original document from the collection of rob schoenberg

Putting out FIRES before they start

ire inspector. It's not his official title, but

that's what men on the PRR call William J. Carlin. It's a misnomer, though, because his prime function is not to inspect fires. It's to prevent them.

Mr. Carlin's official title is simply inspector-one of three in the PRR Insurance Department.

He and the other inspectors peri- odically check every important shop, yard, station, pier and office building in the entire System. This includes a check of every device for detect- ing or fighting fires.

These range from the simple por- table fire extinguisher to automatic sprinklers and complicated foam systems on large fuel-storage tanks. The inspectors even develop sea legs in checking the fire-fighting gear on PRR tugs in New York Harbor and Chesapeake Bay.

A recent trip took Inspector Car- lin to Kinsman Street Engine House, Cleveland. Here are some of the things he did:

He surveyed the rafters for any accumulation of oily soot which could catch a spark and nurture it into a blaze.

He checked oxygen and acetylene tank gauges for calibration dates.

lnspector William Carlin makes sure no trash has accumulated to create a fire hazard on the tracks at Greenville Piers.

He surveyed work areas for oily rags or uncovered flammable materials.

He looked for oil on the floor. in the work and walk areas, and under pipes.

He checked valves and gauges on the heating and compression equip-

At the Kinsman Street Enginehouse in Cleveland, Lake Division, lnspector William Carlin checks the calibration dates of gauges on oxygen and acetylene tanks.

them. "When on a hazardous job, such as

cutting or welding, they should take first-aid extinguishing equipment to the site," he explained.

"If every employe follows the PRR Fire Prevention and Protection Rules-I.D. 200-A-he can help cut down the terrible waste of fire.

"For our mutual good, fire prevention must be everybody's business on the PRR.

"If a fire does break out, first call the nearest fire department. Then, until the firemen arrive, try to ex- tinguish it and warn fellow employes of the danger."

ment. He talked to PRR employes on the

job about the importance of fire safetv.

In most instances. fire mevention work goes hand in hand k t h safety work, Mr. Carlin emphasized.

"Nearly every fire hazard is also a work hazard." he said.

He pointed out that accumulations of trash are not only breeding places for fire but can cause injuries.

"All a fire needs is a few seconds' head start, and workers' lives, shippers' property and railroad structures and equipment can all be in danger,'' he said.

After each inspection trip, the PRR inspectors prepare a written report of their findings and recommenda- On the cover: Foam system for

stopping any fuel tank fire at Kinsman St. Yard, Cleveland, is tested by Inspector William Carlin with aid of Mechanics Edward Fogle and J. Jones.

tions to the superintendent or general manager. In many cases, needed corrective action is undertaken on the spot, before the reports are made. I

Is the fire hose in good shape, free of any cracks? lnspector Carlin makes sure.

"Employes themselves can do a lot to prevent fires," Mr. Carlin said. "It's primarily a matter of good housekeeping-keeping a clean shop, handling and storing flammable liq- uids carefully, and being especially careful while smoking."

He added that employes should

As Captain Frank Vedilago maneuvers his tug close to pilings at Greenville Piers, the deck crew tests the high-pressure water gun installed for extinguishing any fires.

Aboard PRR tug, The Cleveland, at Green- ville Piers, North Jersey, lnspector Wil- liam J. Carlin checks engine for fire safety with Chief Engineer George Swede.

take time to learn the location of fire extinguishers and hoses in their immediate area and how to use

The tug's life preservers also get a close check by lnspector William Carlin; An- thony Poreda, Greenville marine foreman;

Mr. Carlin and Joseph Makely, New York Division fire marshal, check the flame

and- Capt. Frank M. Rees, boatmaster. arrester in gas intake of forklift truck.


I" "Fantastic. said the Yardmaster

R. J. Wolstenholme, production coordinator, shows the visiting Mellinger family how tape containing car data is "played."

J. C. Henry, asst. mgr. data origination, explains the Instant Car Locator system.

W here does it all go and what do they do with it?

John D. Mellinger, yardmaster at Dillerville Yard, Lancaster, Pa., often wondered as he saw yard clerks typing reports on freight car movements on a Flexowriter machine.

Mr. Mellinger knew that the information was automatically wired to Philadelphia, and he was curious to know how it was processed and used there.

Recently he had a chance to see for himself.

His reaction: "Fantastic." "I never imagined that informa-

tion on all the thousands of daily car movements on the Railroad could be collected and stored so quickly and efficiently," he said.

"And most amazing is how you can get the location of any particular car you want by asking the computer, and getting the answer in a matter of seconds."

Yardmaster Mellinger works third- trick at Dillerville, and therefore was able to make a daylight trip to Philadelphia to see the PRR's Com- munications Center and Computer Center.

But it wasn't his curiosity alone that caused the visit. He has a 17- year-old daughter, Sue Ann, who's deeply interested in computer work. She took a special summer course to learn more about it, and told her father she'd be thrilled to see the PRR's new setup.

Mr. Mellinger talked to James W. Love, freight agent at Lancaster, who helped arrange for a visit.

And so, on a recent Friday morn- ing, Mr. Mellinger, with Sue Ann and his wife, Clara, came to visit the PRR's electronic data headquarters.

