Along· the Line

Along·the Line Published by and for the Employees of the New Haven System Vol. 1 OCTOBER, 1924 No.3 This world is full of decent chaps . You meet them everywhere, The many times you hardly guess How kind they are and ~~square.,, Yet when you too are Friendly Like And act the part and smile You,ll find you have the countersign To everything Worthwhile. l.o====o~ What a New Haven Locomotive Thinks About Locomot1ve ~whe3 Co~ Over $193. "~ h11,Z:I CoQ I C'oet AI>P'"O'.uTlCltel'j ~11,5%~~, LOST 4 cents worth of coal each minute safety val~e is open Slice Bars $1.09 Marker Lamp $10.63 Rake .86 Hammer .46 Lantern 1.45 Wrench . 1.95 Torch .83 Shovel 1.12 Pick .52 Oiler 1.24 Coal, per ton . 5.21 Flag .08 In 1923 Locomotive suppli~s cost o~er $ 193,773 Coal cost approximately 11,525,983 ALONG THE LINE II II Vol. l OCTOBER, 1924 No.3 FAMOUS NEW HAVEN TRAINS The "Ghost Train" By Warren Jacobs N Monday, August 1st, 1870, the September 30, 1882, the Boston and New Boston and New York Air Line York Air Line Railroad was consolidated Railroad was opened between New with the New York, New Haven and Hart Haven and Middletown and on August 15, ford and became the Air Line Division of 1873, was opened through to Willimantic. the New Haven system. In 1876 the following advertisement ap On November 10, 1884, there was put peared in the Boston Advertiser: "New in service the first fast through train over Route to New York via New York and the Air Line route. This train was known New England Railroad. On and after as the New England Limited and was Monday, June 12, 1876, cars will leave the succeeded by the White Train, or as it New York and New England depot, foot was better known the Ghost Train, on of Summer St., Boston, at 9.00 A. M. Monday, March 16, 1891. The following for New York by the New Air Line road account of the train and its first trip are via Middletown and Willimantic, arriving taken from the Boston Herald for Tues at the Grand Central Depot at 4.22 P. M. day, March 17, 1891: Returning, cars will leave Grand Central "'The White Train.' New and Wel Depot, New York, at 1.00 P. M., arriving come Departure of the New York and New at Boston at 9.10 P. M." England Railroad. 4 ALONG THE LINE "Rolling out of the New York and New ever, consists in the fact that they are England railroad station at 3 o'clock painted white and delicately ornamented yesterday afternoon, the famous 'New and lettered in gold. There has been England Limited' took on all the glories considerable talk about this new departure that could be attaqhed in a complete new and the wisdom of it has been questioned. train of cars resplendent in white and But Mr. Adams, the master car builder gold. of the Boston and Albany Railroad, at "For three months past items have ap the February meeting of the New England peared in the daily papers about a new Railroad Club, most thoroughly indorsed departure in car decoration that the New it, declaring that for years he had advo· York and New England Railroad was cated painting passenger cars white, say about to inaugurate and yesterday saw ing that 'their durability will be increased, the- fulfillment of the announcements. the heat will affect them less and properly "The Pullman Palace Car Company has put on and taken care of, white paint built for the service seven parlor cars, will last longer than any other.' four passenger coaches and two royal "The train that left Boston yesterday buffet smokers. These cars are divided had been HERALD-ed Sunday and crowds into two trains, owned respectively by the of people lined the route through the city New England and the New York, New and suburbs and gazed with mingled Haven and Hartford Railroads. The New curiosity and delight at its handsome England road has provided a dining car appearance. of the same gen.eral design to run between "Conductor Crowley and the brakemen this city and Willimantic. The cars are and porters appeared in new white caps all heated by steam •direct from the loco with gold bands, and Engineer E. E. motive and are lighted by the Pintsch Potter, who has run the limited ever since system of gas. The parlor cars are fur it was put on some six years ago, honored nished with velvet carpets, silk draperies the event by sporting a white coat and and white silk curtains; the chairs are cap." upholstered in old gold plush, and