The Atlantic & Southern Saturday Report

Started by Judge, January 05, 2019, 03:59:09 PM

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Judge

NOTICE!  THERE WILL BE NO SATURDAY REPORT ON NOVEMBER 2, 2019.  YOUR REPORTER IS TAKING A LONG WEEKEND AT A REUNION WITH HIS OLD MILITARY SCHOOL BUDDIES. 

THE JUDGE

deemery

We'll notify the MPs to Be On the Look Out!


dave
Modeling the Northeast in the 1890s - because the little voices told me to

PRR Modeler

Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
Freelanced PRR Bellevue Subdivision

jimmillho

I will bet there will be some great stories told there.

Jim

Judge

#424
  Saturday Report - November 9, 2019.
  The A&S team management Board met precisely at 0830 hours to discuss matters of major importance.  First on the agenda was the correct name of the Atlantic & Southern Railroad, which has sometimes been referred to as the Atlantic & Southern System (ASS).  This has caused needless confusion.  While the A&S has some interest in other railroads, it has no current ownership interest in any other than the A&S.  Mergers and acquisitions are at least two decades in the future from 1950 and so the A&S cannot be called a "system," at least not at the present.  There is little chance the A&S will ever gobble up railroads like the ACL but, like an ant on an elephant's butt, we can dream.
  Curt Webb arrived on the scene around 10:00.  It is always good to have a visitor who actually contributes to the morning session and Curt "knows stuff" about the  Pennsy.  Since we are awash (Curt knows that's a Navy term) with Pennsy locomotives and rolling stock, his expertise was helpful.  Besides, he's an all 'round good guy.
  The new bridge over the Tahope River is complete and awaiting final touches.  It really makes the scene more interesting. 
  After the meeting, we inspected the new buildings Eric built and marveled at their artistic construction.  Then we took stock of our storage facility at the Bottoms and realized we could rearrange things to accomodate the 19 car Broadway Limited.  Several trains were moved to better use the space and we were satisfied with the new arrangements. 
  Next we ran a 20 car train of loaded coal hoppers, powered by ACL 8000, a Russian Decapod.  The little engine pulled the train without effort on level track and we ran it down the Ovalix to Ths Midlands.  Just before exiting the Ovalix, there was a slight detour that caused the train to have to retrace its path in reverse.  Out of curiosity, we decided to let it back up into the Ovalix to see how far it would go before the wheels slipped.  To our surprise, the engine backed up the Ovalix with ease.  Must be the extra weight installed when it was painted over 10 years ago. 
  We inspected some of the "bone yard" at Summit, which has a number of Pennsy steamers awaiting disposition and then we went to lunch at smokey Bones.
  After lunch we ran a Pennsy passenger train and a C of G freight.  Then we called it a day.

  The idea for this week's story came from an 1893 edition of Harper's Weekly Magazine.  It involves a conversation between a Pullman Porter and a nervous female passenger who has never ridden on a train before.  I have shortened the story considerably, but I have quoted some of the conversation that took place, including the Porter's dialect.  This is the way some people talked in 1050, or earlier, I know because I have heard them, and some people still do.  I think the Porter was from "Jaw-ja."  Probably Savannah.

