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Vol. III, No. 1 JANUARY, 1942 A NEW YEARS MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT WILLIAMSON TO ALL IN NEW YORK CENTRAL SERVICE: As we enter the New Year my wish for all of you is that you may find in it that Fortunately, the railroads are better prepared than ever before to assume their happiness of spirit which only right thinking and right action in the face of full share of the national effort. We have men trained and skilled in their work. adversity can give. We have plant facilities unequalled anywhere else in the world. Our operating practices have been developed to a high degree and shippers are whole-heartedly The world is, temporarily, in darkness; but if we pause to think we find every cooperating to enable us to operate soundly. reason to have faith. In the right spirit we shall come out of darkness to enjoy the blessings of a more enduring peace. But the road will be long and hard and will The spark to set our transportation machine into the most effective action is the call for all we have to give. patriotic, enthusiastic spirit of that great army of men who run the railroads. I am sure that spark will not be lacking; I know New York Central men and I believe The share of the American railroads in our common task is a large one. We that they and all other railroad men will do their job and do it well, in the knowl• must move in an ever increasing stream the men of our armed forces and the edge that they are speeding the defeat of the enemy and preserving the security equipment and food supplies for them and for our allies. We must move the raw of the American way of life. materials and the finished products of the industry and agriculture upon which those armed forces and allies depend. We must move food stuffs and other essen• Sincerely yours, tials to keep our civilian population going. And we must do all this without delay. F. E. WILLIAMSON, President 83,634 View Mrs. H. H. Lehman, Wife of New York State Governor, Christens Empire B. & A. Marks State Express Super-Streamliner in Grand Central Terminal New Empire on Centenary of Curtailed Tour Pioneer Route In an unexpectedly curtailed tour One hundred years ago — December before entering service, December 7, 27, 1841 —through passenger rail one of the two new streamlined trains service between Boston and Albany for the Empire State Express "played was established over the Boston & to" an admiring audience of 83,634 peo• Worcester and the Western Railroad. ple in New York City, Albany, Schen• These two pioneer railroads were com• ectady, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, bined in 1867 to form the Boston & Westfield, Erie and Buffalo. Everywhere Albany, now an operating division of the New York Central System. it was acclaimed as the most comfort- able and beautiful day train so far The Boston & Albany was thus one built. of the first railroads constructed in the United States during the era The exhibition train of the "Em• of Empire building and development of pire" was unfortunately prevented the West. It actually preceded by ten from fulfilling its scheduled tour to years the completion of the Hudson Cleveland and Detroit because its River Railroad between New York twin running mate, returning East City and Albany. from tests on the Toledo Division, re• The original road in the Boston & ceived a large number of flat wheels Albany was the Boston & Worcester, as the result of a grade crossing acci• chartered June 23, 1831, and opened dent in heavy fog near Dunkirk. The for seven miles, to Newton, April 16, exhibition train, therefore, returned 1834. Service began with two trains early to New York City to prepare daily from Boston to Newton and for its first run. return. The station in Boston was at The exhibition tour began Monday the corner of Washington Street and morning, December 1, in Grand Cen• Indiana Place (now Corning Street), tral Terminal, when Mrs. Herbert which was also the first railroad sta• H. Lehman, wife of Governor Leh• tion in Boston. man of New York State, christened The road was opened to Ashland the "Empire." Speakers during the September 20, 1834; to Westboro ceremonies were Governor Lehman, November 15, 1834, and to Worcester M. J. Alger, Vice President, Traffic, July 4, 1835. A newspaper account of who represented President F. E. Wil• the day read: liamson, and Edward G. Budd, Presi• "The Boston & Worcester Railroad dent of the Edward G. Budd is now brought so near its completion Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, that the Cars have commenced running builder of the twin 16-car trains for regularly for the accommodation of the "Empire." the public. On Saturday the 