large The account in the Boston Globe was plate glass mirrors set off the car hand similar to the Herald as to the description somely. Three of them have each a state of the train, but contained also the fol room and 26 chairs in the main saloon, lowing item: while the other four have 30 chairs each. "A crowd of people had gathered at the "The royal buffet smokers which will depot to see the departure of the Boston be run in addition to the ordinary smok 'Ghost Train.' Precisely at 3 o'clock, Con ing cars are decorated in the same manner ductor M. W. Crowley, well known to as the parlor cars and containing 20 hand patrons of the road, lifted his hand, and somely upholstered chairs for the accom· Engineer Potter, who never ran a late modation of parlor car passengers. Two train in his life, pulled the throttle. Away card tables with stationary seats and writ· sped the white beauty that never stopped ing desks with all needed stationery for until Willimantic was reached at 5.15, a letters or telegrams are also provided. The run of 86 miles in 135 minutes.'' regular passenger coaches seat 60 persons The Ghost Train was well advertised each, and are comfortable and easy riding. and the following poem in regard to it "The peculiarity of these trains, how- was widely circulated at the time and will ALONG THE LINE 5 TRAIN SERVICE VIA ·BOSTON· ANO •NEW YORK• •1893. THE TIME TABLE WAS IN WHITE AND GOLD be remembered by many veteran railroad The time of the Ghost Train was re- men: duced to 5 hours and 40 minutes on May "Without a jar, or roll or antic, 22, 1892, and extended to 6 hours again Without a stop to Willimantic, on November 19, 1893, and the famous . The New England Limited takes its way train was discontinued on October 20, At three o'clock on every day. 1895. It was succeeded on October 21, Maids and matrons, daintily 'dimited, 1895, by the Air Line Limited Express Ride every day on the New England from Park Sq!Iare Station via Dedham. Limited; Of the Ghost Train crew, Conductor Rain or snow ne'er stops its flight, Crowley is now running trains 45 and 46. It makes New York at nine each night, Engineer Eugene E. Potier, who made the One half of the glories have not been reputation of the train as being "always told on time," is now retired from active service Of that wonderful train of white and and lives in South Boston; he is one of gold the best known engineers on the New Which leaves every day for New York Haven system. Pat Jordan, the baggage- at three master, recently retired and is living in Over the N. Y. & N. E." Hyde Park. 6 ALONG THE LINE The dining car on the "Ghost" was run in the column edited by Philip Hale there by Mr. Parker, who operated the restaurant were published a number of letters from in the old New York and New England correspondents in regard to this train and depot at 'the foot of Summer St. on the the interest displayed was astonishing, site of the South Station. His brother especially so as it is now twenty-nine years ran the depot restaurant at Putnam. since the old Ghost Train made its last In the Boston Herald, in March, 1924, trip. fit~ MAMMOTH TIMEPIECE Agent C. H. Bavier at Thomaston recent ly received for shipment the largest clock in the world. It was built by the Seth Thomas Clock Company and consigned to Colgate & Company, Jersey City, to be set up on the Jersey shore, facing Man hattan. Two freight cars were required for the shipment: a flat car for the hands, and a box car for the remaining parts, which were packed in 27 boxes and one crate weighing in all 6,970 pounds. The hands weighed 4,620 pounds, the minute hand being 37 feet 3 inches long, while the hour hand measured 27 feet 6 inches. The total weight of the shipment was 11,590 pounds. When set up as part of the Colgate advertising sign in New York Harbor the dial will be plainly visible for miles. The new clock is a third again as big as the old Colgate clock it replaces, which was shipped from Thomaston April 17, 1908, The photograph, which shows the clock and which until the completion of the set up on the front of the Seth Thomas present one was the largest in the world. plant, gives a good idea of its tremendous The tip of the minute hand of the new size. It took two weeks to test the clock travels 157 feet in an hour's time, mechanism.

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