Steam & Excursion > High Iron Excursion to Cape May, NJ

Cleaning out stuff at my mom's house I've come across quite a few photos from excursions from the sixties and seventies. These pictures are from a High Iron Co. trip from Camden to Cape May, Nj over the PRSL behind ex-CPR 127. This was in May, 1968 and we're still a few months from the 759 becoming the star.
1. Photo run-by, can't remember the location.
2-3 Taken at Cape May. Servicing the engine. I believe the man shooting the rods, on the left, is a steam expert and frequent TO contributer.

Doug Rowland
Philadelphia, PA

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I wonder if this was the same trip. All I can remember is it was 1967-8 and I think it went to Cape May. I was a Californian going to school in Philadelphia so I was kind of lost.

JBWX

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Same trip. this is on the return to Camden. 127 was turned on the wye. I remember riding in the Rocky Mountain observation car behind the engine on the way back. The train was made up primarily of P-70 coaches plus the usual HICO equipment,

Doug Rowland
Philadelphia, PA

That is great stuff. As they say on ebay....RARE photos. Don't think I have ever seen pics of that trip on line. Thanks for sharing those.

Picture 2 is of me, Hank Webber (VP Mechanical - HICO) cleaning the smokebox screen

Picture 3 is of Wes Camp (VP Mechanical - HICO) holding the alemite gun while Lee Smith (volunteer - HICO) feeds grease to the gun.

Those were the days!

Hank Webber
(Scoopdejour)

In response to an E-Mail inquiry from Keith Muldowney, I wrote this reply...

"Keith.... My memory is dim but here's my best 'shot'.... The 127 move to Camden, terminated at a fenced property by the name of "New York Shipbuilding", a former ship construction area, not to CET. The 127 was returned to Steamtown before we moved the 759 to Conneaut.However, on the return trip to Bellows Falls, Ed Meade of Steamtown had arranged to make the 127 available for a week's long series of excursions at Laconia, NH ---- on a B&M line that ran along the west shore Lake Winnepesaukee(?). A recreation lake and amusement park area.We ran two round trips every day for a week.  I was a one-man engine crew---- we had shipped the engine dead, with the main rods bolted to the running boards.   With local fans and a Chevvy dealer's tow truck ( w/extension boom) we got the rods mounted, the fire department filled us with water and we lit her off.  Later during the week, we foaled her up from a wooden overpass, with a coal truck ( lift body) and a coal chute through the side railings of the overpass!  Every morning!  Had a fire hydrant at the depot where we were parked, for water. B& M crews operated her, I fired the trips, we "banked" the fire at night, a la Carl Conover. The cars were from Steamtown, brought down separately, including a coach that was built at Laconia, many years ago! As an aside, the CNJ trip to Bridgeton, included the NYC diner and meals by the Whiteheads, that was during the '67 season.  The Cape May trip was in '68, and had NO diner.Going down to Cape May, from 'NY Ship',   a PRSL engineer did the running.On the way BACK, Ross did the honors, ( engine crew "rode the cushions") & he let her really RIP ( better than 60-per) ...we had about 18-20 cars, P-70s.... That was a BLAST!!!

[ Don Wood & John Rehor had used Ross's '67 Red Cadillac convertible to do photos and chase...
They had an easy photo shoot on the way down to Cape May.... On the way back, I was firing; after leaving Winslow Junction, Ross stood up, pulled the throttle --- and away we went.....left everybody in the dust... We got to New York Ship in quick order.  About 20 minutes later the red Caddy came roaring in, stopped in a skid...the two hopped out.
ASTOUNDED at what they had seen!  Wood had NEVER seen a K4 do what we had just done.
 For a couple of years, had been 'cool' to High Iron 'cause it "wasn't the Pennsy", ----- after Cape May, he became our biggest fan....] The Cape May trip was one of the BEST, all-around trips that HICO ever ran.In June, '68 we moved the 759 to Conneaut.  The rest is history...." W.

Sent from my iPad 

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On Sep 6, 2016, at 4:35 PM, Keith Muldowney <cagneynine@yahoo.com> wrote:

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Ross and Wes, With the Cape May trip being May 1968, had the 759 already been moved to Conneaut from Steamtown or did that move occur afterwards? The move of the 127 and equipment for the Cape May trip. Was that move down the CNJ to Winslow Jct then over PRSL to the Camden Engine Terminal? Amazing is the area where CET was is now the BB&T event center and near where the USS New Jersey is docked. It would have been 48 years ago that 759 was making it's first break-in runs and first excursions. I was fortunate that I got to wait at Lebanon that September evening that 759 arrived from Ohio. Believe it was Sept. 21 was the 759 CNJ trip to Jim Thorpe with the stop at Lebanon with the band and fanfare. Enjoying the recollections! Keith