8 THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER

OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

November 1992

THE

5270
By Dick Barrett & Tim Truscott
Nearly a century of steam locomotive history ended on September 25, 1952 when the last steam locomotive to be repaired there, J-l "Hudson" No. 5270, left the New York Central's West Albany Shops after being given a sendoff by the crew of machinists, steamfitters, boilermakers and oth-

_ West Albany's Last Steam Locomotive

employment level of 1,400-1,500. As a consequence of the layoffs at West Albany, employees who stayed with the railroad were spread far and wide through transfers to other shops. Some, such as Tony Poleto and Ed Sedguick, began commuting to Harmon Shop each day. Others, like Jack Hickey, moved to Beach Grove, Indiana.

ers who worked on it. While there were approximately 190 employees working at the West Albany locomotive shop at the time, only a comparative few saw the 5270 leave. The crew of 190 still working at West Albany at the time of the 5270's departure was a far cry from the locomotive's peak

A gro P of 21 New York Central employees pause outside the inspection shed on the east end of the West Albany locomotive shop on September 25, 1952 to pay their respects to the 5270, the last steam locomotive to be serviced at West Albany Shop. Perhaps you know one or more of the employees in this photo. or you or a family member may have worked at West Albany; if so, we'd like to talk with you. (Ed Nowak Photo, Collection of Dick Barrett)

November 1992

NEWSLETTER

OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

THE CALL BOARD 9

Thirty more employees were laid off after the 5270' s departure, with 160 retained for approximately another month to "clean up" the shop. After October, 1952, approximately 100 were left to repair steam cranes and the heating boilers of electric passenger locomotives used in the New York City area and at Cleveland Union Terminal. At the time about 800 employees were left in the West Albany car shop. The opening of the New York State Thruway about two years later and the consequent plunge of passenger traffic resulted in the closing of the West Albany car shop. The end of steam locomotive work at West Albany had been foreseen for several years as dieselization progressed across the New York Central system. In spite of the introduction of the "Niagara" locomotives with their advanced steam technology, the diesel locomotive rapidly became preferred to steam on the Central as well as other U.S. railroads. Before launching into a full dieselization program after World War II, the New York Central undertook extensive studies comparing diesel motive power with both steam and electric. In one of these studies during 1946, the performance of six 4,000 horsepower two-unit diesels on three eastbound and three westbound passenger trains were compared with six "Niagara" locomotive-powered passenger trains between Harmon and Chicago. Needless to say, diesel out-performed steam in these and a number of other tests. In addition to the performance factor of diesel versus steam, the diesel was dramatically less labor intensive in its service needs. Clearly, dieselization was bound to result in excess shop capacity on this basis alone. Dieselization on the New York Central began in the east and progressed toward the Midwest. Initially, surplus steam locomotives were either scrapped or moved west of Buffalo. The best diesel motive power was assigned to the "name" passenger trains and the "Niagara" steam locomotives were "bumped down" to lesser trains. The Central's dieselization program soon led to a shift in the assignment of work to its shops. In 1948, the Harmon, New York and Collinwood, Ohio shops had been selected as the New York Central's principal diesel servicing facilities. The rationale for this selection was the experience that personnel at both shops had with electric locomotives: Harmon with the electrics operating into Grand Central Terminal and Collinwood with the Cleveland Union Terminal electrics. Beach Grove, Indiana became the railroad's principal steam shop,

New York Central "Hudson" #5270 is given a sendoff from West Albany by a group of machinists, steamfitters, boiler makers and others upon its final trip out of that shop. While there were 190 employees still working in the locomotive shop at the time, only a relatively few were on hand to witness the event. (Ed Nowak Photo, Collection of Dick Barrett) .
ostensibly because it was the newest and had the capacity to accommodate the large "Niagaras." Also, since steam power was being pushed west, as mentioned above, Beach Grove's location near the west end of the system was a logical location for the principal steam shop. In any event, Beach Grove did receive some modifications to accommodate the "Niagaras." Both the east bay and the west bay of the shop were equipped with 120ton capacity cranes. Since the "Niagaras" without tenders weighed in at 471,000 lbs, neither of these bays had sufficient lifting capacity for the large engines. To rectify this situation, the l20-ton crane was moved from the west bay to the east bay so that there were now two l20-ton cranes in that bay which were twinned with a special lifting beam. Presumably, this arrangement resulted in a lifting capacity of approximately 240 tons (480,000 Ibs.), slightly greater than engines they were supposed to lift. Another 120-ton crane was later installed in the west bay once again where heavy tender maintenance was performed. If the New York Central had continued with its great "Niagara" steam locomotives, West Albany would have required extensive, and expensive, modifications to accommodate this huge steam locomotive. This new generation of steam was far different from the "Hudsons," which had been common to West Albany for many years, or the "Mohawks." Among the equipment and facilities which may have required modification were the cranes (because of weight) and the shop machinery. The cranes in the West Albany locomotive shop had a capacity of only 120 tons. Even though West Albany was not designated for' continued steam work or diesel repair, it did become a collection point for retired steam power. As a consequence, literally hundreds of steam locomotives of assorted types could be viewed at West Albany as dieselization progressed in the late 1940's. Many railroad enthusiasts came to West Albany to view for one last time their favorite steamers. In early April of 1951, 85 employees were furloughed in the Albany area, including 14 in the West Albany auxiliary stores department.

