The members of the New York Central System Historical Society want to pass along the sad news of the passing of one of its charter members, William D. Edson.
William 'Bill' Edson was a native of Newton Massachusetts and a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Postgraduate work in railroad mechanical engineering at Purdue led to a twenty-two year career with the New York Central Railroad in a variety of positions, including Chief Mechanical Engineer. In 1968, Bill moved to the newly formed Federal Railway Administration, and during the next twenty years worked on demonstration projects, which developed into Amtrak, and the Northeast Corridor Project.
In addition to Railroad Names, Bill has authored and co-authored five other books and thirty major articles in Railroad History, Trains and Railway Age magazines. He was a charter member and trustee of the New York Central System Historical Society, and a director of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society for many years. Working on Railroad Names began fifty years ago as a finding aid for defunct railroads. Serious research at the Smithsonian Institute and the Interstate Commerce Commission resulted in publication in 1983. Work on listing all New York Central locomotives began over fifty years ago searching the company records as found available and other sources found in libraries and Historical Societies. He was an exemplary railroad historian and collector.
Bill's eyesight had been failing and he suffered from Parkinson's disease, but had maintained his interest and activities, the latest of which was the publishing of Steam Locomotives Of the New York Central Volume II until he took an unfortunate fall last week and died as a result of complications related to his injuries.
2002 NYCSHS Calendar
The Society's 2002 calendar is now available. Once again our calendar features two paintings by the late Howard Fogg, and which were part of the collection gathered and published by the late John W. Barriger when he was the president of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie. On the cover the famous speed king 999 and the Empire State Express are shown in the Mohawk Valley, enroute to the 112.5 mph run west of Batavia in 1893. On the back cover is Gateway Yard, Youngstown, Ohio in a wintry Christmas scene.
Inside the calendar are pictures of Boston & Albany class J-2c Hudson 613 westbound from Worcester, GP-9 units 5962 and 5974 in lightning stripe on a freight at West Detroit, class K-3p Pacific 4704 with a Poughkeepsie local on the Hudson Division at Cold Spring, class R-2 electrics 304 and 305 on a freight near Tunnel Yard at Detroit, class J-3a Dreyfus Hudson leaving Englewood with the 20th Century Limited, class L-2c Mohawk 2876 with a freight on the River Division at West Englewood, The 20th Centuru Limited with observation lounge Sandy Creek on the Hudson Division at Beacon, F-7 unit 1695 leading a three-unit consist at Dayton, SW-800 unit 9618 with interesting Farnsworth radio equipment at White Pigeon, traffic chaos at 33rd St and Eleventh Avenue New York City before grade separation, class J-1b Hudson 5215 with PT tender at Buffalo, and a missed mail bag at Rainbow Lake on the Adirondack Division.Calendar Back Issues Available
The NYCSHS has a limited supply of previously issued calendars available for purchase. Quantities are limited, so please order soon to ensure we have your calendar in supply! The price is $5.00 each postage paid. Ohio residents must include $.29 sales tax. Please send your order to:
NYCSHS Calendar
Dept W
17038 Roosevelt Ave
Lockport IL 60441-4734
2001 Calendar :: 2000 Calendar :: 1999 Calendar
1998 Calendar :: 1990 Calendar :: 1989 Calendar
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