Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-02-07
FAMOUS OLD TRAIN
NEVER MISSES THINK
So Says "Jule" Sterling, Who Ought IN
Know, Of Berkshire
14l2.

With government control of the rRl-
roads, il is Il question whether or nut
any improvement could be made an
train No. l4l2 which always 'hRs
been" and still "is" on the BerkshiTe
branch. or the Bay State between New
York and Boston, started JUNE J., 1919,
and ended in January, 1918, after -
years cont nuous run.
The bay State" started off with
engine No. 252, william Delert at the
throttle and Harry NJ McNulty fire.
man The train consisted Of three cara.
Afterward cars were added, until dnt.
ing the last years six and eight ana
sometimes ten cars were used, and on
important occasions the bay States
was made up in two sections.
The locomotive type was increased
in size to conform TO the heavy train
and of late years the "I,ay State" was
conveyed between New Haven ANA
New York by electric motors vita
grand old Riley Phillips at the "iuiee
lever. This was the crack train be-
tween New York and Boston. 1t hss
been taken off just now because or
freight congestion aud no doubt win
be placed back on the time table when
the spring and summer rush begins.
But old 14l2 That is the standby
that people mp the Berkshire Ioute
swear by. Beginning with the opening
of the road in lS42 old la . has started
out from Bridgeport at o'clock in tho
morning and run slap through to Pitts
field, 76-year run. Engineers ana
conductors have come and gone, bus
old l4l2 keeps right on going up att
o'clock in the morning.
Conductor Cole used to collect tick
cts, also Gordon s. Jolt, oonducbH
Flynn, and for more than 30 years
Clark Lane.
All sorts, sizes and kinds of engin-
GERS have piloted wood burners sn@
coal burners up over the serpentSne
rails. some of them were Walter Farria.
Peleg Bronson, George Bowman and
Minott Lyman, all good and true men
But, to get down to brass taoks, it' d
just now during these long weeks g
snow and freezing weather that ola
l4l2 has stood out as shining igh4
above all trains operated outhe entire :
combined leased, connecting and othes
wise subjourning limbs OF the greaG
New Haven system.
No matter how cold it has been, mo
matter how deep the snow, NO matter
how up hill and crooked the rails On
how deep the outs through the noun
tains, old 142l has left Bridgeport as
z O'Clock and reach Pittsheld, 100
miles away, On time. The train crew.
every man, has been right ON the job.
Harry Russell, engineer on alternate
days and Nelson Perish, always stand
on the toe board of engine sos just
before z O'clock, alert for the starting
signal. When Conductor w. III. Schill-
ing waves his hand, on the very In
slant tie locomotive begins to move.
The baggage master, Gee rye E. Null
lens, slides the car door shut. w. w.
Stone, the fireman, begins to shov@
J coal, and Trainman r.. r. Phelps
shouts the next stop for this train m
I-r.u-m bull. and away they 30.
All this may seem rather tame 10
some, but mp the line excitement be-
gins, because the old timers by tn
way side set their watches and grand
fathers clocks by old 14l2.
At rrumbull Burr Il. Beach stands
at the station, watcn IN hand. andww
old l4l2 stops he looks at his watch t.
see IL 1t Is right. Then he knows his
watch is right. At Stepney Il. ID. Lee
compares his watch with the train. A&
New Milford John Robinson. At Ca
nasn A. p. Briggs, at Ashley Faim
Frank Stahl, and at Stvckbridge
CHARLES s Mellen pulls ont mis- .Jerg~-
gen repeater that the late }. p. Morssa
presented to him md he finds that it in
exactly right as old l4l2 Is blowing
off steam at the station .#
What more can any man want tnmm
a train like this2 Old as IL 10 and ag
wild as the scenery, crooked as tho
road and 40 below zero, there she COCA,
right on time. All the farmers MP Kent
way and above hope that Secretary
McAdoo will let this train go Oh tn
way forever.
Julian II. Sterling.