July 2008 Memphis Buff

THE MEMPHIS BUFF

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 7

NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

JULY 2008

Great Northern 2584 24 Hour Amtrak Trip – Not Too Bad Memphis New Central Station and Track Elevation Work A Walk Down Whitehaven Lane

Memphis Chapter Officers President – David Chase

dchase@memphisredbirds.com

Vice President – Bruce Smedley National Director – Bill Strong

williambstrong@bellsouth.net

Secretary – Oliver Doughtie

doughtio@bellsouth.net

Treasurer – Thomas Doherty

TRDoherty@aol.com

Librarian – Mike Pendergrass Publication Editor – Tom Parker

tscottparker@gmail.com

Last Month’s Meeting Alton Lanier's slide presentation lived up to it's billing. Beginning with pictures from the early 60's, the presentation included both steam and early diesel from southern railroads such as the Georgia RR, AWP, Kentucky & Tennessee and C&G, western carrier ATSF, and CN and CP in British Columbia. One featured engine was NKP 765 (pictured at left). Bill Strong reported on the Central Station Sinkhole – Repair has been suspended due to litigation between, the city of Memphis, the CN and AT&T who NKP 765 – T.Parker photo has a fiber optic cable in the area. The point of contention is who should pay for relocating the cable during the repair.

This Month's Meeting Our program for July will be the video “Illinois Central Steam Finale”. The video has Illinois Central steam power running in the 1950's in Illinois and Kentucky as steam was winding down.

You'll visit the Paducah area and other locations on the Kentucky Division where 2-10-2's and 2-8-2's were the main freight power. Also included are some 2500 class 4-8-2's and 4-8-2 2613 on excursions in 1960. Some of the footage has live sound recorded on the film with the rest augmented by actual IC steam audio. You'll see how the Paducah shop was so important to the IC's steam operations and you'll see how those same shops cut up many of the steam engines.

Then, you'll return to Paducah in 1992 when ex-Nickel Plate Berkshire 765 (See photo above) ran a pair of excursions to Central City with dramatic footage as the engine runs across Kentucky Dam and Barkley Dam and many other locations.

BUFF ONLINE: www.buff.illinoiscentral.net User Name:Member Password: Buff

(Capital “M” & “B”)

Cover Photo: The famous Great Northern locomotive “No Skate Boarding”, complete with Christmas lights on display at Havre, Montana. (Seriously, see the next page.)

Tom Parker Photo

“GN 2584” “This Northern type locomotive, survivor of the last steam engines acquired by the Great Northern Railway for main-line passenger service, was placed on permanent exhibition here on May 15, 1964.

A powerful and speedy locomotive , this engine now looks every bit the aristocrat that it was during the years of its pre-eminent assiciation with the “Empire Builder” and the “Oriental Limited”.

The “Empire Builder” was inagurated in June, 1929, and was pulled by a Mountain type locomotive, but the popularity of the train led to addition of cars to the consist, and necessiated more powereful engines.

In 1930 the Great Northern acquired 14 class S-2 steam locomotives from Baldwin

Locomotive Works for service on the “Empire Builder” and the fast mail trains. This engine -No. 2584 is the last of the 14 engines. Samuel Vauclain, president of Baldwin described the class S-2 as “The finest, most powerful steam passenger locomotives ever built up to this time.”

These engines operated in freight srevice after the “Empire Builder” was stream-

lined and diesel powered in 1947, and were retired in 1955.

Locomotive and tender are 103 feet 3 inches long, weigh 764,680 pounds and height from rail to top of stack is 16 feet. No. 2584 was an oil burner and developed 58,305 pounds of tractive effort.

Each of the eight drive wheels is 80 inches high.

The track on which 2584 stands is laid to Great Northern main-line specifications.

The creosoted ties are supported on a sub-ballast consisting of 6 inches of rock chips and a ballast of of 6 inches of pink quartzite rock, both of which are quarried by the Great Northern in Montana. Welded rails fully tie plated and anchored, weight 115 pounds to the yard.”

