D&H / Mining

                                       
                   D&H Locomotive No. 1065

Copies of these two photos of No. 1065 were donated to the Historical Society on March 29, 2012 by Ronald's Antiques, Carbondale. The originals of these two photos were among some materials from the former Hotel Lackawanna (Belmont Street) that were recently consigned to Ronald's Antiques.  At the moment, we don't know where the photographs were taken or what the occasion for the photographs might have been. 








         Carbondale D&H Transportation Museum

Here are some photographs that were taken by Historical Society member Hank Loftus in March 2012 in the Carbondale D&H Transportation Musuem.

The beautiful cast iron staircase, up which one may walk to visit the Carbondale D&H Transportation Musuem



Six photogrphs taken in the D&H Galleries
 






 







                                                        * * * *


John Roebling's remarkable Delaware Aqueduct: three photographs taken by S. R. Powell on July 28, 2011:









The D&H Gravity Shops area in downtown Carbondale at the end of the nineteenth century.  Two members of the Carbondale Historical Society are writing books on the Delaware and Hudson Railroad at the present time: one author is focusing on the administrative level of the company, the other is focusing on the day-to-day operations of the company.





Friends of D&H Caboose 35964



A support group within the Organization has been created, for the purpose of ensuring a good future for Caboose 35964.

A list of the Friends of the Caboose is given below. Unless otherwise indicated, these persons reside in Carbondale.
  1. Richard T. Buberniak
  2. S. Robert Powell
  3. Mary R. Monahan
  4. Jack & Connie Buberniak
  5. Mr. and Mrs. John A. Brennan, In Memory of John A. Loftus #1
  6. L. Fred Thomas (New York)
  7. Martin L. Langan (Greenfield Township)
  8. Jermyn Historical Society (Jermyn)
  9. Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Di Marino (New York), In Memory of Angelo Pinzone
  10. Toulla & Joseph Vitale
  11. Linda Starzer, in memory of Edward "Sam" Coxe
  12. Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Cassaro, in memory of Patrick A. Cassaro III
  13. Thomas and Ellen Farrell
  14. Joseph E. Kuna, Philadelphia, PA, in memory of Mary Faith McDonough
  15. Kimberly L. McCarthy, Frazer, PA, in memory of Luther S. Belles
  16. Marion B. Richards, in memory of Luther S. Belles
  17. Paul I. Jacks, San Diego, CA, in memory of Evelyn Jacks Cardonick
  18. Dr. Rodney D. Brown,Waymart, PA
  19. John A. Gummo, Beech Creek, PA
  20. John V. Buberniak, Fresno, CA
  21. Genevieve G. Burke and Rose Marie Coleman, in memory of Thomas L. Burke
  22. Ron Gilroy
  23. Mary T. Pollitts
  24. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Postlethwaite
  25. Jane M. Varcoe
  26. Milana J. Williams
  27. Thomas J. Connor, in memory of Gerard W. Connor
  28. Robert W. Avery, (Rochester, NY), in memory of Raymond Avery
  29. Elizabeth M. Dowd
  30. Mary Shaw
  31. Jack Race
  32. Mike and Gwen Delfino
  33. The Dougher, Spellman, and Davies familes
  34. Neil M. Davis, D.O., in memory of Thomas Davis
  35. Charles Carroll, (Endwell, NY), in memory of Gerard B. Carroll and Harry Nelson
  36. Julianne M. Pazin
  37. The Carbondale Business Association
  38. Robert H. Berry, (Brockport, NY), in memory of Raymond and Elinor Berry, (Jerymn PA)
  39. Leo B. Burke, (Vestal, NY)
  40. The Price Insurance Agency
  41. Tony Mikloiche
  42. Michael J. Yavorosky, (Hop Bottom, PA)
  43. Tom Horlacher, (Scranton, PA)
  44. Joan O. Peters, (Kingsley, PA), in memory of Frank Edwin Peters
  45. Frances Grecco, in memory of Joseph Grecco
  46. Mary Louise Dougher, (Greenlawn, NY), in memory of Genevieve Burke
  47. Michael and Debrah Dougher, (Chattanooga, TN), in memory of Genevieve Burke
  48. The family of Margaret A. and Joseph L. Moran, in memory of Dorothy Moran
  49. Mary E. Conomos
  50. Rose Marie Coleman, in memory of Genevieve Burke
  51. Colleen Baltrusaitis, (Throop, PA), in memory of Genevieve Burke
  52. Charles and Ann Marie Carroll, in memory of Genevieve Burke
  53. The Free family, in memory of Genevieve Burke
  54. Anthony Di Marino (Massapequ Park, NY), in memory of Angelina Pinzone
  55. Jerry and Sophia Fives (Dunkin' Donuts)
  56. Dunmore Historical Society (Dunmore)
  57. Nicholas J. Bomba
  58. Nancy Bomba Angeloni
  59. Nancy and John Hollenback, in memory of Raymond Bryce Hollenback
  60. The Moran Children, in memory of Margaret A. and Joseph L. Moran
  61. Robert Schroeder (Vienna, VA)
  62. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Grimm (Waymart),  in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose
  63. Ruth Edwards (Waymart), in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose
  64. Small Town Red Hatters, in memory of Mrs. Genevieve Burke
  65. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Jankauskas, in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose
  66. Eddie Jankauskas, Jr., in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose
  67. Chris Jankauskas, in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose 
  68. Jeff and Judy Belch, Clarks Summit, in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose
  69. David W. Owens, Clarks Summit, in memory of Ellsworth H. Rose