                                                                                                                  The Big Trip 

  Traveling by rail in 1950 was not nearly as dangerous as before the turn of the century.  Wooden coaches were death traps if they caught fire or collided with another train due to a phenomenon known as telescoping.  It was not unusual for train wrecks to occur due to primitive hand brakes and link-and-pin couplers.  Steel coaches with modern appliances did a lot to make travel safer and train wrecks became a rare occurrence.
  One fine fall day in November 1950, the ACL Champion left on time from Tahope and carried one of Tahope's "high society" women in one of its 14 section Pullmans.  Rose Forrester was the wife of Tahope State Bank President, J. Pierpont Forrester, and she was on her way for a shopping spree in Manhatten.  This was Rose's first train trip and she was a little nervous about traveling overnight at speeds in excess of a mile a minute. 
  As evening approached, Rose spoke with the Porter and asked him to make up her lower berth so she could try to go to sleep. 
  The Porter, trying to be helpful, asked, "Beg yo', pardon ma'am, how does yo' like yo' head?" 
  "Mercy me," thought Rose, "what on earth could he possibly mean?" 
  "Do yo' want yo' feet to'd the enjyne?  Dat's de safes' way ebery time."
  "Oh dear, now I'm scared," said Rose.  Do I need to worry about a train wreck? I'll never get to sleep on this train.  I'll just sit up on this seat and wait until morning." 
  "Now don't feel that way Miz, " said the Porter.  "Havin yo' feet to'd the enjyne - well dar you is.  But if yo're sleepin' wid yo' head to'ds de enjyne, den when dis yer train smashes into some other train, yo' is flung right again yo' head an' yo' heck is broke just like it wuz straw." 
  "Mercy me," said Rose, "Are we going to smash into some other - - - "
  "No ma'am, I didn't say we's goin' to.  All I say is it's best to be prepared.  I've been running on the Champ fo' twenty-two year an' I've seen eleven kerlisions, and every time de folks what's killed is de folks which gets chucked agin their heads.  Only last week there was an accident in Osceola County, a stout lady like you, she - - "
  But the Porter didn't bother to finish his explanation because at that moment Rose Forrester fainted dead away.
 
                                                                                   

                                                                                      The Porter and Rose Forrester

                                                                                                       THE REST OF THE STORY

  Please refer to the October 26 Saturday Report on Pg. 28 entitled A Tale of a Fallen Woman.  There has been some local enthusiasm to learn more about Magnolia (Maggie) Hussy.  Careful research has revealed a short video of her fishing in the Tahope River just before she entered high school at age 14.  More current photographs have not been discovered, but you can tell she was raised in Tahope by her accent.  Her brother took the video and her cousin, Ray, watched the action.  Everyone in her family has a pick-up truck with Confederate license plates on the front.  Turn up the volume so you can hear the dialog.

                                                                                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8puOw0Pqb4

deemery

For some reason, I'm expecting this will be part of tomorrow's story, too: 



dave
Modeling the Northeast in the 1890s - because the little voices told me to

Judge

Sorry, Dave, I'll have to work in my military career some other time.

deemery

Judge, you didn't have to do tours?  I think I did once (at Norwich University.) 


I figured someone would get "written up" when you were out with your classmates.

dave
Modeling the Northeast in the 1890s - because the little voices told me to

GPdemayo

Good one Bill.....ole' Maggie was one heck of  fisherman.  ;D ;D ;D
Gregory P. DeMayo
General Construction Superintendent Emeritus
St. Louis & Denver Railroad
Longwood, FL

PRR Modeler

Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
Freelanced PRR Bellevue Subdivision

jimmillho

That was quite the Video Bill.  Sure looked like it was in the river at Tahope.

Jim

ACL1504

"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

S&S RR

John Siekirk
Superior & Seattle Railroad

postalkarl

Hi All:

I agree with everyone. Hope you enjoyed the reunion Judge.


Karl

Judge

#434
Curt, Dave, Greg, Jim, John, Karl, Tom, et al. 

Thank you for your kind words.

                                                                                                         Maggie Husssy Update

Maggie tried out for the cheerleader squad at Tahopee County High School in 1946 when she was in the 11th grade, but the local PTA told her mother to withdraw her name because of promiscuous behavior.  She dropped out at the end of the year and drifted towards The Bottoms where she found an abandoned boxcar for shelter.  One thing led to another and she decorated it with stuff she found around the river.  Soon the place was home.  One of her many "friends" cut a hole in the floor for her use and that worked out okay except for the flies.   A large cardboard box and an orange crate completed her furniture ensemble and a packing crate became a closet for her modest wardrobe.  She borrowed an Army surplus air mattress from a hobo who moved on without it and that served for a bed.

Maggie returned to her boxcar after her release from Lowell Correctional Facility for Women and dreamed of bigger things.  Hopefully, she will get a better boyfriend.   

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