(Descriptive sign posted beside locomotive)

24-hour Amtrak trip? Not too bad

By Jim Swenson Copyright by Dubuque Telegraph Herald and reprinted with permission (http://www.thonline.com/)

Being able to recline makes a big difference for TH features editor The last time I took Amtrak, I vowed never again.

Well, 30 years later, I broke that vow. And I'll bet I go again before 2038.

A recent trip from Montana to Wisconsin was a much better experience than a trip I took during college. A friend and I spent thirty-six hours on a train from Orlando to Madison, Wis. Though it beat our bus trip down for comfort (we could get up and stretch our legs more), I've had no urges to ride a train since.

But, none of my choices last month were great. My son, Jay, and I drove his vehicle out to Great Falls, Mont., where he is now working as an intern with a minor league baseball team. To return, I could rent a car, take a bus, take a plane or ride the train.

Another long bus ride was out of the question. Flying was too expensive. I didn't have it in me to drive all the way back. So, a 24hour Amtrak trip home was my choice.

After initially reserving a seat for $130, I started having second thoughts. My 51-year-old back isn't what it used to be. So, I upgraded my reservation to one that included a sleeper for $160 more. (A recent check showed that similar tickets through at least September are a lot more

The roomettes aren't huge, but they beat a coach seat. This is one side of the space meant for two people expensive.)

Even an extra $160 seemed like a lot at the time -- more than double the cost. But meals were included.

And I convinced myself it was worth it, considering my back.

Getting started Amtrak doesn't go through every town in America. In fact, it is somewhat limited in its routes.

The closest dropoff to Dubuque is Portage, Wis., or Mount Pleasant, Iowa. I picked Portage, which is a little more than an hour away.

The closest pickup to Great Falls is Shelby, about 80 miles north

and just east of Glacier National Park. So, Jay dropped me off the day before my return. My stay at the O'Haire Manor Motel was pleasant, as was my half-pound burger and fries at the Shelby Sports Club for dinner and breakfast the next morning. But I had to carry my luggage the four blocks to board the train at 11:45 a.m.

It sure was nice getting checked in and onboard almost immediately.

No long lines, taking off my shoes, going through X-ray machines or having someone frisk me as you do with the airlines. And, the train was on time!

My Superliner Roomette was compact but very private. And, since I was alone, I had plenty of room. A man named Chris, who was about 30, was in charge of our section of the train. He told me he worked six straight days and then had five in a row off. He liked it, but his somewhat haggard appearance made me think he was ready for his break.

I settled into my seat and

“The closest pickup to Great Falls is Shelby�

Tom Parker Photo

stretched out my legs on the empty seat in front of me. The view of central and eastern Montana wasn't spectacular, so I read a book for an hour or so. Chris had told me there was free water and also champagne, of all things, in a cooler on the top deck. What the heck, I thought, and grabbed a small chilled bottle.

About an hour later, Chris came by and asked if I was going to the wine-and-cheese event in the dining car. He could tell I didn't know about it, apologized for not telling me when I got on and said there was still room.

This train thing was getting better all the time.

I sat with a couple from Door County, Wis., and a gentleman from Australia who was going to his daughter's anniversary celebration in Chicago. The couple sheepishly said they came for the cheese and didn't drink much. But when the steward came by to offer the first sample, they said "What the heck."

Wine Tasting in the Dining Car Tom Parker Photo

It was a very satisfying half hour of tasting four wines and several cheeses. By then, I was feeling pretty good and announced that I might go to my roomette and take a nap. They all laughed as I wobbled away (hey, the train was going through a bumpy stretch at the

time).

A rest and meals Roommettes are equipped with two seats that can be turned into a bed and an upper pulldown bed. I tried out the upper, as I knew I'd use the lower that evening. It was a bit small, but serviceable and much better than trying to roll up in a regular train seat (even though it would have saved me $160). I rested, but didn't sleep, for almost an hour.

Soon, a voice over a somewhat crackly sound system speaker announced reservations were being taken for dinner. During my train trip, it seemed someone was always eating or talking about eating.

