[Date Prev][Date Next]
[Chronological]
[Thread]
[Top]
RE: (erielack) Hurricane Diane Detour trains over the Utica Branch of the S&U
ED,
JUst a 'heads-up' to let u know the DVDs arrived at my house on Friday. Many thanks....and I'm lookiing for more Syracuse stuff.
When u mentioned the detour article in the ARHS issue, I remembered an email from Bon Bahrs about the foto of a covered wagon leading 2 Fairbanks-Morse Trainmasters ont othe DL&W bridge from the West Pittston side of the Susquehanna river. Did that bring back memories!!! My buddies and I used to hang out on that bridge and when a train like this came, we'd scuttle down thru the grders onto the tp of the piers until she cleared. The small green building just ahead of the lead engine sits on the site of the OLD Susquehanna Ave. station (used by the wealthy residents of WP). Us common herd used the DL&W station at Delaware Ave. IT lasted up into the 1970s or 80s, but the town philistines gave it to the fire dept. to burn for 'practice' and with it went many paper records dating back to when it was part of the Lackawanna & Bloomsburg.
Regards,
Walter E. Smith> Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2008 09:36:01 -0400> From: ed.olszewski_@_lmco.com> Subject: (erielack) Hurricane Diane Detour trains over the Utica Branch of the S&U> To: erielack@lists.railfan.net> > NOTE: This message had contained at least one image attachment.> To view or download the image(s), click on or cut and paste the> following URL into your web browser:> > > http://lists.railfan.net/listthumb.cgi?erielack-08-02-08> > image002.gif (image/gif, 323x153+0+0 4434 bytes, BF: 11.15 ppb)> > Folks, as promised I am providing the first of several summaries of> information I have gathered and/or received from folks on and off this> list regarding the operations of the S&U. This information is being> collected for a clinic I am preparing and a future Diamond article. I> hope you enjoy it and if you have corrections or additions, and> especially photos of the detour trains or the Army locomotives on the> S&U, please do not hesitate to provide them.> > Most of the information for this article was compiled from "29 Days> since Diane - the DL&W Detour trains by Rich Jahn, an article in "Flags,> Diamonds and Statues" Volume 19, #1, published by the Anthracite> Railroads Historical Society> > > > Thanks,> > Ed Olszewski> > > > > > HURRICANE DIANE & THE S&U - AUGUST 18, 1955> > By Ed Olszewski> > On the night of August 18, 1955 Hurricane Diane stalled over the> Pocono's dumping five to 15 inches of rain on the already storm soaked> area in a matter of hours. Earlier in August Hurricane Connie had dumped> a considerable amount of rain on the same area which had not completely> drained off when Diane hit. The run-off caused by the high amount of> rain from Diane caused streams and rivers in the area to swell and rise> some 30 feet in a matter of 15 minutes. The bridges in the area where no> match for the quickly rising waters, as a result the DL&W experienced> 105 washouts, slides, and damaged bridges over more than 60 miles of> track east of Scranton. With their mainline severed, the Lackawanna> setup a number !
of detou
r routes for their passenger and freight trains.> One of the detour routes included the Utica branch of the S&U.> > Beginning August 21, 1955 a portion of the DL&W freight traffic to and> from Hoboken, NJ was detoured over the Utica branch for interchange with> the NY Central in Utica, NY. The NYC routed the trains to Selkirk then> down the West Shore Line to the 17th Street interchange with the DL&W in> Hoboken. The first trains to detour east bound were A/BH-9, NE-4, BH-8,> and BH-4. A/BH-9 arrived in Hoboken at 8:15 AM on the 21st and the> motive power was serviced, turned, and at 1:10 PM on August 21st used to> pull the first west bound detour train, Extra 661, back over the Utica> Branch. This detour traffic lasted eight days until August 28, 1955.> There were a total of 25 trains east and west bound detoured over this> route, Table 1.> > > > Table 1: Detour Trains over the Utica Branch> > The DL&W experienced a shortage of road power because of the many detour> routes and the extended mileage their locomotives had to travel. Also,> 17 passenger and freight locomotives were stranded along the 60 miles of> damaged track. To help alleviate their power shortage the DL&W turned to> the Army leasing 15 MRS-1's on August 25, 1955. Six of these locomotives> were delivered immediately while the remaining nine were delivered> August 27th after the Army pulled them out of long term storage and> prepared them for use. These locomotives were numbered 1812 - 1817,> B-2046, B-2051, B-2053, B-2059, B-2060, B-2062, B2066, B2069, and> B-2070. On September 2nd five of the Army locomotives were sent to the> S&U to help with local service, seven went to Scranton for yard, pusher> and work train service, and the remaining three went to Kingston, PA> after the last of the stranded locomotives was recovered and returned to> service. Five of these locomotives, B-2060, B-2062, B2066, B2069, and> B-2070, were returned to the Army on September 19th. It is not known> which of the Army locomotives served the S&U but one could p!
ostulate
> that it was these five locomotives.> > > > The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List> http://EL-List.railfan.net/> To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html
_________________________________________________________________
Get Windows Live and get whatever you need, wherever you are. Start here.
http://www.windowslive.com/default.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Home_082008
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
http://EL-List.railfan.net/
To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html
------------------------------