To date (August 11, 2011), sixty-nine individuals or families have become a “Friend” of Caboose 35964; total amount in donations received so far: $5,615.00.

One of the financial objectives of the Friends group is to raise enough money to construct an appropriate train shed/pavilion in which to display (and protect from the weather and possible vandalism) the caboose. So, we have a long way to go as far as funding goes, but the journey has begun.

As we move forward in this process, you, as a member of the Friends of D&H Caboose 35964, will be invited to participate in all discussions that impact the future of the caboose. Our first objective: to create a permanent home/display structure for the caboose.

Become a friend today.



    Coverage from WBRE of Caboose's return



    Coverage of the Caboose's return from WBRE has been uploaded to youtube.
    "Friends" Certificates produced




    Shown above is an example of the anticipated certificates, which are to be given to official Friends of D&H Caboose 35964. This particular example is addressed to the first donor, one Richard T. Buberniak of Carbondale. Mister Buberniak is the father of Society man Matthew Buberniak, one of two current interns.




    Cousins of our Caboose, in the collection of John Gummo

    Friend and Society member John Gummo recently sent pictures of his private railcar collection, members of which include some D&H Cabooses, as shown below.




















    Feedback (and forth)


    Robert [Powell],

     

    Thank you very much for sending the articles about the arrival of your caboose. The picture with John's arm over your shoulder was a story in itself as it made it obvious that this meant more than just the arrival of an old train car. We wish the very best for you and the Historical Society as you prepare her for public display.

     

    I have attached a few pictures of our Village of White River Junction's "Old 494" display at our Amtrak station and visitors center. Thought you might enjoy seeing how we display our rail road memorabilia. We can't claim to be the birthplace of a railroad but White River Junction was a bustling railroad town in its heyday.

     

    Have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic 2011.

     

    Best regards,

     

    Ed [Findley]

    More publicity for Caboose 35964
    Not only was the arrival of Caboose 35964 given coverage by the local media (WNEP 16, WBRE 28, The Carbondale News, The Times-Tribune, and on . . . ), the story of the caboose arrival was also picked up by the Fox news network in Chicago, Seattle, and Cleveland. In addition, the story was featured in the prodigious, nation-wide publication Trains.
    D&H caboose: living history returns to Carbondale




















    A view during the shipment preparation.




    The Historical Society, along with the City of Carbondale, has made arrangements for the purchase of one Delaware and Hudson caboose. The current owner is the Valley Land Corporation in White River Junction, Vermont. The object in question is shown above.

    Built in 1912, it is one of 207 built. Weighing at 50,000 pounds and at 32 feet 11 inches, it is now the largest piece in our collection.

    The caboose arrived in Carbondale 1100 on 3 December, 2010.



    A more revealing view.



    The interior, which is in superb condition for an object of antiquity.
    Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Conference First Iron Horse to Carbondale “Distinguished Visitor. /  New Era.



    Yes, reader!  An Iron Horse has actually run into our City, puffing and snorting, and stopped at about the same spot where the first settlers stopped, near the site of the old Log Tavern.

