Posts that don’t fall under other categories
Greetings West Kentucky NRHS members!
Due to the governors mandate which is due to an increase in COVID-19 cases and Hopkins County being a “red” county, The City of Madisonville has banned pubic meetings. Therefore Innovation Station is closed. As a result the chapter meeting scheduled for Monday, November 16, 2020 is canceled and our next scheduled meeting will be in January 2021. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we must follow the mandate set by our leaders.
A great show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harback for their 1933 musical Roberta. The popular song has been performed by numerous performers, but the most famous version was recorded in 1958 by The Platters.
Smoke in the eyes of engine crews racing across America’s landscape, however, not so wonderful. The configuration of steam motive power dictated that the smoke stack be up front, ahead of the boiler. That fierce exhaust is what creates the draft, keeping the firebox ablaze. Also, the fireman watched the stack, as a useful gauge on his proficiency.
Most railroad management was oblivious to the problem, but the Union Pacific and a few others solved the problem, to a degree, with “elephant ears,” as they were nick-named. The ears extended in front of the smokebox, curved inward along the top, and with fast forward movement, created an updraft. At slow speeds, tough luck, you best hope for a good side wind. The Southern Pacific solved the smoke problem particularly in their many tunnels by buying Cab-forward steam locomotives.
I can remember vividly parked along the Chilkat River in Alaska back in 1958, drinking terrible home brew, watching the Northern Lights, and listening to the Platters then new hit; “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” radio static and all. (It does get better than that…)
Credits: Classic Trains – Winter 2010 – Photos top Stan Kistler collection, bottom Allen W. Madison and Wikipedia
August 17, 2020 – West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society Meeting.
Program: “Stories from the Caboose”
by Neville Crawford, Retired L&N Conductor
Google: Herald&Review Railroad Wrecks after 1980
Congratulations to the winners of our Chapter’s May 2020 photo contest! We had a total of 6 entries this month and congratulations to Bill, Cooper and Ricky for their winning entries! Our next contest will run from July 15-31 with a submission deadline of August 7th of not more than two entries per chapter member!
The May winners are are:
The other entries were…
Our March 2020 chapter photo contest ran from April 15-30th and we had a total of 10 entries from 5 chapter members. The winning entries are below and the other entries are below them. Congratulations to our winners and we hope that everyone will participate in our May contest that runs from May 15-31st. If we are still in the pandemic please observe social distancing! Submission deadline is June 7th and we need a caption with each entry! – Jim Pearson
Former chapter member Bill Heaton has developed his O scale layout with the help of his friend, Bob Welch, who works on the scenery. As you may remember, Bill is a fine scale, rivet counting modeler! Click on any picture for a larger view!
The first photo I shot from a tree at the north portal of Ridge Top Tunnel, Ridge Top, TN. It was more like hanging from a tree as the CSX locomotive passed underneath me. I no longer advocate taking pictures from trees.
Photo by William Farrell, 2018. (Editor’s note: I thought this was just a lot of super-elevation!)
The other three photos were shot at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum back in 2017. – Photos by William Farrell
David Alan Fraser, 73 of Clay, KY passed away Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at Baptist Health in Madisonville.
David was born in Earlington on June 20, 1946 to the late Emory and Reba Fraser.
He worked at York International where he was an industrial mechanic.
He was a member of the Redeeming Love General Baptist Church in Clay and also a member of Webster County Historical Society, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, Civic Club in Earlington and the Earlington Volunteer Fire Department.
Survivors include his wife of 24 years Gayle, 1 son Sean O’Brien (Lisa) of Madisonville, 1 brother John Fraser of Earlington 2 granddaughters Avery and Abigail O’Brien, 1 niece Melanie Fraser and great-niece Avoe Fraser.
Private funeral services will be held. Burial will be in Fraser-Blackwell Cemetery
Memorial contributions can be made to Fraser-Blackwell Cemetery, c/o Ryan Hammack, 93 Old Clifty Road, Clay, KY 42404.
Online condolences can be made at https://www.vanoverfuneralhome.com/obituary/David-Fraser
Illinois Central Lanterns For Sale – Asking $100 each. Contact David Bratcher at 270-836-4973 – ¨ Price is negotiable!
If you have items for sale or looking for a particular item or items, Email me at billtrainthomas@gmail.com with the information and I will list it here.
Above: The Chicago-Miami Auto-Train circa 2006 exits Baker Tunnel on Steve’s N Scale layout October 15, 2019. .
Above: “Tote Boats” on Steve’s N Scale layout – October 15, 2019.
Earlier this year my wife and I visited the Fordsville, Ky train depot on a rainy day. Fordsville is about 46 miles east of Madisonville in Ohio county. The depot is across the street from City Hall downtown.
The first train to Fordsville on the newly built Owensboro and Fordsville Railroad was on October 1, 1889 and regular freight and passenger service started a week later. The round trip fare was 85 cents. The Illinois Central Railroad built a branch line from Horse Branch to Fordsville in 1893. The L&N Railroad bought the lines in 1905 and the present station was built in 1916.
As many as 6 passenger trains a day went between Horse Branch and Owensboro but passenger service was cut June 15, 1941. Freight service lasted until the late 1970s.
The depot has been nicely restored and contains a modest train museum. Call 270-929-5792 for current hours of operation. There is a nice diner a block away on the main road (Hwy 54). – Rich Hane