The Atlantic & Southern Saturday Report

[GPdemayo]

Fun story Bill.....

[ACL1504]

Bill,

Great story and did you notice #1516 exhaust is out of sync. We need to send it to the shop for an adjustment.

Tom

[PRR Modeler]

Great story Bill.

[Judge]

Tom - 1516's exhaust wasn't out of sync.  I neglected to mention that while she was in the shop having her cylinders made smaller, the ACL decided to add a third cylinder as part of the experiment.  i suspect the powers that be will decide the extra maintenance isn't worth it and the third cylinder will be removed next Saturday. 

[MAP]

Excellent story Bill.  Always fun to read!

[Judge]

Mark - Thanks for reading my whimsical missives.

Curt- I will see you Saturday.

[Judge]

Saturday Report - August 14, 2021. 

The Board of Directors met promptly at 8:30 a.m.  The main topic of discussion was ideas on what the passenger station might look like on the Summit level.  We reviewed the station on Cliff Power's Magnolia Route for ideas and, while we were at it, we took a look at Cliff's new layout, Cumberland & Ohio Valley.  Its amazing how much progress Cliff has made in two years.  Fortunately for us, Cliff has published numerous photographs which can be seen at the link below.

                                                                                                https://www.magnoliaroute.com/building-the-cov.html

Your reporter made an inspection tour of the substantial progress that has been made in the past two weeks.  Tom's thread contains the photos.  The next eight-foot section has been constructed at Summit level and, having noticed a certain amount of instability, the civil engineers have devised a solution in the form of additional bracing to solve the problem. 

Below the new extension, the City of Tahope is taking shape.  The courthouse/jail facility is under construction along with a merchant's row.  The bail bondsman has already opened shop in anticipation of new business.  It is all very exciting.  Your reporter's imagination is getting ahead of the game.  He is imagining passenger trains backing around the 50" curve onto one of the six pasenger stubbs, which are covered by passenger platforms (it rains a lot in Florida.)  But that is probably a year off.

The idea for this week's story came from a book entitled"Real Stories of the Rails" published by Trains Magazine.

                                                                                                              Newt Fisher's Ride on the Mount Dora Special

This week's story returns us to the adventures of Newt Fisher.  Newt, you will remember, is the son of Luke Fisher who lives in one of the shacks on Eaton's curve. (Sse Inhabitants of Eaton's Curve on page 8 ).  Luke makes his living catching blue crabs on the St. Johns River during crab season and supplements his income "sweeping up" the station at Sanlando when the crabs are unavailable.  Luke has encouraged his son to try to make something of himself and Newt has only partially succeeded in that endeavor. 

Recently, Newt was hired on as a laborer, working the Sanlando Yard near Tahope.  The diesel facility at Sanlando was designed to serve F units and switch engines.  Before any trains are dispatched from Sanlando, laborers like Newt clean the cabs and engine compartments of the engines.  These laborers grew accustomed to the hostlers moving the engines from the diesel service facility to the yard before the train is assembled by the road crew. 

One early morning, the daily local passenger train, the Mount Dora Special, which ran from Sanlando to Summit with numerous stops along the way, was being assembled and the motive power, two FP7s, were being serviced at the fuel tanks near the diesel facility.  Newt Fisher climbed up into the cab of the lead unit and began his chores, cleaning the crew toilet and sweeping out the engine room.  The hostlers were busy moving the engines towards the main yard and took no notice of Newt.   Since it was early in the morning and since Newt had been out late with his new girlfriend, Mary Lou Stroker, he decided to sit down by the boiler in the trailing unit and rest his weary bones for a minute or two.  Soon, Newt drifted off to sleep.

The road crew took over the operation of the engines and coupled onto the mixed consist that made up the daily Mount Dora Special.  Neither the engineer nor the fireman knew that Newt was snoring in the second unit.  The train pulled out of Sanlando on time and picked up speed as it passed Eaton's Curve.  By the time the train began its assent on the constant 1-degree grade on the Ovalix, Newt had awakened and realized the engines were running faster than they would while puttering around the Sanlando Yard.  He high-tailed it to the cab of the lead engine and surprised the engineer with his presence.  The Special made an unsschuled stop when the train reached Summit and Newt was steered to the stationmaster's office.  Newt caught a freight back to Sanlando before noon.

The next day the shop foreman stenciled "IF FOUND, RETURN TO SANLANDO YARD" on the back of Newt's overalls. Newt, ever the but of freight yard jokes, stated, "I was supposed to sweep up but I laid down." In response, the yardmaster said, "One day's suspension without pay."  And Newt returned to The Bottoms and the arms of Mary Lou Stroker, who had just taken her weekly bath in the St.Johns River. "Wow! said Newt, that fishy smell is an improvement."


