March 2013 buff

THE MEMPHIS BUFF

VOLUME 40, ISSUE 3

NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

March 2013

My Railroad Heritage Worsham House Menu Memphis & Charleston Time Table Saunders Car Stopper

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Memphis Chapter Officers President – Walter Lang

Vice President – Bruce Smedley Director – Bill Strong Secretary/Treasurer – Thomas Doherty Program Co-chairman – Michael Jack Program Co-chairman – Don Weis Yahoo Group Co-ordinater – Terry Redeker Newsletter Editor – Tom Parker

Last Month's Meeting

walterhlang@yahoo.com

williambstrong@bellsouth.net TRDoherty@aol.com

tkredeker@hotmail.com tscottparker@gmail.com

What is it?

At the Feb meeting April 13 was set as the Amtrak to McComb trip. Members wishing to go are responsible to purchase their own ticket on the Southbound City of New Orleans to McComb, MS and return later the same day on the northbound City of New Orleans. If both trains are on time this will give about 2 1/2 hours in McComb to visit the Depot Museum and have lunch. Bill strong is coordinating this and is asking all those that plan on going to let him know before hand.

A car trip is planned for late March to Mammoth Springs, AR to visit their Depot Museum. Walter is heading this up.

Possibly this summer will be another car trip to Jackson, TN and Water Valley.

A sympathy card was sent to John Stefanac's wife on behalf of the chapter.

This months program was video's of Tom Doherty train trips in Colorado and New Mexico last summer.

Cover: IC SD-40 6056 in the lead on a grain train on the Low Line at Plant Road just south of Johnston Yard on a gray winter day in 2007.

Tom Parker photo

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My Railroad Heritage

By Tom Parker

I trace my railroad heritage through my mother's side of the family. Her father was a conductor for the Illinois Central Railroad. Pa, as we called him, had two daughters. By odd coincidence, the men they married were or soon became railroad men. My father was a butcher at the neighborhood grocery when he met my mother. I really don't know, but I've always felt that Pa was instrumental in both my father and my Uncle going to work for the Illinois Central. He wanted to be sure his daughters were well provided for.

Pa's Rerailing Frog

Dad, the butcher (left) and the railroader (right) My grandfather was a career railroad man. As far back as I can recall, he was a conductor on the Illinois Central's crack passenger trains. I remember when I was six or eight years old riding with Pa on the City of New Orleans from Memphis to Cairo, Il. to visit relatives in Bardwell Kentucky. He had his own private room equipped with a desk and a microphone where he could make announcements throughout the train.

Pa, the inventor

Aside from being a railroad man, Pa was an inventor. Although he never realized any profit from his invention, he was one of the earlier proponents of the rerailing frog, a device used to get railroad cars back on the track after they derailed.

Pa, the railroader

Worsham House Menu

By Michael Jack

It may just possibly have the oldest original timetable showing Memphis train schedules. The “Dinner Bill of Fare” from the Worsham House in Memphis is dated December 7, 1861 with copies shown on two pictures. The first picture of this menu shows the front and back covers. The front cover displays the Confederate flag, the Civil War having been started only eight months prior with the firing on Fort Sumpter. One of the two listed proprietors – Rambaut – became the Commissary Officer for General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The second picture of the menu’s inside shows the delicacies and beverages being served in that year. One could dine on “pig head, tomato sauce”, “pig feet, lemon sauce”, or “beef heart with onions”– all washed down with any one of seven types of champagne!

On the back menu cover we see a timetable what trains were available locally in 1861.The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, Memphis and Ohio Railroad, and the Mississippi and Tennessee Railroad each had two departures a day. The Memphis and Little Rock Railroad had only one daily departure with Memphis passengers having to use the ferry.

In 1861 we had seven trains departing daily serving the four points of the compass. After one hundred and fifty two years of “progress” we now are blessed with two daily departures !

December 1897 Memphis & Charleston Railroad Timetable Courtesy of Michael Jack

“SAUNDERS CAR STOPPER”

By Michael Jack

EDITOR NEEDED I first became editor or the Buff in September 2007 on a temporary basis. I subsequently resigned after the December 2009 Issue . I said at the time: “I appreciate the opportunity of serving as editor of the Memphis Buff, but after over two years as editor, I have decided that it is time for someone else to take over. When I signed on as editor it was as “Temporary”Editor. I have enjoyed the job, but have found it to be increasingly burdensome and difficult to put together each month. I will resign effective with publication of the December 2009 issue.”

The picture of the “Saunders Car Stopper” was taken from a 3-3/4” diameter paperweight owned by me. This railroad maintenance item as indicated was supplied by a St. Louis firm and the picture from the late 1800’s shows the western end of what was then called Calhoun St. (now called G.E. Patterson) a couple of blocks from the present Central Station.

This depicts an early Memphis street car as well as the old St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railway (later merged into the Missouri Pacific) freight depot. This freight house lasted until recent decades when it was torn down. Notice the horse drawn ice wagon on the right side of the photograph. The BohlenHuse Ice Company originally brought in ice via the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes region – they later made ice in-house using Memphis artesian well water.

I again took over as editor in June of 2011 and have served since that time. The sentiment I expressed in 2009 still applies. It takes a certain amount of time to put together the Buff each month and there are other activities that I would like or need to spend more time on.

Anyone interested in becoming the editor of the Buff should contact Walter Lang.

Tom Parker (Former) Editor Memphis Buff

CABOOSE

L&N 8497 at Bowling Green Kentucky Michael Jack photo Meeting Schedule March 14, 2013 April 11, 2013 May 9. 2013 June13 2013 July 11, 2013 August 8, 2013 September 12., 2013 October 10, 2013 November 14, 2013 December 12, 2013 (All 2013 meetings will be on the 2nd Thursday of the month and all except the April & November meetings (TBA) will be at the Germantown Library) Germantown Public Library 7-9 pm.

1925 Exeter Road Germantown, TN 38138

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