4th, four Among the notable figures present engines with trains of cars each carry• at the ceremonies were former Gov• ing in the whole 1,500 passengers ran ernor Alfred E. Smith and Mrs. over the road four times ..." Smith; James A. Farley; Newbold The first Board of Directors con• Morris, President of the New York sisted of Nathan Hale, David Hen- City Council, and New York State shaw, George Bond, Thomas Motley, Public Service Commissioners George Daniel Denny, Joshua Clapp and R. Lunn and Maurice C. Burritt. Henry Williams. Mr. Hale, a relative of Captain Nathan Hale of the Revo• Immediately after the ceremonies lution and father of Rev. Edward the large throng which was waiting Everett Hale, was President. John M. to view the stainless steel super- Fessenden, a West Point graduate, streamliner early in the day began to was Chief Engineer. file through the train. The locomotive On November 7, 1836, the first sta• was placed on one track and the tion on Washington Street was aban• train on another, adjacent. The ex• doned, the road moving into a new hibition ended at 11 p.m., after station at the corner of Beach and 35,102 people had enthusiastically ap• Albany Streets on the site of the pres• proved the new "Empire." ent Albany Building, Kneeland Street Bad weather and short exhibition being crossed at grade. This station periods, on the second day of exhibi• was in use from 1836 until September tion in Albany, Schenectady and Utica, 5, 1881, when the Boston & Albany held the number of visitors down to moved into its new station on Knee- 8,331. On the third day, in Syracuse land Street. The Kneeland Street Sta• and Rochester, a total of 19,382 vis• At top, snapshot of the actual christening, which was done with New York State wine. Left to right, Newbold Morris, tion of the Boston & Albany was ited the train. In Westfield, more President of the City Council, New York; Edward G. Budd, President of the Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, abandoned for passenger trains July than one-half of the entire population builder of the twin trains; Mrs. Lehman and at right Mrs. F. E. Williamson, wife of the President of the New York 23, 1899, when the Boston & Albany viewed the train, and in Erie 9,219 Central System; M. J. Alger, Vice-President Traffic, New York Central System, and Governor Lehman. trains came into the South Station. more people were attracted by the Above at right, M. J. Alger, Vice-President Traffic, who represented President Williamson, who was unavoidedly absent The first station of the Boston & "Empire." in Washington, is shown as he broadcast over the coast-to-coast Columbia Broadcasting System. Worcester in Worcester was on Foster Above at left, Governor Lehman is photographed in the cab of one of the Empire's new streamlined super-Hudsons, (Concluded on page 8) of 4800 horsepower. (Concluded on page 8] 2 Central Headlight culars" that must be placed on file in their proper order. Old Homespun I believe this whole business is Central Headlight regulated by law so we cannot do much By H. P. Palmer about it but I have worked at stations Published monthly for New York Central System employes and their families where the weight of the tariffs on file in nine states and two provinces of Canada by the Department of Public Rela• exceeded the weight of the outbound tions. Contributions are invited but no responsibility is assumed for their THE country station agent has never spun school of Americana that the return. Editorial offices, Room 1528, 466 Lexington Avenue, New York City. received much publicity. People will country station agents are held to• freight shipments for an entire year. travel two thousand miles just to see gether by common bonds of doctrine, Editor a cowboy and there are over a hun• principles and methods. dred cowboy ballads that have at• Of course, the life of a country C. W. Y. Currie tained popularity. But no one has agent has undergone many changes in written a ballad about the country From Our Readers recent years. He is no longer the sole station agent. Associate Editors means of communication with the out• The citizens of rural communities Likes the Century Frank A. Judd C. A. Radford side world; the radio has changed all have always been greatly interested in of this. I remember back in Novem• The following letter was received Chicago Cincinnati the operation of the railroad that ber, 1916, being located at a small recently by F. E. Williamson, Pres• serves them. Every farmer knows the station on the New York Central when ident: schedule and the number of many the presidential election was held. No "In these days of turmoil and un• Volume 3 January, 1942 No.

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