Re: (erielack) DL&W: limestone flat car

[Erielack1_@_aol.com]

In a message dated 4/25/02 10:29:59 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
beowulf_@_build.post.lucent.com writes:


> graphics

This past week I was working in Canada and stopped to visit Alvin Smith, view 
more of his Lackawanna collection and talk just plan pure Lackawanna 
Railroad. We had a great time together. One of the things that Alvin was 
talking about was these limestone cars. According to Alvin the DL had a job 
that took care of this business. Alvins story was that the engine crew came 
on duty at Port Morris and ran light to Washington. The train crew came on 
duty at Washington. Here they picked up the caboose and empty limestore cars 
and  took them to Oxford Furnance and returned to Washington with the loaded 
limestone cars. They then ran to New Village to work the cement mill, then 
went to Phillipsburg. Alvin thought they went to P'burg to turn the engine. 
The railroader in me says they would have taken any west cars for the PRR, 
LV, CNJ connections at Phillipsburg that came out of Edison Cement with them 
and set out in the yard and turned the engine for the return trip. The crew 
then returned back to Washington to set out the limestone cars and any other 
cars they brought back with them. The caboose was setout and the train crew 
then booked off and the engine crew took the engine back to Port Morris. 
Alvin was just telling me this week how these cars set around Washington all 
the time and where so common that he never took a photo of them. He was 
telling me that when these things came down the track you always stayed way 
back due to the big limestone rocks that fell off them. He said that if the 
rocks hit you they could kill you. Alvin says that there was bright white 
rock along the right of way from Oxford to New Village. The last run of this 
train was in July 1942. The train came off when the cement plant closed down.
Now what is even more important was that Alvin has been searching for years 
for a photo of these cars. He has a photo of one the 900 class with one of 
the cars coupled to it just showing behind the tender and a photo taken of 
his sister when his family lived on Railroad Ave in Washington with one of 
the cars partly visable in the backround. Thanks to the EL List again we have 
together found what was unfindable. I will have a 8 X 10 printed up for Alvin 
and get it to him.
One other thing that Alvin has been search for years so is the photo of the 
Heneryville Tower. According to Alvin this was 16 rod tower that was 
orginally put in service at Washington. It was taken out of service in 
Washington during December 1912 and in 1913 was moved from Washington to 
Heneryville where it controlled tracks 3 and 4. Anyone have any sources of 
photos of this tower or any more information on the function of tower Alvin 
sure would appracite it. It will see that any replys are sent via snail mail 
to him.
Bob Stafford

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