    An inkling was had that it would come on Monday last, but our people supposing it would bring the noon passenger train, missed the sight, and consequently failed to give the stranger a public reception.

    As it was however, a crowd of about a thousand, lined the track from the lookout to the depot, and made all ring again with their cheers.

    It was an experimental trip and entirely successful under the careful management of Engineer Cool. We noticed C. P. Wurts, esq. the master machinist, and other employees on the Valley Line, on the Engine, showing the traveling community thereby, that no passengers should be sent over the road, until it had been tested properly and they have a confidence in the strength of the various pieces for tessel [of tressle ?] work on the line.” (Carbondale Advance, December 14, 1861, p. 2)




    Account Arrival & Departure of Boats        1832



     In June 2010, a box of "junk," so called, was given to the Carbondale Historical Society and the Carbondale Delaware and Hudson Transportation Museum. Over the years, we have learned to examine carefully the contents of all such boxes, wherein, in many instances, remarkable treasures are sometimes found.

    Deep in this  box of "junk" was an astonishing document:  Account of Arrival & Departure of Boats  1832.

    This is a complete account (166 pages) of all the boats that passed through the Delaware and Hudson Canal, from Honesdale, PA to Rondout, NY, in 1832!  

    When this remarkable account book is studied in detail, our knowledge of the early history of the Delaware and Hudson Canal will surely be enriched. Best wishes to those who undertake that journey of discovery.




    "D&H" Shirts for sale: Celebrate Carbondale's rich history by wearing a piece of it
    To purchase, pick up one in person for $10,
    call 570-282-0385, or
    email info@CarbondaleHistorical.org

    Items may be shipped throughout the country; don't be hesitant to call if you're not near our fair City.








     Article on Gravity Railroad 180th Commemorative Ceremony Picked Up by United Transportation Union  

    The opening of the D&H Gravity Railroad on October 9, 1829 is an event of national importance.

    We are pleased to learn that the article by Cecilia Baress on the Gravity Railroad commemorative ceremony in Carbondale on October 9, 2009 that was published in the Scranton Times-Tribune of October 9, 2009 was picked up by the United Transportation Union (125,000 members) and that it had appeared on the UTU website.

    The article has since been taken down, for currently unknown reasons.


    D&H trail markers

    The yellow and black D&H disc/trail marker shown above was created by the Delaware and Hudson Transportation Heritage Council  to identify and visibly link all of the D&H Gravity Railroad and Canal properties and the communities and administrative/political entities through which that transportation system passed between the Lackawanna Valley in Pennsylvania and the Hudson River at Kingston, NY. 

    When you see this yellow disc/trail marker, you can be sure that you are not far from an individual and/or organization that is strongly committed to recording, preserving, and making accessible for future generations the astonishing legacy of the D&H.  




    Opening of D&H Gravity Railroad Listed in The Timetables of History        

    A copy of the 1991 edition of The Timetables of History (The New Third Revised Edition) by Bernard Grun recently appeared on our desk. Such timetables take you through the last six or seven thousand years and chronicle what took place in a given year in seven different areas: history, literature, science, daily life, etc. 

     We immediately found our way to 1829 to learn what else was going on in 1829, the year in which the D&H Gravity Railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale was opened. We learned, among other things, that in that same year, among many other things,
    • Andrew Jackson was inaugurated as the seventh President of the United States
    • Balzac's Les Chouans was published
    • Bach's Saint Matthew Passion was rediscovered and revived by Felix Mendelssohn in Berlin
    • the first U. S. patent on a typewriter was granted to William B. Burt of Detroit 
    • L. J. M. Daguerre formed a partnership with J. N. Niepce for the development of their photographic inventions

    To our great surprise and pleasure, in Category F (science, technology, growth), the fourth item in a list of sixteen items, is the following:            

    The Delaware and Hudson's gravity railroad opens (constructed with locomotive operation in view)  

    Slowly, but surely, the world out there is learning just how important in the grand scheme of things is the D&H Gravity Railroad!




    Successful Event

    The D. & H. Gravity Railroad began operations on October 9, 1829. To commemorate the 180th anniversary of  that important event in local, regional, commonwealth,  and American history, the Carbondale D&H Transportation Museum and the Carbondale Historical Society hosted a commemorative ceremony on October 9, 2009.

