NEW YORK CENTRAL "system MAY, 1951 Diesel Car for NIC; See Last of Steam On Boston & Albany Service improvement events on two lines of the New York Central System have emphasized recently the progress of the Central's modernization program. On the Michigan Central, NYC's fifth .'ail Diesel passenger car was put into :ervice. On the Boston & Albany, that road's last steam-powered train sol• emnly chugged across the state of Mas• sachusetts, marking completion of the line's Dieselization. The MC's new Diesel car replaced the former equipment of steam-powered trains No. 333 and 334, which ran be• tween Detroit and Bay City, Mich. With the new car, the runs have been ex• tended to terminate northbound and originate southbound at Midland, Mich., instead of Bay City. The MC's Diesel car differs from the ones previously purchased and placed in service by the Central in that it has LAST STEAM LOCOMOTIVE to ride on the Central's Boston & Albany Railroad was baggage and mail compartments in addi• No. 3004, which pulled the New England Wolverine from Boston west amid cere• tion to passenger space. monies and sentiment. Diesel at left was pulling westbound New England States. Farewell to Steam All along the line, determined crowds Let's Know the Facts gathered in the cold afternoon drizzle as the New England Wolverine, west• bound from Boston, made its stops. Locomotive No. 3004, on the head end, Why We've Had Lay-Offs was making the last run of a steamer to be seen on the B. & A. At every station there was a cere• -Another in a Series by Gustav Metzman, President- mony. Bands played, town officials mounted to the cab and talked with HIS YEAR has brought us a number ness was taken away from us and put Engineman Fay Swartz, photographers of unpleasant surprises. Last Jan• on trucks. Some of it isn't back yet; took pictures, radio and newspaper rep• Tuary the outlook appeared quite fa• some may never come back. resentatives conducted interviews. vorable for the Central and for the When switching started again, it was There were many good words spoken people whose jobs depend on the Cen• a long and expensive job to clean up the for Diesels and progress, but here and tral's health. But, before 1951 was very congestion that the stoppage had caused. there a pensive voice lamented what old, the picture began to change. In order to catch up with the backlog one newspaper called "the interment of First there was the "sick strike" that and repair the damage to our service romance." tied up key switching centers and with the least possible delay, we had As for Engineer Swartz and his Fire• slashed revenues during the closing days to sacrifice some of the economy and man, J. Coleman, they enjoyed the cere• of January and the early part of Feb• efficiency that otherwise would have t monies and said they also were going ruary. Expenses went right on, but in• been possible. As some indication of th - to enjoy running the B. & A.'s Diesels. come fell sharply. Much freight busi• {Continued on page 16) the Tilly Foster Iron Mine, though Tilly had died in 1842 and none of his descend• ants seem to have been in the company. Even with Tilly gone, Central station ONCERNING THE lists still show a good supply of thought- provoking place names. Samples: Em- baras.s, 111.; Possum Glory Junction, Pa.; Acup, W. Va. New Bridge Over Harlem orders. Among them will be 2,500 hop• present 15 directors for the customary per cars, l,0u0 box cars, 1^000 gondolas, one-year term has been proposed. MU Car Delivery Completed The Central is going to build a new, 500 flat cars, 50 tank cars, and the 200 Following the custom begun last year, four-track, multi-million dollar bridge cabooses. The others—1,000 hopper cars NYC will run a special train to Albany More than one-third of the Central's across the Harlem River in New York and 1,000 gondolas—will go to the Pitts• from New York for the accommodation commuters in the New York electrified City. It will replace an existing struc• burgh & Lake Erie Railroad. of stockholders in that city and sur• zone will ride this summer in air-con• ture which carries all NYC trains going The 50 tank cars will be used for rounding areas, where the greatest num• ditioned comfort provided by NYC's new to or coming from Grand Central Ter• transporting fuel oil used by the Cen• ber of Central stockholders have their multiple-unit cars (see picture, this minal^ also all New Haven Railroad tral's Diesel-electric locomotives. Prin• addresses. A reduced fare of $3.50 (in• page). Delivery of the last car