The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-06-17
RELIcs or OLD RAlLRoAps.
The Nrnseum Being Formed at the Grand
Central Station.

As means of showing the progress in
railway appliances and for the preservation
of relics of the old railroad days the New
York Central and Hudson River Railroad
Company has begun the formation of a
miniature museum in the rooms attached to
the railway branch of the New York Young
Mems Christian Association in the basement
Of the Grand Central Station. The articles
thus far contributed are but few in number,
but they show in remarkable way the
giant strides made in machinery and equip
ment since the little engine made by Peter
Cooper drew, in 1880, the first train over
the then 1s-mile road now known to the
world as the Baltimore and Ohio.
One of the relics comprises the old driy.
ing wheels of the De Witt Clinton, the first
locomotive built within the limits Of the
State, and the third constructed in Amer.
lea. The first trip of the engine was made
on Aug. 8, 1881. The wheels, which now
would not be recognized as a part of loco
motive, are apparently in as good order as
when turned out of the West Albany shops,
over 30 years ago. They are about five
feet in diameter, but, unlike those now in
use, are not solid, but built up from the
hub like an ordinary wagon wheel. The
hub is solid, from which extend the spokes.
one inch in diameter welded to the felly
and fastened by bolts to the hub. The felly
is about three inches wide and half an inch
thick. The outer edge is dotted with holes,
through which the counter-sunk bolts pass.
ed, holding the steel fange, now replaced
by fiange tire. The wheels weigh only
$50 pounds, as compared with 800 pounds.
the weight of the driving wheels exclusive
OF the tires, now used on the ordinary en-.
CINE.
In another corner of tho room is glass
case containing section of the old style
stringer, with piece of old strap rails in
general use till the Trail was invented
The stringer and rail were laid on the Syra-
cuse and Auburn Railroad in 1898. The
rail is simply fat bar two and a half inch
es wide and seyen-eighths of an inch thick
Alongside is strapped the old style of rail
way spike, looking not unlike a common
tenpenny nail. Travellers of the olden time
recall the frequent accidents of those days,
when by the pounding of trains on the fiat
bars the counter-sunk spike wonld fly out,
with the result the old snake-head rails, as
they were termed, would fly through every.
thing and frequently breaking the legs Of
the trustful passengers
The museum also includes specimen of
the early time tables of the Hudson River
Railroad, when it terminated at Poughkeep
sic. This shows that, despite the marvel
GUS improvements in the engines and equip
ment, the leveling, Strengthening, and bal
lasting of the tracks, the old woodworking
locomotives managed to make about as good
rate of speed as their costly coal-burning
successors. One of these time tables dated
July Z, 1851, gives the schedule time OF
trains running from the corner of Chambers
and Hudson streets, whence they were
drawn by horses to Thirty second street and
Tenth-ayenue, to Poughkeepsie as hours
and 40 minutes. Similar trains, propelled
by steam power, from the Grand Central tt
the same station now take hours and IA
minutes. 1t Is intended to senrch through
the old car shops for any other relics that
may now be stored away and bring them to.
gether, where they may find n permanent
home and illustrate the gradual evolution
of railway appliances and machinery from
the primitive and crude properties in uso at
the beginning of railway building to the
present perfected machinery nov deemed
essential on railways everywhere.