    The ceremony began at noon, as those in attendance assembled in the dining room of the Ben-Mar restaurant in Carbondale.  (Part of the ceremony was originally scheduled to take place outside, in the middle of what was formerly Plane No. 1 on the Gravity Railroad, at the rear of the Ben-Mar Restaurant on North Main Street in Carbondale, but due to inclement weather the entire ceremony was conducted inside the restaurant.) 

     Following an introductory ten-minute program and a Champagne salute/toast to the D&H Canal Company, lucheon was served, during which remarks were offered by several guests at the luncheon. Dr. S. Robert Powell served as the Master of Ceremonies.

    A detailed report on the ceremony/luncheon is given hereafter.

    Gravity Railroad 180th Anniversary Commemoration  


    A ceremony to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the opening of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's Gravity Railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale on October 9, 1829 took place in Carbondale on Friday, October 9, 2009.  

    The 14 guests who attended this ceremony, hosted by the Carbondale Historical Society and the Carbondale D&H Transportation Museum were (listed in no particular order): Mr. Joseph Vitale, Mr. Joseph Pascoe, the Honorable Justin M. Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore Mecca, Ms. Jane Varcoe, Mr. John J. Gigliotti, Ms. Mary T. Connolly, Mr. Robert Mendola, Mrs. Mary Ann Savakinus, Mr. Martin Langan, Mrs. Lorraine Parise, Ms. Margaret Bisignani-Moyle, and Dr. S. Robert Powell.  

    The ceremony, which was originally planned to begin with a 10-minute program to take place in the middle of what was formerly Plane No. 1 on the Gravity Railroad, to be followed by a luncheon in the dining room of the Ben-Mar restaurant on North Main Street, took place, because of inclement weather, entirely in the dining room of the Ben Mar restaurant.  

    The master of ceremonies for the event was Dr. S. Robert Powell, who began the commemorative ceremony by asking all present to stand and salute the flag. Dr. Powell then welcomed the group and offered the following remarks:   "One hundred and eighty years ago today, on this very site where we are now met, in the middle of Plane No. 1 on the D&H Gravity Railroad, courageous, intelligent, self-reliant, and intrepid entrepreneurs and individuals made it possible for the first cut of Delaware and Hudson Canal Company Gravity Railroad cars, filled with anthracite coal from Carbondale, to travel up this hill out of Carbondale and through 16 miles of railroad tracks, made up of inclined planes, powered by stationary steam engines, and levels to Honesdale, where the coal was transferred into the D&H's 108-mile long canal from Honesdale to the Hudson River, and thence to market, not only in the New York metropolitan market but also throughout the Northeast and, via the Erie Canal, into the Midwest. On that day, October 9, 1829, right here, in downtown Carbondale, 180 years ago today, the industrial revolution in America began.  

    The success of the mining, manufacturing, and transportation system that became operational here on October 9, 1829, quickly made the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company the first million dollar enterprise in American history.  

    The quiet village of Carbondale, where the first commercially successful railroad system in America was brought into existence and became operational on October 9, 1829, was, therefore, the first, the pioneer, the original Steamtown USA.  

    Beginning on that day, the rhythm of life in America, based thereafter on an industrial and not an agricultural economy, would be changed forever.

    Beginning on that day, the Lackawanna Valley, north of Providence, a valley composed of a multitude of villages and towns, would become, before the Civil War, an enormous company town, where a multitude of individual entrepreneurs would come forward to create the American free enterprise system as we know it today. 

    Beginning on that day, the concept of mass production, as we understand that term today, would be applied to industry in America.  

    Beginning on that day, the village of Carbondale became a cash center, a center of commerce, the marketing hub for virtually all of northeastern Pennsylvania and southeastern New York.

    Beginning on that day, millions of immigrants from Europe and elsewhere came to America, many thousands of them into the Lackawanna Valley, to work for the company (lower case 'c') and to start life over again. Coming here, for them, for us, their descendants, was tantamount to being re-born.  

    The facts supporting all of those assertions are there. They can not be denied.  

    To commemorate the important events that took place on this very site, 180 years ago today, not only in local, regional, and commonwealth history, but also in the history of America, we are met here today. 

    To that end, it is my privilege and pleasure to propose now a toast to the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and to the courageous, intelligent, self-reliant, and intrepid entrepreneurs and individuals who made possible the momentous events that took place in Carbondale on October 9, 1829." 

