The Atlantic & Southern Saturday Report

[ReadingBob]

Larry - Thank you for pointing out that lignite does not come from Pennsylvania.  The A&S gets its coal exclusively from the Keystone State and we are appreciative of it. We order bituminous coal and that is what is in our coal hoppers, no matter what Butts says.

Objection, lack of foundation.

[Judge]

Larry - Where do you get those checks?  I'll change banks if necessary to get them. 

[Judge]

Saturday Report - July 11, 2020.

The Board of Directors of the Atlantic and Southern Railroad met promptly at 8:30 a.m.  The main item on the agenda were decals.  Our decal source sent us samples and we are very pleased.  We will soon have decals for steam engines, freight cars, and passenger cars.  The A&S logo will be in a diamond shape like the AB&C's logo (The AB&C was a railroad that ran up into Alabama from Florida - the ACL acquired it in the early 1900's.)

The Southern MS4 Mikado is ready for the final touches.  Hopefully, it will be ready for its trial run next week. 

We ran the Pennsy K4s in the morning session.  We decided to make a video of the Jacksonian after lunch.  The Jacksonian is a complete train leased from the Pennsy.  Originally, it was to run from St. Petersburg to Jacksonville and back daily.  However, the schedule is a little too tight for that and the train will run from Tahope's Sanlando Depot to Jacksonville with stops in Sanford, Deland, and Palatka before arriving in Jacksonville.  Unfortunately, the video of the K4s did not turn out to our satisfaction.  Why is it that model trains that have never given any trouble, stall on a turnout, derail, and lose sound as soon as a video camera is turned on?  Better luck next week, as they say.

Since we were running Pennsy trains, we brought the Broadway Limited up from the Bottoms and gave it a spin.  Readers might remember the A&S has a historic connection to the Pennsy and, since it is our railroad, we envision the Broadway Limited to make infrequent turns southward in order to take up the slack of the thousands and thousands of orange juice drinking tourists that invade Florida in the summer.  We made a video after lunch.  It is pretty good.  it shows the Broadway making a whistle-stop at Sanlando.  Only one passenger got off.

This week's story has its origins in the October 1938 Trains Magazine.  There used to be a section each month called "True Tales of the Rails."  I don't know how true these tales are, but this edition had some stories about dangerous situations.  The story I have adopted could be a movie if John Wayne were still available to star in it.  Oh, It forgot.  It's 1938 in the story so he would be available.

                                                                                                    WHEN LUCK FOLLOWS THE TRAIN
The Jacksonian is an A&S daily passenger train that was leased from the Pennsy, including the only K4s to have ever graced the A&S rails.  The train runs from Tahope's Sanlando Depot to Jacksonville, with stops in Sanford, Deland, and Palatka.  It returns to Tahope in the afternoon of the same day. 

The regular conductor on the Jacksonian is Ralph Tinker and the head shack is Bud Millstone.  Both of these seasoned employees are prone to a little practical joking at each other's expense every now and then. 

One summer day in 1938, the Jacksonian pulled out of the Sanlando Depot on time and headed for the trip up the Ovalix to Summit and the Jacksonville Union Station.   

The Jacksonian rates a helper up the constant 1% grade on the Ovalix, so ACL's P-3 Pacific, Number 451 coupled onto the observation car at the end of the train.  As the train climbs slowly towards Summit, Tinker and Millstone perched themselves on the observation car platform and enjoyed the ride. 

As the train neared Summit and was making about 10mph, MIllstone grabbed Tinker's hat and waved it over the tracks as if he were going to toss it onto the roadbed.  Tinker reached over the guard rail to recover his hat about the same time Number 451 cut off for the return to the Midlands.  When 451 cut off, the train jerked forward with increased speed.  This caught Tinker off balance and he fell from the platform onto the roadbed below.  Although 451 had cut off from the observation car, it did not lose its forward momentum.  The twenty-foot distance between Tinker and the cowcatcher of 451 began to rapidly close. 

Tinker rolled onto his back and grabbed the front of the cowcatcher as 451 passed over him and the train dragged him along the roadbed for quite some distance until 451 came to a stop.  Fortunately, the engineer on 451, "Fatso Johnson," saw Tinker fall and he set the brakes and opened the sander.  When the engine stopped, "Fatso" and his fireman dropped to the ground to tend to Tinker, whose shirt and pants were pretty much shredded and his backside was skinned up. 

