Hi All, The 2012 Season is now just a memory and I am looking forward to the 2013 Season. I do want to take some time to reflect on 2012. In many ways it was a Feature Articles 3 successful one, yet we endured many hardships. We lost some good friends, members and relatives. Bill Doran, Tommy Who and Chris’ Dad to name a few and we had to endure the wrath of Sandy. Each year that passes I look all the faces and realize we are getting - older. What encourages me are the young faces showing up and getting involved. They are the future of our organization and we need to encourage them and guide them so that they can take over when we are not able to. I encourage all our members to become a mentor to the younger crowd and foster a love of trains and what we work for. We will be running the Easter Trains in March and our regular Season starts Saturday May 4th. Thomas will be back again this year as well as our other themed rides and we need your help staffing the trains. For those who helped out last year, THANK YOU! For those who have not yet come out, give it a try. We gained a little more track last year. My hope is we can add even more in the near future. I want to put out a big Thank You to Keith and Jesse Dorn. They brought their Speeder and Hand Cart to the Milford Days Festival. It was a HUGE success. I cannot tell you how many rides they gave the people attending. It was so busy, Martin had to take over on the Hand Car. The Organizers of the event said we were the talk of the event and want us back next year. As always there are tons of things to do and so little time to do them. Your help will make it happen. Come out and give an hour or a day, it all helps. Upcoming work in 2013. The 142 Annual Inspection Working on the Tender. Getting the M1 ready for service. Working on the 501 Snack Car Brush cutting along the ROW Painting the Gift Car Let’s continue to work together and make 2013 a Great Year for our Society! As always, my “door” is always open to you, our members. President John Stocker 2 Greg and Gary relaxing in the shop after a hard day working on the locomotive. Departments 2 8 NYS&W’s EMD SD60 Locomotives Ralph Bonanno President’s Message John Stocker Bel-Del News 13 Maywood Station Historical Committee Ed Kaminski 14 18 From The Current Time Table Ralph Bonanno Shop Talk Martin Den Bleyker Covers Front: NYSW 3802 on the SU-100 in Maywood NJ on 11-3-12 Photo: Ed Kaminski Rear Top: NYSW #3810 on the SU-100 at Maywood NJ on 6-22-12 Photo: Ed Kaminski Rear Bottom: The NYSW 3016 at Ridgefield Park NJ on 1-26-13 Photo: Ed Kaminski
NYSW 3800 on SU-99 at Oak Ridge, NJ July 2, 2012. All photography by Ralph Bonanno unless otherwise noted. The spring and summer of 2012 will be known for the arrival of new (to the NYSW) power for use on the road trains, work trains, and occasional local service. The railroad had been relying on, for several months, several leased CEFX SD40-3s (in SD45 carbodies) to handle the road and local work, and while these proved adequate, they also were an expense the railroad could have done without, as they were on a lease arrangement. After scouting the used locomotive market for some time, the railroad finally settled on a fleet of six EMD SD60 locomotives, coming off lease to another railroad. These were originally built by EMD and were originally part of a fleet of locomotives built for Oakway, with a long term leasing plan to the Burlington Northern. But first a little background…… In the mid 1980’s, with traffic in its Powder River Basin increasing, the BN was looking to supplement its fleet of six axle locomotives. EMD built three SD60 demonstrators for the BN, and with a two year lease, they were immediately placed in service hauling coal. They quickly proved their worth, and with the most important factor, fuel economy being a deciding factor, BN began talking with EMD about acquiring a fleet of the 3800 HP units. But the BN was hurting a bit financially with higher than wanted operating costs, and lower than wanted earnings, the railroad explored leasing options, and the most cost effective leasing arrangement. 3 The arrangement that came about involved a “power by the hour” arrangement, a novel and innovative concept at the time. This meant the BN paid for the locomotives for only the time the locomotives are in service and operating, even though more power and kilowatts per hour are consumed when the locomotive is operating at notch 8 for extended periods. Part of this novel arrangement was that BN didn’t provide repairs/ maintenance on the units. This was handled off property by a third party, and not by BN. Eventually, the work was moved on property to one of the BN’s shop facilities. After months of speculation, a fleet of 100 SD60’s began arriving on BN property, in a somewhat modified EMD demonstrator paint scheme. In an industry first, BN began the concept of purchasing “power by the hour” from these locomotives, owned by EMD, and leased to Oakway, Inc, a subsidiary of New Jersey based Connell Rice & Sugar. Instead of leasing the locomotives as a whole unit from a leasing company, which was the traditional way of doing business, the BN was purchasing only the electrical energy exerted by the locomotives. Initially, the SD60’s were assigned to a variety of services to test and evaluate their abilities. An increase in coal ship(Continued on page 4)
