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Post by richard on Sept 28, 2006 23:58:34 GMT -5
This picture appears to be another retirement party that occurred May 25, 1959.L - R: Harold Taskey, unknown, Bill Martin, unknown, ? Bennett, unknown - Fireman, Mrs. Orie Hall (wife), Orie Hall, Dickie Chandler, Eppie Hardin, Charlie Williamson, ? Bowman, Carl Brown, George Ritz, unknown, Howard H. Rutan - Yard Clerk. Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown
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Post by richard on Sept 29, 2006 0:00:15 GMT -5
This picture is from the 1956 Penn Central Employees Picnic. Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown
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Post by richard on Sept 29, 2006 0:01:34 GMT -5
This picture is from the 1954 Penn Central Employees Picnic. Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown
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Post by richard on Sept 29, 2006 0:03:13 GMT -5
This picture is from the 1955 Penn Central Employees Picnic. Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown
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Post by richard on Sept 29, 2006 0:05:44 GMT -5
This picture is from the 1960 Penn Central Employees Picnic. Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown
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Post by richard on Sept 29, 2006 0:07:26 GMT -5
This picture is from the 1964 Penn Central Employees Picnic. Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown
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nancs
HCI Forum Board Member
Posts: 948
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Post by nancs on Sept 29, 2006 6:27:49 GMT -5
Great RR photos, Linda. Thanks for sharing. The sharing of these kinds of items is what makes this website so very, very special. What each one of us has in 'the family archives' and our own memories of the past. truly labels this message board as a wealth of Columbus, IN history. Our contributions are surely 'the writings and photos' of history via the use of technology. Thanks to the contributors, to David for the vision, to Richard for his patient help and to all the people who visit this forum. We all gain so much. Have a great today, and wonderful tomorrows. I so encourage everyone to become a 'writing/sharing' part of this message board experience. Love to all, Nanc
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Post by richard on Sept 29, 2006 21:47:13 GMT -5
Below is the Certificate Carl Brown received when he was relieved of Active Duty after forty and one-twelfth years of Service from The Pennsylvania Railroad Company.Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown
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Post by David Sechrest on Oct 1, 2006 21:07:32 GMT -5
"The Ghost of Columbus Indiana's Railroad" RER, where was this photo taken?[/size][/b]
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Post by David Sechrest on Oct 1, 2006 21:10:52 GMT -5
Carl Brown appears to be checking the tracks from Penn Central Engine number 8589.
Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown Richard, I wonder if Linda could find out if this photo was taken somewhere around Columbus. Judging the size of the hill on the left, I doubt it was. It would be nice to identify the location.[/size]
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Post by David Sechrest on Oct 1, 2006 21:13:40 GMT -5
Carl Brown is at the switch and Virgil Bump is on Penn Central Engine number 8589.
Photo Courtesy of Linda Brown Ditto, I'm wondering where this photo was taken?[/size]
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Post by David Sechrest on Oct 1, 2006 21:30:15 GMT -5
Richard, thanks for taking the time to scan and post the photos from Linda.
That train engine brings back all those memories of playing on the rr tracks at the end of Center Street back in the 1960's. I've been looking for some good photos of that specific type of engine, and was tickled to see some good ones.
We always called them work engines. Back in those days, they pulled their cargo from the downtown area to Hamilton Cosco, or Arvin, as those were the only two businesses out that way. OR, they were heading out of town toward Madison. The Madison runs usually meant there was more than one of the work engines pulling the cars.
If memory serves me correctly, I think those type of engines were called GP7's, and if I'm wrong, I sure do hope that someone corrects my mistake here.
About the only time I get to see engines and cars these days is when I'm stopped at a railroad crossing in my car, waiting for them to pass. The boxcars and flat cars are much longer these days, and made of metal. Back in my "Center Street" days, many of the boxcars were still made of wood.
The GP7's were first manufactured in 1949 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division, and just happen to be my most favorite design of all the "work engines."
