[RITSlist] Brass Switchkey railnews, V.14, #52, Sep 30, 07-6 (fwd)

Thu Oct 4 08:38:55 CDT 2007

Paul,

Sorry about all the inaccurate info in the posting; I was just 
passing it on for what it was worth.  Not being a history or steam 
buff, I had no idea there was so many mistakes in the 
story.  Hopefully your comments will promote sales of Data Sheets 
from the Company Store, as Jack has a whole box full to sell.

Jerry Berwald

At 12:32 AM 10/4/2007, Paul Schuch wrote:
>Hello Jerry and RITSlist Members:
>
>I have a few comments in regards to Jim Johnson's posting that I 
>have put in all CAPS in the body of his article.  I wrote three DATA 
>SHEETS for The ROCK newsletter several years ago on the Rock 
>Island's P-31 Pacifics in general and specifically the 886 (nee 887) 
>after doing much research on the locomotives.  Copies are available 
>from the RITS Company Store.
>
>Here are my comments.  They are not meant to offend anyone.  Feel 
>free to pass them on to whoever in order to set the record straight.
>
>
>>Remembering the RI's Peoria Rocket ~ Jim Johnson
>>
>>     Referring to the article re the leaking rail tank car at 
>> Oskaloosa, guess I should have forwarded the article to you from 
>> the Oskaloosa Daily Herald where I worked some while a student at 
>> William Penn Univ. (it was College then).  This is, of course, 
>> former M&StL trackage, and would have included the Oskaloosa Shops 
>> where my grandfather toiled for three decades as an M&StL 
>> machinist.  Had this occurred while I was at Penn from 1959 to 
>> 1963, they probably wouldn't have even bothered to evacuate a 
>> campus of 250 students (it has 10 times that today).
>>     I HAVE forwarded you an article from the Peoria Journal Star 
>> in regard to Rock Island #886, a Hudson . . .
>
>NO, IT WAS A 4-6-2 PACIFIC.
>
>. . .  with a storied past AFTER it was retired and donated to the city.
>
>NO, IT WAS DONATED IN 1956 TO THE PEORIA JUNIOR JCs, NOT THE CITY.
>
>The locomotive was placed below the hill in Glen Oak Park, where the 
>only visitors it attracted were vandals.
>
>IT WAS MORE THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE THAN VANDALS THAT CAUSED THE 
>DETERIORATION.  THE LOCOMOTIVE WAS OWNED BY THE PEORIA JUNIOR JC's 
>AT THE TIME AND WAS LOCATED ON PARK DISTRICT PROPERTY.  MY BEST 
>GUESS OF THE SITUATION IS THAT NO ONE HAD THE MONEY OR WANTED TO 
>SPEND MONEY ON MAINTAINING IT.  IT WAS ALSO LOCATED IN A REMOTE, 
>WOODED AND UNLIT PORTION OF THE PARK, WHICH CONTIRIBUTED TO ITS DETERIORATION.
>
>Eager to rid themselves of an aging derelict, the Peoria Parks Supt. 
>asked the infamous James G. Pate, head of public relations for the 
>Rock Island, if they could get a scrap dealer to cut it up.  The 
>mostly idiotic Pate told them they had his blessing as long as they 
>first painted over the Rock Island logo and identification.
>
>I KNOW NOTHING OF THIS STORY, AND WONDER ABOUT ITS ACCURACY.
>
>So, the parks director took the request to the Peoria Parks Board, 
>among his members was the astute Louis B. Neumiller, CEO of 
>Peoria-based Caterpillar Tractor Co., and who recognized the value 
>of the railroad (any Cat executive, among whom included both my 
>father and my future father-in-law, who dared take Ozark Airlines 
>instead of The Peoria Rocket to Chicago could go find a job
>>  at John Deere.  Thus, Cat employees on Cat business were frequent 
>> riders of The Rocket (and HATED it when the conventional 
>> streamlined Rocket was replaced by the Spanish-built Talgo "Jet 