in the trains which use GCT. cipally, they will carry oil from refiners' cluding tax) for the round trip will be 100-car order was made recently. Used The bridge will be a vertical lift type tanks to storage and use points on the in effect on the special train. in solid trains to take advantage of (see picture, opposite page), with the Central, and from NYC's own large stor• Last year a considerable number of special operating features, the new 340-foot center section moving up to age tanks to points of smaller use. stock-owning Central employes made coaches are used in 47 trains every permit passage of water craft. The ex• the trip to the meeting. weekday, 38 on Saturdays, and 34 on isting bridge swings open to allow ves• Sundays. On weekends, half or more of sels to pass. Comfort for Crews electrified zone commuters will enjoy the Rail-Truck Links Speed Service comfort of the new equipment. Work is beginning on the first phase A new dormitory and restaurant Besides air-conditioning, the cars have of the project, the sinking of five con• building for road crews is part of the Steadily the Central has been increas• fluorescent lighting, double-pane safety crete piers into the riverbed. Completion plan for NYC's big Diesel servicing ing its use of highway truck service, windows, electrically cooled drinking of the entire structure is scheduled for facility at Stanley yard, near Toledo, O. coordinated with rail movement, to water, and other features. 1954. It is expected that about 15,000 The new building will have 86 individ• speed movement of less-than-carload tons of steel and 70,000 barrels of ce• ual sleeping rooms, a restaurant seating freight. Last month two more good- ment will be used. 44 people, and an assembly room that sized areas got the benefit of this sub• Fixing Up for Freight Opening and closing cycle of the new will accommodate 120. It is intended for stituted service, saving one or more days ARCHITECT'S DRAWING shows how new Harlem River bridge will bridge will take only four minutes, as road crews of the Ohio Central Division, on l.c.l. moves. To further improve service in a bid look. Plans call for completion in 1954 (see story, opposite page). compared with nine minutes required by Big Four, and Michigan Central who Watertown, N. Y., is focal point of for more less-than-carload business, the the present bridge. The new one will be will terminate runs at Stanley under one of the new truck operations. Five Central is going to revamp the West built immediately to the west of the ex• plans for full Dieselization of operations routes fan out to serve St. Lawrence Street freight house at Syracuse, N. Y., isting one. for smoother, more efficient handling of into that point. Division points as far north as Massena, l.c.l. freight. carrying package freight in both direc• A wider trucking platform for work• tions between smaller NYC stations and ing the house tracks, a new and wider Toledo Facility to Be Enlarged Three New Diesel Shops the key station at Watertown. driveway for motor trucks bringing in Facilities for handling iron ore are More Diesel maintenance facilities are Four new truck routes based on and taking out freight, and a loud going to be expanded at the big Toledo, on the way, keeping step with the steady Kingston, N. Y., complete the chain of speaker system are among improve• O., coal and ore docks operated jointly increase in NYC's use of Diesel power. substituted service to and from smaller ments to be installed. by the Central and the Baltimore & Ohio At Collinwood, O., a traction motor and points on the Central's West Shore Road Improved service, especially as a re• Railroad. Two new Hulett unloaders— generator repair shop will be established between Jersey City, N. J., and Albany, sult of coordinated rail-truck movement, each able to scoop 20 tons of ore at a and facilities installed for giving Diesels N. Y. Earlier this year the service was has increased l.c.l. business in the Syra• time from the hold of a steamer—are general overhaul. A building formerly installed between Jersey City and points cuse area. Streamlining of the freight being ordered for installation prior to used as the mill room will be converted as far north as Congers, N. Y. house there will enable NYC to give top A FULL HUNDRED of these new, air-conditioned multiple-unit coaches opening of the 1953 Great Lakes ship• for the new shop. Besides the speed-up resulting from grade service to existing business and in are now in New York area commuter service (see story, this page).