Tinker, happy to have avoided further injury, asked "Fatso" if he would give him a lift to Summit Yard so he could catch up with his train.  "Fatso" was happy to oblige.

The conversation between Tinker and Milstone that occurred when Tinker caught up with his train is not reported.  However, those who knew them say very little practical joking took place thereafter.  Tinker did not bother to report the incident since it caused no delay and the Jacksonian backed into the Union Station on time.

                                                                                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vD0uwakaHo

                                                             This here video is of the Broadway Limited as it eased through Sanlando and let off one passenger. 

[ACL1504]

We had fun today. I'll show the new A&S logos tomorrow on the Atlantic and Southern thread.

Tom

[jerryrbeach]

Bill,


Seriously?  You end the story by writing that the train "backed" into Union station.  Seems like there are a lot of rear end jokes in this one. 


Seriously? 

[PRR Modeler]

Another great tall tale Bill. Of course I loved the Broadway Limited video.

[GPdemayo]

Enjoyed the yarn today Bill.....

[PaulS]

Another wonderful tale this week Bill, adding even more color to a wonderful layout !!
Be well,
--Paul

[Judge]

Jerry - The arrival at Union Station in Jacksonville back in the days before AMTRAK was an experience in itself.  The trains backed into the station, but the lead track was several miles long.  it seemed like it took forever to get the train spotted for demarcation.   The ACL, Seaboard, and Southern all had trains coming and going. 

The reference to "back ends" was inadvertent.  I passed your comments on to Maggie Hussy and she remarked that she always gets compliments about hers. 

Thank all of you who commented on this week's story.

[ReadingBob]

Another fun story Bill.  Keep 'em coming. 

[ACL1504]

Jerry - The arrival at Union Station in Jacksonville back in the days before AMTRAK was an experience in itself.  The trains backed into the station, but the lead track was several miles long.  it seemed like it took forever to get the train spotted for demarcation.   The ACL, Seaboard, and Southern all had trains coming and going. 

The reference to "back ends" was inadvertent.  I passed your comments on to Maggie Hussy and she remarked that she always gets compliments about hers. 

Thank all of you who commented on this week's story.

Florida East Coast also used Jax Union.

Jacksonville Union Terminal looking south.



Tom

[Blazeman]

Florida East Coast also used Jax Union.

Jacksonville Union Terminal looking south.



Tom

Looking at the photo, could that be the Broadway Limited cars on the left heading south through Sanlando?

[ACL1504]

Larry,

Exactly. Good eye.

Tom

[Judge]

Saturday Report - July 18, 2020

The Board of Directors met promptly at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2020, instead of July 18, 2020, because the Babe had her monthly hair appointment in Mount Dora on the 18th.  The discussion centered around the decals being finalized and mailed to the A&S Maintenance Department.  Arrival is expected in a matter of days.  Soon the famous name will be emblazoned on boxcars, steam locomotives, and streamlined passenger cars.

The newly shopped and painted Southern Ms4 2-8-2 looks great!  The mechanism is perfect.  Unfortunately, there is some sort of glitch that causes it to stall frequently.  The A&S maintenance department will look into the problem this week and make adjustments.  Seems like brass engines all have a down-side glitch when they just come out of the shop. 

We are growing more and more concerned about the effectiveness of the "Keep-Alive" feature on WOW Sound decoders.  Your reporter has suggested a call into TCS for an explanation of why some of our locomotives tend to stall on turnouts. 

When the Director's meeting was over, we calibrated and made adjustments on five engines that had new decoders recently installed.  Old 1516, an ACL P-5a Pacific, is back in service.  Two SAL E Units were tested and two ACL FP7's were put through their paces.

Curt Webb arrived in time for an informal bull session and lunch.  We had lunch at the local Red Lobster.  That was the first real restaurant your reporter has entered since March.  Your reporter's apprehensions about social distancing were satisfied when it became apparent that there were only four other people in the joint.

After lunch, we returned to the shed for a short run of the Pennsy K-4s and a ride on the Jacksonian before we called it a day.

This week's story is a little different.  The idea about surplus airplanes came from my childhood when these aircraft were actually being sold.  The rest of the story is a combination of my own imagination and the humor of Al Capp.  Here goes. . . .