10 THE CALL BOARD

NEWSLETTER

OF THE MOHAWK & HUDSON CHAPTER, N.R.H.S.

November

1992

The Central, in a massive layoff, gave notices on Tuesday, May 8,1951 to 1,060 workers at tire West Albany shops effective Frida _fay 1L This date came to be known to . Albany employees as "Black Tuesday, - In an effort to stave off this furlough, some poliri ians requested an investigation b the state Public Service Commission. Tbe rationale for such an investigation was that there had been two major train wrecks in _.ew York State within the previous 15 months resulting in a number of deaths and personal injuries and that the Commission had a duty to investigate and protect the public interest. Despite the general understanding that the layoffs at West Albany were the result of the Central's dieselization program, the new management of the New York Central headed by Robert Young and Alfred Pearlman said that was only a partial cause. The railroad's announced rationale for the large layoff was that its business was down and that economy measures were necessary; once business returned to higher levels, workers would be re-hired. Furthermore, the steam locomotive shop would be converted to a diesel repair shop, and that all of the approximately 1,000 workers laid off would be eventually returned to work. On Friday, May 11, 1951 the New York Central laid off another 85 workers from its Albany area operations, bringing the total number of idled workers to 1,230. This layoff affected 33 at the Rensselaer roundhouse and 52 at the Selkirk roundhouse.

Those laid off from Rensselaer included United States, which lasted about a cennine machinists and nine machinist helptury: the 350-acre West Albany site was ers, four boilermakers and four boilermakacquired by the newly-formed New York Central in 1854 and finally closed in 1954. ers helpers, two sheet metal workers and two helpers, two laborers and one electriDuring this time it was responsible for building the west end of the City of Albany, cian. Mayor Erastus Corning met with New and for feeding, clothing and housing sevYork Central officials on July 23, 1951 in eral generations of railroad families. an attempt to keep as much work as pos(Does anyone have a photo of the last steam locomotive to leave the Delaware & sible at West Albany. Railroad officials attending the luncheon meeting, which took Hudson's Colonie Shop? We'd like to see one. Dick Barrett, 645 Second St., Albany, place on a company business car in the NY 12206) Albany passenger yard, were Augustus Hart, General Manager of the New York Sources: Central east of Buffalo, Fred Dawson, Vice Railroad Motive Power, by P. W. Kiefer, President of Operations, Kenneth Stone, June 1947. Published by Steam LocomoGeneral Counsel for the Central, Frank Mitchell, equipment manager and Frank A. tive Research Institute, McNamee, local counsel for the railroad. Albany Times-Union, May 8, 1951. At the meeting, Corning urged the officials Knickerbocker News, May 8, 1951. to keep as much work as possible at West Albany. Albany Times-Union, May 9, 1951. But were there any reasons other than Knickerbocker News, May 9, 1951. dieselization for West Albany's demise? While the diesel was the principal culprit, Albany Times-Union, May 10, 1951. there probably were other reasons: West News, July 23, 1951. Albany became "off the beaten path" to Knickerbocker freight locomotives in 1925 when Selkirk Albany Times-Union, July 24,1951 Yard opened and through freights no longer Albany Times-Union, September 26, 1952 routinely passed through West Albany. Furthermore, as passenger traffic on the Paul Brustman (Mohawk & Hudson Chaprailroad plunged in the early 1950's, West ter member and former New York Central Albany's passenger car shops were essen- employee) tially excess. In summary, West Albany's life mirNorman Taylor (former New York Central rored the life of the steam railroad in the employee, Beach Grove, IN)

THE

""0 Steam Locomotive WestAlbany's Lest 527 . .

New York Central "Hudson" type steam locomotive #5270, the last steam locomotive to be serviced at West Albany Shop, pauses before its finaJ departure from the shop on September 25, 1952. If you know any of the employees in this photo, or if you or a family member worked at West Albany, we'd like to hear from you. (Collection of Dick Barrett)