They were given VIP treatment. John C. Henry, assistant manager

of data origination, showed them how the reports from 180 yard-office Flexowriter machines, telling about freight car moves all over the Rail- road, come in by wire and are re- corded on magnetic tapes.

Then, in the Computer Center, Richard J. Wolstenholme, production coordinator, showed how these tapes are used to print the "Jumbo" -a complete list of all cars on the PRR, telling the latest move each one made.

The information is also stored on

R. J. Wolstenholme explains working of machine that prints car information at rate of 600 lines a minute. "Amazing!" said Yardmaster J. D. Mellinger, at right with family

Sue Ann watches Eugene B. Kelly "ask" the computer about train performance.

magnetic discs. These are used in a computer that gives an immediate reply to any PRR sales office that in- quires about the location of a particular car.

"All this really emphasized to me how important it is for trainmen and yard clerks to make their wheel reports, shifting sheets and yard checks absolutely correct," said Yardmaster Mellinger.

"What I mean is, if they make any mistake in listing a car, then the

wrong information is fed into these machines. And if the machines are given the wrong information, they can't give the right answers."

Mr. Mellinger watched the Jumbo report being printed, and noticed a B&O car listed by car number but with no information about its movements.

"Somebody in some yard must have left out the information," he said. "The result was a blank on this important list. It really stuck out like a sore thumb.

"When I saw that, I decided to bring home a sample of the form used in printing this Jumbo report, and post it on the yard bulletin board.

"That'll give our people a chance to see that the car information they collect is important. It has to be correct and it has to be complete. Other- wise, this whole complicated system for keeping track of our freight cars can't succeed.''

Those were some of Yardmaster Mellinger's reactions to what he saw at the PRR's electronic data headquarters.

Mrs. Mellinger took a housewife's view: "It's marvelous how they keep all this equipment in such neat order."

And daughter Sue Ann's comment was: "I'd certainly like to work here someday."

. Lowly little seat check working for Uncle Sam

S eat checks have become a major tool in preparing for PRR's new

High Speed Service. Once they were issued by train-

men only to show that a passenger's ticket had been collected and where he was going. Now, however, they are helping provide information for improving rail passenger service.

To do this, they were given a face a lift. The seat checks are now color-

coded and pre-punched for destination.

Trainmen are using these new checks all along the busy Northeast Corridor, connecting New York and Washington, D.C. When a trainman

I issues them, he hand-punches the I

city of origin.

( During the passengers' trip, they

Conductor J. R. Benik, New York Division, punches seat check for use in new study.

serve the older purpose of receipt and destination indicator. Before the passengers get off the train, the trainman collects the seat checks and bundles them, identifying the date and train number.

At the terminal, the checks are packaged and sent to Washington for reading in high-speed computers. The information obtained is carefully studied by PRR and U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation officials.

I t falls into three categories-city of origin and destination, the date of the trip, and its time of day as pro- vided by the train number.

This information permits tabula- tions showing the traffic flow between any pair of the following cities: Washington, Baltimore, Wil- mington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark and New York.

The traffic can then be totaled,

giving distribution and peak loads and times, for any period of days and for any hour of the day.

These totals are giving the PRR and government officials a clearer picture than ever before of how people move in the Northeast Corridor. With this information, the officials will set schedules and plan the ef- fective use of the new equipment for the service.

The PRR is studying the picture for a smooth introduction of the High Speed Service. The government officials are interested in this angle, too, but are also considering rail passenger service throughout the country.

Use of the new seat checks will continue after the High Speed Ser- vice is introduced. They will be used to measure passenger reaction to the service so that any changes can be made as quickly as possible.

The punched and printed checks are being made specifically for the Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project by Kimball Systems, Inc., a division of Litton Industries.


I I

Cars in regular service for the auto-maker are idle a t Motor Yard, Northfield, Ohio. A locked gate shuts off the siding to the Ford plant at Walton Hills, near Cleveland.

suppliers. The auto manufacturer buys several billion dollars' of sup- plies each year from about 20,000 other companies. With production stopped, many of these companies had to curtail ~roduction and lay off employes. For example, the Budd Company at Philadelphia, maker of body stampings and tools and dies for Ford, laid off 1750 men.

Similarly, the steel industry, chief supplier of the auto industry, felt the pinch, with a corresponding reduc- tion in its inbound shipments of raw materials and outbound shipments of finished steel.

All this hurt the PRR. Thousands of freight cars that normally move to and from these suppliers were idled, with an effect on railroad employment. There were "layovers"-lack of assignments for men on the extra list,

Allen J. Greenough, PRR president, commented that the "effects of the strike are cumulative for the railroad." As the impact continues to spread into the auto-maker's sup- porting companies, additional traffic and revenue will be lost by the PRR.

The auto strike and its effects

T he strike at the Ford Motor Com- pany had an immediate effect on

the PRR. The firm's plants across the nation

were closed on September 7 when the United Automobile Workers and the company were unable to agree on a new contract.

PRR auto carriers and freight cars, rolling to and from these plants, came to a halt. The PRR hauls much of the company's new-car production as well as parts for its manufacturing and assembly plants.

