(erielack) Phoebe Model from 1949

[MDelvec952_@_aol.com]

In a message dated 1/12/02 6:39:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, quahog_@_sprint.ca 
writes:

> I'm not sure what happened to it, but I seem to recall hearing that the
>  New York Model RR Club acquired it.  I do know the club had an operating
>  O scale model of the train for many years, so that would make sense.

The New York Society of Model Engineers does have the promotional plaster 
models of the 1949 Phoebe, and they're on display.  The O-scale train they 
have operating was hand made by various members way back when, but it's not 
the model that was in the brochures and advertising.  There are a few plaster 
E8s floating around in various collections, and I've wondered if those were 
related to the plaster streamliner post-F3s.

In addition, the NY Society has a remarkable collection of drumheads, 
including one from the Lackawanna Limited, the round Phoebe from William 
White / Perry Shoemaker's biz cars, and a rectangular Phoebe head from the 
tavern lounges.  It has more authentic drumheads than any other museum I've 
seen around the country, including Sacramento.  The building and layout are 
located just a few blocks off Route 17 in Carlstadt (just north of Route 3) 
and I'd highly recommend a visit just for the drumhead collection. The 
railroads in two scales are certainly nice, but the drumhead collection will 
take your breath away, if you're interested in that slice of history.

The NY Society layout used to be in the Hoboken Terminal, and DL&W prez 
William White was an active member of the group in the 1940s and 1950s, which 
is how it got its entre into the Terminal.  White was the drumhead fancier, 
and had contacted the various other railroad presidents with whom he 
socialized, collecting the various drumheads as they were retired or the 
trains were dropped.  Lower Manhattan around 140 Cedar Street was quite a 
social hotspot for railroad industry and supplier execs, the very same area 
today known as Ground Zero.  140 Cedar still stands, thankfully.

                All the best,               ....Mike

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