    A glass of champagne or ginger ale was then served to each guest, following which Dr. Powell asked all present to rise as he proposed a salute/toast "To the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company." Following the salute/toast, the luncheon guests offered a round of applause. Luncheon was then served.  

    As the luncheon guests dined, having made before the luncheon an individual menu selection from the wide-range of lunch specials offered by the Ben Mar restaurant, Dr. Powell presented to the group the credentials and accomplishments of each of the representatives of the various civic, community, and historical groups represented at the luncheon. 

    Carbondale Mayor, the Honorable Justin M. Taylor, addressed the group and outlined the wide range of municipal, development, and infrastructure projects now underway (or to begin soon) in Carbondale. He also noted that Carbondale's rich history is an important base upon which to construct a future for the City of Carbondale.

    Robert Mendola showed the group a very detailed and large map, on linen and in color, of the coal fields from Vandling to Pittston. The representatives of the various historical societies present (Carbondale, Waymart Area, Lackawanna County, and Dunmore) and others said that they would, as a group, contribute funding to have electronically scanned the rare map shown by Mr. Mendola. 

    In introducing Mr. John J. Gigliotti to the group, Dr. Powell noted that Mr. Gigliotti, a member at present of Carbondale City Council, has made a strong commitment to the preservation and promotion of the rich history of Carbondale and to the use of that history not only to promote heritage tourism to Carbondale but also to construct the future of the City of Carbondale.  

    Mr. Gigliotti then addressed the group as follows: 

     "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this wonderful ceremony celebrating a monumental moment in our local, regional and national history.  

    I would like, first of all, to take this opportunity to thank a man who I have developed a strong and passionate working relationship with over the past couple of years; a man who has worked diligently over the many years to enhance, promote and protect the historical integrity of our great city, Dr. S. Robert Powell." [Dr. Powell was then warmly applauded by the group. Mr. Gigliotti then continued his remarks, as follows:] 

    "Maurice, and William Wurts, the founding fathers of this City and region were born in the late 1780s and early 90s, respectively and were young adults during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809. Keep this time frame in perspective.

    Until the British boycotted shipments of bituminous coal to the U.S., anthracite coal operations were sporadic and not taken too seriously as an alternate energy source. Well, that changed when the Wurts brothers demonstrated to a group of investors on Wall Street that coal collected from the fields of Carbondale was an excellent commodity to use as domestic fuel. In turn, January 1825 stocks opened for the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company and quickly they were over subscribed, thus forming the FIRST MILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION IN THESE UNITED STATES.  

    To put in perspective the magnitude of this endeavor, let’s review some of the key individuals that the Wurts brothers engaged and aligned themselves with in developing this mighty D&H railroad and canal system:

    1. Benjamin Wright, Chief Engineer, The Erie Canal: Reviewed the lands from the Hudson back to Carbondale and stated in his report that he recommended a canal system from Honesdale to the Hudson, but proposed a railroad line as the means of transporting the coal from the valley floor of Carbondale, up and over the steep and high ascent of the Moosic mountain, some 1,000 feet higher than the valley floor at Carbondale. Thus, the purpose of establishing the first railroad system in the United States was truly to overcome the steep terrain associated with the Moosic mountain. It was the only solution to resolve this problem.
    2. New York Governor, Dewitt Clinton; Wrote numerous letters of support on behalf of the Wurts brothers and their endeavor.  
    3. John B. Jervis (Port Jervis, NY): Succeeded Benjamin Wright as chief engineer and actually surveyed the property that would link the Gravity Railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale. 
    4. James Archbald: Started working for the D&H, Carbondale, in the 1820s. He was Chief Engineer of the railroad and mines. From, 1842-1850, he surveyed and purchased additional coal lands and helped to extend the railroad about 7 miles farther south down the valley. Thus, his legacy starting as a pioneer from Carbondale extended to a new legacy in the ultimate establishment of the Borough of Archbald.
    5. Philip Hone (Honesdale): One of the original thirteen best and brightest, mainly from New York City, who was appointed to the Board of the D&H as its first President. Another pioneer, that Honesdale is named after.
    6. George Talbot Olyphant: Elected to be president of the D&H in 1858 and succeeded John Wurts. He was instrumental in extending the railroad again farther south, between 1856 and 1858, to obtain additional coal which was especially beneficial in supporting the nation during the Civil War. His legacy: the Borough of Olyphant is named after him.  