Meals stretched over a couple of hours to accommodate everyone, and then they were planning ahead for the next one.

Since it was already paid for, I splurged and had steak (which was very good, by the way). My dinner companions were all from the Chicago area -- a young couple and a woman of about 50. During the course of the meal, I learned the woman's son was probably going to attend my son's school, St. Ambrose University, and play basketball.

That evening, I watched a movie on a portable DVD player my wife, Kris, let me borrow. It really helped pass the time as I couldn't see anything outside. I then faced what I knew would be the challenge -- getting some sleep. I'm terrible at falling asleep in strange places. Still, at the very least, I would be lying down instead of sitting up throughout the night.

The home stretch As I expected, I tossed and turned a lot. It felt especially loud and bumpy in North Dakota. I

probably got four or five hours of sleep. Everyone around me seemed to be sleeping better, as I made a few trips to the restroom.

The restrooms are almost identical to those on a plane. But the train also has portable showers, which I used that morning. It was tricky.

You have to push a button in to get a weak stream of water to come out for a few seconds. Then you have to push the button again. But I felt refreshed.

Soon, they were calling for breakfast. I can't even remember who I ate with this time. My eggs and sausage were fine, but they were quickly running out of menu options (Chicago was apparently the refill stop).

There were still several stops before Chicago, though. Most of the stops are very quick, with no time to get off. But, a few were 15-20 minutes, and it was nice getting some fresh air then.

After breakfast, I decided to stretch my legs by walking the length of the train. Seeing all those uncomfortable people in their coach seats reinforced my decision to get a roomette. It was quite the motley crew. I also spent a little time in the viewing car (not sure if it was called that). It has enlarged seats with little tables facing the windows. It was filled with people from coach.

As we crossed the Mississippi River and got closer to Portage, I relaxed in my roomette with another movie. I was glad my Amtrak trip was coming to an end, but something told me that it wouldn't be my last one.

I could easily see taking another with my wife, Kris..

(Jim is the TH features editor.)

Memphis New Central Station and Track Elevation Work

By Assistant Engineer H. C. Brown (reprinted from the February 1915 Illinois Central Magazine) On October 21, 1914, the new Central Station, formerly known as Calhoun Street Station, was dedicated and opened to passenger traffic. This station is used jointly by the Illinois Central, the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley, Rock Island Lines, and the Frisco Railroads, the last three mentioned roads being tenants, paying interest on the investment and their portion of the operating expense On a wheelage basis. The entire expense of the project,amounting to 1,500,000.00, was borne by the Illinois Central Railroad.

The Illinois Central has for a great many years maintained two passenger terminals at Memphis, one at the north end of the city on the river front, known as the Poplar Street Station, where the trains of the Y. & M. V. formerly terminated; the latter south of the business district at the corner of Calhoun and Main Streets, known as the Calhoun Street Station. The new station stands at this latter site, although much larger than the former, the main structure covering a space of 250 feet by 150 feet, rising to a height of eight stories.

Under the new arrangement trains of the Y. & M. V. will terminate at the new Central Station, and the Poplar Street Station will be used only as a local stop, all switching of cars being done at the former.

The building is of the Roman Doric type of architecture, the main motive consisting of a colonnade of Bedford stone three stories high,

from the sidewalk to the first cornice, above which the office portion of the building, in brick walls with terra cotta trimmings, continues an additional five stories. Above the second floor of the building is devoted to offices of the Illinois Central and Yazoo & Mississippi Valley roads, including those of the passenger and freight traffic departments, the general, division and terminal superintendents, the superintendent of motive power and the claims department. One of the features of the building is the emergency hospital on the fourth floor. This hospital is equipped with all modern sanitary and medical appliances and emergency wards for both white and colored patients, which will be available for patrons of the roads entering the station who may become ill or in need of surgical attention. A surgeon and a graduate nurse will be On duty constantly throughout the day.

The main entrances to the station consist of five large doorways on Main Street, at the sidewalk level, and there are additional entrances on Calhoun Avenue leading di rectly to the waiting room for colored passengers and to a carriageway and cab stand.In addition to these, there are separate exits on both streets named for white and colored passengers, so that passengers leaving trains do not need to pass through the waiting rooms.

