Saluda Grade looking north toward Hendersonville, North Carolina

Regis Kuntz and his wife were visiting Saluda,
North Carolina in March 2011 when he took this photograph.

BLRHS Schedule Board May 14, 2011 – Clean-up day at the West Pittsburg station starting at 10:00 followed by a picnic supper at 4:00, our monthly business meeting at 6:00, and a viewing of Unstoppable (starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine) following the conclusion of the meeting. The society will provide the food for the picnic; just bring your favorite beverage and a lawn chair. May 21, 2011 – Railfan outing to Cresson and Altoona with an optional extension to May 22. A complete itinerary can be found on Page 6. E-mail Bruce Manwiller at bruceman2124@comcast.net  or see him at our May meeting if you plan to participate or have any questions. June 4-5, 2011 – Speeder car rides in conjunction with Darlington Days in Darlington, PA. Help will be needed both days. Details will be discussed at our May business meeting. June 11, 2011 – Business meeting at 6:00 PM at the West Pittsburg station. June 21, 2011 – Picnic on the grounds of the railroad museum in Conneaut, Ohio. Don Gee will have more information at our May meeting. July 9, 2011 – Business meeting at 6:00 PM at the West Pittsburg station followed by fireworks in New Castle. BLRHS Bulletin Board We need volunteers to handle this year's mowing and trimming chores at the station and UN Tower. If you can spare a few hours each month and want to help, send an e-mail to Barry Householder at btaw99@zoominternet.net  or see him at the station on May 14 th. The society will be raffling off an O-gauge PA Flyer freight train set. Tickets will be $1.00 each or six for $5.00 and can be purchased at each of our meetings as well as the society table in Darlington on June 4th and 5th. The winning ticket will be drawn on July 23rd at the conclusion of our flea market / car cruise event. Please notify one of the society officers or directors if you have a new postal address, e-mail address, or telephone number. The next Highball will be published on or about July 1, 2011. All information, articles, and pictures for that issue must be received by the editor no later than June 15, 2011.
Brookville Project Report by Nick D'Amore We have been busy Wednesday evenings and some Saturdays. On April 6th we got the drive aligned and bolted down, with the driveshaft installed. It runs, and with much less noise and 'thunk' when engaging forward/reverse than the Brookville I run in St. Mary's. Oh yes, we installed an operator's seat... Jon tries it out in this photo showing the driveshaft and sprockets spinning. A truck was transporting LTEX 601 to Hill Railroad Car Company in New Castle, PA on March 26, 2011 when it experienced mechanical difficulties. Barry Householder took this photo from the eastbound side of Route 422 near the Route 65 interchange. Power Plant Rail Salvage Work, Photos by Don Harper	Power Plant Rail Salvage Work Photos by Don Harper
Nickel Plate 2-8-4 Berkshire Number 763…and Where Did That Nickel Plate Name Come From? by Barry Householder The development of the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement for steam locomotives was a result of an effort by the Lima Locomotive Works to improve on the speed and horsepower of the USRA Mikado (2-8-2) locomotive, which was designed by the United States Railroad Administration during World War I. The USRA design had difficulty keeping up steam over long periods and often experienced wheel slippage. Lima Locomotive Works' engineer William E. Woodward started with a New York Central Class H-7 "Mikado" type locomotive and added a larger firebox, creating an experimental Class H-10 "Mikado". He then went one step further and designed a locomotive with a 100 square foot firebox. This larger firebox required a four-wheel trailing truck to support it. The resulting locomotive was designated Class A-1, and it was the first 2-8-4. The new 2-8-4 locomotive was sent by Lima to the Boston & Albany Railroad in the early spring of 1925 for testing. In several test runs over a division that crossed the Berkshire Hills, the demonstration locomotive, which carried road number "1" hauled up to 2500 tons. The most dramatic test occurred on April 14, 1925. A Class H-10, 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steamed eastbound from the Selkirk Yard pulling a 46 car, 1691 ton, train. About 47 minutes later the Class A-1 demonstrator led a 54 car, 2296 ton, train up the same eastbound climb through the Berkshires. The demonstrator Class A-1 arrived at North Adams Junction ten minutes ahead of the Class H-10. Soon after these impressive tests, the Boston & Albany ordered forty-five of these new locomotives which quickly became known as "Berkshires". NKP Berkshire No. 763, built by Lima Locomotive Works in 1944, was one of 80 locomotives in the 2-8-4 wheel configuration acquired by the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad (Nickel Plate Road) between 1934 and 1948. This locomotive powered mile-a-minute mainline trains between Buffalo and St. Louis, Chicago, and Toledo for fourteen years. Carlton Gee, a Nickel Plate engineer and father of BLRHS director Don Gee, made one of those mile-a-minute runs from Bellevue to Conneaut, Ohio one Christmas Day. “I think it was 1954 when he made the record run,” Don said. “133 miles in 133 minutes. I can't even imagine that!” Carlton Gee retired in 1972 after forty-four years of railroad service. No. 763 was taken out of service at Conneaut on July 21, 1958 but was not officially retired until October 16, 1964. When NKP dieselized its road power in 1958, the 763 was stored in the Bellevue yard for future donation to that town. However, after the 1964 merger of NKP into Norfolk & Western, N&W took the locomotive to its headquarters city of Roanoke where 763 was eventually owned by and displayed at the Virginia Museum of Transportation (VMT). In 1975, the 763 was moved to the Elizabeth Shops of the Central Railroad of NJ for possible overhaul for use on the American Freedom Train. When another locomotive was selected, 763 was returned to the VMT. Jerry Jacobson purchased the 763 from the VMT in 2007 and intends to restore it to operating condition. Five of 763's sister locomotives – 755, 757, 759, 765, and 779 – survive at museums and historic sites in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. If you've ever wondered about the Nickel Plate moniker, numerous stories abound regarding its origins. According to one, the New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad was given the name 'Nickel Plate' in 1882 by a Bellevue, Ohio newspaper that described the railroad as “something bright, polished, and perfect.” Another is that when the railroad's passenger cars were built in 1882 by the Michigan Car Company, “They were to be finished in unusually fine style with a large number of metal parts nickel plated.” Yet another claims that when William Vanderbilt sought to purchase the NYC&StL to eliminate it as a competitor with the New York Central, the price he was quoted was, in his opinion, so exorbitant that he exclaimed, “My God! Your railroad must be nickel-plated!” But according to the Nickel Plate Road Historical & Technical Society, the accepted version is that 'Nickel Plate' first appeared in a March 10, 1881 article in the Norwalk, Ohio, Chronicle. The Chronicle reported the arrival of a party of engineers to make a survey for the “great New York and St. Louis double track, nickel plated railroad.” Later, while attempting to persuade the railroad to build its line through Norwalk instead of Bellevue, Ohio, the Chronicle again referred to the road as “nickel plated” - a term regarded as indicative of the project's glittering prospects and substantial financial backing. In 1882, the Nickel Plate recognized F. R. Loomis, owner and editor of the Norwalk Chronicle, as originator of the term and issued him Complimentary Pass No. 1. But alas, the Chronicle's efforts were unsuccessful and the Nickel Plate line was built through Bellevue. Acknowledgments: Thanks to Don Gee for information on NKP 763 and his father's record run, and to Wes Barris for granting permission to use his copyrighted material regarding Lima's development of the Berkshire locomotive. Wes is interested in the history of surviving steam locomotives. I encourage steam fans to visit his website www.steamlocomotive.com  for information about surviving steam locomotives in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and Australia. - Barry Householder

