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Re: (erielack) The Hayshaker

At 08:19 PM 10/6/2006, you wrote:
>Fred and listers,
>
>   The Hayshaker just ran as an extra train from Suffern back to 
> Croxton.  An assumption on the name "hayshaker" is that it stopped 
> so many places it shook the hay getting cars out of each customer.
>
>   I rode this job when I was learning the road to become a train 
> dispatcher in Hoboken.  After we left Croxton, we stopped in 
> Hackensack, the crew tied down the train.  Everyone headed back to 
> the caboose as the brakeman had cooked eggs, bacon, toast and 
> coffee on the caboose stove.  It was great.  About 1pm we were 
> around Hillsdale and the brakeman got off the train while we were 
> switching and went to a market near by to get groceries for 
> dinner.  About 5pm after we were heading west on the Piermont 
> Branch we tied the train down again out in the middle of no 
> where.  The engineer said "come on kid, dinner is ready."  We 
> walked back to the caboose and the brakeman had cooked a pot roast 
> dinner for every one.  We had potatoes, vegetables, meat and dinner 
> rolls and of course coffee.  We had pie for dessert What a meal it 
> was.  We then left and headed to Suffern.  I got off there and took 
> a passenger train back to Hoboken then took another train back to 
> Dover where I lived.
>  The Hayshaker ran around their train and proceeded back to Croxton.
>
>   It was a 17 hour day for me and I didn't get paid for it.  On the 
> EL if you wanted to be a train dispatcher, you were issued a head 
> end pass and were told to go out and learn the road on your 
> own.  When you were ready, you went into the dispatcher's office to 
> break in on a job.
>
>   Rich Pennisi

Rich, and all:

I grew up in Hillsdale, and was a frequent visitor to the station and 
environs from 1970-1974.

Do any of your EL railroaders recall the station agent, John 
Shepard?  John lived on Long Island and commuted to Hillsdale in a 
big Caprice.  He was very kind and helpful to me.  Do you guys 
remember "Zeke" the signal maintainer for that section of the 
NJ&NY.  He was a colorful character.

As I recall, the Hayshaker would frequently tie up in Hillsdale for 
lunch.  Living in Hillsdale was great, as we had one of the run 
around sidings north of Hackensack.  Work trains, inspection trains 
and other equipment would tie up in Hillsdale overnight.

Best regards,
Tim Costello



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