NYSW 3810 on SU-99 at Pompton Jct ments and shipper demands had them reassigned back into coal service, though on occasion they were used in general freight and intermodal service. They eventually came off of lease to the BN and its successor, BNSF, and the fleet found itself spread out over several regions of the company, with the Norfolk Southern having leased a significant number of these units. It was about this time the NYS&W found itself in need of reliable six axle locomotives, and the Oakways came up on the radar screen for inspection and evaluation. After doing inspections and evaluations of several units, six locomotives were selected for long term lease (10 years) with an option for full purchase. Once selected, these units were overhauled from the frame up at VMV in Paducah, Kentucky and eventual delivery to the NYSW. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. Lets look at the basic statistics and data of these units (as built): As you can see, these are heavy duty locomotives, and at almost 400,000 Lbs, they are meant for heavy duty pulling and pushing for extended periods. Now, onto the NYS&W versions. Once the NYS&W decided on the model (Continued on page 5) 4 July 13, 2012 The SD60 HP………………………..……… 3800 Powered axles………………………. 6 Diesel Engine……………..……710G3 Number of Cylinders………..……..16 Full Speed……………..……904 RPM Idle Speed…………..………204 RPM Main Generator….AR11 WBA-D18A Maximum DC Voltage………..…1350 Lube Oil Capy……..243 Gal standard, 395 Gal increased Capacity pan Cooling System Capacity……….... 276 Gal Total Sand Capacity…….................56 Cu ft; 76 Cu Ft Special Fuel Capacity…… 3200 gal standard, optional 4000, 4500 or 5000 gal tanks available Retention Tank………. 100 gal. Reduces fuel tank by same amount Traction Motors………............... 6, Type D87B Type of TM’s…………............DC series wound Air Brake Schedule………........................... 26L Air Compressor…….....Model WLN, Type 3 cyl, 2 stage Storage Batteries……...32 Cells, 64 volts, rated 420 amps/hr Dimensions: Height(based on HTC trucks………......................... 15’ 7 1/8” Width Over Handrail Supports……..........................10’ 3 1/8” Length Over Coupler Pulling Faces…………….............71’ 2 “ Approx. Weight on rails…………360K Lbs, Typically equipped 390K lbs Weight on Drivers……………..... 100 % Minimum Curve Negotiation Ability…195 ft Radius, 29 degree curve
they wanted, they then had to go select which specific locomotives they wanted. Representatives of the railroad, after inspecting and evaluating several units settled on the following, which, following NYSW tradition would be numbered in a series to match their HP (in this case the 3800 series) and as they were all multiple unit equipped, would be given even numbers, 3800 through 3810. The old and new numbers were as 9061.…………………………..NYSW 9067.…………………………..NYSW The standard move was to move the locomotives to Cinfollows: GMTX 9016 …………………………. NYSW 3800 GMTX 9044.…………………………..NYSW3802 GMTX GMTX GMTX GMTX 3804 3806 9082.………………………… NYSW 3808 9094.………………………… NYSW 3810 Once the specific units were decided upon, and terms and arrangements of the lease were negotiated, the locomotives were then moved into the VMV locomotive shops for a complete tear down and rebuild, one by one, with NYSW reps in attendance. Just by luck of the draw, the units were not released in any specific order. The first unit released as the 3810. As the units were released, after paining and lettering (rumor has it some of the stencils for the lettering were supplied by the NYSW T&HS), they were then released for testing and break in service in the area around the VMV shops, usually on CSX trains. Once sufficient testing was completed, and the railroad as well as the forces at VMV were satisfied, the locomotives were then released and shipped to home rails via CSX to Syracuse, NY. cinatti, OH, where CSX placed them on Q366, a manifest train that operates from Cincinnati, OH to Selkirk, NY. Upon arrival at Selkirk the plan was to then move the locomotives west for delivery to interchange at Syracuse. One of the locomotives took a somewhat different route to Selkirk via Birmingham, AL to Waycross GA and movement to Selkirk occurred via train Q410, which runs Waycross to Selkirk. It took a couple of extra days, but delivery was without incident. Eventually all six units made it to Selkirk NY and then to Syracuse where they were accepted and moved dead in tow to Binghamton for preparation into service, which included a complete fueling, filling of sand, oil and other fluids to capacity, installation of radios and head end telemetry, and the initial on property inspections. Contrary to rumors, the locomotives were delivered dead in tow, not under power, and despite rumors to the contrary, they were delivered with seats in the cabs. Aside from the 3810 striking a tree on the Hudson secondary and putting a small dent in the nose on the engineers side, the units have all been placed into service with minimal teething pains. There has been the occasional electrical glitch, but overall, the units have performed without incident, and can now be seen in multiple on the SU-100/SU-99 turns, as well as working north between Binghamton and Syracuse. Coupled with the 4 SD40T-2 tunnel motors and the two SD40-2s, the railroad once again has a sizable fleet (Continued on page 6) NYSW 3806 on SU-00 at Bergen Turnpike, Ridgefield Park, NJ July 23, 2012 5
NYSW SD60 control stand, July 2012 of six axle road power it can call its own and in its own colors, presenting a unified corporate image to its shippers and the public. The crew members, like everyone else, have their opinions on these “new” locomotives, and you can be sure they are varied. But the fall of 2012 was the first season with the locomotives where the normal stalling on the mountain between Butler NJ and Sparta, as I recall, there were for the first time in many years, no stalled trains, and while they may have had to crawl up and over Sparta Mtn (as well as the grade southbound out of Syracuse) they have worked their hearts out, with minimal wheel slip, maximum tractive effort, and have gotten the job done for which they were selected and obtained. Unless something significant happens, expect to see these 3800 HP locomotives working as hard as possible creating revenue for the NYS&W. Expect to see them for several years in all kinds of service with the possible exception of passenger service...But who knows what the future has to offer. In the mean time, the turbocharged sounds of EMDs fill the valleys and hills along the NYS&W for the foreseeable future. The NYSW 3800 at Ridgefield Park, June 25, 2012. Ed Kaminski 6