The loss of traffic had an immediate impact upon assignments in the yards near Ford facilities.

Local crews in the Cincinnati area were among the first to feel the effect of lost traffic, and then the yards at Cleveland and Metuchen, N. J., were affected.

The loss in PRrZ revenue for Sep- tember was estimated at nearly a million and a half dollars. That for Octo- ber, should the strike continue, was projected at more than two million.

The Railroad had to cut back on some repair projects. At Altoona, more than 300 men were furloughed.

The shutdown at Ford affected its

PRR Brakeman C. R. Carraway saw his job at Cleveland disappear because of the auto strike, but was able to bid into a iob a t Goodman Yard. He's shown with Ella Ayers, trainmaster's stenographer.

Continued losses could result in the curtailment of further programs and operations and in more railroad- ers being out of work. The extent of the problem will depend upon the length of the strike and whether or not the other car manufacturers become involved.

Members of United Auto Workers discuss strike developments outside Ford plant.

NEW MAN help our community and we did." The victory of the political novices

amazed the experts of the area. This was the first completely new

commission elected since 1935. Dur- ing the 32-year period, those appoint- ed to fill commission vacancies by the majority were re-elected as incumbent office holders.

Mrs. Patricia Sheehan, another of the "New Five," received the most votes in the election. According to custom, she was named mayor and became the first woman to hold that post in the history of the community.

"It was a lot of work getting elected," Commissioner Cahill said, "but it's even more work now. It's worth it, though, to help make our town a better place to live."

AT CITY HALL I ,t was a clean sweep for the "New

Five" candidates in recent munici- pal elections at New Brunswick, N.J.

An important member of that slate was William J. Cahill, Sr., PRR supervisor of ticket sales and services, New York Division.

As a result of the election, he's now Commissioner Cahill and Di- rector of Public Works in his home town.

He and the other members of the "New Five," as they were nicknamed during the election, ended a 32-year reign of the incumbent organization. They took all five commission seats by a handy margin.

Mr. Cahill disclaims the title of politician. He says that he and the others are just interested citizens who think they can do a good job of operating their community.

Mr. Cahill is the father of six chil- dren. His family has lived in the Middlesex County community for 70 years.

"As a parent, I am particularly

.a "

He confers with Commissioner J. A. Smith. They are among the 5 new Commissioners.

concerned with the problems involv- ing our young people," he said. "I am interested in making our town the best possible place for them to grow up in."

He often talked about the state of his community with friends, but never thought of personally taking any action.

"However, when the opportunity presented itself to do more than just talk, I accepted," Mr. Cahill said.

"I guess it was the same with the others on the ticket. Neither I nor they had run for public office before this election.

"We weren't active in politics, but we were concerned about our town. When we were asked to run, we thought it was a rare opportunity to

W . J. Cahill, New Brunswick's new Corn- missioner, with Mayor Patricia Sheehan.

Mr. Cahill at work in the PRR's ticket sales ofice a t Penn Station, New York.


A Railroad Crossword Puzzle Created especially for PRR people by William F. Beese

ACROSS 1. Initials of Government agency with

jurisdiction over railroads. 3. Major railroad facility for passen-

gers or freight. 7. Sleeping car. 13. He guides an engineman over un-

familiar territory. 15. Roadside devices that regulate

train movement. 16. West Philadelphia elevated branch. 17. Initials of organization of nation's

railroads. 19. Slow freight train. 21. Car at end of freight train. 22. Key freight yard on Harrisburg

Division. 25. Passengers are helped by Trav-

elers'- 27. Initials of a branch with very

slight grade. 28. Pulls a trair. 30. Train consisting of self-propelled

passenger cars. 31. Initials of a Pittsburgh Division

block tower, southwest secondary track B, Milepost 5.5.

32. Earlier title (initials) of official who audited revenues from passenger traffic.

33. Passenger car. 34. Initials of Operating Statistics re-

port filed quarterly with I.C.C. 35. Commonly used initials for Chi-

cago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway. 36. Initials of Gulf, Mobile & Ohio

Railroad. 38. Overheated journal. 39. Interlocking tower on Philadel-

phia Division, near Frankford Junction. 41. Initials of nationwide express

agency. 45. Congress of industrial organiza-

tions (initials). 46. Letter on front of locomotive or

MU car. 47. A locomotive, with or without

cars, displaying markers. 49. Dugout for inspecting locomotive

underframes. 51. Railroad worker who drifts from

one railroad to another.

52. To apply for a posted job. 56. Initials of Lake Erie & Eastern

Railroad. 57. This supports train wheels. 59. Northeast, abbreviated. 61. Refrigerator cars. 63. He ran the Cannonball Express to

the Promised Land. 64. 2000 pounds. 67. A Lake Division tower on the

main line to Chicago, 105.4 miles from Pittsburgh.

71. PRR's major electronic yard. 73. A shipment for which the con-

signee pays the charges. 75. Employe who handles paper work. 77. A coal-carrying railroad connect-

ing with the Bessemer & Lake Erie at Queen Junction Pa.