The ticket office and the baggage checking counter are located on the ground floor directly opposite the main entrance. Immediately off the

ticket lobby is the lunch and dining room fronting on Calhoun Avenue.

From this ground lobby an easy half flight of stairs leads up to the main waiting room, which measures 75 feet by 75.

Adjoining the main waiting room are general waiting rooms for both white and colored passengers, which are reached by a short flight of stairs, and where passengers may rest while waiting for trains, removed from the rush of the main waiting room. Connecting with the white waiting room are rest rooms for women and smoking rooms for men, together with toilet facilities.

Directly outside of the main waiting room is the passenger concourse, 35 feet wide. A broad flight of stairs leads from this level to the train concourse at the end of the stub tracks used by all trains terminating at this point. The concourse also extends underneath the through tracks, to which the passengers gain access by means of stairways between the tracks.

The main and general waiting rooms are lighted by an indirect system. The ticket lobby and the general offices are equipped with direct lighting. The floor of the ticket lobby, waiting room and corridors is of mosaic tile with Tennessee gray marble wainscot, and ornamental plaster side walls and ceiling. A white glazed tile is used to a considerable extent throughout the ticket lobby.

The entire building is equipped

with vacuum cleaning system. The offices are all connected by a pneumatic tube system,with the central station located in the telegraph office, thus facilitating the handling of special mail and telegrams. The clocks throughout the building are all electrically operated and controlled by a master clock located in the telegraph office. Conduits have been laid to provide for the installation of a callaphone system whereby trains may be announced from one point, the sound being distributed over the various waiting rooms and ticket lobby by means of loud speaking telephones.

Arrangements have also been made for installation of a telautograph system, by means of which writing may be transcribed from one point to another. This was proposed principally to enable the information regarding the movements of trains may simultaneously be given by the dispatcher to the man in charge of the information bureau and the various operating officials.

The depot layout consists of ten tracks, five being stub tracks for the use of the trains which terminate at this point and five being through tracks for use of the

I. C. Seven platforms are provided, two of which are used solely for trucking of baggage and mail in connection with the through tracks.

The length of these platforms varies from 700 feet to 940 feet.

The three platforms on the east served by the stub tracks are used both for trucking and passengers.

All platforms, with exception of those used for trucking only are protected by an umbrella shed extending the full length of the platform. The train concourse at the end of the stub tracks is covered with a wired glass and concrete roof.

The track elevation work that was carried on coincident with the construction of the Central Station eliminated dangerous street crossings at grade and provided sub ways at Carolina, Calhoun, Butler, Front,Wagner and Nettleton Avenues.

The bridges are all of permanent construction, reinforced concrete with ballast floors, the floor depths varying from 3 feet at Calhoun Avenue and Front Street to 4 feet 3 inches at Carolina Avenue. This variation in depth is due to the fact that a construction of I-beams encased in concretewas used in the former streets, and in the latter concrete slabs reinforced with cor-

rugated bars. The I-beams were used in order to decrease necessary raise in tracks,and keep the approach street grades as light as possible.

reinforced concrete, the columns being spaced 6 feet center to center and strengthened with spiral reinforcement. The forms were of the collapsible steel type.

Piers were placed on curb lines and in middle of the street in Carolina and Calhoun Avenues, Front Street and Nettleton Avenue, while at Butler Avenue and Wagner Place Ibeams span the full width of the street. At Calhoun Avenue, the supports are of structural steel encased in concrete,and the columns are spaced far enough apart to permit teams to pass through from either driveway to the baggage and carriage concourse, west of the depot proper and underneath the tracks.

In other streets the supports are of

Traffic for the I. C. and Y. & M. V. was maintained on present alignment from Huling Avenue down Nettleton Avenue and south through an alley between Front and Main Streets from Butler to Calhoun Avenue. The work of building the west one-half of Butler Avenue Subway was deferred until the last, as the present line crosses the proposed one at that point. The remainder of the track elevation work, including all subways and retaining walls was carried on without interruption until complet

ed. Through trains of the Illinois Central and Y. & M. V. Railroads operated from Calhoun Avenue south on a team track located just west of the west retaining wall, thence across Broadway into present main track, south of this point.

