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Jim
Foster’s PRSLHS Page Jim
Foster’s collection of his father Harry Foster’s photography was prominently
featured in the Summer 1990 edition of the PRR T&HS magazine “The Keystone” of the PRSL in Wildwood
NJ. This issue has become a must have for the PRSL Fan. We are extremely happy to have Jim as
one of our members. Here he shares his memories of the PRSL in Wildwood in the
1950s. Additions to the page will be made when possible.
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CHASING
TRAINS ON NEW JERSEY AVENUE
For those other than immediate
family members, I would like to recount another of many eccentric family
activities and the history behind it. Yes, I said “family” activities, as
these summer Wildwood short car trips usually included Dad, Jim, and all the
girls in the ‘51 Nash.
To understand the whys and
wherefores, a little background on how a railroad interest came to the Foster
family. Although most probably think the railroad diversion was solely
Jim’s hobby, it actually was an extension of something dad developed, probably
right after the war. One of his many “Renaissance Man” activities, it
included a permanent HO gauge layout in our basement at Cliveden Street,
extensive toy trains on the floor at Christmas, railfan excursions on the
Reading starting in the late 40’s, and a large photograph collection taken by
dad himself from 1946 through the early 1950s. I can lay the blame for my
interest gone to extremes squarely on dad’s shoulders as I accompanied him on
many occasions early on.
The modernization of the railroad
industry after the war brought the end to steam locomotive operations as fast
as the diesels could be built. Although Philadelphia was one of the first
areas of the country to modernize with electric trains in the 1930s, the local
exceptions were the trains to seashore destinations that operated with the
oldest equipment the railroads owned. Essentially these were three month
a year railroads where passenger service was concerned, with exclusively
vacation travelers. The seashore trains from Philadelphia to south and
north Jersey resort towns were the very last scheduled steam passenger
operations east of the Mississippi and almost the last in the United States.
After buying Wildwood in 1952 and
knowing these trains were only going to last a couple more seasons, dad and I
collaborated on watching and photographing them in their final hours. The
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines track entered Wildwood over a drawbridge
through West Wildwood and the main station was at Oak and New Jersey Avenues,
actually built on a sharp curve. After dropping passengers, and sometimes
a Railway Express car at that station, the train then turned onto New Jersey
Avenue trolley car style and made a trip to the end of the island in the center
of the street, stopping at two more stations en route.
We would drive to Oak Avenue, wait
for the train, often some photography, and they load into the car, and pace the
locomotive for a couple mile trip to the storage yards next to Sunset
Lake. Naturally, I would have “shotgun” and the girls would take turns at
the back window of the Nash. Escaping steam, water droplets and cinders
all a part of the “railroad experience”. We drove close enough you could reach
out and touch the moving locomotive rods on the 80 inch driving wheels. Mom was
never with us!
With my bicycle, I would make
morning trips to station to meet the 11:35 from Phila, which always included at
least one baggage car to be switched off, and layover that might be 20 minutes
or more. The train actually had to wait for red lights and pedestrians to
switch on and off the street. ( OSHA would have loved this one!) Getting
to know the crew on the locomotive I was sometimes a “guest” in the cab while
the switching move was made. The finale to these “boy and machine” events
came on Labor Day weekend 1955 when the train arrived with 18 cars and about 20
minutes late. As the train screeched to a stop and quickly uncoupled the
first baggage care the Fireman yelled to me “Give your bike to the baggage man”
Waiting at the open baggage door, he took it from me, apparently pre-arranged,
but I had no advance notice.
When the locomotive returned, they
put me in the cab at the Fireman’s seat, for the rest of the trip to the other
stations, the coal dock and the servicing yards. My bike was there for
the return trip. Engineer MacIntyre and Fireman Williams told me that
they put that plan together at the last minute, for after the Labor Day
weekend; direct trains from Philly were discontinued until next year.
They had been told that week that the steamers would not return the following
year and they wanted me to be part of the “last ride”.
© Jim Foster 12-30-07
3 Reading
G3s at Cold Spring Harbor – 1955
I gave
this one the title “RAILROAD!”
1946 OR
1947 Photo of the huge Erie Avenue locomotive and freight yard in Philadelphia.
T-1 4-8-4
in the foreground is quite new. Note camelback switchers. Not a
diesel in sight.
Very rare shot of Reading G3
locomotive leaving PRR North Philadelphia station with the first day of summer
service to Ocean City, Wildwood and Cape May. Steam at this point was summer
only on train that split its consist at Tuckahoe and Wildwood Junction.
Nabisco factory is in the background. As you know PRR and RDG shared equipment
and assignments, but RDG power was never routinely assigned to Philadelphia
trains until this last summer season of regular steam service. When we
set up for this shot we expected a K-4.
Engineer
MacIntyre and fireman Williams with yours truly and 217 at Cold Spring Harbor
after cab ride and coaling and watering of the loco.
What a GREAT SHOT!
Wildwood Junction 1954 or
1955. E-6 has brought up cars from Cape May and took short siding next to
which waiting crews cleared land and built numerous bird-houses on high
poles. K-4 from Wildwood has backed down and picked up cars and is now
bound for Tuckahoe and Philadelphia.
This was
taken from West Wildwood station which was only a small shed. Train is
northbound and smoke was pre-arranged with crew.
West
Wildwood Bridge with train bound for Oak Avenue.
Same train
on different day. Most all G-3 shots are 1955, but I did see 210 there
the year before.
During
1954 and 1955 I recorded 7 of the 10 G-3s on that assignment.
Missing were 212, 215, and 219.
K-4 5435
at Cold Spring Harbor during coaling operation
H-9 3597
at Millville with PRSL caboose
Famous K-4
#5495 running through Dorothy New Jersey at 80+ heading for Philadelphia
Jim &
I both have an obsession for K4 5495, especially in PRSL Service
My
connection to 5495 was an outgrowth of making almost daily trips to the Wildwood
Oak Ave station in 1954 after my family bought a summer home in N. Wildwood. My
recollection is that initially every K-4 I saw (and there were quite a few as
the engines changed frequently that summer) had a modern cast pilot, and 5495
had the original slat type. I also found 5495 as the K4 that appeared in PRR
builder's photos and one that regularly hauled the Broadway and other named
trains. These factors raised it to "celebrity" status in my mind, but
the next year I did see two others with the early pilot, 7133 and 5497, which
also made it to Wildwood. Unfortunately many of the photos my father and I took
were not dated, but they were all taken between 1953 and 1956. As I recall, there were three inbound and
three outbound Phila trains a day with steam to Phila. The Camden trains were
RDC by that time.
On busy
weekends in 1955 K-4s and G-3s arrived in Wildwood, although the G-3s were the
regular power. I think 5497 was among the last, if not the last K-4 into
Wildwood, and like 5495 it was one of the very few with a cast frame. My PRR
roster shows 5495 retired in April 1956, 7133 in Sept 1956, but 5497 lasting
until April 1958, but I am sure it sat dead after Nov 1957.
The photo
my father and I considered his best work, the black and white version. Entitled
“3 Faces of the K-4” Cold Spring Harbor 1954
The above
photo is solely responsible for my interest in The PRSL. It
moves me EVERY time I look at it! - Bill
Updated 10-29-08
©
PRSLHS 2008
Resuscitated
from a 20 year nap on 1-25-07