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
2002 Calendar :: 2001 Calendar :: 2000 Calendar :: 1999 Calendar
1998 Calendar :: 1990 Calendar :: 1989 Calendar
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.
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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