Well We Know The 142 Works.......

Was relaxing at home yesterday afternoon when my railroad scanner picked up the conversation between the 2012 and the Cooperstown dispatcher in regard to getting a Form D to operate in both directions west of Butler so they could check out the operation of the 142. Not long after the Form D was issued and they were underway my fire scanner picked up both West Milford and Kinnelon FD's being dispatched for a brush fire along Rt 23. Then I heard a NJ Forest Fire Service aircraft doing waterdrops on the fire as well.

Meanwhile on the railroad scanner nothing was heard from the crew of the 2012 or the 142 that anything was amiss, either on the train or along the ROW. It was the Cooperstown dispatcher who advised the crew of what was going on and that they were to stop where they were and were not to continue until released by the FD/PD units on scene.

I'm assuming the fire was caused by the 142 and that it was from embers blowing out the stack and not from overheated journals or some other mechanical problem.

At least we know the 142 is working. :D

Joe P
Railfan/N-scale Modeler (Long Live The EL)
Emergency Services Dispatcher
Scanner Buff

Yea the 142 was setting off fires. Apparently one got pretty big to. Im sure those nimby's were having a feild day with that....

Not for nothing, but why would the 142 be automatically responsible? Steam engines have been around for 150 years, plus the 142 has been around 10(roughly)... isn't it just possible the 2012 could have started the fires? They had this problem with the GP 18's and the 116 and the result was spark arrestors....as for the NIMBYS, get over it! its not an everyday occurance, and there WAS a heavy SU-99 that went through just ahead of the 142/ WS-2 crew....maybe we can run the 142 only after heavy rains when the ground is saturated or have the right of way hosed down before the thing runs.(BTW, if a spark arrestor IS possible, can we get them in HO to add to the 142 models????) But in any event, as i understand it, the test came off without any mechanical problems, so it looks like the girl is ready to roll again! On to the Bel-Del, then back to NJT in the fall!!!

RCBSD45,

You're right, I shouldn't have automatically assumed it was the 142.

I worked on the NJT Main Line dispatch desk back in 2002. I remember seeing diesels throwing sparks out the stack while idling in Hoboken Station and really sparking (or even throwing flames out the stack) while trackside. Of course there are also brake shoes and hotboxes that can cause fires, too.

I wasn't looking to blame the 142, I was only wondering whether it was the 142 or the 2012, or something else, that was found to be responsible.

As for the HO scale spark arrestors, have you tried looking in your local hobby shop or the parts section of the Walthers catalog. I'm sure there is a part that can be adapted to the model.

Let's not try to take ourselves too seriously, railfanning/modeling is a hobby and should be fun and enjoyable.

Joe P
Railfan/N-scaler (Long Live The EL)
Emergency Services Dispatcher

Point taken and acknowledged. i agree we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously....but I don't seem to recall the 142 ever starting fires along the right of way with such abandon.... but, anything is possible, and knowing the NYS&W, it wouldn't suprise me... ever see a GE locomotive shoot flames out the stack??? I didn't mean to come across too harsh, if that appeared to be the case.....

Hey RCBSD45:

I am told they are adding a car to the trains with cribs in it. You know anything about this? You do seem to have something to do with the NYS&WTHS and or NYS&W. It just makes me wonder! That is one that should be named Cortland!!!!

JJ

I'm told the GP20s are good at sparking brush fires as well.

What they need to do next is sell pacifiers!!!

JJ

I saw several brush fires started last year by the 142 in Newfoundland. We asked the local residents to call the Fire Dept.

They burned pretty quickly and easily could have reached the Newfoundland station if the FD was not called. I seriously doubt any railfans would have been complaining about NIMBYS at that point.