You Only Live Twice

[CNE Runner]

When I used to work in the mental health field, I used to say to clients; "Be careful what you wish for as it may come true." I suppose that is true with this thread.

For myself, I would like to experience rural life in Dutchess County, NY in the late 19th century. American 4-4-0s pulling short combination trains along the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut RR - passing through bucolic countryside. The numerous neat farms and vibrant small towns dotting the rail line lent a Norman Rockwell style to the area. The N.D.& C. (which ran through my father's farm) was an active rail line that served most of the county before the advent of reliable trucks and automobiles. All things must end and the N.D.& C cum C.N.E. cum N.Y.N.H. was torn up in 1938...probably sold as scrap to the Japanese who, graciously, returned it in 1941.

Remember what I first mentioned above? In 1889 life expectancy was something like 45 years. There were few trained physicians. Modern 'miracle' drugs weren't even on the horizon. There was no such thing as 'painless dentistry'...most folks only went to a dentist for serious (read: painful) conditions. Electricity wasn't available outside urban areas and water was gotten from a well (a dubious source at best). The leading cause of death was heart disease/tuberculosis in men and childbirth in women. Folks worked seven days a week (sun up to sun down) on farms and 6, 14-hour days in factories (BTW: OSHA would have a field day with the horrible conditions in those days).

Yes, life was quiet and peaceful then. Railroads were in their Golden Age and didn't realize their precarious position. Understand I don't want to move to 1889; but I sure would like the opportunity to visit a while.

G'up Fetch...we got work to do!
Ray

[jward]

where would this line be in relation to the maybrook line? i would have loved to chase the new haven to maybrook, then spend the day taking pictures of all the other railroads that ran into that yard.

[CNE Runner]

Good morning Jeff. The Maybrook line ran from Maybrook, NY through parts of Orange and Ulster Counties before crossing the Hudson River over the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge. It then traveled southeastward across parts of Dutchess County to Hopewell Junction, NY. Originally the Maybrook crossed the tracks of the Newburgh, Dutchess & Connecticut at a diamond - just north of the Hopewell Junction depot. This diamond was protected by a signal tower located to the northeast of the diamond.

From the diamond, in Hopewell Junction, the line proceeded eastward - up Stormville Mountain - to Brewster, NY. I recommend 3 reference sources:

http://www.kinglyheirs.com/CNE/NDCMain.html
Rudberg, Bernard L., Twenty-Five Years on the N.D.& C., Purple Mountain Press, 2002
Mabee, Carleton, Bridging the Hudson, Purple Mountain Press, 2001
Newman, Mark, The Railroad Switching Terminal at Maybrook NY, Purple Montain Press, 2006

I have chosen these sources because they all should still be available - although Bernie Rudberg has informed me that the supplies of his book are almost exhausted. If you need more information please feel free to contact me off-line.

Regards,
Ray

[jward]

thanks. i have several books on the new haven, and the maybrook line looks like it would have been fascinating. i will look for those books on amazon.....

[CNE Runner]

Glad I could be of assistance Jeff. On the off-chance that you are unsuccessful with Amazon; Purple Mountain Press has its own website at:

http://www.catskill.net/purple/

I have ordered several books directly from them and have been completely satisfied with the materials and the service.

Ray

[pcctrolleyII]

hmmmm not sure but, maybe the 50s because you caould still see steam and diesels work side by side in some places and the GG-1s going down the tracks plus street cars were still a good way to get around the PCC and Piter Wits. I maybe 25 years old but, i would like to see this era.

[James Hail]

Steam era for me please.......long before the sludge sippers took their first sip of DinoLube......I hate em forever for taking the boilers off the tracks.....

The Feds and their "Rule Book" on steam paid for by big oil....(?)

A running Steam engine makes me tear up for some reason.......Majestic

I wanted to cry when i first saw Hornbys Live steam for HO demo video.......

Something about the raw mass of Iron and the many broken backs it took to build these Living monsters......mens lives to raise iron from ore to ride a rail!

