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An
Organization Dedicated to the Preservation of Railroad History |
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| 77 Washington Street, South Norwalk, CT | Monthly
Meeting on the Fourth Monday |
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Saturday May 7 ,2005 Long Island - Sunrise Trail Chapter NRHS
Ernest W. Miret Longtime chapter member Ernest W. Miret passed away at his home in Port Richey, Florida on May 5, 2005. Ernie joined the West Conn Chapter in 1966 and was part of a colorful group of railroad employees that were members in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Ernie had a long railroad career as a Tower Operator beginning with the New Haven Railroad in 1946 and continuing through Penn Central and Conrail. For many years, chapter members could visit Ernie at Norwalk Drawbridge (SS #45) and Westport Drawbridge (SS #52). An injury at work forced his retirement from Conrail. Chapter meetings were enhanced by Ernie as he was Refreshment Chairman for approximately 20 years. To thank Ernie for his dedicated service, he was made an Honorary Life Member of the chapter. Ernie is survived by his sister, a niece and a nephew. We extend our condolences to his family.
On Saturday April 23, 2005 the Delaware Valley Chapter - NRHS Visited the SoNo Switch Tower Museum.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway By Robert Briechle On my recent trip to Australia, I toured Tasmania with my Scottish traveling companion Matthew White who visited the South Norwalk tower in August two years ago with me–we each purchased a lever. After landing in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania (an hour’s flight south from Melbourne) we drove to the north west towards Queenstown, an old mining town. Our focus: a ride on the West Coast Wilderness Railway a partially rack, partially adhesion railway that uses the Abt system for the rack. While the line runs from Queenstown to Strahan on the west coast of Tasmania, we rode only to the halfway point (end of steam operation). While the first cog railway in the world was the one up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, it was the Riggenbach system that came into use elsewhere in the world afterwards. Swiss engineer Dr. Roman Abt was an employee with the firm that had designed and patented this form of rack railways. Finding that the design of the rack could be improved, offering better operating characteristics and less wear, he left the firm to implement his idea for an improved rack design and started his own company. Ultimately, his design, the Abt-system found wide favor. As you look at the locomotives, you can see four cylinders, two driving the ‘regular’ drive wheels and two, on the inside of the frame, driving the cog that interacts with the rack. There are, as well, two regulators (throttles), one to control each mode of drive and the driver (engineer) can be seen fiddling with the regulators to adjust them both independently for the desired speed and power. Part of the railway is simple adhesion–just steel wheels on steel rails–and part of it has the rack in the center between the rails. Interestingly, the transition to adhesion only to rack and adhesion both is made while the train is in motion and was not evident to me as a passenger in the first coach. The railway was originally known as the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Co. and had five of the doughty 0-4-2T’s built by Dubs and Co. of Glasgow, the first (No. 1) in 1896, another in 1898, and the fifth and last by a successor company, North British Locomotive Co. also of Glasgow in 1938. The line operated for 67 years before being shut down when the economics of mining in that part of the world changed. The line lay idle for a number of years but, ultimately, a major infusion of state monies funded the rebuilding of two locomotives, the track, the bridges, etc. as a tourist railway somewhat like we have here in the States in Cass, WV and on the Mt. Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire. The restored 0-4-2T’s use diesel fuel instead of the traditional ‘Bunker C’ fuel oil in the past, a conversion made in the 1950’s. We ran at about 40km/hr (25mi/hr) from the start of the journey from Queenstown . Going up the mountain on the rack, one hears the ‘ferocious bark’ of four cylinders with varying grades, e.g. 12km/hr for 4.3km up a 1 in 20 (5%) grade, down the other side for 2.2km of 1 in 16 (6.3%). Coming down, the use of water brakes makes for a totally different sound and a rain of water expelled from twin exhaust ejectors on either side of the smokestack. I suspect it was mostly air in the cylinders with water added for lubrication and cooling. The same concept is used on the Mt. Washington Cog Railway where, incidentally, the grades are far steeper. But, then, their trains didn’t pull cars laden with ore as on this railway. Interestingly, a little British 0-6-0 diesel loco built by Drewry with a mechanical drive (i.e. side rods propelling wheels with counterweights) also operates on the railway. The locomotive was fitted out in the Queenstown shops to run on the rack railway with its own driven cog like the steamers. Also done at the railway shops is installation of a steam-era version of dynamic brakes by using pistons to compress air to retard the train’s descent while injecting small amounts of water into the cylinders for lubrication and to dissipate heat. I don’t know if this is the diesel cylinders or another set of special cylinders that ordinarily and independently drive the cog wheel. I expect the latter situation is what was done. All in all an interesting step back into history, rather a cross between the Mt. Washington Railway and the Shays running at Cass. Further information on the railway (and other options in the area) may be found at: www.federalresorts.com.au
Gift Shop Special Click Here for more information.