78. Initials of the railroad called "Main Line of Mid-America."

79. Makes an electric locomotive go. 81. Sunnyside Yard is in this State. 82. Ground-level signal used in in-

terlocking territory. 85. This southern railroad recently

merged with Atlantic Coast Line. 87. Unit charge for hauling freight. 91. Authority for expenditures (ini-

tials). 92. Boss of a train. 94. Rails and crossties make this. 97. This Western railroad had the

world's largest engine, "Big Boy." 100. Nickname for clear track in a

yard. 101. Keeps perishables cold. 103. The New York canal that caused

the State of Pennsylvania to charter its first railroad.

105. We want to prevent damage to this.

107. A subsidiary railroad of New York Central's Big Four route.

108. Abbreviation for a turnout. 109. Abbreviation for Ridley Park

station, 10 miles south of Philadelphia. 111. Relationship between sizes of

gears on a locomotive. 113. This covers the roadbed. 120. Source of iron. 121. He runs a block tower.

123. The kind of current used in PRR catenary power lines.

125. Name of dome cars used on the Burlington Route.

127. A type of 2-8-4 steam engine first used on the Central and named after famous hills in Massachusetts.

128. Block station on Crawfordsville secondary track, Southwestern Divi- sion, 22.7 miles from East Yard.

131. Abbreviated name of Delmarva Branch, or Delaware Road.

132. Deluxe passenger car. 133. A train not listed on official

timetable. 134. This type of track is used by

freight receivers for unloading cars. DOWN

2. America's leading railroad city. 3. In the days when an engineman

was a "hoghead," a fireman was a- 4. Where trains pass each other in

single-track territory. 5. This signal means: "Proceed pre-

pared to stop at next signal." 6. This railroad is called "The Route

of the Dashing Commuter." 7. Initials of the Government depart-

ment that handles the mails. 8. In this State, the golden spike was

driven in 1869, uniting the Central Pa- cific and Union Pacific railroads.

10. A pointed projection on tools used in adjusting ballast.

11. This railroad "Serves All Can- ada."

12. This kind of ballast comes from the waste of blast furnaces.

14. A train that stops a t all stations. 18. A main line tower on the Pitts-

buroh Division, 325 miles from Phila. 19. The PRR System is divided into

12 of these. 20. Initials of a CTC station on Alli-

ance Branch C, Lake Division, 76.6 miles from Mace.

21. Interlocking tower on the North- ern Central branch, Chesapeake Divi- sion, 69.9 miles from Baltimore.

22. Initials of a PRR leased line in New York State which later became the Northern Central.

23. Enginehouse employe who services locomotives.

24. Boxcar tourist. 25. This is used to brake trains. 26. A standing order for operating

trains or for safety. 29. He prepares meals. 32. Before noon. 36. Block station on Akron secon-

dary track, Buckeye Division, 94.2 miles from Hudson.

37. Lights on rear of train. 40. A fixed signal at entrance to a

route or block. 41. Welded rail. 42. Initials for Central Indiana Rail-

way, a PRR affiliate. 43. Modern type of locomotive. 45. Company, abbreviated. 48. 43,560 square feet. 49. Design for a construction project. 50. A type of guard rail used in

turnouts. (Golfers also use this.) 51. A stretch of railroad track gov-

erned by signals. 53. A switching maneuver in which

the cars are released from a leading locomotive and then switched to another track after the locomotive has cleared the turnout.

54. Device that guides cars off the rails in emergencies to prevent collisions.

58. Initials of Illinois Terminal. 60. Initials of Phase Break, a sepa-

ration of overhead power lines. 62. A track where trains may oper-

ate without timetable authority, train orders or block signals.

65. Number, abbreviated. 66. Station on West Chester branch,

18 miles from Philadelphia. 68. A basic unit in Morse code. 70. Locomotive involved in the

Great Chase during the Civil War. 72. Where trains are made up. 76. Railway, abbreviated. 80. Old nickname for an electric

switching locomotive in passenger yards. 82. Where Washington Union Termi-

nal is located. 83. What the passenger pays. 84. Unit charge for hauling freight. 85. Southeast, abbreviated. 86. Philadelphia interlocking tower,

near Zoological Gardens. 87. Railroad, abbreviated. 88. Timetable, abbreviated. 89. This railroad recently merged

with the Seaboard. 92. Track arrangement permitting a

train to move from one parallel track to another.

93. The space between crossties. 95. A good way to be, when you're

on duty. 96. The Blue Grass State (where

PRR has a terminal). 98. Where steam engines dumped

their ashes. 102. Unit trains haul a lot of this. 104. An empty car, run in a train to

protect an overhanging load. 106. During the war, the PRR ran

many - trains. 110. A track from which a turnout

is constructed. 112. Operating Statistics, initials. 113. The amount at which railroad

property is listed, minus the depreci- ation, is called the - value.

114. Block station on Zanesville branch, Buckeye Division, 18.7 miles from Trinway, 0.

115. In a turnout, the distance between point of switch and point of frog is called the ---.

116. Head-end traffic consists of express, baggage and -

119. This formerly powered all locomotives.

121. A report of the time a train passed a point is called -

122. Initials of a former Division that covered the Philadelphia area.

123. The official in charge of construction in each PRR Region is the - engineer.

124. What we want all trains to run on.

129. Derail, abbreviated. 130. Initials of Cleveland & Pitts-

burgh Railroad, a PRR leased line.