Saluda Grade by Regis Kuntz In recent years my wife Patty and I have been taking a winter vacation in Florida. On the return trip to Western Pennsylvania we alter our direction by driving north on I-26 through Columbia, South Carolina to spend some time at the home of one of our sons who lives and works in Asheville, North Carolina. We usually drive the 770 mile trip in one day. (Am I nuts?) I have always heard stories about Saluda Grade, but have never passed through this area in daylight. I-26 crosses the Blue Ridge Mountains a few miles east of Saluda, North Carolina and at night it is hard to appreciate just how steep a 6% grade is until you begin the climb. For this reason we decided to change our itinerary by staying overnight in northern Florida, making the drive a two day trip. This would enable us to see the town of Saluda and spend some time there in the daytime. The Saluda Exit on I-26 is at milepost 59, just a few miles north of the South Carolina state line and less than two miles east of town. Just off the exit is a visitor information and welcome center. The gentleman there was very informative and helpful. Saluda, North Carolina is perched at the top of the “Steepest, standard gauge, mainline railway grade in the United States” according to a large cast iron marker at the railroad crossing in the center of town. The town is about the length of two city blocks with the railroad on the west side and a number of older style buildings lining Main Street ( US Highway 176 ) on the east. Saluda is a mostly seasonal tourist and cultural attraction. Although we were there in the middle of March, the weather was warm and pleasant but not all the shops were open for business. Most would be open by April 1st. Saluda has a police station, post office, library, and a number of shops selling a variety of arts, crafts, antiques, food, and of course, home made ice cream.	Some famous artists and writers have called this area home, including Perry Como, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and William “Sherlock Holmes” Gillette. [Editor's note: William Gillette was the frst actor to portray Sherlock Holmes on the American stage.] For me, the railroad grade is an attraction in itself ! The grade raises (or drops) 885 feet in only three miles! That is a 4.7 foot change in elevation for every 100 feet of track. According to a brochure I picked up at one of the shops, there were 29 deaths caused by runaway trains between 1880 and 1903. I had been told that in later years trains had become so heavy that locomotive engineers had to “double” the hill in order to get the train over the mountain. This was accomplished by pulling a small number of cars up the hill, parking them on a siding. and repeating this operation until all the cars were on the down hill side of the grade. The completed train could now be on its way down the mountain. When standing on the tracks at the crest of the grade one could only imagine how time consuming and expensive, let alone dangerous, these operations could be. Norfolk Southern Corporation owns the railroad but uses another route for their trains through the Blue Ridge Mountains in this area. I discussed this with a local resident and was told that the tracks could still be used but had not seen a train in a number of years.	A group of railroad enthusiasts were said to be attempting to operate a tourist/dinner train south from Hendersonville over Saluda Grade to Tryon, North Carolina, but not much had been accomplished to date. That’s just too bad as that would be, I believe, a very scenic and picturesque ride, especially in the fall. We all know too well that train rides of this size are an enormous and expensive undertaking. I hope that someday they will be able to realize their goal and, if they do, I will definitely be on the train! Editor's note:  According to the April 13, 2011 edition of the Tryon Daily Bulletin, the Saluda Board of Commissioners supports a Rails to Trails project that would “transform a stretch of local railway on which trains have not traveled for years into a trail for walking, biking and horseback riding.” The mayor, however, believes the proposed project is a dead issue after the county manager reported speaking with a Norfolk Southern representative who said the company had no intention of relinquishing the section of railroad in question.  Read the entire newspaper article by copying and pasting the following link into your web browser.  www.tryondailybulletin.com/2011/04/13/saludamaintains-support-for-rails-to-trails-project/
Cresson / Altoona Trip Itinerary Saturday, May 21, 2011 with optional extension to Sunday, May 22, 2011 from Bruce Manwiller 7:00 a.m. - Carpool gathering at / departure from the Giant Eagle parking lot on the North side (left side) of US 22 East. Location is about one mile east of the PA Turnpike Interchange, where US 22 East curves downhill to the right to a traffc light that includes a dedicated left turn signal. To access the parking area from US 22 East, turn left from US 22 and left again at the parking area entrance. 8:30 a.m. - McDonald's restaurant, north side of US 22, Ebensburg. Coffee, restroom access, etc. 9:00 a.m. - MP 253, Cresson. Public observation area / picnic shelters on Front Street, across the main line from the Cresson Engine Terminal. Public parking, eastbound signals for Gallitzin Tunnel (No.2 Track) and Portage tunnel (No.1 Track). In 2010, Cresson Engine Terminal was home to SD80 MAC power and servicing location for pairs of SD40 helper sets. E/B mineral trains often require helper sets front and rear. 11:30 a.m. - West portal, Gallitzin Tunnel. Public parking. Cabin car display. Jackson Street overpass. Summit for PRR W/B climb from Altoona. AR Tower and Portage Tunnel track are about three blocks south of Gallitzin Tunnel. View tracks approaching all tunnels from eastward overlook at Tunnelhill. 1:30 p.m. - Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum (ARRMM). Ample parking trackside with park benches, shelters and views of the ARRMM roundhouse, turntable, and displayed equipment. Noteworthy display item is the drop-center fatcar built on two 4-axle trucks from a PRR Class T-1 locomotive tender. Roundhouse is intended to be home for PRR K4s 4-6-2 No. 1361. Altoona passenger station and helper set layover and interchange, connecting footbridge. 3:30 p.m. - Juniata Shops Erecting Hall, East Altoona. Parking on public street outside the iron fence at the erecting hall turntable. View rebuilt units, repainted units, wrecked units awaiting repairs, shop switching. Optional - Cassandra overpass, Carney's Crossing, Horseshoe Curve funicular to visitors' area, track speed operation through PRR position-light signal bridge near Bellwood, truck stop restaurant at PA 164/US 22 interchange, pizza/calzones at Cresson, trackside late-night at Cresson with overnight at Altoona for return to Monroeville on May 22. Reply with preferences for participation arrangements.

