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Motive Power of the Jersey Central by Mike Eagleson Soft Cover QPR #7 1978
Motive Power of the Jersey Central by Mike Eagleson
Soft Cover stapled QPR #7
64 pages
Copyright 1978 Quadrant Press Review
Acknowledgements 2
Contents 2
Foreword 3
Introduction 3
The Early Days 4
Steam Power Review 8
The Blue Comet 30
First Generation Diesels 32
The Final Years 44
Steam Fan Trips 54
Ashley Plane 62
Ferry Service 63
Basic Roster 64
Map Inside Rear Cover
ABOUT THE AUTHOR--Always a resident of New Jersey, Mike Eagleson made the motive power of the Jersey Central, subjects among his earliest efforts in rail photography. Mike took his first locomotive photograph in 1955 and since 1958 has been dedicated to the camera pursuit of steam. Being less provincial than most narrow-minded rail enthusiasts, he has pho-tographed steam power in regular service in more than forty countries on six continents. Mike is joined on most of his international steam jaunts by his red-haired, travel-minded wife Naomi.
To satisfy a secret ambition to be a locomotive engineer, in 1972 Mike hired out as a fireman on the Jersey Central. A year later, during a crew shortage, he was moved up to running as engineer of a yard job out of Elizabethport. This dream fulfilled, he promptly resigned.
Professionally, Mike Eagleson is a graphic designer, photographer and writer. He is a graduate of Parsons School of Design, holds a B.S. degree from New York University and is an M.B.A. candidate at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
For about a year, Mike was Associate Editor of Railroad Magazine and still is a frequent contributor and retains his monthly column in Search of Steam- since 1969. He is President and part-owner of The Royal Hudson Locomotive Company, Ltd., which holds former Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 No. 2839 as its major asset. At this writing, the streamlined locomotive is leased to the Atlantic Central Steam Railroad of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for excursion service.
FOREWORD
As a native of New Jersey and admittedly a brief employee in engine service of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, its motive power has deep personal significance. It is the author's intent to create a pictorial essay of the best remembered classes of steam and diesel which served this road primarily from the 1930's through the 1970's when the long bankrupt line entered the Consolidated Rail Corporation. The CNJ and its locomotives as we like to remember them are gone.
Photo captions are written in the present tense to give the reader a closer association with the locomotive and scene they describe. May this book be a lasting tribute to those great locomotives and the men who ran them.
Mike Eagleson January 1978Mt. Arlington, N. J.
INTRODUCTION TO CNJ MOTIVE POWER
At its peak. the Central Railroad of New Jersey operated over 600 miles of trackage in the State of New Jersey and the Common wealth of Pennsylvania Because of its particularly intensive commuter services running to the shores of the Hudson River, roughly half of this mileage was multiple track due to heavy traffic density. This required many crews. costly facilities plus the service of Passenger ferries to cross from Jersey City to New York.
At the westward end or the road near Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. coal traffic was the mainstay of the system. For decades the Companys revenue and survival depended on the moving of anthracite. Because of a huge traffic: volume for such a modest size road. the CNJ earned the slogan. -Big Little Railroad Almost 400 locomotives were on the roster in the heyday of steam and this large quantity for such a small road proved costly to maintain. These factors effected the motive power buying practices of the railroad for over a century, although there were a few surprises as you will see.
Traditionally, the CNJ was conservative in selecting motive power. During the early years, the road relied on stables of Moguls, Ten-wheelers, American Standards and Consolidations - nothing too unusual. These modest sized locomotives were the mainstay until 1918 when the first Mikados and Pacifics joined the roster - years behind the trend on neighboring roads. With these acquisitions, the CNJ finally ended its drag freight era in favor of higher train speeds. Ironically, during the age of Super Power, larger, more powerful and modern locomotives were never purchased - partially due to financial problems resulting from the decline of the coal business. The last new steam locomotives built for the CNJ were five Pacific's from Baldwin in October 1930.
During the final steam orders, George Rink was Superintendent of Motive Power as well as largely responsible for their design. High performance 4-8-4's and 4-6-6-4's were said to have been on the drawing boards but were pushed aside by the rising tide of management listening to the smooth talking diesel salesman rather than the Super-Power boys from Lima.
If one basic locomotive design could be associated with the Central Railroad of New Jersey, it would be the Camelback. The road had them by the hundreds in no fewer than eight wheel arrangements. As an anthracite road, the characteristic wide firebox with cab positioned forward and astride the boiler was typical power for trains for over six decades - more than any road in the clan of Camelback owners. How fitting it was that the last CNJ engine to be called in regular service, as well as for the final steam fantrip would be a venerable hand-fired Camelback.
Regrettably only one CNJ steam locomotive is preserved today. Highstepping Atlantic No. 592 was exteriorly overhauled in the Elizashops in 1954 and was presented to the MO Transportation Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. The author fondly hopes that someday the Chessie System or a preservation group may see fit to retube her for excursion service. She is not only one of the three true Camel-backs remaining in the world today, but this 4-4-2 Brooks product of 1901 is the largest example left of this unique design, indigenous to steam on the anthracite roads.
The CNJ was the first American railroad to use a diesel electric: locomotive back in 1925, but moved cautiously toward dieselization. By 1940 there were Out 15 diesel switchers staining the otherwise all steam roster. The road went through the motive power shortage days of World War II without ordering a single new steam locomotive Maintenance costs on existing locomotives were soaring and the newer, higher horsepower diesels seemed like a better choice for motive power replacement.
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