| |
| |
| Montour Railroad Employee
Status Status Determination Letter (End of the Montour) |
 
1965 Foreman's Daily Time Report |
| |
|
| MTR Peters Creek Purchase |
|
|
Clinton Block Spur |
|
| |
|
Here is a posting of Bulletin's governing train movements on the Mighty
'M'.
This one dated for 1975, was the first written sign of the slow demise
of the the east end of the RR to Mifflin Jct. The crossing flashers had
a failure and no money was to be used on their repair, henceforth the
remaining train movements flagged their way across. This was to be the
norm for the last few east bounds until the final run in November 1975.
Thankfully, we were on the last movement to Mifflin that cold November
evening. Remember that!!
Note under the black marker stripe it sez "Penn Central" if you can
zoom it in. Another money sucker.
Tim Sposato
|
| |
Here is an ad for Montour Railroad services. |
| |
Here is Train Order #54, dated May 28, 1943 to C&E Engine 24 at Clinton
Block Junction... Train crews were regularly tested on train orders then
qualified as was the case this day with Jim Lane.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 Being
fascinated with the N&W/Montour Interchange in my neighborhood at Salida, I
came to know many railroaders here. Some of those guys became close personal
friends lasting long after their retirement.
The P&WV McCready Family was one such family of wonderful friends and
railroaders.
C.A. McCready was Conductor on N&W's Local out of Rook that went to Mifflin
and Clairton daily. At Salida there at Longview, the Local switched the
Montour if needed. Either N&W loads/empties to the Montour and or Montour
loads/empties to the N&W.
This switch list, dated March 18, 1975 illustrates the N&W local, N&W
Engines 2426 - 4126, Conductor C.A. McCready received from the Montour 2
loads and 3 empties, 200 tons at 2:05 AM... The 2 tank cars no doubt came
from Muse... The box and flat could of either came from Brookside, Wickes,
Easton or again...Muse. The gon might be some creation from B&T ? Gene P.
Schaeffer
|
| |
 During
the early 1970's, a Maximum Speed Restriction of 15 MPH was placed on the
Montour RR.
The first running train order each train crew, each tour of duty received
was the addition/inclusion of #1 Order included when the time completed was
given by the Train Dispatcher to their running Train Orders. (confused???)
Early on, like everything else, when I started hearing this in the early
1970's...being a youngster as I was, I didn't understand. Conductor Harvey
French was always willing to explain to me what the #1 Order meant...simply
a maximum speed restriction order.
Conductor French was a kind gentleman who understood my interest and would,
by request, save his train orders for me...including several of his #1
Orders...as attached.
Another bit of trivia in the daily operations of the fascinating life of the
Montour Railroad Company.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 Attached
is a copy indicating the car loadings for Westland for the Month of October
1979...2,128 cars loaded representing 148,960 tons. All handled by a small
fleet of EMD SW-9's... Entrusted to Enginemen like our very own R.J. Lane...
(well most of the time)
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 During
one of my trips into Mifflin Junction in the late 1970's, I took note of the
Bulletin Orders and General Notices that were hole punched then hung on
their respective boards there in the foyer that separated the Montour Scale
side of the building and that of the P&WV Agents side of the building.
The scale at Mifflin had one front door. As soon as you stepped inside, you
either went left to the Montour scale or right to the P&WV.
Right there in that small space were the notices and bulletins. So one
evening, fearing someone else might walk off with them, with my trusty
preservation removal tool...the screwdriver, I removed both boards full of
notices and bulletins and brought them home.
Some 30 years later, its most enjoyable being able to thumb through them
remembering back to the time when this railroad was full of life and charm.
The attached Bulletin #5 - 70 dated August 7, 1970 illustrates the operation
over Hills Transfer there at Montour 4.
I had many opportunities to ride out on Boyce as Montour crews went after
empty hoppers that kept Montour 4 and Montour 10 supplied.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 Bulletin
Order #9 Dated May 2, 1979 indicating the main track is out of service from
Coverdale to Salida.
The beginning of the end.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 Memo
from 1914 announcing the Montour Extension from North Star to Salida will be
ready for business on or about September 1, 1914.
|
| |
 As
some of you know, about 1991 I had the good fortune to be offered the
opportunity to again preserve a vast basement full of records for the
Pittsburgh & West Virginia. Actually, a friend was contacted by the newly
organized W&LE as they were wanting to lease out the office building at
Rook, and the basement was file cabinet after file cabinet of records for
the P&WV, WSB and WPT Railroads, dating back to their beginnings of time.
I was asked by the friend if I wanted to help him in removing the
records as he didn't have space or the time to do this. The W&LE placed a
time constraint on removing the records. Their real estate person was only
at Rook on certain days at certain times when we could do this...and the
basement needed cleaned out in a certain frame...and the best part of it all
was the fact W&LE Management at that time, recognized the historic value of
the records thus did NOT want them destroyed.
In that basement, packed with all of those records, there was material
relating to the Montour RR. From N&W Train Sheets containing the details of
detours and subsequent N&W billing for services for the detours, to early
memos about interchange as the attached indicates. Lease agreements and
contracts. You name it, it was there...a bit dusty with time.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 In
1985, with Superintendent RJC's permission, I had the ok to preserve alot of
remaining records from the vault at Montour Junction. My specific request
was to obtain some train sheets that had my signature, but RJC went one step
further and gave me the ok to take anything else of interest.
The attached memo illustrates early operations history of the Montour RR.
This Pittsburgh Coal memo is actually green in color as are the others I
have. If the memo was 2 or more pages, the additional pages were on white
unlettered stationary.
