-3's 3 and 10 looked the best since they were new, except for the economy paint job - I swear when I stopped by the Warwick shop Friday late morning the handrails were still tacky!!
We took the second train west which was diesel to Belvidere and enjoyed the steam locomotive on the way. It was turned at the PRR in Pburg - maybe the wye at Mansfield Street wasn't an issue because of the servicing?? At this date some FIFTY-ONE years later some details just don't surface. I'm sure this whole subject has been discussed to death, but then again my few personal notes might be off interest.
