Steam Locomotive Engineer's Experiences

I've just struck up a friendly acquaintanceship with retired LIRR engineer Mark Smith. He started on the road in 1941 and retired in 1976.

This link is to one of his anecdotes on my webpage, and was created by Steve Lynch.

Enjoy reading!

http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/movingcoal.htm

Dave Keller

Dave,

Excellent story, thank you for sharing it with us all. In my opinion, it should go right to "TRAINS" magazine for submission to their "RR Reading" section. Great stuff!

de Don, N2QHV

Great Artical

I love reading or hearing stories from the "old days". Any chance of getting more?

Thanx guys!

Glad you liked the story. I thought it was great!

Mark has been providing me with other anecdotes as well.

As I get them I've been editing them and incorporating them into an "anecdote file."

As I get more, and as Steve gets more time, we will probably post more on the website for everyone's enjoyment.

Back in the late 1960s I spoke with a number of retirees who were in LIRR service in the 'teens.

Unfortunately, I was just a young teenager and nothing was written down. When I finally borrowed a tape recorder from a friend, and sat down with some of these veterans, they pretty much all clammed up!

Very frustrating that such memories will be lost to history!

Dave Keller

Great story, if you guys like that then I highly recommend
Long Island Rail Road Memories;The Making of a Steam Locomotive Engineer By Richard J Harrison. Great book, he hired on as a coach cleaner, became a Fireman and then and Engineer. I don't knoe if it is still in print, I got mine on Ebay.

Pulling the coal off the carfloats-- when was that? And the trains to Island Park?

Why would they take the Atlantic east from Jamaica?

Dave:
Great rememberances from Mark. Although I do not recall ever meeting Mark, I am sure that he remembers - and knew - Richie Harrison, as well as Andy Post, Al Jacobs, Al Young, Fred Crabbe, "Jesse" James, Sam McReynolds, Tom McSherry - all engineers with seniority dating back to the "teens." Also Art Myrick and Ethel Mayers who were block operators at BABYLON and QUEENS, respectively. A neighbor of mine in Little Neck many years ago was a float bridge operator in LIC; Tom Donnelly.
Interestingly, Richie Harrison's great passion for photographing locomotives was key in his being accepted as a student fireman in 1940. The RFE was greatly impressed with Richie's photos (he took the photo album home on a weekend). Richie's problem was that he was only 5'6" tall and weighed 130 lbs soaking wet. Took a bunch of convincing on Richie's part to even be considered for fireman's position. According to Richie, those photos were one of his "references."
Harrison retired in 1978, moved to North Coway, New Hamshire. He died in 1996 and his widow Clair has since moved back to L.I.

Looking forward to additional reminisces from Mark that will surely rekindle many memories for me. Thanks again Dave.

timz wrote:Pulling the coal off the carfloats-- when was that? And the trains to Island Park?

Why would they take the Atlantic east from Jamaica?

Apparently it was not that long ago since if memorey serves me Mr J.J. Earl described the same move some time ago on the original forum (was that something like 3 forums ago?) If I recall he said that they had to drag it into Long Beach Yard and then shove it back west into the siding. Those of you who travel the LB Branch will notice that the plant is still there and in use , though no longer coal fired. The coal facility is still intact and can be seen from the ROW, but the tracks are gone (or hidden under the weeds)

I think the Atlantic Branch would be the best way to go.It is much easier to drag a coal train down hill via the Atlantic Branch underjump at Hall instead of dragging it up the Montauk viaduct which rises up at Hall. Using the Atlantic Branch also elminates the need to cross down thru Valley.

Thanx Pappy!

Glad you liked it.

I will pass your note along to Mark Smith and see if he remembers those veterans.

He did know Richie Harrision (as did I) as we spoke of him some time back. I got to know Richie when he lived in Wading River, just before he moved. Unfortunately he passed away shortly after the move.

I purchased an autographed copy of his book from him.

Also, someone asked when these moves took place.

Mark started engine service in December, 1941 at age 18. He says he worked about 1 year then was called up and served 3 years in the Military Railway Service in North Africa in WWII. When he returned he went back into engine service and retired in 1976. Therefore, these moves had to take place sometime between the end of WWII and the return to service of the GI's (1946) and the end of LIRR steam (1955).

Dave Keller

Charley Reed once told me he and a friend stole his dad's G5 and took it for a ride to Greenport one night. Imagine trying to do the same thing today? Where would you find a G5 to steal????

Bluebelly writes: {if memorey serves me Mr J.J. Earl described the same move some time ago on the original forum (was that something like 3 forums ago?) If I recall he said that they had to drag it into Long Beach Yard and then shove it back west }

Now what I really said was that the coal train used the trailing point cross over east of Long Beach Road to shove across into "The Light"
Loads would be placed in the empty tracks and empty cars gathered up and pulled out onto #2 main. The engines uncoupled and were reversed at LEAD to come back west on #1, over the cross over and pull back west onto #1 stopping for a member of the crew to throw these hand thrown switches back to thier rightfull position.
All main line crossovers had/have what is called a locking bar halfway between the switches with a lever that, when thrown over, moves a rod that connects to a locking device in each switch that will not allow it to be thrown unless this security device itself is thrown.
JJ Earl

I guess memory did serve me as well as I thought, but at least I rembered that you did desribe the move :D
So how long ago did the coal delivery to the plant end?

bluebelly wrote:

timz wrote:Pulling the coal off the carfloats-- when was that? And the trains to Island Park?

Why would they take the Atlantic east from Jamaica?

Apparently it was not that long ago since if memorey serves me Mr J.J. Earl described the same move some time ago on the original forum (was that something like 3 forums ago?) If I recall he said that they had to drag it into Long Beach Yard and then shove it back west into the siding. Those of you who travel the LB Branch will notice that the plant is still there and in use , though no longer coal fired. The coal facility is still intact and can be seen from the ROW, but the tracks are gone (or hidden under the weeds)

I think the Atlantic Branch would be the best way to go.It is much easier to drag a coal train down hill via the Atlantic Branch underjump at Hall instead of dragging it up the Montauk viaduct which rises up at Hall. Using the Atlantic Branch also elminates the need to cross down thru Valley.

I grew up in Oceanside and remember the coal drags to the E.F. Barrett plant in Island Park quite well. The trains did not have to go as far as Long Beach. There was a crossover just south of the grade crossing on the north side of Island Park.

I don't know whether the coal jobs took the Atlantic or the Montauk between Jamaica and Valley Stream, but if I were the dispatcher my stress levels would have hit the roof if I had to worry about sending a coal train through the middle of Jamaica station at the risk of fouling the heart of the railroad with a derailment.

In case anyone is interested there is a copy of the book I mentioned above on E-bay right now. Here is the link:

http://cgi.lycos.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI. ... 82848&rd=1