M1 derailment, long ago and far away....

Probably 1972 or summer of 73. Just before my Dad retired

Photographers were being harassed on the Island due to a tremendous number of M1 failures and growing pains. We actually had to get photo passes made to indentify us as hobbiests. Anyway, These three pictures were allowed because I accompanied my father to the accident. He is far right in the photo of the two track engineers surveying the problem. I don't know the fellow on the right. The man squatting in front of the M1 is George Winter, Supervisor of Track. Mr. Winter told me I could take the pictures but never publish or share them. I think he is long gone, as is my father, and probably the M1 in question, so I think I'll be forgiven. Anyway, this was like a month after the new pair of M1's burned flat, so management was sensitive. I got permission after that to go to a couple of other wrecks, including the Reynolds Channel trestle fire and derailment of FA2 #603 at Smithtown. At that one, I was not allowed to take pictures, but I was allowed to buy the track workers coffee!

I would love to have the number board off this particular M1 if it is floating around out there.

BTW, note the eclectic arrangement of other MU cars back in those days. In the Jamaica shot, you'll notice a train of MP54's with a repainted MP72, and way back, a double decker is in tow. That was what it was like in 1970.






and finally, the way it was back in Jamaica, same time.



Dick

Richard,

9059/060 were decommissioned 7/03/2003.
Maybe a piece of the stainless steel from 9059 will come back to NY as a fork or something.

Tom

P.S. I like the way the radius rod bent like a pretzel. Good pix.

Bill Newkirk,

It does look like Babylon Yard's Track 15, doesn't it?

Tom

Couple of interesting things to note...

The roll signs on the sides and above the motorman's windshield had already been removed -- this was done about 1971-73.

Notice the pull-out "diaphram" next to the door. They hooked between the F-Ends to make walking between cars more plesant.

And how about the metallic light blue strip that wrapped over the roof of the cars around the side conductors' sash windows?

Notice that the Far Rockaway fire recommendations still had not been implemented as there are no rubber boots on the radius rod bracket or shoe beam...

Clem

RG - Excellent photos! Any chance of seeing the derailed FA in Smithtown?

Looks like Babylon yard to me, too.

Nice shots, Dick! Love the mix of the old and "new" equipment.

Dave

No pictures of the derailed FA. I was forbidden to take pictures at that one as my father was not with me. I guess the track crew didn't want to take a college kid's word for it. The locomotive was 603, and the front truck was off, resting the pilot on the rail. This was probably 1 month after the 603 arrived. All we young guys, and there were a bunch of us, were FA happy. We chased those things like crazy. Besides myself, there was James Mardiguan, Pete Stonitsch, George Forero, Doug _____, and the late Vincent Alvino. Pete, Doug, James, and I would pool what little cash we could dig up and take off on holidays or weekends to chase trains in upstate or Jersey, assuing we weren't hounding after LI traffic. IF any of these guys are still around or associated with the hobby, I'd love to exchange email with them.

So, what caused the derailment, anyway?

Another thing - I noticed the rear truck is still more or less on the rails. Didn't know they could twist *that* much.

What was the damage to the car, anyway?

Richard,

My father grew up on Columbia Street in Farmingdale, which is near the fourth crossing west of Farmingdale station. He recalls in the 1970's that a FA power pack (I think 603 or 608) derailed and ended up on its side. I made a post on here a few years ago and found out that the engine's coupler jumped up on top of the coach's coupler and caused the derailment. Do you happen to have any pictures or knowledge of that incident? I'd love to know more about it.

Thanks,
Joe

Greetings All,
The power pack in the Farmingdale derailment was 609. Sorry no pics.

KRO52

Not saying it is, but like some other posters I thought it was Track 15 in Babylon Yard too. I Yardmastered there for a while, but not quite sure. When they were doing work on the new sub station in "BYD" the track gang found a buried repair pit on the east end of the lower yard. It was like we had found the lost city of Atlantis.

I also noticed the guy in shorts. Whew, the safety department nowadays would have sent him right home for that one.

It was Track 15 in Babylon! Or 13...not sure. The gentleman in shorts was Superintendent of Track. The safety guy might have been right to try sending him home, but it would have been a stupid thing to do! It was either a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Let me tell you, these guys were dedicated company men; my old man was the probably the most dedicated of them all. When there was trouble, he went. You know, this is piddly stuff that people get sick of, but take 43 years of it and it became a crushing burden. When he told my mother he wanted to retire he simply said, "If I don't, I'll die with my boots on." For you and me, the Long Island is a hobby and for the most part, part of our avocational lives. Dad saw it as a job and a load to be carried. I don't want to extoll his virtues too much, as he was a difficult man to live with, but someday I'll start thread here about the way the job squeezed every drop of enthusiasm he had out of him. Perfection was his standard, not something he occassionally expected.

Rich ....chill !

I agree with you that you can do your job just as well in shorts as in long pants, but I'm just telling you that the way things are nowadays ... Safety would have sent him home, weekend or not.

As far as the whole thing wearing him down, I know where he came from. Most of us who have put in our time with the LIRR know EXACTLY how he felt, for any one of a 1000 reasons.

It is a totally different RR and outside of a few old timers it's a new regime. At last count I think the figure was that 60% of the work force has less than five years on the LIRR. That's a serious brain drain for supervision and the rank and file as well. Most of all that means the guys and gals who have the RR "moxie" are leaving and the LIRR suffers for it.

It does look like Babylon Yard's Track 15, doesn't it?

Tom

A retired LIRR friend of mine states that it is Babylon Yard. He also places the year at 1970 or 71.