PRR men cut a giant iob down to size C onsidering both the height and

the width, this was one of the bulkiest shipments that ever crossed the PRR.

"There were some spots where we practically had to squeeze it through with a shoe-horn," said Jack M. Tag- ler, supervisor of clearance.

The shipment consisted of eight fabricated steel units from Lukens Steel Company, at Coatesville, Pa.

Four of the items were cylinders, 151/4! feet in diameter, to be used for encasing generators. Their destination was East Pittsburgh, Pa.

The other four were 19-foot "heads," or covers for pressure tanks, used for carrying chemicals on barges. These items were going to Houston, Texas.

"If they had been loaded in an ordinary way, they could never have gotten through," Mr. Tagler said.

The cylinders were cradled on F-42 depressed-center cars. The height above the rails was 1 7 feet 8 inches.

The heads were loaded on F-25 well cars, fitting down into the hol- low in the middle of the cars and riding only 4 inches above the rails. To further reduce the height of the load, the heads were slanted, leaning on steel supports welded to the side of each car.

This made the load height 17 feet 10 inches.

The loads were thus able to clear overhead bridges along the route. But the catenary power lines under several bridges were only 18 feet high. With the steel shipment passing just a few inches away, a high- voltage flashover was sure to occur.

"So we had a PRR electric traction crew move ahead of the train and shut off the power at these spots till the train passed," Mr. Tagler said. "For that reason, diesel locomotives were used instead of the usual electric locomotives we use in

The giant shipm on PRR special

ent, four cylinders and four freight cars. At the right,

Eastern territory." The details of the routing were

worked out by Charles B. B. Pen- rose, assistant supervisor of clearance.

"We had to take a roundabout route, adding about a hundred miles to the normal distance, in order to sidestep clearance difficulties," Mr. Penrose said.

The shipment moved by special train to Enola Yard, then was turned north through Sunbury and Lock Haven, Pa.

From here, the two parts of the shipment took separate routes.

The cylinders were sent through Tyrone and Altoona, and through the New Portage Tunnel, avoiding clearance problems at Gallitzin Tunnel; and then went through Pit- cairn to the destination at East Pitts- burgh.

The steel heads were routed clear across the Northern Division. They went to Erie, Pa., then southward

"heads", or tank covers, wait to move out a final check is given to the bracing.

through New Castle and Conway. After that, they headed along the Panhandle route toward East St. Louis.

The routing sheet was studded with cautionary notes, such as:

"Adjacent main and secondary tracks must be clear."

"Avoid Union Depot tracks in Columbus."

"Avoid No. 4 track through 19th St. in Richmond."

Passing through Vandalia, Ill., the cars had to be positioned so that the loads slanted to the right. If slanted the other way, they would have hit a bridge girder.

At East St. Louis, the four cars were turned over to the Terminal Railroad and then to the Cotton Belt Railroad, to continue the journey toward Houston.

"A very interesting movement," said Mr. Penrose-"and it was very nice to know that our people carried it to conclusion without a hitch."

PUZZLER W illiam F. Beese created the

crossword puzzle on the opposite page "for my own interest-and for the interest of PRR people."

It's made up almost entirely of PRR and general railroad terms.

He's uniquely qualified for a project like this. He knows the Railroad as few men do. He has personally walked almost every foot of the PRR's 9500 miles of line.

Mr. Beese is senior analyst in the Office of General Account- ing at Philadelphia. For about 18 years after joining the PRR in 1943, he spent his working hours walking the Railroad and making an inventory of every- thing on the right-of-way.

This is a continuing program on the Railroad. Today it's ac- complished by reports from Regional men about every

change in track and structures. This information goes into the valuation maps and records. They tell where Railroad property is and how much it's valued at.

Regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission require all railroads to update this information each year.

In his early days on the PRR Mr. Beese would go out in the field as a chainman-using a engineer's measuring chain- then would work as a drafts-

man to record the information in his office. In time, he was promoted and then he super- vised other crews.

"Making these surveys gave me an opportunity to see every type of structure, equipment and operation on the Railroad," said Mr. Beese. "No college education could duplicate this personal experience."

Mr. Beese, a crossword fan from way back, made this one up because he had never seen a purely railroad crossword puzzle.

"This isn't easy to solve," he cautions. "It may take some re- search. But I think you'll find it educational."

SOLUTION NEXT ISSUE

When you finish this crossword puzzle, please don't send it to The Pennsy. Hold on to it and compare it with the official solution which will appear in the next issue of The Pennsy.

Incident in a station

A n act of kindness a year ago stayed in the mind of Lu-

cinda M. Gliff, a PRR passenger. The incident occurred in the

restroom at Harrisburg, Pa. An elderly woman was all upset because she couldn't find hec tickets and baggage checks.

"Then a railroad employee came in and sat down quietly beside this woman," recounted Miss Gliff. "The employee helped her search her pocket, pocket book and suitcase, and finally all the 'lost' items were found. This was all done in such a gentle and helpful way.