NYSW 3802 at Ridgefield Park, NJ September 14, 2012 NYSW 3804 at Cross St in the snow, December 26, 2012 7
The past few months have been busier than ever. Our Polar Express trips are becoming so popular that 70% of the tickets sold out in just one day. That was August 1st! We had a great compliment of volunteers, about 50 a day, and everything ran smoothly. Our season came to an end with a grand dinner just after the last trip, at La Bella Via in Phillipsburg Over 60 attended . Our next big trip will be the Easter Bunny Train Ride and Easter Egg Hunt, March 23,24 and 30th. Over the next few months there is much work to do on the equipment. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Gary Matthews our CMO is on site at Baer Quarry and can always use a hand. To view what we are doing and where, visit our members portal by logging on to 877trainride.com then clicking on the ‘members’ link at the top. Steven James keeps it updated with weekend work schedules and other society events such as our membership meetings. Education is one of our primary goals on the Delaware River Railroad Excursions. With no railroad experience at all, you can come on down and get involved. You can start as a car host and with some basic training move on to Trainmen. From Trainmen you have two choices. Either move to locomotive service or on to Student Conductor and then Conductor. If you are interested in locomotive service you would start with Student Fireman, then, Fireman, Student Engineer and finally Engineer. Our emphasis is always on training and safety, and there is a lot to learn! Even if you aren't interested in working on the train, there is always plenty to do ,from brush cutting to mechanical work in the shop. If you have any questions just got to our web site and click on the contact link, President Stocker will be more than happy to answer your questions. On April, 6th we will be having our yearly training class. If you are interested in helping in any way, it is important to attend. The classes range from basic railroad safety to engineer training. Keep an eye on the members site for more information as the date approaches. Top both pages: Our beautiful Pumpkin Patch as set up by Bill Lammers, the “Pumpkin Master” Above top left: Dylan helps to insert conduit during the “Big Dig” to install electrical service to the station area. Above top right: Even trainmasters (Martin) can be trained to do hot chocolate service! Bottom left and right: the installation of the conduit from behind the station and up the hill. Next page top left: Tammy handing out Hot Chocolate on “The Polar Express” . Next page top right: Martin snapped this picture of the crowds waiting to board “The Polar Express”. Next page Center left: Chuck manning the Pumpkin Patch. Next page Center right: Our grill at the mine. Every Saturday night we have a BBQ where all train crews are invited. Great food and friendship, nothing better!Next page bottom left: The ticket booth beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. Next page bottom right: Bev and Gary posing for a picture in one of the very few quiet moments in the gift shop during “The Polar
Bill Doran 1942 –2012 Bill and his buddies, Roxanne and Max, riding our members special in July of 2011 It is with great sadness that I report the loss of a good friend and society member Bill Doran. Both Bill and I owned businesses in Dunellen New Jersey and we both belonged to the Dunellen Merchants Association. He was president and I the Vice President. Bill got involved with the society after the Merchants Association and the Society ran “Dunellen Railroad Days”. Dunellen Railroad days was hugely successful, and during that event Bill fell in love with railroading and the society. We were quite lucky to have both Bill and his wife Ilene get involved with the operation. Bill dove in head first, and was instrumental in building the operation we have today. Bill was a Trainmen, Brakeman, Conductor, Trainmaster, DSLE Secretary and most of all a great friend. Bill was born June 29, 1942 in Teaneck to Edward D. and Helen Catherine Steinhuff Doran. He was raised in Teaneck and was a graduate of Don Bosco High School. Bill had resided in Dunellen for several years and in Green Brook since 1983. He had worked as a Project Manager with A T&T in Bedminster for 23 years, retiring in 1989. Bill became the owner of the Lincoln Avenue Hardware Store in Dunellen for 10 years until 2001, after which he worked as a locksmith with Colline Bros. Lock & Safe Co. in Summit. Bill is survived by his family including his wife, Ilene Remes Doran; son, James M. Doran of Seattle, Washington; daughter, Catherine Cicero and her husband Randal of Portland, Oregon; sister, Elizabeth Gangeri of Park Ridge; brother, Thomas Doran of Plattsburg, NY and granddaughter, Avie Cicero. Bill stayed involved with the society right to his final days and was always there to give me great advice and to lend a helping hand. Bill will be dearly missed. Left to right, Bob Wyatt, Santa ( Les Coleman) and Bill Doran on The Polar Express in 2011 Bill also was a teacher! Here Bill is teaching basic railroad safety at our annual rules class in 2011 10
