WK&S Early Years 1963-65
Вставка
- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- The Wanamaker Kempton & Southern has a special place in my railroading world. I worked there as a volunteer from 1966 to 1969, cutting my teeth on the basics of railroading at the tender age of 12. Herewith a compendium of shots on 8mm film from the Houser Collection, covering some of the earliest trains when the equipment was still lettered for the parent roads, up to the acquisition of Baldwin 2-6-2 250 from the Bonhomie, Hattiesburg & Southern. In some of the shots only the roadname is painted out in primer, with the white striping and driver highlights still from the original owner. Two train operation is shown, with #2 handling a short consist while 250 takes the big train. Note that the trains appear to be operating fairly full. The final shots have 250 and the consist with full WK&S lettering. Sounds added from the Semaphore recordings and my video library. Enjoy!
This brings back some wonderful memories for me. In 1964, when I was 5 years old, the engineer on No. 250 invited me up into the cab as the engine was steamed up prepared for a run. What a thrill for a young railfan! Thanks so much for sharing!
There is very cool footage of 250 in this video that I absolutely love! Btw 250 is my favorite steam locomotive and I love seeing new footage of it in operation.
For years, I have been searching for any videos of WK&S in the early days with both of these locomotives in service, and lo and behold, here they are!
Thank you for posting this rare gem!
It would be nice if WKS restored ALL its passenger equipment to operation
@@nicholasmedovich8691 I'm sure they'd be happy to receive a cash infusion to help them towards that goal. Good paint ain't cheap.
Thank you. I remember visiting here at least once, maybe a few more times with my father and brothers in the late 60's and early 70's. I had a chance to revisit about ten years ago with my father and my wife and young daughter. Thank you . Fond memories.
I visited there back in 99 when 2 had her makeshift tender with her. It would be a blessing if 65, 4, and 2 were all restored although it may never happen. Plus love to visit to help restore some of the passenger equipment. INCLUDING the two gondolas and the other reading coach.
I wasnt around yet in this WK&S era but I certainly was in the 65 & 2 era. 2 was my favorite even more when they took that dumb fake tender off her. Shes got a very loud exhaust. Sadly they tuned around and made her a flower pot more or less not long after that like 65 is now too. While it wasnt exactly as kool as BM&R 425 or 2102 rides its was definitely the next best thing. And in the Autumn they used to do the doubleheaders and Harvest moon trips. I only ever saw 1 weekend where they ran two separate trains but heard in the old days they did that alot. You either got a Reading chime and a hooter or 2 Reading Chimes. It was like as close as you would get to Reading Ramble. WK&S used to give you a time warp in the station areas to better than its competion except for at The Easty. But as a Reading junkie WK&S was better for me everything around the complex was old Reading. Whoever ran the gift shop was better too it was all railroad stuff not silly trinkets. The line has some very good farm and mountain scenery as shown here. I miss the steam, some of the men now gone(I think only the Hartman bros are left) and that little picnic stop at Trexler made for some nice startups and I liked its flag stop semaphore made for a nice scene.
In 1963 my Dad helped set up the gift shop in the ex-Catasauqua freight house. He had connections with Philly souvenir suppliers and bought engineer caps, kerchiefs, wooden whistles etc. for the railroad. Meanwhile I would man the road crossing at Trexler with a "STOP-paddle" after being dropped there by speeder. On a warm sunny day the trick was staying awake between train passages. Never did see a car while the train passed.
The road was initially bankrolled by a group of mainly doctors and lawyers. One of those wannabe engineers took us on a speeder ride toward Wanamakers that nearly ended in a cornfield meet; actually a forest meet on a blind curve near the midpoint stopover place. The locomotive engineer let loose a blue cloud of profanity that may still be there. Our very abashed "engineer" had to back us ahead of the train to Kempton where he got a loud and extensive lecture from the real engineer.
Rick
Would you do New York Central,
There is some NYC footage in my video "Railfanning the Northeast in Film". Unfortunately that's all the material I have at this time.
My Grandfather took this train to school everyday.
I used to volunteer on this Railroad with my father
Thanks for adding sounds and not music. Makes the video WAY better. I know it’s a lot of work, but we appreciate it.
And thank you for noticing. It is a lot of work but I'm retired so it fills the day, plus no deadline to get it done. I try to use sounds that are either the actual loco or something very similar. I absolutely HATE the 40s Swing music the commercial producers use.