The work of elevating the depot tracks was carried on as follows: The wall on the west side was first constructed and the fill started from this side and extended eastward, abandoning the depot tracks as it became necessary in order to provide for slope of the embankment. As soon as the width of embankment permitted it the tracks were laid on top on the west, as they were abandoned at the bottom of slope on the east.

A baggage tunnel was constructed between tracks Nos. 5 and 6, with cross tunnels at the south end so that baggage could be taken to either end of the platform and reduce trucking on the track level to a minimum.

A building to house the American & Southern Express Companies and the I. C. Commissary Department was located at the northwest corner of Main and Georgia Streets. This is a fireproof structure and the layout includes driveways paved with creosoted blocks for express companies' vehicles. An entrance has been provided from the express building directly into the baggage tunnel in order that the express may be handled in the baggage elevators to the track platform level.

The U. S. mail is handled from a transfer room at the south end of the depot proper just east of the

Looking North from Whitehaven Lane. Vacant area West of track was depot location.

baggage room with a special driveway for teams on Main Street. Both of these facilities are on the street level and the baggage and mail are handled through the tunnel and up the elevators to the track level.

Mastic floors make the rooms noiseless, sanitary and easy to work in. Automatic dial scales have been installed to expedite the handling of baggage.

The James Alexander Construction Company of Memphis had the contract for constructing the station proper. The concrete construction in connection with the track elevation was done by Bates & Rogers Construction Company of Chicago.

George B. Swift & Company of Chicago had the contract for the construction of the power house and express building, and Kehm Bros. Company of Chicago furnished and installed the power house equipment.

Graham, Burnham & Company of Chicago were the architects for the station building, superintending its construction through their representative, Mr. H. L. Small. Assistant Engineer F. R. Judd had charge of the track elevation work and the construction of power house and express building.

A Walk Down Whitehaven Lane

by Tom Parker There are probably a number of old railroad stations in the Memphis area that have been lost to history. One station that almost fits that description is “White's Station” in what is now Whitehaven.

In February, 1846, a group of cotton planters in Northern Mississippi were granted a charter by the state of Mississippi to build a railroad for the transportation of cotton to the Mississippi River. The charter was renewed in 1852, but ther was no progress made until July 4, 1953 when a meeting of planters occurred at the plantation of Colonel Francis M. White in Como, MS. Colonel White took charge and by the spring of 1855 severeal miles of track had ben laid southward from Memphis and on May 5, 1855, the first engine, the “DeSoto”, arrived in Memphis. One year later, on May 1, 1856, a celebration was held in Hernando, Mississippi, marking the completion of the rails to that city. One year later the tracks reached Sardis, Mississippi,

This 1891 plat shows location of Depot (highlighted in red) the halfway point between Memphis and Grenada, MS. It was not until 1861 however that the track was completed to a connection with the Mississippi Central Railroad at Grenada, Mississippi.

A station was established just north of the Mississippi/Tennessee state line at what is now the intersection of Whithaven Lane and Amey Road. The station was originally named “White's Station” in honor of Col. White. The communi-

ty surronding the station became known as “White Haven” and eventually “Whitehaven”. Although the depot has been gone for for many decades, the house track survived through the 1970's.

As late as 1979 the house track still appeared on IC's Track Profiles

CABOOSE

IC 9426 on static display at Amtrak station in Homewood, IL. May 20, 2008.

Tom Parker photo

Meeting Schedule July 14, 2008 August 11,2008 September 8, 2008 October 13, 2008 November 10, 2008 December 8, 2008 Meetings are the 2nd Monday of each month in the White Station Branch Library from 7-9 pm.

5094 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN (in front of Clark Tower)

Contact the Editor Tom Parker 3012 Wood Thrush Drive Memphis, TN 38134 tscottparker@gmail.com

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