Farewell to the E's Railfan Weekend

Southern Rail Charters Announces A Premier Railfan Excursion Event for 2003 "Farewell To The E's" Railfan Weekend November 14-15, 2003

If you missed our May excursion behind the New York Central E-8's, or would lilke one last chance to ride behind and photograph these classic passenger diesels in action, make plans to join us this November as the 'E's' conclude their final season in excursion service over the scenic route of the former Tennessee Central Railway.

Our "Farewell to the E's" Railfan Weekend will kick off with a Friday night photo session at the Tennessee Central Railway Museum with Steve Barry of Railfan & Railroad as our invited guest and lead photographer. The photo session will be followed by a slide show featuring the very best of E-units in passenger service across the country from the 1950s and '60s.

The weekends main event will be Saturdays excursion with not one, not two, but three ex-New York Central E-8's (two in original 'Lightning Stripe' livery) scheduled to pull our train. If all three units are available, plans call for running non-stop to Baxter to cover the most scenic portion of the route through Caney Fork River Valley and up Silver Point Hill, otherwise we will turn the train at Carthage Junction, with some 'rare milage' up the rarely used Carthage Branch. Either way we'll spend a full afternoon on the way back to Nashville making photo runbys with our streamlined consist 'properly pointed' for cameras (Railway Post Office car in the lead, observation car carrying the markers).

Excursion accommodations include Deluxe Coach, First Class Lounge or Vista-Dome seating and all passengers will be eligible to win a cab ride. This charter will be your best opportunity to photograph and ride behind (or maybe ride inside!) the 'E's' before their retirement from Tennessee Central excursion service. For details and reservations, visit the Southern Rail Charters website or call us at 205-335-3457.

H. Lansing Vail, Jr.

The Trustees of the Society have been advised of the death on June 1st of H. Lansing Vail, Jr. at the age of 79. Lans was a founding member and long-time Trustee and Officer of the Society. A decorated veteran of World War II, Lans joined the New York Central and worked in the M/W Engineering Dept. on the Erie Division and Cleveland Division of the Western District. His long-standing interest in New York Central motive power resulted in his writing or co-authoring (with Society founding member William D. "Bill" Edson) three books on New York Central locomotives. Although he had relinquished his office position with the Society, Lans continued to assist the current Trustees and had additional NYC-related projects under way. His loss will be deeply felt by those who knew and worked with him.

2003 NYCSHS Calendar

The Society's 2003 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 front cover is Alco PA-1 (DPA-2a) #4201 on NYC Train #16, the "Ohio State Limited" near Bear Mountain, NY. On the back cover is A-2a #9404 at Beaver, PA Station coming off the Ohio River Bridge in 1949, in a wintry Christmas scene. We believe Mr Barriger used this on a Christmas Card.

Inside the calendar are pictures of Boston & Albany class A-1c Berkshire 1446 with train XB-2 at Riverside, MA, the enginehouse at Lyons, NY looking east from SS-14 May 18, 1914, class G-6t 1065 at Three Rivers, MI, April 1948, looking west from east of the station at Shawville, OH on the Toledo Division May 24, 1906, looking east at the bridge at 152nd Street Bridge, Collinwood, OH, June 12, 1906, class J-1b 5206 eastbound at Peekskill, NY, July 2 1947, class L-4a 3123 eastbound on track 2 at Union Street in Rochester, NY, April 16 1950, class DPA-5b 4053 with class DPB-1c 4112 and DPA-5c 4058 lead train 26 the Twentieth Century Limited at Roa Hook, Peekskill, NY, September 8 1962, class J-1b 5347 and Michigan Central Terminal Detroit, MI, May 16, 1946, class C-81n 8866 at Vandalia, MI, date unknown, the erecting floor at Collinwood Shops looking east, busy from the World War II years, war freight at Utica, NY, looking east at Tower 31, April 1944.

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

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William D. Edson

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.