Lionel 6-28748
Jersey Central 4-6-0 Camelback # 772, TMCC
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| Camelbacks were widly used by all the antracite roads, efficiently burning previously unusable tiny pieces of hard coal called culm. The Jersey Central never did eliminate it's Camelbacks after the Federal Government outlawed them. The Jersey Central was always bankrupt; the state Governments had to keep it running because of the essential freight and commuter services, so the fines just deepened the debt, and Camelbacks were in service until diesels took over. Our boss tells us he watched one when he was young on the line between Wharton and Dover, (which only ever had one (freight) train a day), and talked to the crew when they would eat lunch while parked near his house. That little camelback would have to back up a quarter mile and go like the devil to push one load of coal up the coal ramp of the coal company. On icy winter days they would require 2 or 3 tries, and those drivers would just start spinning like mad and the engine would come to a halt on the icy rails. Back down and try again. It was worth playing hookey from school to watch. What a sight. |
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