[PRCo] Re: the early years of PERC

[Fred Schneider]

Interesting commentary ...

I asked Derrick last weekend if you were still alive, Fred.

Thanks for helping to clarify who paid for what.

Rick Hannigan showed up last weekend.   First time I've seen him in  
fifteen years.

Oh, yes, the John Wilkins Memorial Phone Booth.   I wonder if John  
has retired from New Jersey Transit yet ... that young man has to be  
pushing 70 too.   Remember the picture I took from the inside of the  
Hudson River Tunnels of a PRR GG-1 on a passenger train about to  
plunge into the darkness?   Bill Middleton published it in his steam  
railroad electrification book.   Wilkins was my lookout part way out  
into the curve and Artie Schwartz, another long-time PTM / PERC  
member was far enough out that he could see for miles across the  
Jersey Meadows.  That was a great example of things going wrong.   I  
had explored the tunnel mouth first and discovered there was what I  
presumed to be a crew refuge in the wall just inside the entrance.    
I stood next to it with the idea of stepping into it right after  
taking the picture.   Ah, but it turned out to be a ventilating shaft  
and I found myself in the eye of tornado!   As I braced myself into  
that dirty opening, I never knew that wind could move so fast!   As I  
look back, I don't think the ten skins that Bill Middleton gave me  
for the use of the picture was worth the risk to my own skin.

I think that 832 was painted about 1948.   I believe 731 had a fresh  
coat of paint the night Fairchance was abandoned in 1950 (one of  
those miracles that happens when the planets are properly aligned).

Have no clue if 1138 was a Homewood car or not.   Several years after  
the fire, 87 and 88 went to Craft and that is where that car was when  
Boker bought it.   It came due for a mileage based shop inspection in  
1958 and at that time any "Ten" or "Eleven" that came up for major  
inspection was sidelined.   Hamley was the one who kept track of  
where every car was.   All I know about Homewood was is that it was a  
mixed barn, i.e. because the main repair shop and parts room was  
adjacent, it was an ideal place to put any residual car from any  
series whether it was G. E. or Westinghouse.  So 1138 could very well  
have worked 87 Ardmore.

I first met some of those older fellows when they had a public show  
in a hotel on Penn Avenue up near 10th in 1952 or 1953.  Brownie was  
running his 1:24 scale model of a 3800 in a circle on a card table.    
That sucker was heavy enough that you didn't worry about a little  
dirt on the rail or wire.   In fact he oiled the rail to keep down  
the flange wear.   Some of the others had HO scale trolleys ... not  
the fine scale brass we have today but strathmore board and pine  
models.  I remember meeting Bob and Harry there.   Not sure who  
else.   Remember, I was 12 or 13 and they were ancient men.  The  
perspective of a kid. You understand that.  I later got to know Bob  
much better when he lived in Daylesford; after all, that was only an  
hour or a little more from where I was living.  When I worked for the  
Strasburg in the early 1960s it was Bob who installed the radio  
telephones in our engines.   Well, one snowy evening I went looking  
for him and found him tramping home from the train station at  
Daylesford.   We had dinner and chatted.   He said he was getting  
married again.   I asked if she knew it.  He said he hadn't told her  
yet.   Well, a month or so later he had wife number three and he had  
moved Bethel Park.   I never saw Brownie again.  It wasn't long after  
that he passed away and was planted where he wanted to be, in the  
cemetery on the Washington right of way by Donaldson's Crossroads.  I  
hope, if he is looking down on us, he is please with what we're doing  
with his museum.

On May 7, 2008, at 7:54 PM, Fredbruhn at aol.com wrote:

> I guess it is time I throw my two cents worth in.  I joined up   
> indirectly
> about 1958, and I may have even paid dues that early.  I only   
> remember Redman,
> Bowker, Scanlon, Bartley, and Rinney Galbreath as regular faces   
> at  the
> meetings at the Y on Wood Street.   Harry Bartley would  sit at a  
> small desk just
> inside the room assigned to the meeting and have his  photos for  
> sale.  1138
> was Dick Bowker's decision, his car, but I can't  tell you why he  
> picked that
> car.  Did 1138 run on Ardmore as that is where  Dick lived, perhaps  
> still does.
> Other youngsters who would show up  included John Baginsky and Rick  
> Hannigan.
>  John was active at Arden but  didn't survive a back operation  
> about 1960.  I
> think Galbreath bought  M1, which John Wilkins sometime later rear  
> ended with
> the West Penn loco or  another car.  Rinney was a story in  
> himself.  Lived in
> Taylorstown, Pa  and played the ladies within his own age group.  I  
> heard he
> finally found  one with money and I never saw him  again.  As Ed  
> said Brown
> owned  3756 and lived in Phila. by 1958 or so.  I wasn't aware that  
> Scanlon was
> part of that ownership.  In 59 or 60 Rick, John and I went with  
> Scanlon to
> visit 722 and do some roof
> patching wherever it was near Fairchance with 2 other cars.  They were
> sitting side by side at a small amusement part and we drove the  
> alternate main
> line and could see the slag ballast like the rails were still   
> there.   My brain
> also reminds me that 832 was the last car  painted by West Penn,  
> but don't
> take that to the bank unless Ed verifies  it.
>
> Fred Bruhn
>
>
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