"When I went through the Harrisburg station again last week," Miss Gliff wrote the PRR, "I found the employee's name. She is Miss Evelyn Risser (ticket seller and information clerk). I think she deserves commendation for her kindness."


and carpenter's danes S tamps, coins, records, bottles, sug-

ar packets, place mats, carpenter's planes. . . .

You name it, and David C. Stump can show you a collection.

In fact, he has a collection of collections, including a collection of trophies and medals he has won at exhibits.

Stamps are his biggest enterprise, and he's considered a top national authority. He's first vice president of the American Philatelic Con- gress, and editor of the Congress's annual publication.

Mr. Stump, who retired this year as a PRR industrial engineer at Philadelphia, has more than 200 al- bums of stamps. Many thousands of additional stamps fill file cabinets and a storage bin, and overflow onto tables.

"I just haven't had time to put them away," he says, "but now that I've retired, I should be able to catch up."

What he has collected and cata- logued to date would be any stamp collector's dream.

He has all U.S. commemorative stamps, all first-day covers (that is,

envelopes with stamps on the day of issue) since 1927, all United Nations stamps. He has 1000 envelopes mailed from naval vessels, 300 from Army post offices during World War 11, 500 airmail first-flight covers.

"After I collected all the US. stamps available to me," he says, "I started in on perfins."

Perfin stands for perforated initials. It means stamps with holes punched to identify the company using the stamps.

He now has the largest collection of perfins in the country, including 275 samples from railroad companies. He's the executive treasurer of the Perfins Club and publisher of its monthly magazine.

He also specializes in offset- printed stamps. These were pro- duced by the U.S. during 1918-1920, because a war-caused shortage of dies and inks forced the Post Office to use a different printing method. These stamps lack uniform color.

Mr. Stump's collections of perfins and offset stamps have won four best-of-show trophies, 15 gold medals and many other awards.

One hobby begets another. Mr.

I"-.- f

t

David C. Stump, PRR retired man, with a few o f the awards won by his stamp

collection. A t the top o f the page is a prize item, a strip of stamps printed by the offset

process in 1919 and privately perforated so as to b e usable in stamp-affixing machines.

Stump got interested in coins, and now has a complete collection of In- dian head and Lincoln pennies, Buf- falo nickels, Mercury dimes and Walking Liberty half dollars.

His interest in classical music led to the amassing of 2500 records. He has them all card-indexed.

He collects bottles to decorate his living room. He got fascinated by the different forms of sugar packets and place mats, and now has a collection of both. He also has 10 an-

tique carpenter's planes, made of wood-a contrast to the modern power tools he also possesses and expertly uses.

Mr. Stump's wife, Dorothy, has taken up stampcollecting in self- defense. They now plan to take annual trips to foreign countries, where they will be able to add to their collections of stamps-as well as coins, records, bottles, sugar packets, place mats and carpenter's planes, and maybe something new.

Best foot forward

Commendation for Richard F. Dean, clerk in the office of District Sales Manager, Philadelphia, was expressed by Joseph F. McHugh, pur- chasing agent of the R. D. Wood Division, Griffin Pipe Products Com- pany, Florence, N. J.

"For the past several months," he

wrote, "your Mr. Dean, who does the carload tracing, has served us in a very exceptional manner. In particular, we refer to two major multi- car shipments from Chicago and one from Boston. Mr. Dean reported promptly and kept us informed on car movements for the material in which we were so interested."

A trip on the PRR from Louis- ville, Ky., to Frankfort, Ind., was a pleasant experience for the daughter of A. L. Hubbard, chief buyer of

the Division of Purchases, Depart- ment of Finance, Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Trainman Ray M. Jones and the rest of the train personnel, Mr. Hub- bard wrote, "extended the type of service and care most of us feel doesn't exist in this day and age.

"It is gratifying to find that the 'old-fashioned' ideas of service do exist, and are being practiced by your company."

Following a class train trip, there

were thank-you notes expressing the sentiments of 31 second-graders at Belleville, Ohio, Elementary School. Mrs. Stoodt, the teacher, sent along sample letters, in which pupils certified that they "liked the ride very much" and "it was fun making the seats go back and forth."

Appreciation was expressed by the 58 merchants in the Northern Lights Shopping Center, Baden, Pa., for the PRR's cooperation in a "Railroad Day Jamboree Sale."

OnTheWayUp SYSTEM

Financial Department Accounting Division

Burger, S. 1. Sr. Special Auditor Ciarrocchi, R. A. Associate Computer Analyst Clothier, F. M., Ill Computer Analyst Hassinger, 1. E., Jr. Associate Procedures

Analyst Jensen, T. P., Jr. Systems Data Center

Manager, Philadelphia Langreder, Mary 1. Special Accountant Lynch, J. J., Jr. Associate Computer Analyst McCall, G. B. Computer Analyst Robinson, T. F., Jr. Sr. Special Auditor Stevenson, T. H. Accountant-Property

Records Walsh, G. C. Sr. Special Auditor

Traffic Department Glassmyer, W. W. Commerce Agent Huddleston, J. H. Special Agent Kelly, F. C. Special Representative Peebles, 0. L. Foreign Sales Representative,