>> Rocket," which was like riding a rattlesnake).  Fortunately, when 
>> the Jet Rocket, during a Board of Directors special, caused a cup 
>> of coffee to be dumped in the lap of a CRI&P board member . . . ,
>
>I KNOW NOTHING OF THE ACCURACY OF THIS STORY.
>
>. . . the lurching import was relegated to suburban service and 
>conventional equipment returned to The Peoria Rocket's two daily 
>Peoria-Chicago round trips, much to the delight of my dad.
>>     But getting back to Mr. Nuemiller, he was ALSO on the Rock 
>> Island's board, and was in serious disagreement with Pate's OK of 
>> the parks director's dumb request.  Both escaped with their jobs 
>> and little else.
>
>IT WAS NOT THE PARK DISTRICT DECISION TO GET RID OF THE 
>LOCOMOTIVE.  THE JUNIOR JC'S SOLD THE 886 (nee 887) FOR SCRAP.  THE 
>PARK BOARD AND A GROUP OF CITIZENS GOT THE SCRAP DEALER TO CANCEL 
>THE SALE AND THE ROCK ISLAND DID ANOTHER RESTORATION OF THE LOCOMOTIVE IN 1963.
>
>Meanwhile, the 886 was moved to Detwiler . . .
>
>THE CORRECT SPELLING IS "DETWEILLER".
>
>. . . Park, which borders Illinois 29 between Peoria and Chillicothe 
>as well as the CRI&P right-of-way, where it stayed until some idiot 
>allowed the private museum to buy it, move it, and force folks who 
>used to view it for free to pay a fee to get in and see it.
>
>THIS IS TOTALLY INACCURATE.  THE ILLINOIS VALLEY RAILROAD CLUB 
>MAINTIANED THE LOCOMOTIVE FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL THEY DISBANDED IN THE 
>EARLY 1970s.  THE LOCOMOTIVE AGAIN FELL INTO DISREPAIR AND WAS 
>VANDALIZED BY MANY AFTER A HOLE WAS CUT IN A PROTECTIVE FENCE AROUND IT.
>
>THE PEORIA PARK BOARD WORKED OUT AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WHEELS O' 
>TIME MUSEUM TO MOVE THE LOCOMOTIVE TO THEIR MUSEUM SITE WHERE IT 
>COULD BE MAINTAINED AND KEPT FROM VANDALS.  THE LOCOMOTIVE WAS MOVED 
>TO THIS LOCATION IN 1985, AND HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED SINCE 
>THEN BY THE MUSEUM WITH THE HELP OF RITS MEMBER DICK WILHELM.
>
>THIS MOVE ACTUALLY HELPED TO PRESERVE THE LOCOMOTIVE.  I DON'T 
>BELIEVE AN "IDIOT" HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MOVING OF THE 
>LOCOMOTIVE.  IN FACT, THE WHEELS O' TIME WOULD PROBABLY ARGUE THE 
>EXACT OPPOSITE, AND I WOULD CONCUR, THAT THE MOVE HAS PRESERVED THE 
>LOCOMOTIVE LONGER THAN AT ANY OF ITS PREVIOUS TWO LOCATIONS.
>
>Too bad Neumiller didn't live forever -- but I do not doubt that he 
>rolled over in his grave!
>
>LOUIS B. NEUMILLER WOULD BE PROUD OF THE MUSEUM'S EFFORTS IN THE 
>PRESERVATION OF THE LOCOMOTIVE.
>
>I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT JIM JOHNSON'S ARTICLE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF 
>HOW ONE NEEDS GET THEIR FACTS STRAIGHT BEFORE PUTTING THEM INTO 
>PRINT, AND HOW ONE SHOULD LEAVE OUT NEGATIVE CRITICISM UNLESS THE 
>FACTS ALL POINT TO IT.  NOT DOING SO IS A DISSERVICE TO THE EFFORTS 
>OF MANY WHO WORK IN PRESERVING RAILROAD HISTORY AND EQUIPMENT.
>
>PAUL SCHUCH
>ROCK ISLAND TECHNICAL SOCIETY
>ARCHIVES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
>
>>******************************************************
>
>
>
>>From: Gerald Berwald <glb141072 at mchsi.com>
>>To: ritslist at simpson.edu
>>Subject: [RITSlist] Brass Switchkey railnews, V.14, #52, Sep 30, 07-6 (fwd)
>>Date: Wed, 03 Oct 2007 23:10:27 -0500
>>
>>Forwarded from the Brass Switchkey Railnews for your info.
>>
>>Jerry Berwald
>
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