    I could go on further. However, as you can quickly realize in this historical overview, highly significant political, entrepreneurial and engineering resources of this nation were focused on Carbondale and the establishment of comprehensive mining and logistical operations. The main objective was to transport vast quantities of energy resources to New York City and eventually New England. As Dr. Powell so eloquently articulated to me at one point: "What the Wurts brothers and the D&H Canal Company accomplished at that time was like, in our time, landing on the moon.”  

    Carbondale was truly the epicenter, the birthplace and the focus in launching the first railroad system in these United States. Carbondale was the location and the spark that brought to Carbondale some of the greatest minds this country had to offer. Those individuals and the D&H helped to transform the United States from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Historically speaking, Carbondale is truly sacred ground. 

    Today, the leadership in Carbondale is focused very clearly on the revitalization and enhancement of our infrastructure. Let it be further emphasized to everyone that, at the same time and with equal emphasis, we are focused very clearly and strongly on revitalizing, re-establishing and reclaiming our great and monumental historical past.

    Thank you."  

    Councilman Gigliotti was warmly applauded by the group for his stirring and empassioned remarks on behalf of the City of Carbondale—past, present, and future.  

    The luncheon completed, Dr. Powell then thanked the guests for having been present to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the opening of the D&H Gravity Railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale, and said, in closing, that a commemorative ceremony would be held annually, hereafter and here in the City of Carbondale, to commemorate this important event not only in local, regional, and Commonwealth history, but also in the history of America.

    (In an abridged form, the article given above was also published in the Carbondale News of October 21, 2009, p. 6, a copy of which is given hereafter.) 










    Baumgardner photograph

    Northbound Delaware & Hudson Fast Freight with 1500 class 4-6-6-4, at speed, near Nineveh, NY, in 1948.

    Photo by Edward Baumgardner, Oneonta, NY.

    An original print of this Baumgardner photograph is among many that were recently donated to the Carbondale D&H Transportation Museum. Through its educational programs, lecture series, publications, railroad symposiums, and exhibitions, the Carbondale D&H Transportation Museum, in partnership with area and regional historical societies and museums, plays a multifaceted role in preserving the history of the D&H. The Carbondale D&H Transportation Museum is now the primary research facility on the history of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's rail lines in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.




    Ropes for Chains

    The Historical Society was recently given a very nice collection of D&H materials and publications by Alan G. Dustin, a former officer of the D&H. Among those materials are many issues of The Delaware and Hudson Company Bulletin. As I was cataloging those issues, yesterday, I put aside five issues from the 1930s, to be read as part of my daily four or five hours of D&H research for the book on the D&H that I am now writing. In reading those issues last night, I came across one of those never-in-a-million-years discoveries that sometimes take place in the course of historical research.  

    It is well known that ropes were substituted for chains on all ascending Gravity Railroad planes in 1830. But I don't think that I have ever seen in print the exact date on which those substitutions took place. In the March 1, 1930 issue, on page 74, in an article titled "One Hundred Years Ago," there it is: February 6, 1830.  

    Granted, there are very few of us around these days who deem it important to know such facts. But for the dyed-in-the-wool historians among us, knowing such specific facts—in addition to understanding the larger and much more important contextual picture of which such facts are a very small component—is important.              

    S. Robert Powell            
    June 7, 2009




    Wreck South of Starrucca in 1911



    "One of the most disastrous wrecks which ever occurred on the Pennsylvania Division, yet one of the most fortunate in that the locomotive was not derailed, happened to a freight train on the hill north of Ararat, in 1911, according to George Tonkin, retired Wrecker. Born in Devonshire, England, in 1863, the son of a farmer, he came to America in 1871 on the steamer City of New York; began working for the D&H as a slate picker in No. 3 Breaker on the Gravity Railroad in 1875] Upon reaching the top of the grade at Ararat, the pusher cut off, dropped back while the train gained headway, then sped up again to make the flying switch. The pin was pulled between the caboose and the pusher, the switch was thrown to run the engine in on the 'Y', and the caboose rolled down the main to overtake the last car of the train. For some reason or other, it did not run as fast that day as usual with the result that it stopped short of the train. The locomotive and 48 cars therefore started the long descent of the mountain toward Lanesboro without it. 