Back in 1966 I think it was I took a ride on that train I was about 9 years old I have a couple pictures of me sitting in the cab the train number was number two what an experience
Number 2 is the smaller locomotive shown in the film. Thanks for watching.
Thanks Rich for uploading this. As a note, 250 was from the Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern or B&HS and came to Kempton via the Southern to Belle Chasse LA, then loaded onto a SeaTrain ship bound for Edgewater, NJ, routed over the NYS&W to W&N Junction (New Green Pond) where it was interchanged with the CNJ's Wharton & Northern and hauled to Allentown where she went to the Reading for delivery to KN. The speeder shown in the shot was Fairbanks Morse car that was purchased from the L&NE when the RR purchased the gondolas and the flat car along with more than a few track tools.
Great editing and adding the sound.
Beautiful well shot film
Very nice! Good sound editing. 👍
Very cool vid & a big thank you for the location link in the description. The WK&S rings a bell (haw, haw) & I wanted to look it up on the map.... pretty much like anything else train related. The good thing is, there's clear imagery of the museum today. You (may) have no idea how difficult it was to look at anything that "small" in the early days of Google Earth. I used to spend hours trying to search out abandoned trackage of the MILW & B&C using fuzzy images. No more of that today. Though the map services could stand to update the imagery out west. And northern WI for that matter. Thanks again! Regards!!
Too bad #250 left in the early 70’s but you could ride behind it at Wolfeboro, NH through 1984, the railroad up there shut down after 1985 but 11 miles of track are used by speeder clubs. WK&S has a few speeders. #250 is stuffed and mounted at Edaville in Massachusetts. WK&S has another 2-6-2 though that will eventually be restored. It’s too bad they couldn’t get the track to Germansville in 1962 due to the stubborn landowner past Wanamaker who refused to sell the row through his property to the new tourist railroad being formed. They originally wanted to go to Germansville, 11.7 miles from Kempton. I’m making a what if route in Trainz, I merged a WK&S payware route with a DEM map of the S&L to Germansville and Lenhartsville as a what if they got the track to Germansville and later on to Lenhartsville with the track ending before old 22 with the crossing paved over and the track south of old 22 ripped up to Evansville. In my fantasy world the Lenhartsville station is in its original location painted in the colors of the Wanamaker station and is used by my fictional tourist railroad, would it be called WK&S if they went to Germansville and Lenhartsville? It’s still landlocked though with track ripped up south of old 22 to Evansville and gone a bit past Germansville. I’m looking at old aerial maps of the S&L between Lenhartsville and Germansville and at photos of Germansville and Lenhartsville stations to get sign and structure placement right.
Another great film. I have forwarded your videos to folks I know who model. You film collection is priceless.
Back when WK&S was worth the visit.
How is it not anymore?
5:10
Does the railroad still run ?
Yes, but currently only diesel powered.
250 was sold off many years ago to pay off debts. #2 is still on the property but unserviceable. Two other steamers have been acquired and are undergoing restoration.
@@fmnut how many tons did 2 carry before the makeshift tender was sold off??
Gotta love saddletanks and tender engines.
Hi Jeff,
This is just awesome!
Growing up, I spent weekends on the W.K.&S.
I’ll have to do a bit of research as to exactly when, but I was born in 1959 so I’m thinking we must have crossed paths there.
My Father started the “Museum Train” and we usually stayed Saturday nights in the business car.
I used to tell my kids that “When I was your age, we had kerosene lamps for light, a coal stove for cooking and had to walk a hundred yards to use the outhouse!”
Of, course that was only on summer weekends, but why let a fact like that ruin a good story!
As a young kid, I used to flag the Trexler crossing and help with the “fire train” speeder. (Although I don’t remember ever going as fast as shown in your movie.)
I have boxes of photos and memorabilia which I plan to post someday.
THANKS FOR POSTING THIS!
So you're Les' son. Yes, I remember you being there, your dad mentored me and I gained my appreciation of rail history from him. I used to ride up with Cal Reppert and his son. I was born in 53 so I was a bit older.
@@fmnut I see now that you are not Jeff and he shared your video.
I just subscribed to your channel.
Great “meeting” you!
Are you on Facebook? I wouldn’t mind sending you some pics.
Thanks again!
@@randyross3380 sorry not on Facebook.
Amazing as always.
Cool
Most excellent