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Post by richard on Oct 25, 2006 15:48:51 GMT -5
I’ve received the following information from Linda Brown. Linda is an active member of the committee that planned the ‘Columbus – Celebrating Our History’ last July 15, 2006. Her comments follow. The references to the page/reply of the pictures are mine.I spoke with my brother yesterday about the railroad pictures and he said the picture of dad at the front of the train was taken on the hill at North Madison as the train was getting ready to go over the Madison hill. He said the Madison hill is the steepest non-cogged hill in the world. The hill is one mile long at a 5.8% grade that leads into downtown Madison, Indiana. Note: see page 3 reply # 40 on September 29, 2006, in the Railroads of Columbus within the Railroad History of Columbus thread.Also my brother told me that my dad worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad for 47 years. He has a roster of the employees that he is trying to locate. The picture of the switch was located at North Madison where the train is getting ready to go over the hill. The Barber Wholesale Grocery is on the right. Note: see page 3 reply # 39 on September 29, 2006, in the Railroads of Columbus within the Railroads of Columbus thread. When my brother, Bob Brown, started working on the railroad in 1941 (he retired in 1981 after 40 years of service) the Brakeman was paid $6.07 per day which was more than Cummins was paying at that time. The yard brakeman was paid $7.06 per day. After a year of being a brakeman the employee was promoted to flagman after about one year. Then after about two years the employee had to take a test to become a freight conductor and had to pass it within two chances or they were dismissed from the Pennsylvania railroad. The original roundhouse was located between 4th and 5th Streets and Franklin and Lafayette, the site of First Christian Church today. Located nearby was the Black Cat Coal Company, Columbus Coal Company and Robertson Lumber. At the time it was the JMI (Jefferson, Madison and Indianapolis) railroad. A city park was nearby this location. On October 6, 1892 there was an article in the Columbus newspaper that said they the railroad was being relocated to the west end of 4th Street. The layout of the railroad when it moved was as follows: the roundhouse was located south of 4th Street west of Lindsay Street between the two tracks. My brother and I went there this morning and you can still see where the work pit foundation was and part of the roundhouse foundation. He is working to put a plaque there sometime next spring identifying the spot. Going north from the roundhouse was the Yard Office (employee office, lockers and time slips) which was located near 4th Street between Jackson and Brown Street. Just north of that was the Freight House between 5th and 7th Street. The next building was Dunlap Lumber Company. North of Dunlap was the Depot located at 7th and Jackson. The railroad was located in the current Sears and Cummins parking lot areas. I also had a couple of brothers that worked for the railroad, George and Jesse Brown. Jesse Brown worked on the wreck train but later went to work at Reeves. George Brown was a freight clerk. There was a train wreck in Madison on October 25, 1943 that my dad, Carl Brown, was on along with Bob Frederick and another person that did not survive the wreck. The picture on the railroad bridge on the Flatrock River is just north of Flatrock, Indiana on the Shelby line. I am going to try to locate it sometime and attempt to get a picture of the bridge abutments as it looks now. Note: see page 11 reply # 154 on October 2, 2006, in Postcards within the, Postcards: A Look At Columbus Through The Eyes of Visitors thread.
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Margo CHS Class of 55
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Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind; it doesn't matter.
Posts: 376
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Post by Margo CHS Class of 55 on Oct 26, 2006 0:39:14 GMT -5
from Linda Brown... " Also my brother told me that my dad worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad for 47 years. He has a roster of the employees that he is trying to locate." LINDA ....
I ONLY HOPE HE IS ABLE TO LOCATE THAT ROSTER. We had relatives who lived right by the railroad tracks somewhere close to Death Valley. Their last name was "Booher". I can remember their son "Billy " ( who was younger than me) would always take a red lantern out with his Dad to signal the trains at night when we were at their house. Just wondered if their name would be on that roster ? Thanks for sharing and stirring up some wonderful memories again for me...Margo
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Post by richard on Oct 31, 2006 15:40:38 GMT -5
This is the building that housed the Bixler Lumber Company. In 1953 the address was 1350 Jackson Street. Notice the rails still there that was the siding or route of the Pennsylvania Railroad route across the north edge of Columbus. That line served coal yards and lumber companies as well as the Air Force Base and continued on to Shelbyville, Indiana.
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nancs
HCI Forum Board Member
Posts: 948
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Post by nancs on Nov 1, 2006 11:48:12 GMT -5
Thanks Richard, for posting such great photos. Those of us out-of-towners so appreciate your 'ventures around town' to keep us up to date. Also all the ads that you have scanned and put on the boards. They are great and really trigger a lot of memories for many. Nanc
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RER
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"Democracy & Freedom"
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Post by RER on Nov 1, 2006 12:13:27 GMT -5
"Bixler Lumber Company In Reference To The Richard's Photo" (Bixler Lumber Was Located Directly Behind The Coke Plant)
My mother was Tom Bixler's accountant during 1953. I think she worked there for 2 or 3 years before she starting Automotive Accounting at the Oldsmobile Dealership.
Tom Bixler built homes also and my brother unloaded lumber from rail cars on the back side of the picture. Tom had some warehouses, where some of the rails actually went into the buildings for offloading. I helped some at time but not a lot.
I sure remember there was a super cold winter between 1952 to 1953 it seems. I remember waiting with my Dad in his car to pick Mom up at Bixlers around 5:00 PM in the evening, and it was very, very cold.
My Dad was driving at that time a Fluid Drive Dodge. Fluid Drive was a version of automatic shifting of gears in place of using the clutch all the time.
Bob
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RER
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Post by RER on Jan 17, 2007 19:01:30 GMT -5
Flatrock River Railroad Bridge Columbus Indiana Bob
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Post by richard on May 5, 2007 11:30:52 GMT -5
This information from 1957 was in the Looking Back column in today’s paper. The Pennsylvania Railroad discontinued one of its passenger trains that was passing through Columbus and shortened the route of another.
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RER
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"Democracy & Freedom"
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Post by RER on Jun 9, 2007 22:51:07 GMT -5
Big Four Train Crossing Blue River PostcardCrossing Blue River at Shelbyville IndianaBob
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