This memo is of particular interest as it illustrates some history about
operation over P&WV's Mifflin Branch which was just up the street from where
I grew up.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
JW Wirth Engineer |
| |
Cover letter, stapled to the several page investigation of the collision of
Montour 33 and 34 at Salida... |
| |
A memo regarding the construction of the Muse Branch... |
| |
Company report from 1974 on the performance of the SW-9's. |
| |
A memo from Montour Lodge 378... RJ's Dad, RD is having his time slip
rebutted by
the Company... |
| |
A page from the personal file of Montour Locomotive Fireman Bortle from
1951. Both Trainmen and Engineman/Fireman time slipped the company every
time they felt a infraction in union agreements occurred. I saw this
frequently during my short career on the Montour. Often I had to account for
any that was during my watch. Our very own RJ was good at timeslipping<G>.
This memo was one of many pages in Bortles file. - Gene P. Schaeffer
|
| |
 Still
pristine after 30+ years of preservation, Montour RR Train Order #12,
addressed to C&E Engine 78 at Hills.
It was a slow day on the Montour this April 28th, only 12 train orders for
the day at this late hour of 8:45 PM...with only 3 hours remaining before
the numbering of train orders starts over... Anyhow, the Montour Train Crew
this day, scribbled on the back of the train order, Conductor Desko,
Trainmen Leonard and Sherwood, P&LE Engineman Kirkpatrick...
"Un-Officially" stapled to the train order, a small piece of a Montour empty
car waybill, in Desko's handwriting, as he would usually do while his crew
worked Montour #4 loaded yard, after obtaining his green bills for his
westward train from the shipper, while his crew was at lunch and he was done
walking the loads in #4's loaded yard, he would jot down the last car
numbers of the last car on each track for his trainmen to use for the make
up of their train.
On this day, the last car on #1 loaded track for his train was PC
482337...the last car for his train on #2 loaded track was B&LE 64198...and
the last car for his train on #4 loaded track was again another hopper, B&LE
84188. I often walked with Deskos crew while working Montour #4. And it
became practice for Desko to make for me one of the attached last car cut
number notes so I could preserve the practice of one Montour Railroad Train
Crew while working Montour #4.
In reading the attached note stapled to the train order, you can see where
#1 loaded track would have 17 with 17, meaning there were 17 loads with all
big cars, that meant there were no 50 ton hoppers in that track. Leaving
Montour #4 late this April 28th, 1975, Desko had 44 loads for Champion, all
70 or 100 ton hoppers.
Gene P. Schaeffer
|
| |
A little darker green than usual, this Montour Railroad Form 448 50-M 3-71
green bill was used between the coal company and the Montour RR for the
movement of stop off coal at Champion.
These green bills, were two sided. The side we are looking at will stay as
permanent record for the railroad. The detached right side of the bill, goes
to the Coal Company Office at Champion with the billing paperwork after the
car is dumped at Champion. The Montour RR supplied these double sided green
bills to each mine. The Conductor brought both sides of the bills to
Champion. The Yardmaster kept the left side and the Champion Agent was given
the right side.
This bill for M 8145 was loaded at Westland on March 26, 1973. M 8145 was
the 1,076 car laded for the month. M 8145 is a SHUTTLE car as indicated by
the lone S in the top margin. M 8145 was moved in Train 78 on March 26, 1973
to Champion. Conductor W. Ceyrolles. Extra 78 West arrived Champion at 6:00
PM.
Gene P. Schaeffer
|
| |
 Preserved
green bill for PRR 225563, loaded with MET coal at Montour #4. This PRR car
is the 872 and car loaded at #4 for the Month of March 1973. I preserved
both MET and STEAM stampers, removed from the shippers office at #4 tipple
in September 1980 as the last crew removed the last 7 loads of coal and 52
empty hoppers.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 Green
bill from Montour #10. |
| |
 Authority
for Expenditures. These contain in-depth history about the operations of the
company. Just by reading these AFE's alone, you can see and understand how
the company tried to maintain and better the physical property.
There are also Authority for Retirements.
Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 Memo
preserved from Rook when the newly organized W&LE
wanted to lease out office building, seeing the basement was packed with
company records of the WPT, WSB and P&WV, the W&LE recognized the
importance of the records and found WNP who contacted me for assistance.
Of course, records pertaining to the Montour RR caught eye and were of
significant importance. I have several thick P&WV files on the lease
agreement between the Montour (Pittsburgh Coal) and the P&WV/WSB. The WSB...West
Side Belt is predecessor to the P&WV.
Gene P. Schaeffer
|
| |
Two layoff notices from the P&LE courtesy Ross Johnson |
| |
1915 Injury Memo from Montour Shops. Courtesy Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
October 31, 1975.
The Train Dispatcher on the night trick had numerous forms that needed
filled out including this one showing the car loadings of the mines as well
as Champion Preparation Plant. Courtesy Gene P. Schaeffer |
| |
 Lewis
Run Railway.
The little known pike that quietly
disappeared. Not so quiet in its beginning as seen in this letter dated
September 7, 1916. Other notes of interest, starting at the top of the
letter,
* Pittsburgh Coal Company heading crossed out, Montour RR Co, penciled in.
* "Of Pennsyvania", expertly lined out in ink
* 9-18-16 note penciled in; Porter "Dictate letter to Nicholas Green tenant
warning him against further interference" This note appears to be checked
off in pencil, as if completed.
* Nice ink signature of Mr. E.J. Taylor, Chief Engineer. Seems Mr. Green was
threatening RR surveyors that were finding the RoW across the Neiss farm
that he was renting.
Other correspondence I have shows that this issue was resolved in 1917. I
can only imagine the challenges from other land owners that the legal
department had to deal with during the construction of both North Star &
Mifflin and Lewis Run Rwy.
Collection of Tim Sposato |
Montour
Railroad 