                                                                                                         TRANS TAHOPE AIRWAYS

     One day, in the summer of 1951, the feral cousins, Newt Fisher and Shortstack Turner (See Inhabitants of Eaton's Curve, Page. eight), were resting near the river in The Bottoms when Newt suddenly had an idea.  Newt, who had almost done something several times in his life but had always failed, suggested they branch out from their activities as vagabonds and start a business, or as Newt said, "Bid-ness." 
    Shortstack, who was tending the Mulligan Stew, said he read an article in the Tahope Daily Blatter announcing that the federal government was selling war surplus C-47 airplanes at Orlando Air Force Base for $2500 each.  Shortstack thought they could make some money "if'n they bought one of them-thar airplanes" and started up a cargo airline.  They became partners in the venture and decided to call the airline Trans Tahope Airways.  The venture would provide cargo service from Tahope to surrounding cities in competition with the Atlantic & Southern Railroad.
     There were two problems: (1) neither of the partners could fly and (2) they had no money to purchase an aircraft.
    Fortunately, for our would-be entrepreneurs, a recent arrival to The Bottoms was an older gent who identified himself as a WWI German Air Ace named Wilhelm Ludwig Von Outhausen.  He claimed to have been a member of the Red Baron's fighter wing, which was known as "The Flying Circus."  He convinced Newt and Shortstack that his bonafides stretched back to the court of Fredrick the Great of Prussia and assured the two would-be tycoons that he could fly any airplane anywhere and would "join up" as the airline's pilot if he could have an advance of $500. 
    Newt and Shortstack made an appointment with the president of the TAhope State Bank, J. Pierpont Forrest (Great, great grand-nephew of General Bedford Forrest) , who incidentally is the step-father of Peaches Weaver, girlfriend of "Tater" Cartwright, who is the Assistant Roundhouse Forman of the TAhope Steam Service Facility and Roundhouse.
    Mr. Forrest listened to the business plan proposed by Newt and Shortstack and said he would look into it.  He found out that the government had money available to guarantee loans made for war surplus purchases and made arrangements for the loan of $3000.  He delivered a bank check for $500 to Shortstack and said the balance of the government loan would be available as soon as the FAA licensed the enterprise.  Shortack gave Baron Von Outhausen the $500 check to retain his services and awaited approval of their application to the FAA. 
    Upon further inquiry, Mr. Forrest learned there was a catch involving the purchase of the C-47 Aircraft.  The purchase price was $2500 per aircraft, but they had to be bought in groups of ten.  The bank was unwilling to loan that much money to Newt and Shortstack, so the deal fell through.
    About that time, Officer Poovey told  Mr. Forrest that Baron Von Outhausen was a fraud who had a fugitive warrant out of "Jaw-ja." and he had vanished from The Bottoms on a drag freight with the $500.
    "Well," said Newt, "I've almost done something a whole bunch of times and this is one of them."  And Shortstack thought of an alternative plan and said, "Why don't we buy a truck?"  "Naw," said Newt, "you can't compete with the Atlantic & Southern Railroad with a truck."
   

 

[bparrish]

Judge......  regarding your comment about stalling in a turnout......

Do this first (maybe you already are)  A locomotive can take a long time to fully charge the capacitor depending on how much is going on with the locomotive.  Sound is only part..... how many lights are running.....


So give the locomotive a minute or two to charge up

Then........... on an easily piece of clear track........ not a turnout.   Rock the locomotive off of one rail and hold it.

If the light goes out immediately the keep alive is not working.  If it goes off in one or two it is trying but not fully charged.  Trying to work is a warrantee issue with TCS.   I have only have steam  locos and some that stay lit for ten to twenty seconds but I don't have a lot going on with them.  Single headlight and no ditch or ground lights as Dismals have.

On the TCS T1 decoders I have with keep alive devises......... I manually solder them on to the board and can be put in backwards.  I'm not sure that this is possible with the WOW decoders.


Let me know how the test goes.

see ya
Bob



We are growing more and more concerned about the effectiveness of the "Keep-Alive" feature on WOW Sound decoders.  Your reporter has suggested a call into TCS for an explanation of why some of our locomotives tend to stall on turnouts.