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(erielack) More funny stories from the Erie-Lackawanna

   Every now & then while perusing the list or an old magazine, I'm reminded 
of an event when the EL was a viable railroad serving the many towns & 
cities along the road - and sometimes it awakens a memory of events when I 
worked there. Here's two little stories of 'How it used to be'.
   Event #1 concerns the habits of the commuters on the DL&W's Morris & 
Essex Division and the ERIE's New York Division. My usual contact with these 
guys  was looking back from the fireman's side of the RS-3s to make sure 
that no late-comers were hanging onto the grab irons. Otherwise, I sat in 
the cab & watched them stream down the concourse to the traingates & 
entrances to the ferryboats or Hudson Tubes. One day, however, i was 
summoned to the legal department to give a statement after our train had hit 
someone and killed him. I felt I should dress properly and so put on a suit 
and an overcoat before boarding one of the early trains in to Hoboken. When 
we got near the terminal, the conductor recognized me and asked me to do him 
and the head man a favor. Would I mind getting him a New York Times and a 
Herald Tribune for the headman? On the regular job I worked, I did this all 
the time - the engineer liked the Daily News, etc.
     I will elaborate by explaining that the railroad kept large metal 
wheeled dumpster-like containers on each platform and the commuters leaving 
their trains would deposit their newspapers there - saving the railroad the 
trouble of having a larger cleaning crew. When I was the lowly fireman, I'd 
take the crew requests and dive for the various papers for my crew. This 
went unremarked when I was attired in my denim jacket & jeans, but NOW I was 
dressed like THEM. Several stares and glares came my way from the other men 
in suits & overcoats and you could see the minds thinking "Where the Hell 
does this guy work?? Doesn't he have any pride getting into that dumpster?? 
I wish I could report him."  Ah, well, it was only the one time and next day 
I did it all over in front of (no doubt) the same guys and it went 
unnoticed.
    Event #2. Working out of Scranton in 1962 and called for a TBX 
(Taylor-Buffalo Extra). On duty 10am and out of Taylor about noon with 2 of 
the big Fairbanks-Morse trainmasters as road power. With pushers helping, we 
got a pretty quick trip up the hill to Clarks Summit where the pushers cut 
off on the fly. The engineer was a pleasant older man to work with and we 
went along calling signals until near Factoryville where he made some remark 
to the effect that he intended to make a 'good run' to Hornell. So saying, 
he rose from his seat and lifted the lid of the big Barco (I think)speed 
recorder and removed the tape that recorded the speed of the engine. Handing 
it to me he said, "Now, kid, when we're in the middle of the Nicholson 
bridge, heave this G-D thing over the side."  As it says in the RULES, the 
fireman shall be instructed by the engineer, so I slid my window open and 
launched the tape into the air where it stretched out like the tail of a 
kite.
    We had a pretty good trip to Hornell and at that point in time the 
Fairbanks-Morse engines were well maintained and gave us no trouble. I DID 
wonder how many speed tapes were mouldering away in the waters of 
Tunkhannock creek below the arches of the viaduct.

Regards to all,

Walter E. Smith

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