Nostalgia & History > "The Mohawk That Refused to Abdicate"

Today, 9-4-2005, is the 50th anniversary of the events in Galion and Shelby, OH, that became "The Mohawk That Refused to Abdicate and Other Tales," which Kalmbach issued in both magazine article and book forms. Unfortunately, no one at K. was interested in commemorating this event, and mentions of same on TO elicited no response, so my wife and I drove up to Shelby today from our home in Galion to try to honor the anniversary in at least some small way. We took our O-gauge Marx 3005 Mohawk and posed it next to the diamond for photos, and then shot CSX manifest Q-364 and inter-modal Q-116 hammering over the B&O, chasing the ghost of 3005 up the Big Four toward Cleveland. Hats off to David P. Morgan, Dr. Phil Hastings, engineer John Hitchko, fireman Hayne, and, of course, 3005, on the 50th anniversary of your epic encounter. Jim Tighe, Galion, OH.

Magnificant reading...
Splendid photography...
VW

I've been through the area numerous times, but never had time to go visit the site, and did not even realize that this the 50th. Probably one of the greatest train stories ever put to words, and about a casual but timeless happening that would have been oblivious to everybody.

I still have the issue & the book, has to be one of the
best RR stories written, can practically quote it word for word. I was 10 yrs old then .
K should have memoralized it, but their readership likely
cannot relate to steam.
One of these years I'll visit the site as well.
I've been re-reading decades of Trains and am currently going
through 1956..next issue to read is that issue.
Good for you..thanks for the memories!

Ron Aboussafy
Abbotsford BC

Lived in Wetaskiwin Alberta in 1956
(45 miles south of Edmonton on CP)
Was still a lot of steam at that time.

Had to do it pieces , so follow in order.

Enjoy!


Ron

Ron

---

If anyone would like the rest, please provide an email address
and I'll scan over.

Ron

I knew a man that had a hobby shop years ago in Indiana, and he had a customer come in once that had known the engineer. Maybe the hardcover book was just out and was on display in the shop. The testimonial to the engineer at the end of the book was accurate, first rate hogger.

Thank you all for the replies. Was beginning to think I was the only one who cared, and am very pleased that is not the case. The photo of engineer Hitchko in the cab of 3005 was taken at the engine facility in Galion, which has since been reclaimed by Mother Nature. Almost all the r.r. plant and related structures shown in the 1955 photos is gone now. The diamond area has just the single track CSX crossing the single track Ashland Ry., but it is still a good place to watch trains go by, esp. eastbounds on CSX. IMHO, Kalmbach blew it here. Editor Wrinn of "Trains" initially expressed enthusiasm for some sort of commemoration when I mentioned the idea to him months ago in an e-mail, but he then clammed up and I never heard from him again. I was able to get a columnist for the Mansfield paper who grew up in Shelby to mention the event in his column, so at least something made it into print.

I too could almost quote this story verbatim. I've read and re-read it so many times. David P. Morgan was one of the all-time great writers of our time. Only Morgan could put into words what I felt about about the modern American steam locomotive. I certainly never could. Morgan taught me so much about the art of writing. I am forever in his debt. He is missed.

rcall31060

Even with my rapidly failing 63 yr. old faculties, I can still quote big chunks of Morganese from umpteen different pieces he penned. "A couple of hoots and she dug in, her twin stacks shotgunning steamy smoke and sound into the quiet confines of the gorge." or "From around the curve, J-Class 604 swung into view, not only keeping her feet on the greasy rail but actually ACCELERATING up the 1.2 per cent." Or "Now the little man in the big cab was losing humor,too, and the next motion for slack may have been felt in the caboose." Or "And then she was upon us, roaring through like an angry angel." One more. "Now she was moving, the smoke beginning to lie back over that contoured boiler, an oiled set of slightly loose rods leaning into the load. The crew went about their work as methodically as bank tellers..." Well, you get the idea. The minister's son certainly had the gift. Glad this brought back some good memories all around. Am still saddened that both of the K. mags chose to completely ignore the event. And am glad the folks down in Waynesboro,VA, did the right thing by Winston Link earlier this year, on the 50th of his first N&W night photo.

Does the book version of "Mohawk" give the specific date? In the magazine article I only see "...a hot September 1955 day in central Ohio."

Yes, the book version gives the date, supplied by the late Si Herring, who worked for NYC in Bellefontaine. Engine 3005, engineer Hitchko and Fireman Hayne, were called for 5 a.m., on 9-4-55 at Bf for local freight BR-2, bound for Rockport Yard in Cleveland. 3005 stopped in Galion for water and more cars, pulled a drawbar leaving town around noon, and by my rough calculations based on a 1953 NYC timetable, hit the Shelby diamond somewhere around 2-2:30 p.m. Last Sunday, I shot the Q-364 at the diamond at 2:25 p.m., so the timing couldn't have been much better.