(erielack) DAYTON HILL

["rdukarm" <rdukarm_@_adelphia.net>]

I'm surprised that no one recalled our annual convention in Buffalo in the early 80's that I ran. It
sponsored an excursion on the New York & Lake Erie over Dayton Hill. It was on October 10th, if
I recall correctly, and it snowed!

There is a write up on Dayton Hill in the September, 1958 issue of Erie Magazine, and reads thusly:

    "Here westbound trains face the steepest grade on the Erie, immediately after crossing the 
Cattaraugus. The grade, an average of 2.5%, is four miles long, and one of the 12 curves
is 8 degrees 16 min. This combination of grade and curvature, forced upon the railroad for
the need to climb to the easy running ground between Dayton and Waterboro, forces tonnage
trains to triple the hill, taking their trains up in three sections.
    "Just before the crest is reached the B&SW passes under the Dunkirk Branch in a tunnel
that some say is the shortest on the railroad - a beautiful structure od rusticated stone 90 feet long.
    "Trackwork on the grade is of the highest type, and 131-pound rail is used. Yet so severe is the service that the rail has a life of only four years before the wear forces MOW men to turn it end
for end, or move the rail from one side to another."

There is also a story about a run-away passenger train that survived a wild ride down the hill in the
July, 1932 issue of Erie Magazine on page 34.

In "Handbook of Special Instructions and Condensed Bulletins, Hornell Region - Buffalo Division",
in effect November 1, 1920, two pages are devoted to special instructions before taking a train down Dayton Hill. It starts: "All eastbound freight trains will stop at DM Tower, where a special test and
inspection of the air-brakes and hand-brakes, also a special inspection of the running-gear and
draw-rigging, will be made."

A good web source for info on the Erie in WNY is: http://wnyrails.railfan.net/railroads.htm

Actually, there is quite a bit of history written about the Erie in WNY, if you know where to look
for it. There have been numerous accidents on Dayrton Hill as the result of run-aways. Some 
of them spectacular. The above site has an accounting of the 1955 wreck, which piled up
63 freight cars at the bottom of the hill plus took out the bridge.

Although not a railroader, I have been up and down this hill about four dozen times, most of those times in our 1896 New York Central caboose. It always caused me concern. A couple of times we had to double the hill. Our power was an RS-3 and we hauled six heavy-weights, full of passengers for fall
excursions. Between rain and leaves on the rails, we would get half way up and stuck. We carried blocking and extra sand in buckets. After setting the handbrakes on the last 3 coaches and blocking the wheels (not sure if this would help), we'd lay sand by hand on the rails (in addition to the engine's sanders) in order to get up the hill. This only happened a couple of times when rain and leaves were
heavy, but you had to be prepared for it. The passengers seemed to enjoy it, but those of us crewing
certainly didn't.

Ronald R. Dukarm
rdukarm_@_adelphia.net
ELHS #532    ELH&TS #66

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