Thomas Bartkovsky 1964 - 2012 the privilege to work with him – and the fortunate ones, myself included, that had the opportunity to learn the craft from a master. By 1988 Tommy was the senior Freight Conductor at Black River when he took advantage of a Conrail hiring session. Tommy went to work for Conrail, but he never left Black River… For many years after my grandfather retired, Tommy continued to do the Freight Agent work for us. His accuracy with car numbers was uncanny – probably instilled in him by those LVRR Yardmasters. Tommy and I shared an unspoken understanding that the Railroad runs on paperwork, not on tracks. We shared a love for the past and understanding that change is inevitable. Tommy hated remote control locomotives, GE toasters, GP-15s, and the loss of craft distinction with Conductors forced to run trains. But he loved being a part of the grand resurgence of the railroad industry. With 24 years of seniority Tommy was able to hold just about any job he wanted out of Oak Island. Often he picked jobs that would allow him to take care of his mother, suffering from Alzheimer’s. Most recently he was holding a local job which worked 12 hours every day. If you knew The Who, you know he worked this job not for the money, but because he loved what he did, even if he had to *run* the locomotive. (Let us not forget that Conductor Bartkovsky was also an accomplished Steam and Diesel Engineer.) For Tommy, the end of the line seems too soon. But I doubt he had any regrets and he was able to railroad to the end. We should all be so lucky. Tommy Who was a good friend and a Legendary Railroader. Thomas Bartkovsky AKA Tommy Who, was not only a NYSWTHS member and Bel-Del DSLE but a long time member of the Black River and Western Family. Tommy was always very helpful and kind and for that we will never forget him. What follows is the obituary written by our friend and partner in the Delaware River Railroad Excursions, Kean Burenga. Tommy Who died Saturday night (Oct 20th) in his home in Alpha. He was 48. Black River has never known a kinder or more beloved railroader. We share our loss with Tommy’s colleagues at Conrail. Tommy’s railroad “career” started in the Manville yard office typing up waybills for the Yardmaster on an old manual typewriter. The local Lehigh Valley crews would compensate him with cab rides in his favorite “pups” and when Conrail disposed of their caboose fleet, Tommy sought out a car he rode in his youth which is the Who Hack at Ringoes. Tommy came to Black River in 1978 or 1979. With a somewhat difficult to pronounce last name, my grandmother dubbed him TomSki. But it was Bill Manes that gave him the railroad moniker that stuck. Tommy had a habit of banging his hand against anything that rattled, whether in the cab of a locomotive or sitting in the engine house office. This drumming earned him the nickname “Who” from the legendary rock bank, with the rock opera Pinball Wizard and its main character Tommy. The Who painted every piece of MW equipment on the property in the early 1980s before being promoted to train service. It is his skills as a Brakeman and a Conductor that will be remembered by all the crews that had 11 Tom Bartkovsky- LVRR 2nd trick Manville Yard Clerk Trainee
By Ed Kaminski S anta Visited Maywood Station on December 15, 2012. Santa made a special visit to the Maywood Station Museum for the 11th Annual Santa at Maywood Station on December 15, 2012. Santa was greeted with record-size turnout of adults and children as he met with each good little boy and girl and all children received a bag of treats courtesy of Myron Corporation; Operation Lifesaver; TD Bank; Children Are Creative; Atlas Model Railroad Company, LLC; Piko America, LLC, the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway and the Maywood Station Museum. Each child attending was also given a free chance to win special raffle prizes including a BMW Roadster Child's Pedal Car courtesy of Park Ave BMW won by Matthew Bernal; an H.O. Scale Train Set courtesy of Piko America, LLC won by Devon Moran; and an H.O. Scale Train Set courtesy of Atlas Model Railroad Co. won by Kanna Shah. Santa said to behave in the upcoming year and he’ll see everybody again next December. The happy winner of the Grand Prize free raffle sponsored by Park Ave BMW at the 11th Annual Santa at Maywood Station event on December 15, 2012 takes his new ride for a spin. A family poses with Santa at the 11th Annual Santa at Maywood Station event on December 15, 2012. (Photo by Ed Kaminski) The Maywood Station Model Train Layout during the open house April 15 , 2012 13 The Maywood Square Dance Club performed an exhibition at the Maywood Station Museum on October 21, 2012. (Photo by Ed Kaminski)
A record-size crowd came out to meet Santa at the 11th Annual Santa at the Maywood Station event on December 15, 2012. (Photo by Kristen Kaminski) The Maywood Station Museum hosted Annual Railroad Day and a Free Concert by Blue Plate Special on September 30, 2012 The Maywood Station Museum hosted Annual Railroad Day at the Maywood Station Museum and an outdoor free concert by the band Blue Plate Special as part of the Maywood Station Museum Backyard Summer Concert Series sponsored by Park Ave Acura on September 30, 2012. Assorted railroad collectibles and model trains were offered for sale by numerous vendors, model railroad clubs and railroad historical societies plus Blue Plate Special performed a concert featuring a mix of folk, bluegrass, country and rock. Michael De Marco (left) is shown with MSHC member Mike Szymanski (right) holding a circa 1900 American Railway Express sign that was originally on Maywood Station until the 1930’s. Mr. De Marco recently found the sign in his attic, which was being used upside-down as footboard. After turning it over, he noticed what it was and donated it to the Maywood Station Museum on September 30, 2012. Thank you Mr. De Marco, for returning a significant piece of Maywood Station’s history to the museum! (Photo by Ed Kaminski) Maywood Station was impacted by the devastating Hurricane Sandy on October 29, 2012 suffering a tree limb through the roof and into the interior ceiling. The MSHC thanks Tom Charette of the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway for his help in promptly removing the tree limb and Maywood resident Johnny Hayes for quickly and professionally repairing the roof damage. MSHC members performed the interior ceiling repairs, which were completed in time for the November 4, 2012 Museum Open House. (Photo by Ed Kaminski) 14 Blue Plate Special played on the back deck of Maywood Station and wowed the crowd at the Annual Railroad Day at the Maywood Station Museum event on September 30, 2012 with their unique mix of folk, bluegrass, country and rock music. (Photo by Ed Kaminski