Chicago Steiniger, T. F. Sales Representative,

Memphis

EASTERN REGION Cunningham, J. J. Junior Engineer Track,

Fellona, C. T. Acting Assistant Examiner, Philadelphia

Garrison, G. M., Jr. Assistant Exam:ner, Philadelphia

Kershaw, C. W. Supervisor Train Movement- Regional, Philadelphia

Lewis, R. J. Supervisor Employment, Philadelphia

Volpe, C. W. Cost Accounting Analyst, Philadelphia

Wright, B. C. Examiner, Philadelphia

Philadelphia Division Brewer, S. S. Assistant Foreman, Philadelphia Clarke, H. W. Supervisor Electric Traction,

Philadelphia

New York Division Arnlund, R. C. Assistant Supervisor Track,

New Brunswick Baughman, C. L. Freight Agent, Newark Brown, C. W. Acting Office Manager,

Assistant Superintendent Stations Office, New York

Harding, J. Z. B. Assistant Train Master, (Night), Harsimus Cove-Meadows

Rhodes, Leroy Agent, Trenton Thompson, J. 1. Acting Agent, Morrisville-

Bristol

Trovato, T. Supervisor Electric Traction, New York

Chesapeake Division Cole, H. Assistant Supervisor Communications

& Signals, Wilmington Lowry, K. 0. Transportation Supervisor,

Baltimore Steinbacher, R. J. Assistant Supervisor Track,

Washington

Harrisburg Division Blair, D. S. Engineer in Training, Harrisburg English, W. J. Supervisor Track, Enola Pitzer, C. E. Supervisor Track, Columbia Servansky, P. S. Supervisor Track, Lancaster

CENTRAL REGION Allegheny Division

Powell, W. 1. Assistant Car Foreman, Altoona

Pittsburgh Division Kenney, D. E. Agent, Blairsville Knottr, R. L. Assistant Supervisor C&S,

Pittsburgh Labusky, N., Jr. Supervisor Track,

Youngwood McConnell, M. R. Assistant Car Foreman,

Conway

Lake Division Herrman, C. W. Supervisor C&S, Cleveland

Northern Division Dwinnell, W. B. Supervisor Track,

Northumberland

WESTERN REGION Merchant, H. W. Manager, Reservation

Bureau, Chicago

Buckeye Division Fraher, J. R. Transportation Supervisor,

Columbus Pluto, J. V. Supervisor Track, Assistant

Train Master, Mt. Vernon, Ohio

Chicago Division Bhardwai, P. L. Ju.nior Engineer-Structures,

Chicago

Ft. Wayne Division Carley, F. W. Transportation Apprentice,

Ft. Wayne

HEAVY REPAIR SHOPS Garboden, C. 0. Supervisor of Methods,

Material Management, Altoona Works


Merger developments -A special three-judge Federal Court in New York held a final hearing on Sep- tember 18 to consider the issues still pending in the Penn Central merger case. On September 28, the Court heard argument on the question of continuing the injunction against the merger until a decision is reached in both the Penn Central merger case and the case concerning the inclusion of the Erie-Lackawanna, Delaware & Hudson, and Boston & Maine into the N & W.

Washinoton Evening Star Z'hoto.

For High Speed Service-concrete supports for an 1100-foot car-level platform are being installed in Union Station, Washington, D. C. The platform will en- able passengers to step directly on or off High Speed cars.

Who'll pay for a i r p o r t s ? - ~ h ~ people W ~ O

use airports-the passengers, shippers and airport operators-ought to pay a greater share toward the costs of airport development, says Alan S. Boyd, U. S. Secretary of Transportation.

Speaking before a subcommittee of the Senate Com- merce Committee, he said: "Total airport development needs, if they are to be met, will require through 1972 a total expenditure by Federal, state and local govern- ments of $3 billion-more than double the investment made in the preceding five-year period."

As one way of collecting more revenue, Mr. Boyd re- ferred to a study showing that a tax of $1 per passenger "would contribute tremendously in offsetting the costs of airport development." He added that operators of private and business planes "should be called upon to assume a much greater share of the cost of the facilities they require."

Who'll pay for the S e a w a y ? - w h e n the s t . Lawrence Seaway was built, it was supposed to pay its own way. Now the Senate is considering legislation that

- -

would make the taxpayers bear costs of maintenance and improvements.

Protesting against this, James G. Tangerose, an official of the Association of American Railroads, told a Senate subcommittee that ship operators who use the Seaway have saved about $200 million in transportation costs from 1959 to 1965.

Congress is being asked to put up $13 million of taxpayers' money to rehabilitate the locks, but, declared Mr. Tangerose, the ship operators should foot the bill and "they can well afford to."

Tom Goodfellow says: 'Let's sound off!' Thomas M. Goodfellow, the new president of the

Association of American Railroads, learned his railroading on the PRR. He started as an apprentice in 1929, rose through the M.-of-W. department, and served as superintendent of several PRR Divisions, before moving to the Long Island Railroad, where he eventually became president.

Here are excerpts of a speech he recently made about how railroad people can help railroads and everybody who earns a living in this industry.

Y ou are all public relations ambassadors for a dynamic industry. Maybe this isn't quite the role

you see for yourselves-but it is a role you play and which you cannot escape even if you wanted to.

