{"id":940,"date":"2013-10-19T07:08:52","date_gmt":"2013-10-19T07:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/?page_id=940"},"modified":"2020-12-12T03:32:15","modified_gmt":"2020-12-12T03:32:15","slug":"steam-train-passing-through-morgan-in-1954","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/sample-page\/bridges-roads-rails\/steam-train-passing-through-morgan-in-1954\/","title":{"rendered":"Steam Train Passing Through Morgan in 1954"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Morgan Memories \u2013 Steam Train Passing Through Morgan in 1954<span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/contentdir\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1954-0818-PRR-3678.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-939\" src=\"http:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/contentdir\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1954-0818-PRR-3678.jpg\" alt=\"1954 0818 - PRR 3678\" width=\"1443\" height=\"1056\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/contentdir\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1954-0818-PRR-3678.jpg 1443w, https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/contentdir\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1954-0818-PRR-3678-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/contentdir\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1954-0818-PRR-3678-1024x749.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/contentdir\/uploads\/2013\/10\/1954-0818-PRR-3678-624x456.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1443px) 100vw, 1443px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">The last regularly scheduled steam train passed through Morgan in late 1957 (before my time).\u00a0 With the exception of the Blue Comet Nostalgia Train, which ran the rails from Raritan Bay to Bay Head in December 1975 and was covered on NBC\u2019s Today Show with Tom Snyder, no steam locomotives have since traveled the tracks through Morgan (that I am aware of).<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This photo is dated August 18, 1954 and shows a steam train heading north through Morgan on its way toward South Amboy.\u00a0 Seeing, hearing and feeling the steam locomotives passing through Morgan must have been quite an amazing thing.\u00a0 It went on for about 80 years.\u00a0 People living during most of those years probably couldn\u2019t fathom the diesel or electric locomotives which came later.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some interesting things to note about this photo:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The photo is looking southeast toward Laurence Harbor.<\/li>\n<li>The name of the photographer is unknown at this time.<\/li>\n<li>The train just passed under the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/sample-page\/bridges-roads-rails\/1928-photo-of-the-route-35-bridge-over-the-railroad\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Route 35 Pratt truss bridge<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">The angle of the sun means this is a late afternoon \/ early evening train.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">The Fireman (who quite likely was Bob van Dyke) is readily visible in the train cab window.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">Just to the left in front of the locomotive, you can see the back of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/sample-page\/morgans-people-places\/the-robert-e-lee-inn\/\">Robert E. Lee Inn<\/a> and, just left of that, some of the long gone bungalows on Morgan Beach.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">The locomotive in the picture is #3678 which was a <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/PRR_K4s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">4-6-2 \u201cPacific\u201d K4 locomotive<\/a> &#8211; one of a fleet of 425 owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR).\u00a0 It was built in 1918 at the Baldwin Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona, PA.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">Here is a link to a beautiful and clear <a href=\"http:\/\/www.northeast.railfan.net\/images\/prr3678sa.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">black &amp; white photo of PRR K4 locomotive #3678<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">This locomotive is longer than any of the individual track segments it is riding on (83 1\/2 feet vs. 78 feet).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">The combined weight of the locomotive and coal tender jointly weigh nearly half a million pounds, approximately half the weight of a Boeing 747.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">Only two of the 425 locomotives built remain in existence today.\u00a0 Number 3750 is in Strasburg, PA on static display at the <a title=\"Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rrmuseumpa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania<\/a> (along with the John Bull replica to be mentioned in an upcoming to-be-posted page).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">After its retirement in May 1956 and subsequent restoration, number 1361 was placed on static display for nearly 30 years at the famous Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, PA.\u00a0 For a while, 1361 was subsequently being restored at <a title=\"Steamtown Museum\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nps.gov\/stea\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steamtown <\/a>in Scranton, PA.\u00a0 There were reports that 1361 was in pieces and was to be moved to the newly opened <a title=\"Railroaders Memorial Museum\" href=\"http:\/\/www.railroadcity.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Railroaders Memorial Museum<\/a> in Altoona, PA.\u00a0 According to this museum\u2019s web site, it appears to be true and should soon be taking place (sometime during 2013).\u00a0 Hopefully it will soon culminate with a restored and working K4 steam locomotive.<\/span><\/li>\n<li>There are a number of great photos of #1361 on the RRPictureArchives.net web site including <a title=\"PRR K-4 Locomotive #1361 in Bayhead, NJ\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rrpicturearchives.net\/showPicture.aspx?id=3460567\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a great photo contributed by Mr. James RaRue of #1361 in Bayhead, NJ<\/a>.\u00a0 You know what that means?\u00a0 If locomotive #1361 was in Bayhead, then locomotive #1361 went through Morgan, NJ!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Below are some YouTube video links showing K4s in action.\u00a0 In viewing them, you should be able to get a feel for the sounds of a K4 train steaming through Morgan, NJ:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>PRR K4 #1361 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=iab7BOhZ56M\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">First Excursion<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">PRR K4 #1361 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mTVjbeRBWWk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shakedown Run<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vRlT4rCjo3k\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">The Life and Times of the PRR K4s Pacifics<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Below are YouTube video links (video quality isn\u2019t great) showing some \u2013 perhaps all \u2013 of the original seven segments of NBC\u2019s Today Show with Tom Snyder featuring the Blue Comet Nostalgia Train.\u00a0 These were originally broadcast on December 25, 1975:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=yEptNZ939g8\">Rebroadcast Segment #1<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0VyoD-Do3Xs\">Rebroadcast Segment #2<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=pcq3m-Hah54\">Rebroadcast Segment #3<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fSjtkaMET5E\">Rebroadcast Segment #4<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><i style=\"line-height: 1.714285714; font-size: 1rem;\">Originally posted on October 11, 2009.\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><em>Links updated August 26, 2018.\u00a0 Additional updates on December 11, 2020.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Morgan Memories \u2013 Steam Train Passing Through Morgan in 1954 The last regularly scheduled steam train passed through Morgan in late 1957 (before my time).\u00a0 With the exception of the Blue Comet Nostalgia Train, which ran the rails from Raritan Bay to Bay Head in December 1975 and was covered on NBC\u2019s Today Show with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":134,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"page-templates\/full-width.php","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-940","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=940"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2177,"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/940\/revisions\/2177"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.morgan-nj.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}