upon completion. As they were completed, they were released for testing to ensure any bugs could and would be worked out, and they would be fine tuned before shipment to home rails. They were not completed in sequential order, but it didn’t Well, its been a while, but its that time again, time to sort through the news and events of our favorite railroad and try and catch up on things. I should note that the events in this particular column are current up to the beginning of January, 2013. I don’t pretend to admit that everything that has taken place in the past several months will be recorded here, but none the less, there is still plenty of news to go around, so put your feet up and as Jackie Gleason once said: “And away we go….” MOTIVE POWER UPDATE I’ll start this time with the locomotive/power report, since this is one of the areas with the most visible changes to the THS membership (and non THS members as well). As is known by know, the summer of 2012 saw the arrival of new (to the NYS&W) power to the NYS&W, in the form of six EMD SD60 locomotives. These 3800 HP heavy duty locomotives were selected from a feet of former Oakway leased locomotives that saw most, if not all of their service careers on the BN, and later BNSF. As such they were originally built to the specs of the BN. After their careers on the BN, they were transferred to a leasing company and put on the open market, so to speak, looking to be leased out to new operators. The NYS&W, having had CEFX leased units on the property for an extended period, was looking to expand its own fleet of locomotives for a variety of reasons, both financial as well as of as public relations nature. After all, it helps to promote your own corporate image with your own “brand” out there for the public (and the customers) to see on a regular basis. The railroad sent its personnel out to inspect these locomotives, and eventually six SD60’s were selected. They were GMTX (the owners of the units at the time) #s 9016, 9044, 9061, 9067, 9082, and 9094. In keeping with past practice, they were numbered by the NYS&W in accordance with their HP, and even numbers only, indication MU capability. They were numbered 3800 to 3810. One by one they entered the shops at VMV, a locomotive rebuilder in Paducah, KY, and were basically rebuilt from the frame up. Their trucks were given new components, new air brake and electrical components installed, the cabs were overhauled, and of course, a paint job into the NYS&W’s corporate colors of black & yellow. And boy, did they look sharp 14 matter. Soon, the first of the units were on their way to the NYS&W via CSX. Several of the units traveled from Paducah, KY to Cincinatti, OH via CSX, where they were placed on Q366, a train that ran to Selkirk, NY. At Selkirk, the plan was to then place the units on a westbound train to Buffalo, NY, and dropping them off enroute for interchange at Syracuse, NY. For some reason, one unit in particular was re routed south east from Paducah via Alabama to Atlanta where it made its way to Syracuse via Q410 to Selkirk, NY. In the end, it didn’t matter as the locomotives soon found their way to home rails. Upon arrival and pick up at Syracuse, the locomotives were then moved to Binghamton, NY where they were examined, inspected, and prepped for service. This included the initial inspections on home rails, plus installations of radios and head end telemetry devices. Contrary to rumors, the locomotives did arrive with seats installed and ready for use. That said, on July 8th, the first “all SD60“ SU-100 operated east with NYSW 3808 - NYSW 3800 - NYSW 3810 with 40 cars departing Binghamton. Suffice to say, that although the train ran east under the cover of darkness, it was the following day’s SU-99 that garnered the most interest, as it left Ridgefield park in the late afternoon, in daylight. In short order, with the last of the units delivered by mid August, the fleet of “bluebird” CEFX SD40-3s were soon relegated to the dead line to be returned to their owners and lessors, as they were now rendered redundant. As for the SD60’s, the past several months (up to press time) saw them on work trains on both the Northern and Southern divisions, as well as the Binghamton-Syracuse turn jobs and the SU-100/99 turns. And apparently management is quite pleased with their performances. This past autumn marked the first in the years since the Sparta mountain route was reopened in 1986 (has it really been THAT long ago??) that there was no significant loss of time due to road trains stalling west of Butler, NJ owing primarily to the leaves on the rails, as in the past. In fact, I can attest to seeing several westbound SU-99’s in excess of 80 cars making the hill at Midland Park, NJ, and west of Butler pretty much close to track speed. And even those trains that ran slower than track speed, they didn’t stall either, even if they were “on their knees” at times. On January 7th, SU-99 ran west with 4 SD60’s and 86 cars, they made track speed at Midland Park, and made short work of the grade west of Butler, doing what they were acquired for. It looks like the railroad is getting their money’s worth from these units and will do so fore the foreseeable future. As for other motive power, as mentioned, the CEFX bluebirds are no longer being used and as of early January, a few of them were in the dead line in Binghamton, NY awaiting disposition. Also on the sidelines in early January were the 3 SD70’s (4050-4052-4054), one SD40T-2, the three GP20’s (2062-2064 -2066) and 2 SD45’s (3618-3634). Last reports indicated the SD45’s were stored serviceable, but were on the sidelines primarily due to their excessive fuel consumption. No word to report on any possible disposition of the remaining sidelined locomotives. The Southern Division still continues to be the home for “borrowed” 4 axle locomotives from both CSX (GP38-2 #2732) and NS (GP38-2s # 5288, and 5291), plus a six axle NYS&W unit (usually the 3022 or one of the SD40T-2s), with these units being used primarily on the Sparta turn job (WS-5