To your friends and neighbors, you represent the railroads. What you do and say about this industry shapes what they think and say.

No one can deny the importance of good service or quality performance by a business. Yet, given a good job, it remains a fact that the public image of an industry is strongly influenced by the attitudes of those who work in the industry.

The public is hearing much about our industry nowadays from merger hearings, train abandon- ment~ , labor disputes, rate cases-you name it. The picture the public sees is often badly distorted with stress on our problems and differences-with little attention to our achievements.

We ought to be doing much more to accentuate the powerful story of the dynamic new industry we're building. We ought to be bending the ear of everyone we meet with this story. We ought to be shouting it from the housetops. Each of us should be doing it-all 700,000 of us. Think what that would do to our public image!

Let's tell people about the whole range of accom- plishments, from technical progress to our many new freight services-all of which adds up to one of the most magnificent comeback stories in all of economic history.

You can do a lot of shouting about piggybacking and container developments-how these services have grown so fast in a dozen years that nearly 3 million truck-trailer trips are now made annually by train instead of over crowded roads.

Let's talk about our rapidly expanding unit train services-a remarkably efficient low-price approach to the movement of great volumes.

We can tell how auto shipments have again taken to trains, so much so that 41h million new motor vehicles a year-9 times the '59 level-now ride the rails from assembly plants to dealer distributing points.

Then, there's the entire generation of new freight cars, with many especially tailored to specialized needs-the long flats and racks, big boxcars, mammoth tankers and huge covered hoppers. Improved car accessories are still another story-the roller bearings, the better springing to give lading a softer ride, the cushion-type draft gears for gentler cou- pling, the cargo-securing devices for safer loading, the extra-large doors for quicker freight handling.

Let's talk, too, about what railroads are doing to overhaul their pricing structure, to better reflect their ability to haul big volumes and save money for shippers. Right now, severe cost increases have forced the lines to seek modest freight rate increases. Even so, I don't think many industries can match the rail pricing record of recent years: While overall consumer prices have risen by 15 per cent since 1958, railroads have reduced their average freight charges by nearly the same percentage. A remark- able achievement!

Let's also keep in mind how railroading under- girds the nation's defense strength-how we're again providing all-out support for our military forces. Who knows this story better than you?

Overall, railroading seems to me never to have had such a favorable long-term outlook. Population continues to climb, demanding further expansion in production. President Johnson put this best when he stated that by the year 2000, we must literally build a second America, embracing as much additional new construction as in all our past history.

Even after 135 years, the railroads are far from realizing their full potential.

As we find new ways to get more out of our tech- nology and better serve customers, railroads will become stronger and healthier-better able to com- pete and to meet the needs of the nation's future.

Big l i f t -~ giant crane at Cleve- land hoisted a main press frame weighing 320,000 off a Cun- ard Line ship from Liverpoool, En- gland. This was said to be the heav- iest single lift ever made at a Great Lakes port.

The frame was put on the PRR's FW-1 well car, a 32-wheel mammoth that can carry up to 520,000 pounds and itself weighs 410,600 pounds. It took the load to Buffalo, where the car was turned over to the New York Central for delivery to Crucible Steel Company at Syracuse, N. Y.

King COB I - PRR people, who know that coal is the largest single commodity hauled on the Railroad, are heartened by a prediction that mine output may soar to new highs in the next five to seven years. J . C. Moore, Assistant Secretary of the In- terior, said the plus factors in coal's future are the strong demand from steel and electric utilities, the ab- sence of strikes in the mines, low mining costs and the prospect of mine mergers.

Big m O n € ? y - ~ h ~ Federal GOV-

ernment announced that highway funds totaling $4.8 billion have been allocated to the states for the year beginning next July 1.

It is estimated that operators of commercial highway vehicles may save as much as $3 billion a year by using the new interstate system.

Crossing accidents - De- spite the elimination of many railroad crossings by construction of bridges or underpasses for highways, 1740 persons were killed throughout America during 1966 in collisions between autos and trains at grade crossings. This is an increase of 12 percent over the previous year. The U.S. Department of Transportation is starting a new program aimed at reducing grade-crossing accidents.

"It's so nice your cabin car was retired with you."

The Pennsy is published by the Pennsyl- E vanla Railroad Company for its em- E ployes. Address any communieations to ( The Pennay, Room 1042 Transportation $ Center, Six Penn Center Plaza, Phila., Pa. 19104.

Editor JOSEPH SH.4LLIT

Staff Writer JOSEPH K. HARVEY

Staff Photographer NELSON M. STICKLER

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THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY

ROOM 1042 TRANSPORTATION CENTER

NUMBER SIX PENN CENTER PLAZA

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 19104

LIFT THlS WAY Knees bent and back straight-

Your legs do most of the work.

"Since I strained my back, believe me, I'm not going to let myself forget how to lift!"

N O T THlS W A Y Knees straight and back bent- Your back gets all the strain.

SAVE YOUR BACK

One careless lift can cause you

a load of trouble. So before you

l i f t a heavy obiect, remember:

1. Bend at the knees.

2. Keep your back straight.

3. Lift with your legs.


original document from the collection of rob schoenberg

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