    Perhaps it was just as well for them that the train crew remained at the top of the hill in the caboose, for the train had hardly started down the incline when the engineman realized that he had 'lost his air'. Anyone familiar with the Jefferson Division knows what that means. For mile after mile the track winds down the mountainside at a grade of 1.34 or a drop of 16 inches in every 100 feet. . . Throughout the seventeen miles of track there is one curve after another. . . 

    When the engineman saw that he could not hope to control locomotive 1017 and the 48 cars behind, he ordered the fireman to jump, following him out of the gangway. Faster and faster the runaway reeled down the right of way. At last the rails could hold it no longer and the train jumped the track just south of Starrucca station, piling up in a mass of broken and twisted debris at the foot of the mountain, many feet below. 

    By some strange miracle the locomotive held to the rails, continuing down the hill. With the faint hope that it might stay on the track until it reached the foot of the mountain, the telegrapher at Jefferson Junction was told to throw the switch to let it up the Erie track, which rises at a sharp grade at that point. Hardly had he set the switches when the engine fairly flew around the curve north of the tower, speeding toward the crossover at a mile-a-minute clip. It was scarcely short of miraculous that it took the switches without derailing and tearing up the entire interlocking plant, and continued up the Erie main until it came to a stop. 

    This was but one of the many wrecks which Mr. Tonkin helped to clear up in his 27 years a member of the Carbondale wrecking crew, under wreckmaster, Bernard F. Brennan, popularly known on the Pennsylvania Division today as 'Barney' Brennan." ("Call Out The Wreckers," pp. 291-292, 295, in the October 1, 1930 issue of The Delaware and Hudson Railroad Bulletin) Mr. Tonkin was the father of eight children, five boys and three girls. His son Frank was a machinist in the Coalbrook Breaker, Carbondale; his son Ralph was employed in the D&H Accounting Department office at Carbondale.




    "The Fastest Local Train in the United States"                         



    D&H No. 502; photo from the collection of John V. Buberniak. 

    What Railway Age called "the fastest local train in the United States" was the Delaware and Hudson's No. 502, which left Carbondale for Scranton at 5:30 A. M. and made the seventeen-mile run in 35 minutes, with eight stops to discharge and receive passengers. The conductor on this run was David B. Robbins who, with his wife, lived at 56 South Church Street in Carbondale.

    Mr. Robbins, a biographical portrait of whom was published in the October 1, 1931 issue of The Delaware and Hudson Railroad Bulletin, daily wore a carnation or a rose as a boutonniere in his coat lapel when he reported to work. Mr. Robbins also had the distinction of working for the D. & H. longer than any other employee—over 66 years.

    He began his D. & H. work as a switchtender—train dispatcher he called himself—by switching loaded coal cars from the Racket Brook Breaker onto the main line of the Gravity Railroad, en route to Honesdale, on March 14, 1865. He retired on January 27, 1931 as the conductor on "the fastest local train in the United States."  



    Dickson Interred


    This white marble obelisk, in Carbondale's Maplewood Cemetery, marks the grave of James Dickson, the second master mechanic for the D. & H. Canal Company, and many other members of the Dickson family. James' son, Thomas, whose earthly remains are interred in the Dunmore Cemetery, served as president of the D. & H. C. Co. from 1869 to 1884. Thomas Dickson was one of the most important figures in the history of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and in the history of anthracite mining in the Lackawanna Valley in northeastern Pennsyvania.

     Here is a photograph, taken on October 11, 2009 by S. R. Powell,  of the Dickson mausoleum, in which the earthly remains of Thomas Dickson are interred, in the Dunmore Cemetery:
     






    S. Robert Powell and John V. Buberniak

    Photograph by John Gummo

    Dr. Powell  and Mr. Buberniak were instrumental in the creation and establishment of the Carbondale D. & H. Transportation Museum, which is housed, with the Historical Society, on the third floor of Carbondale City Hall.  Messrs. Powell and  Buberniak are both currently in the process of writing books on the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's Gravity Railroad from Carbondale to Honesdale.

    The focus of Dr. Powell's book is the technological and sociologial history of the company, with an emphasis on the people who made the system work on a daily basis.

    The focus of Mr. Buberniak's book is the managerial and corporate level of the company.

    Together, these two books will constitute a comprehensive portrait of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company.




    D. & H. Gravity Railroad Gallery



    Gravity Railroad Exhibition



    Anthracite Mining Gallery



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