CSX Q156 detour at Newfoundland, NJ Sept 2, 2012 . Ralph Bonnano or 6). However, the past several months saw a new 4 axle visitor to the property, in the form of GMTX GP15-2 # 499. This locomotive, built originally for Conrail in 1979, is a prototype locomotive owned by GMTX, the same people who held title to the former Oakway SD60’s. This locomotive was rebuilt from the frame up, had dynamic brakes added (which the Conrail GP15-1s never had, and had upgraded electronics added, thus the “-2” designation. While only possessing 1500 HP, it was used in a variety of tasks on the NYS&W for a few months. It has since left the property, departing on an SU-99 on January 3rd, bound for its next home, the New England Central Railroad for testing there. OPERATIONS UPDATE This time around, the heading “operations update” will cover a wide variety of news and events. Going back a few months, I’ll start with the last round of detours. In late August 2012, CSX announced that they would be replacing a bridge just west of Selkirk that would necessitate closing their main line for approx. 36 hours. The upshot was that CSX informed the NYS&W that they planned to use their route from Syracuse to Binghamton to Little Ferry/North Bergen for two trains Q004 and Q156, both stack trains that terminate in South Kearny, NJ. Suffice to say news of these two detours garnered significant interest by the railfan community. It had been a couple of years since the last detour (owing to a wreck just south of Selkirk, NY), and the Labor Day holiday also coincid15 ed with the detours, ensuring a good amount of people would be out for these, as it was a holiday. The first detour, Q004, departed Buffalo, NY at 8 AM on Sept 2nd, and while it ran south from Syracuse in a good chunk of daylight, the second detour, Q156 was the one to watch as that would hit the Southern Division after daybreak. While both trains ran without incident, It was the Q156 that had the crowds out, as it passed Campbell Hall, NY about 830 am, and got to Ridgefield Park with about 15 minutes to spare before the road crew hit the 12 hour limit at 130 PM. What slowed it down enroute (aside from following an NJ Transit train east from Port Jervis, NY) was a 10 MPH order between MP 60 and 59 on the Southern Division. This was due to the overnight destruction by fire of the original NYS&W Sparta NJ station, built in the 1870’s. The fire department and arson investigators on the scene required the train’s slow passage. Interestingly, the Q004, the first detour had passed the area several hours earlier, about 3:15 am, and didn’t notice anything unusual. This led to the rumor mill that the fire may have been started by sparks from the first train, but a subsequent investigation revealed this not to be the case. This was truly a significant historical loss for the areas and the railroad itself. But these were the only detours to operate via the NYS&W in the past several months, and at press time, no other re routes were planned. In other news, track work has been the big story of the past several months. Over the summer three welded rail trains were received in interchange from the NS at Marion yard (Jersey
NYSW SU-99 at Midland Park, NJ Sept 5, 2012 . Ralph Bonnano City, NJ) for the installation of welded rail in several locations. This coupled with the arrival of several thousands of ties via gondola and ballast/stone trains all added up to a major capital investment by the railroad in 2012, the likes of which hasn’t been see for several years. The former L&HR portion, from Sparta Jct to Warwick, NY received the greatest attention with new heavy duty welded rail, ties,and ballast making for a much improved ride, and increased travel time for the road trains. Several grade crossings in the area also received replacement and crossing protection upgrades in the process as well. Welded rail was also installed in several places east of Butler as well, notably near/around Midland Park, NJ as well as Hawthorne, NJ. Here too, several grade crossings were upgraded with concrete inserts and upgraded protection as well. The railroad is now in a much improved appearance and ride for the crews and most importantly, the customers. The main line east of Little Ferry to North Bergen, NJ also received the benefits of all the track work with tie and ballast replacement/upgrades all the way to Marion Yard at the extreme east end of the railroad where interchange with NS is made. In a related item, in September, 2012, it was announced that the NJ Dept of Transportation (DOT) approved a grant to upgrade a 10 mile stretch of track of the NYS&W between Butler and Stockholm (Hardyston) NJ. The $875,000 grant, administered by the DOT’s Rail Freight Assistance Program, will fund the replacement of more than 7000 ties, and the renewal of bridge timers on four bridges on the stretch of NYS&W rails. This was one of 25 grants from the DOT totaling more than $11.4 million distributed to a variety of New Jersey infrastructure projects. The NYS&W will fund 10% of the project (approx $97,000) and any cost overruns, according to the 16 press release. The President of the NYS&W, Nathan Fenno was quoted in the press release as stating the repairs were a high priority that the company has had hoped to address for the past two or three years as part of an overall upgrading of the line. “It’s a good thing for the company….it’s a good thing for the state as well”, stated Mr. Fenno, emphasizing the importance and