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Formation of the New York & Chicago Railroad ( www.nychicagorr.org  )
Two enterprising Chicago high speed rail advocates are announcing formation of a project to build a 220 mph line connecting Chicago to New York, and other cities located on the Northeast Corridor. Mike Lee and Charles Paidock are recruiting individuals from across the transportation community to develop plans, specifications, and secure private/public funding for this project. While they are supportive of associations that foster passenger train travel, or short local high speed lines within a state, the two prefer to focus instead on getting down to building a real railroad in the way that hasn't been seen in a over a hundred years.
Charles Paidock said: “Putting little high speed lines here and there is ok, but all you’re actually doing is just putting in another commuter line, and improving public transit. And I’ve seen all sorts of plans for regional networks, but nobody except us apparently has a map of the United States. It only makes sense to have a route connecting these two major metropolitan areas.” The construction of a railroad from New York to Pittsburgh and then on to Chicago was actually proposed in 1907. Approval was granted for construction, but there was an economic panic later that year and the start of World War I made financing the project doubtful, so it never was built. The two largest railroads in the United States at the time, the Pennsylvania and the New York Central, later ran competing passenger trains along different routes between New York and Chicago, attracting sizable numbers of passengers until the advent of superhighways and airlines. Mike Lee added that: “We can offer travel times equivalent to airlines. I also would like to emphasize that the railroad is to be electrified it’s entire length, and using off-the-shelf technology presently found elsewhere in the world. This isn’t an experiment. And keep in mind that America presently has a 97% oil-reliant transportation system. True electric HSR, when applied properly, is a superior substitute for gas guzzling, polluting airplanes.”

