Steam Locomotive Auxiliary devices - Trains Magazine

RME,

You and I are true HUDSON fans!  And well met!

About 15 years ago I was on a business trip to up-state New York and got off the Interstate with Staufer's book.  Using the photos I went to Gulf Curve to explore the sight of the famous wreck.

Of course the NYC main line - now Norfolk Southern - is still located in about the same area as it was in 1947.  The area is quite overgrown compared to the old NYC photos.  I walked about a mile of the track eventually finding the aproximate location rock retaining wall where NYC 5315 went off the track right into that immovable object at speed some distance from the track.

The New York Central Railroad knew the "Gulf Curve" was a dangerous curve and always had a speed restriction on that sight.  But for some reason that train, heading west, went into that curve, on that day, running about 20 mph too fast - and would have stayed on the rails.  

For some never discovered reason the locomotive throttle was suddenly shut - at the critical moment - causing the engine to slow down and the slack "run in" from the following passenger train to pile into the tender coupler and shove the NYC 5315 hard - lifting it off the tracks and right into the rock retaining wall.  It was a disaster!

For some other strange and unknowable reason the Road Forman of Engines was riding in the cab that day - and survived the accident - and the boiler explosion. 

He could never did credably account exactly what transpired - but the alarming fact was that the throttle never should have been shut at the critical moment!  Something went very wrong - and in the way the story is told makes one wonder if the Road Forman - who felt the engineer was not obaying rules - went over himself and suddenly shut the throttle himself causing the wreck?  And over riding the engineer's control of the train?  Whatever caused the accident - it was the reason for the disaster.

NYC 5315 went headfirst into the rock wall on its right side which uncovered the firebox shell from the protective cooling water.  The fire apparently still raging went onto the right side of the firebox wall.  When the hot steel of the uncooled firebox quickly melted - the boiler then "blew up" and out through the funneled shape of the firebox and the grates, ash pan and trailer truck of the engine.  

Laying on its side the explosion blew through the trailer truck and booster engine bending the frame of NYC 5315 back under the drivers - bending the locomotive side rods and blew the rear driver loose to a position underneath the front two drivers.  That's one hell of an explosion!  

The entire trailer truck and booster engine flew off like a huge steel missile - and it was never found.

When the wreck was cleaned up the ICC report stated the rear truck was assumed to have gone into the Mohawk River which runs along the main line 30 feet below grade, past several buildings several hundred yards away.  

Where it likely still is!  And on a bright sunny day if it went far enough away into the part of the river that is still unchanged it could be seen by air - a magnometer would be another way to find it - so would side scan sonar with a boat.  I mean depending on the force of the explosion, just how far could it go?

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The passenger train behind NYC 5315 then piled into the Gulf Curve engine wreck with fairly large loss of life creating one truely catastrophic New York Central passenger train wreck in 1940.

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Complete details and the ICC report are available on the internet.

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My peaceful visit to the Gulf Curve in 1998 saw a sleepy New York community that used to be astride the mainstreet of America!  Daily many multiple passenger trains like the 20th Century Limited carried American travelers to their appointed destinations.  

Today only the heavy freight of America travels through there instead - and a few lucky Amtrack passengers.  A two lane New York state highway winds along the main line at Gulf Curve and there was a long highway overpass right at the sight.  If one hunts along the shoulder of the road they come across - a commerative bronze plaque on a stone boulder maker - placed some years ago after the time of the wreck - now long forgotten and weed covered, noting for all history the events of that tragic day in 1940.

No I didn't see any signs of NYC 5315 lost Delta trailer truck with Franklin Equipment supply booster steam engine.  I hadn't read the ICC report and did not catch that it was still there.  But I am sure it could still be there among the weeds of the river where it came to rest. 

They found the RMS Titanic on the bottom of the trackless Atlantic Ocean 3 miles down.  How much trouble can a 2 ton steel truck be to find if it was never located - it's not the kind off thing scrappers or scavengers could make off with in a pick-up truck. 

Now the problem is that in 1947 the New York Central did a track re-alignment moving the main line tracks into the north shore of the Mohawk River.  It appears they filled the area with a heavy rock grade cutting off the sharp river bend making the trapped water into a kind of pond.  For this reason the resting place of the rear engine truck of NYC 5315 could have found a number of fates.

(1) It landed far enough into the river where the curve re-allignment did not disturb it.  (2) It landed on the river bank part of the river - now pond area - where it would be in the water not covered by the new 1947 railroad grade.  (3) It is buried under the 1947 new main line of the New York Central now the Norfolk Southern.  (4) In the process of relocating the new line it was discovered, not reported and junked.   

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Anyway RMC - I am game to go look as I am sure some residents might already have done - wouldn't be hard to charter a small aircraft for a fly over on a sunny days to look into the water of the Mohawk River.  Yes, I am game to go look!  To look for enough parts to restore long ago wrecked NYC 5315 - that is if you think a Delta trailer truck and the remnants of a locomotive tender from NYC 5313 would do it! 

It sure would be a more original locomotive than a reproduction Pennsy T1 - and a lot less expensive one too!

Doc