                                                                                                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7rD6at8IXo

[PRR Modeler]

Funny story Bill

[GPdemayo]

You need to be careful where you take a snooze after you party all night.....good one Bill. 

[Judge]

Saturday Report – August 21, 2021. 

The Board of Directors of the Atlantic & Southern Railroad met promptly at 8:30 a.m.  The president popped a diet Pepsi and your reporter opened his morning Coke. 

The main discussion involved the expansion of the scenery into and north of downtown Tahope.  The highway construction crew has been busy and the Summit level peninsula will be extended another 8 feet in the next two weeks.  Plans are being tentatively made for the placement of buildings along the main street.  Enthusiasm is high.

The A&S took delivery of a new ACL SW7 switcher and a reworked ALCO S12, both of which have TCS WOW Sound.  Surprisingly, the SW7 was able to pull a mixed freight of 17 cars and a caboose on level track.  It had no problem drifting down the Ovalix but was unable to back the train up the 1% grade.  Probably it would be more reliable with three or four fewer cars.  The S12 is much heavier and would probably pull that load up the Ovalix without difficulty.  We may try that during the next session. We also road-tested the new Baldwin C of G switcher and it pulled the mixed freight without a problem.  The A&S fleet of diesel switchers now includes two ACLs, an SAL, and a C of G.  More than a-plenty considering the A&S only has two freight yards.

There will be no Saturday Report next Saturday.

                                                                                                     The Passenger Sales Representative

Your reporter, who is the Ticket Agent for the A&S Railroad, has had a variety of assignments designed to broaden his railroad experience and to cross-train him in the event he is needed for temporary service elsewhere.

One day, in 1951, your reporter was removed from the depot and assigned to temporary service with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to fill in for the Passenger Sales Representative in Tampa.  The Passenger Sales Representative  (PSR) has the job of selling the public on the merits of traveling on the ACL instead of flying those DC6 airliners. 

Clubs, fraternities, business organizations, and labor and trade groups are solicited by the PSR to enjoy travel to their conventions and reunions by rail.  The groups can consist of a few people or up to as many as will fill a 10 or 12 car train. 

Potential customers are delighted to learn that the ACL is rapidly converting passenger traffic to diesel-electric power.  The new lightweight coaches and Pullmans are being rushed into service pulled by E6 and E7 smooth running diesels.  No longer would passengers have to fight cinders from the open windows of unairconditioned cars.  Passengers who get on the train clean get off clean.  And they get a smooth ride.  A comment was heard by one passenger on a trip to Jacksonville one day.  He took his cigar from between his teeth and said, "This town we're coming into is Sanlando.  Close by is where the railroad begins its climb up the Ovalix to Summit.  They put on two steam engines and all night long one 'gees' and the other 'haws' and I can't sleep worth a damn."  "Well," I say, "the railroad's great romance with steam engines is about over, at least with passenger trains, and you won't have to worry about your slumber being disturbed any more." 

In some respects, the loss of steam is a shame.  Your reporter remembers his dad taking him to the Sligh Boulevard Station in Orlando on Saturdays at noon in 1950 to watch three passenger trains come through in quick succession, all powered by ACL's beautiful Pacifics.  The sight of those whirling rods and the smell of coal smoke and grease is of lasting memory.  Fortunately, your reporter had an uncle who manned the switch/telegraph tower at the yard throat in Lakeland.  One Saturday afternoon, while visiting and watching him pound out dots and dashes over the telegraph, he arranged for my dad and me to ride in the cab of a steam engine from the yard throat to the roundhouse, a distance of a couple of miles.  I climbed up the ladder to the cab and was surprised to find my hands filthy with coal dust.  The engineer let me blow the whistle and we started chugging to the roundhouse.  The noise was deafening.  I was alright with the ride until the fireman opened the firebox door to scoop in a shovel of coal.  I was frightened out of my wits at the sight of the hot fire and the fireman kept the firebox door shut for the rest of the trip. Those were the days.   

[deemery]

... I was frightened out of my wits at the sight of the hot fire  ...

Some would claim "A preview of eternity" 

dave

[PRR Modeler]

A wonderful memory Bill.

[ACL1504]

We had a great work session this morning. We made several switching moves in South Tahope. I was the switchman and the Judge, AKA: Bill, Ticket Agent  and mostly the Engineer, hand signals when the switch was thrown.

We also discussed the location of the Judge's Quarters.

Tom 

[GPdemayo]

Good story Bill.....the move to diesels was very good for the financial health of the railroads, but a very sad day for many rail enthusiasts everywhere. I'm just glad the St. L&D is stuck in the early 50's when steam was easily found on the rails. 

[jrmueller]

Bill - "Those were the days my friend."