Galveston Railroad Museum Reopens to the Public ( www.galvestonrrmuseum.com )
The Galveston Railroad Museum in Galveston, Texas is now open seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for self-guided tours for those who wish to track the museum's progress in recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike in 2008.

B&O Historical Society Convention ( www.borhs.org )
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Historical Society's 2011 convention will be held in October in Youngstown, Ohio. More information will be available on their web site.

Major Railroad Will Buy $15M Worth of Plastic Railroad Ties ( www.greenbiz.com )
One of the large railroads operating in the United States will buy $15 million worth of recycled plastic railroad ties from Axion International. The railroad involved in the deal isn't disclosing its name, but is one of the Class I railroads with tracks in the U.S. Per the three-year deal, the railroad will buy $5 million worth of ties a year. Although the railroad would not disclose what amount of its overall tie purchases that represents, Axion president and CEO Steve Silverman said it makes up a “very small percentage.” Axion's ties are made of recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE), taken from things like detergent bottles or car parts, and the company boasts they won't leach, warp or get infected by insects. They're also lighter than wood ties. The company has so far put more than 200,000 ties into service, some of which have been monitored for over 12 years by the Association of American Railroads.

Rail Link Contract Coal Loading Wins Safety Award ( www.gwrr.com )
On 14 April 2011, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (GWI) subsidiary Rail Link, Inc. received the Wyoming Governor's Award for Safety and Health in the Large Mine-Site Contractor category. The award is the highest honor given by the State of Wyoming for recognition of an employer's commitment to excellence in workplace safety and health. Rail Link loads over 400 million tons of Powder River Basin coal annually into trains for railroad companies at more than a dozen mines in Wyoming and Montana. This represents approximately 90 percent of Powder River Basin coal production and more than a third of all coal burned in North America. The company has 160 employees in the Powder River Basin.

Conductor, Engineer Die in Iowa Collision (various online sources)
A BNSF conductor and an engineer were killed in a rear-end collision near McPherson, Iowa on Sunday morning, April 17. McPherson is 35 miles southeast of Council Bluffs and is part of BNSF's Creston subdivision which, according to the Federal Railroad Administration, has centralized traffic control. A BNSF spokesperson was quoted in news reports that an eastbound freight train pulling 130 loaded coal hoppers collided with the rear of a second BNSF train pulling 34 cars of railroad maintenance equipment. The accident occurred around 7 a.m. CDT. It was reported that both locomotives and 10 of the cars of the maintenance train and two locomotives of the three-locomotive coal train derailed. There were no reported injuries of the two-person crew of the maintenance train. The tracks on which the accident occurred are used by Amtrak's California Zephyr as well as 40 freight trains daily, according to the BNSF spokesperson. The FRA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.

photo – Nick D'Amore shot an eastbound lash-up of NS and CSX locomotives on March 19, 2011
from the east side of the West Pittsburg station.