Add Austin passed along this old newspaper article. BEDFORD WEEKLY MAIL Princeton , Ind. , October 14. - Southbound freight train No. 57, on the Evansville and Terre Haute Railway, was wrecked 17 miles north of this city this afternoon. The engine stuck a calf and left the track. Seventeen cars were piled upon the derailed engine. Four of them loaded with oil took fire and all the cars were burned, entailing a heavy loss. Engineer PEARCE and Fireman SHORTS jumped and were only slightly hurt. One car contained two race horses, H. M. C. and Emma, belonging to Mr. KINNEY, of Evansville. H. M. C. was killed outright and was burned up. Emma had a leg broken and had to be shot. Four men on the train were injured as follows: Wm. DOCK, Evansville, collar bone broken and internal injuries; Thomas ENRIGHT, Richmond, Ky., arm broken; James ASLEP, New Harmony, Ind., hurt in the breast. The head brakeman is missing and is thought to have been burned up. The rear brakeman ran two miles to flag the Chicago limited and dropped in his tracks as the train stopped. He undoubtedly saved many people from death.
Photos by Add Austin
Annual Chapter Dinner April 25, 2005 The Man of Many Hats Several years ago at a chapter meeting an individual, a tall male, came to a chapter meeting. He sat in the back of the room, quiet as a church mouse. I notice he was a man of many hats. It seems he wore a carpenter’s hat, a plumber’s hat, a painter’s hat, a glazer’s hat, a mason’s hat, a contractor’s hat and all sorts of hats in the construction and builders trades. The SONO Switch Tower project at the time had gotten bogged down and this man of many hats came in and broke it loose. As we got to know this individual better I notice he wore other hats. In the culinary department he wore a chef’s hat. He is famous for his steak and “coolar” salad. He has come up with great repasts many times at the drop of a hat. No pun intended. I am sure this individual wore many other hats. He was in the military in the past so he wore those hats then. But there is one more hat that he wore that I know of. This hat is of a seasonal nature worn only in December. See the adjacent photo and it is none other than our tower chairman, Jim Mescher. Bob Gambling
Westconn Schedule of Events Monday May 23 - Chapter Meeting - SoNo Switch Tower Museum - 8PM Sunday - June 5 - 11 th Annual Norwalk Harbor Splash Festival. Monday - June 27 - Chapter Meeting - SoNo Switch Tower Museum - 8PM Saturday & Sunday, Aug. 6 & 7 - The 29 th Annual SoNo Arts Celebration. Monday - Aug. 22 - Chapter Meeting - SoNo Switch Tower Museum - 8PM Monday - Sept. 26 - Chapter Meeting - SoNo Switch Tower Museum - 8PM Friday Sept. 30 - Sunday Oct. 2 - Western Connecticut Chapter Fall outing to North Conway, NH. Ride the dome railroad car to Crawford Notch on Saturday and ride the Cog on Sunday. Only $315 per person (based on double occupancy). Payment must be received by Aug. 1, 2005. Contact Jim Mescher at (201) 391-7362
Our Next Chapter meeting will be The SONO Switch Tower Museum
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