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(erielack) High Bridge Branch EL stuff > funny



there's been a lot of interesting stuff about ES99/SE98 etc. on the 
CRRNJ list lately, including some operational things from CNJ vets.  
I'll try to digest it later, but this is funny:

Bob Hoeft wrote:  
My only 'funny story' from the High Bridge Branch is a frustrated neighbor
to our grade crossing at North Street, Flanders. The crossing protection 
afforded at North Street was a cross-buck with a bell. A constant problem 
with poorly maintained track is that the approach and island circuits 
frequently had corroded or broken bond wires (sometimes broken by juveniles) which caused the crossing protection to operate continuously.
Unless someone reported the problem to the railroad, we had no idea the
problem existed until the next time a signal maintainer made his rounds
checking his equipment.
One day, the mail room at 1100 Raymond Boulevard, Newark, 
received a package, which contained a bell with a return address from 
Flanders, New Jersey. To alleviate the ringing in his ears, the frustrated 
neighbor had taken a step ladder and a wrench and had removed the bell 
from its mast and mailed it to us. This was the first of more than one 
time this happened.
Bob Hoeft

and Bill Strassner replied:

sig mtr BOOOOTS Homler was a regular visitor to the crossing to replace 
the bell - and to his home, to try to pacify the man.

working third trick, i received his calls and calls from MRS WEIR at 
lake jct also...

" the crossing bell just rang once" click.

when they bought the house, the realtor told them NO TRAINS RUN THERE 
anymore. circa early 1972. 

(gee, the rails are a little shiny, though, I wonder why - huh..? CNJ HO 
drill, etc. )

a week later, we began SE98 / ES99 !!!! with 3 SDs, etc. and a zillion 
cars on loosely jointed rails !

ahahhahahah

One night (knowing my consist) I expressed surprise that a train was there !

and asked mrs weir to look out her window and see what was written on 
the locomotives.

As I already knew, she said ERIE LACKAWANNA. 

I said oop, you don't want me (CNJ), call the EL at OL9-2000, knowing 
that my brother third trick Hoboken DS Bill Sheppard was working there !

((((hahah he got even with me years later with the job offer in CR Atl 
Region under don swanson !!!!!@))))

after 4 years of upsets, The WEIRS finally got fed up and sold out early 
1976 very gratefully ( and cheaply !) to one of our better brakeman / 
trainmasters, Tommy K, who bought the home just before CR started up, 
and of course (as Tom knew ) SE98 / ES99 were about to be no more.

always good to research realtors "statements" on yer own.

b*-*-*-*

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