(erielack) member ages / Erie steam

[Robert Frost <bobfrost_12303_@_yahoo.com>]

One of the advantages of being 73, maybe the only one,
is having distinct memories of steam, particularly
Erie steam.

I lived in Cattaraugus, NY along Erie's Dunkirk branch
until age 12.  My first track walking experience was
at age 4 when I escaped from my baby sitter, climbed
up onto the railroad embankment, and walked into town
along the Erie tracks.  Eventually I was allowed to
walk along the tracks, and often I'd meet the local
train returning to Salamanca from Dunkirk late in the
afternoon.  What wouldn't I give to have a snapshot of
a locomotive on that local!  I'm guessing that it
would be a Consolidation, class H-21.  In the late
1930s and early 40s Erie occasionally ran a freight
train through Cattaraugus to Dayton (and on to
Buffalo?) late at night.  They would wake me as they
went through.  I recall at least once hearing the
engine lose its footing trying to get the train in
motion after stopping at Cattaraugus for some unknown
reason.

During this time period I rode the Erie behind steam: 
once from Salamanca to Jersey city and several times
from Salamanca to Meadville where my mother's parents
lived.  One night while returning from Meadville, the
conductor told my mother that he'd be back for me
after he collected his tickets and that he would show
me the train.  Can you imagine the impression it made
on me as a four-year-old, seeing the Pullman berths,
the dining car and it's kitchen, and hearing this
kindly man describe everything to me.  Comments have
been made on this list about the friendliness of Erie
personnel, and I can attest to it.

My grandfather in Meadville was well into his 80s when
I was a noisy kid, and he did not take kindly to
noise.  The solution was for my father to get me, and
later my brother, out of the house by driving to the
Erie passenger station to "watch trains".  Parking
facing the tracks at the passenger station afforded a
good view of the engine terminal, so there was nearly
constant activity.  If it got slow, my father didn't
hesitate to take me to the roundhouse. I treasure the
memory of the sights and sounds there.

I attended Allegheny College in Meadville 1949-1953. 
Steam still was used on some Erie freight when I was a
freshman, but it was being rapidly supplanted by
diesel electric.  One of the first warm days in spring
1950 I walked to the bone yard near the engine
terminal and climbed through the white-lined
locomotives there.  (My dad had introduced me to the
bone yard).  I helped myself to an inspection
certificate from one locomotive that was being
scrapped.  I've often wished that I had taken the Erie
lantern that I found in the empty tender of another
locomotive.  I still have the record of the
locomotives I saw there that day: 0-8-0, 2-8-0, 2-8-2,
2-8-4, 4-6-2 and 2-10-2s with their numbers.

I also lived in Olean, NY, so I got to see steam on
the Pennsylvania and on the Pittsburg, Shawmut &
Northern.  I lived in Fredonia, NY during my senior
year in high school.  My dad allowed me to drive, even
without a license, to the Van Buren Road crossings (a
few miles west of Dunkirk), where I watched New York
Central, Nickel Plate, and Pennsylvania steam.  But
that's not for this list.

Thanks to anyone who has managed to stay with me
through all of this.

Bob Frost   ELHS #980



















		
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