efficiency of rail freight travel, and how it reduces wear and tear on the overtaxed highway system. Repairs are expected to begin in the spring of 2013 after the project is put up for bid. The work is expected to last a few weeks with minimal impact on the driving public. Mr Fenno also noted the importance of railroads in the region, helping to minimize traffic on the already overburdened highway system. “Anyone who drives on Route 23 at rush hour knows full well how the highway system is is reaching its maximum capacity”, he stated. As for operations, on the Southern Division there are still several assignments that operate each day. The WS-1 and 2 are the early morning assignments, with the WS-3,4,5, and 6 signing up in the afternoons. Most jobs are Monday to Friday. Recently there has been two daylight jobs on Saturday, with just the WS-1 being the only assignment on Sundays, primarily to yard the Q008 on its arrival and do any clean up work. Local freight business has been, if anything, steady. The SU-99’s are usually westbound with anywhere from 50-90 cars. Add to this the interchange made with NS at Marion on a daily basis, and the interchange with CSX at North Bergen on a daily basis as well, and traffic is doing well. Its not unusual for most if not all the local assignments to make their 12 hour working limits on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I am suffering from a dearth of news and information from the Northern Division this time around, and I really could use some help in this department. What I can say is that the railroad still runs several assignments out of (Continued on page 17)
NYSW SU 99 at Franklin Lakes, NJ July 16, 2012 . Ralph Bonnano Binghamton, plus Syracuse, and on an as needed basis, Utica, usually a couple of days a week. I do know that the SU-99, on arrival from New Jersey, drops its CP and NS blocks, and then heads north to Syracuse with any additional CSX interchange traffic, before returning from Syracuse with the Jersey bound traffic. This job (usually BH2 or if need be, a BH-X) usually makes the 12 hour limit, as there is also traffic to pick up and drop at Cortland NY, which usually has its own assignment, CL-1, handling the local customers. The bulk of the traffic, however, is Jersey bound for the SU-100, and upon arrival in Binghamton, additional traffic from the CP and NS is added to the train, it gets recrewed, and then heads east as the SU-100. In addition, Binghamton is also the main servicing center for the railroad’s locomotives, and the 92 day inspections and running repairs are usually made here. Speaking of the road trains, there is another important change on the horizon for the NYS&W. This past fall, Metro North Commuter Railroad (which is in partnership with NJ Transit and Norfolk Southern) announced that they will be investing in cab signal installation and preparation for the required PTC (Positive Train Control) installation as required by the FRA by 2015 (a deadline that may not be met by the industry). This means the NYS&W will have to have a cab signal equipped lead locomotive on its trains between Port Jervis and Hudson Jct, where they leave the Southern Tier. At present, the Southern Tier between Suffern, NY and Port Jervis is pretty much the only non cab signaled segment of the MNRR/NJT system. So the railroad will likely have to invest in cab signal equipment somewhere down the road, or at the minimum, borrow an already equipped locomotive to lead their trains once installation is complete. As this also ties in with the coming PTC mandate, expect changes for the railroad down the road in this regard. 17 Well, this pretty much winds things up for now. I apologize for the extended delay in getting this together, but its due to a variety of factors. I ask that anyone with news to pass along for the next addition please forward it to me at: blet601@gmail.com with the notation that it is for the THS Reflector. I can't do it without the membership’s assistance, so, since its YOUR dues and YOUR Reflector, YOU should not hesitate to contribute in any way shape or form. Until next time………
mile and a quarter. At double the length we started with, we gained another four-tenths in 2012 and are now just a mile and two-tenths to reach Riegelsville, which has been our goal since the beginning for our “regular” run. The work has been done by a contractor but once to Riegelsville, we will have people available who can do track work in the yard. I usually cover any news about the Bel-Del here as The year 2012 got off to a good start. Only two stay bolts were replaced on #142 during the winter. As it was a more usual winter program, other work moved up the priority list. The tender, for example, got some body work. New paint was flowing elsewhere as another car, 530, got the vestibules painted to match 500. Plymouth #18 has new paint. Also, the movement to stop the rainwater in M-1 was showing signs of success, if not totally, and the mechanical work continued, including repairs to doors, moldings, a new toilet, engine solenoids, and when work resumes in 2013, engine fluids, finishing the tiled floor and eventually getting the seats reupholstered. In 2011, the three-day Easter event was a sellout and March 31st, April 1st and 7th, 2012, we basically used the entire Polar train and were able to set a new ridership record, topping last year by over 400 customers. The rest of April was not idle. Two weeks later, we hosted the New York University who were filming a movie, Black Dog, Red Dog on our train. Logan Marshall-Green and Chloẻ Sevigny were in this series of scenes, while Whoopie Goldberg and James Franco also appeared in other segments already filmed. Several of our members were used as extras. It was a long day, finishing up near dark, just ahead of a line of thundershowers. The production staff was quite large with half of them or so being NYU students learning the craft. The