This was real ,hard,dangerous,men were men stuff.

Seeing my first Steam loco years ago still shocks me ..These beasts to me are the most fascinating machines mankind has built......Aside from the Saturn rockets maybe,Or was that photoshop? hahahah

I sit in awe sometimes when i run my stationary steam engines....My kit built horizontal boiler (3 inch dia. with 5 flue tubes) has hand set rivets and it was a labor of love to build it.

Seeing it reach 60 PSI and blow-off in the winter weather was a sight!

...... sorry for the rant....... Steam era for me !

Sniffle.......Sniffle........born to late......

Jim

[Frisco]

1890s Leadville, Colorado for me! All steam 75% narrow gauge, three railrods, all serving mines sprinkled throughout the hillside around the city, could it possibly get any better.

[Santa Fe buff]

I like to go back when EMD ruled.

Joshua

[jward]

i am with you there. NOBODY built locomotives that ran as well and lasted as long as EMD in their heyday. even to-day, railroads are dumping the GE dash 8s built in the late 1980s, the dash 7s that preceded them are all but extinct on major railroads. and yet, EVERY major railroad still runs sd40-2s and gp38-2s, dating to the early 1970s.

the last time we had a recession that affected the railroads as deeply as this one, the big railroads purged their alcos, placed most of their u boats in storage lines, and ran the wheels out of their second generation EMDs.

you see railroads instituting rebuild programs for various EMD models all the time. only one railroad, santa fe, had a major rebuild program for GE units, rebuilding u36c's into sf30c's. santa fe also rebuilt f7s into cf7s even though that meant building an entirely new locomotive frame and body.
no other railroad attempted either, it just wasn't worth it....

[Santa Fe buff]

Don't forget the GP7u! Or was it a GP9? 

I think the U25B really kicked EMD... What's with EMD that they won't attempt an SD100? I'm sure if they put a good enough team together, they probably could get a great locomotive out to turn the tides on the war between them and GE.

EMD has left a good mark, our local switcher is a GP40 from the 1970s ordered by GTW and is now owned by CN. Both units are still in the GTW scheme, but a third unit has come repainted from GTW into the CN "North America" scheme. That worries me.

Joshua

[RAM]

Remember that the steam locomotives running today are 65 years old or older.

[BestSnowman]

Remember that the steam locomotives running today are 65 years old or older.

I'm being a bit pedantic but not ALL running steam locomotives are 65 or old: http://www.a1steam.com/

[RAM]

Yes I knew about that one, and there is one that goes up mt. Washington.  And there are a few other small steam locomoties that are new.

[jward]

I think the U25B really kicked EMD... What's with EMD that they won't attempt an SD100? I'm sure if they put a good enough team together, they probably could get a great locomotive out to turn the tides on the war between them and GE.


Joshua

it wasn't emd that the u25b kicked, it was alco. it wasn't until the mid 1980s that ge was ever a close second to emd. the u25b's were notorious dogs, as were most ge locomotives. that is why you find so many alco centuries running around, but almost no ge u boats.

on many railroads the u25b s lasted 15 years or less. most locomotives are leased with option to purchase, and railroads will usually let the leases expire on the locomotives they don't want.

as for the sd100, emd fell flat with the sd90mac. both emd and ge took orders for their 6000hp locomotives before they had a good design. both then rushed to fill these orders with new and unproven prime movers. both never lived up to expectations. in emd's case, for the sd90 and sd89 they abandoned their proven 2 stroke engines for 4 stroke similar to ge.

the failure of these big locomotives has made railroads rethink their motive power requirements, and 4300-4400hp has become the norm. the locomotives emd is making to-day are updated from the sd70-sd70mac, to meet current emissions requirements.

ironically, emd was the only builder to market a successful locomotive of over 4500 hp in a single prime mover. the sd80mac used a 20 cylinder engine to achieve 5000 hp and that was a conservative rating. conrail was impressed enough to have an order for 28 more on the books, with options for a total of 106, when the ns-csx takeover caused the order to be cancelled.