[Magdalen] Scranton

[Jim Guthrie]

From: ROGER STOKES

>I have decided that Pennsylvania is scenic, which is a euphemism for hilly. 
>It's beautiful as well but I caqn understand some roads becoming very tricky in

The area around Wellsboro -- the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania" would be at the 
top of the list, I think. And in NY, certainly a stay at the Inn at Letchworth 
State Park  is at the top of the list there.

>winter.  Yesterday morning was warm, sunny and not humid so I decided to take a 
>stroll in the park - Nay Aug Park to be precise.  It was good to explore >with 
>much to see in a small area.  Latder the day turned cooler so I explored a bit 
>of the Pocono area by car.

Everhart Museum and the path following Roaring Brook with the overlooks of the 
railroad tunnel entrance ,, and then, up the path -- the falls at Roaring Brook, 
I trust.

>Knowing that the journey to Buffalo shouldn't take all day I decided to take 
>time to visit the Electric City Trolley Museum first, and I was very glad I 
>did.  The >museum itself was very informative and told me about two kinds of 
>third rail electrification I had not met before - one where the live rail is in 
>the middle >between the running tracks and the other where the train's power 
>shoe contacted the underside of the rail rather than the top.  I imagine that 
>helped when >there was poor weather or something on the rail that inhibited 
>contact.

NY Central Engineer William Wilgus (responsible for the magnificent Grand 
Central Terminal in NY) was at the American Locomotive Works plant in 
Schenectady, NY for testing of an electric locomotive. The snow was coming down 
heavily, and the third rail show was not making good contact without a high 
amount of damaging arcing. He ordered to third rail turned upside down, and 
"Voila!" Problem solved and more than a hundred years later, Metro North trains 
tend to be more reliable in snow than the LIRR, using an over-running Third rail 
shoe.

>The trip on the trolley was longer, faster and more interesting than I had 
>expected with the conductor pointing out various things alongside or visible 
>from >the trolley track.  From there I headed straight to Buffalo which passed 
>without incident.  NY state has its hills as well, but they seem more rolling 
>than the >ones in PA.

The conductor was likely my good friend Charlie Kumpas.

I'm really sorry to have missed your visit -- I would have taken you down into a 
coal mine where you could see how it was done -- right down the the doors in a 
deep mine, manned by boys as young as 4 years old spending 12 hours a day in 
pitch blackness, accompanied only by rats, waiting for the sound of a hurtling 
coal-jimmie to open the door (used to direct fresh air to the underground 
workin)).

Cheers,
Jim