Independent Movie Data Base does not show a release date as of this writing. Meantime, the weekend in between, several newer members with track expertise went to Holland to fill in a 142 foot gap left by the removal of a switch a few years ago. Straight-railing the section allows us to get speeders and other maintenance equipment down the entire length of the line in order to keep it, if not in service, available for service in the future, including the occasional speeder run down to Milford. While it has not been part of our Mechanical Department prior, the track work is integral to the operation and is worth mention here. The DRRE started with 3-1/2 miles in 2004, increased to 5-1/2 in 2006, gained only about 900 feet in 2008, but a section further down of similar length was also done. We incorporated that section in 2010 as part of another 18 our adopted operational home and as there isn’t often much else to report, but there were freight stirrings in 2012. The quarry has a customer for decorative stone in Florida and has been sending a 100-ton car per month for most of the year. The real addition is a new building supply company taking over the old Warren Lumber site. They relocated from further north in town along the NS track where there is no siding and are looking for a hundred cars a year. The first four came in December 27th with several quickly following. As the Bel-Del’s freight schedule reads “Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday,” we may see the passenger operation share the track again at times. As for passengers, the regular season started May Bob Wyatt wiring up the junction box for the new electrical service. 5th, with 142 making an on-time arrival May 26th for the Memorial Day weekend. Just over a month later came our biggest steam event of the year, Day Out With Thomas, when we run two steam engines, with 142 not to be left out this time. And then another problem arose. On the next to last trip of the first Sunday, metal chips were noticed on the engineer’s side running gear. Turns out the large bronze bearing was blowing out the babbit, a soft metal lining molded into it. This same babbit was replaced five years earlier. The timing couldn’t have been better as it was given to Eric, who was here from Strasburg to run Thomas, to take home with him Monday. Gary and co. had the rod down Sunday night to do this. Meantime, it was decided to go with a brass insert this time and the material was located in Trenton. Gary then had to go to Trenton to get the material and on to Strasburg, arriving there with five minutes to spare for a 4 PM deadline Monday to get the work done quickly. When Brendan arrived for his turn on Thomas Thursday, he had the new bearing and 142 went back to work that Friday. This was an exceptionally quick turnaround for such a repair and credit goes not only to our own crew, but the folks at Strasburg for accommodating us in such quick order. It only emphasizes once again why so few people run steam and our dedication to being one of those few groups who do. We moved on to our “routine” portion of summer following Thomas hoping it will be just that; routine. It’s a long year that goes by quickly and there’s more to report than steam. The day after #142 was done for the year, Hurricane Sandy moved in, one year to the day after the freak snow. While nearby Allentown reported a record wind of 81 mph, rain was not an issue and we didn’t have to watch the river this time. Still, around fifty trees went down on the tracks but we had the line open, if not pretty, in two days. The day after steam is also the get-ready-for-Polar starting line. To say this is our most popular event is an un
Finally, three Polars ago, we were using an exThe inside of the #33 has a machine shop as well as the electrical plant for the passenger train. Here Gary is showing Devin how to mill a part. derstatement when you consider we sold out in 28 days – in August. And that was with an extra operating day giving us 1,800 additional seats this year. Besides getting the train ready, the station building finally got a permanent power arrangement during this time and it was refreshing to see the lights come on again for the nighttime operation. There is also a power/communications distribution point on the picnic grounds for the tents we use during the big events. Foreign power appeared this year. The Black River System had only one diesel assigned to the Bel-Del and we needed two. All other units being out on lease, an Everett Railroad engine, 1712, was brought in. Built as a GP-7 for the Clinchfield, it was converted to a GP-16 by the FEC. You can read about it on their website, everettrailroad.com. Pittsburg and Conn-Dot power car to provide 480 vac to our bi-level cars. During the event, the generator went sour and we ended up using a generator on loan from the quarry to finish the event. Said generator would be mounted on a flat car for the next two years during which time the power car was sold to Norfolk Southern for their steam program. We then obtained a baggage car with much VIA Rail paint still showing around the edges. This became our HEP, and tool car. After rewiring the generator and other repairs it was painted and made its first appearance for the public on Polar Express November 24th. The paint job is a historically correct 1940 Susquehanna color scheme of gray and maroon. Having never seen a baggage car on a Susquehanna train after the coaches went all-maroon about 1942, I suspect this is the last scheme used by the railroad for baggage cars as they were off the trains by the fifties. Does anyone have some photographic evidence to the contrary? Once again, I will remind all that this, while not the only, is the most active part of our Society and it can always use more help both in the shop and the train operation. Our power car/ machine shop # 33 with her brand new Susquehanna paint scheme. 19
1 Publizr