The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page 27

NYACK, N. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1965 27 Requiem for Erie -Lackawanna's Nyack Run SFKTWJ-srT i llllil Pl'l i ininipiiiii jiii minim ii i I i ff Vl i i 'if i. i 1 I i w( v. not. L1 0 i 1 ltwt I staff photo by Km Mult Stuff photo by Kon Muim ROSS DAILEY MANS THE LOCOMOTIVE Joe Dunnigan, engine fireman, helps out LAST RIDERS ON NYACK RUN and none of them were commuters staff photo by Brueo Rolunan JUST ANOTHER WORKING DAY FOR STATION AGENT Frederick F.

Shields busy at work Station Agent Shrugs, 'Just Another Day Last Ride, But Where Are Those Commuters 0 Mt AiiHirtHiiffilrilittfti (Mm Gripe Meeting for Jan. 18 LAST NIGIIT, members dls-I cussed the format of the session, and methods of publicizing it. It agreed that invitations would be issued to village residents through news media, church announcements, and service clubs. The committee decided that In this initial step, it could not act as apologist for officials, but would promise to investigate complaints. The Rev.

Walter C. Jordan was named vice-chairman, and George Jobwm and fire chief Joseph Gordon, secretaries. Prendergast also appointed Rabbi Moshe Kranzler and the Rt. Rev. M-sgr.

William Flan-nery as co-chairmen of a steering committee to deal with immediate problems. Members at last night's meeting were Prendergast, Jobson, Gordon, Msgr. Flannery, Rev. Jordan, Roderick Bulley, Matthew Flnnerty, Rabbi Kranzler, and Santos Perez. what's: going to ha said.

"If I was going to the city myself I'd rather sit down and read the papor. I can't all this battui' around with all these buses and stuff." He recalled the early 30s when the Erie-Lackawanna serviced Rockland County with as many as 22 trains a day, a figure that remained that high until about 1938. SHIELDS TOOK his first railroad Job with the line in Tenafly, N.J. He worked seven days a week, often 12 hours a day as a clerk and made $25 a month. He remembered seeing his first locomotive in Piermont and grew up near the old E-L roundhouse which serviced engines and roiling stock in that community.

It Is with some nostalgia that he recall- ed the passing of the "Iron horse" but he recognizes that the dlesel is much more efficient. According to Shields, World War II was the most hectic period he ever went through as a railroad agent. During those years hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of Army troop trains passed through staff photo by Kon Mulio CONDUCTOR DOUGHER SIGNALS for train to start final stretch train of the West Shore Line to Haverstraw." "I always ride last runs," said Robert Underwood a church custodian of Millburn, N. J. "I grew up along the Lackawanna.

The trains used to go right past my bedroom and I used to be able to see the signal switches change. I guess I have always been interested in trains." Underwood, who got on the train in Hoboken, was not sure how he was going to get home. MAYER PERLMAN, a clerk from Queens, said that he "just likes to ride last train trips." "I have been a fan about 15 years now. When I was a kid I used to watch the trains go by." Pearlman, who also boarded in Hoboken, said that he owns at least 10,000 railroad pictures. "As long as it's a train, I don't care what kind of trip it is," he said.

JEREMY MOTT, 20 of Ridgewood, N. an E-L employee in Mahwah, N. said that he liked the line "because it's a beautiful trip." "I like railroads," he said, "and people who work for them and are interested in them." Conductors Harry Thompson of Emerson, N. J. and Richard A.

Dougher of 39 Hillside Suffern, said that about 40 commuters usually make the run from Hoboken to Nyack. "Tonight there aren't any-Just railroad enthusiasts," said Thompson wistfully. "WELL, YOU could say it's something that you'll never be able to do again," said Peter Vander Veld of Glen Ridge, NJ. The enthusiasts, their spirits dampened by the significance of the occasion, later convened at the '76 House in Tappan and held "funeral services." For engineer Joe Saffiotl of Allendale, N. it marked the end of a 20-year tenure on the run from Sparkill to the Sparkill Btatlon on their way to and from Camp Shanks.

"We even used to sleep there In order to wait for the troop trains," he said. "My Job as station agent also called for throwing the switches you couldn't do that stuff these days," he said. Shields' office at the Sparkill station looks every part the typical railroad office. On the wall there is an old clock which keeps near-perfect time. There are telegraph sets, headphones, reams of paper, switch controls, shelves filled with tickets and several old-fashioned telephones.

The station house, by Shields' best estimate, is about 80 years old. IN CONJUNCTION with the, dispatching of six trains dally, 3 in each direction, Shields' responsibility Includes the preparing of freight bills, train remittances, ticket reports and a host of other clerical matters. Of his life's work, which sevms as If It could go on for a number of years because of his amazing health record, ho says: "I have always enjoy-ed it" BRUCE REISMAN Each room shown In the architects' plans for the new East Wing has been assigned a value, corresponding to its propor-tlonate cost, for building and equipment, in relation to the $750,000 objective of the Cam-palgn. Thus, Mayer explained, an individual or family may establish an operating room as a symbol of a gift of $21,000, to be paid over a period of three income tax years. A unit, so subscribed, may be designated as a memorial to one whom the contributor wishes to honor, or marked In the name of the giver, himself.

A suitable tablet will be provided to mark the room. Curtailment of Erie-Lackawanna commuter service from Nyack doesn't figure to faze Sparkill station agent telegraph operator Frederick F. Shields, the man who will be In charge of the railroad's northern terminus with the passing of the Nyack station. Why should it?" asks Shields, 69, who has been employed by the E-L for 54 years and has never missed a day's work in that time due to illness. Shields, a spry little man with a quick smile, has been part of the railroad scene in Rockland County for so long that he is believed to rank either first or second on the entire line's seniority list among station agents.

He has been the Sparkill station agent since 1944 and an E-L employee since 1912, having gone to work at 15. Over the years he has been employed in almost every railroad Job conceivable and has worked in varying capacities in Nyack, Grand View, Piermont, and Tappan. IF RAILROADING is differ-ent In 1905 than it was 50 years ago when he was breaking In. It Is much quieter nowa days, he said. "Back in the old days there were always a lot of people around.

No kids come around now asking all kinds of questions like they used to. "In those days," he said, "we used to have six men down here. The same thing Is true of the Nyack station. They'd work right through the night." These days Shields puis In an eight-hour work day. When he knocks off In the late afternoon, the station, which is normally a quiet place, gets locked up.

Shields attended schools In Pkrmnnt, but has resided in Demarest, N. since 1922. He thinks car pools are the biggest reason why the railroads are being forced to cut passenger service. "Until they can control this, I don't know vertisements to the effect several weeks ago, rallied from Rockland, Long Island, New Jersey and New York City. Almost to a man they said that riding a last run is a compulsion to the true railroad enthusiast.

WILLIAM WEBBER of Leonia, N. J.i the treasurer of the nationwide organization, explained: "We are attending a funeral In a sense. I talked to one conductor when I got on In Hoboken and he was almost in tears." Paul Kutta, of Shadyside Avenue, South Nyack, who is employed by the New York Central System as a rate analyst, put it another way. "This is not an example of the dying railroad," he said. "This one's going is Justified.

didn't serve a purpose. It's Just a drain on the rest of the corporation." "The trouble with this line," he added, "started a long time ago. This line does not go to New York City, but to Hoboken and this is not where the commuters want to go." SAID LEROY BEALJON Ft. Lee, N. who works Nanuet as a travel agent: "I have done this sort of thing number of times.

The last one I rode was on Dec. 10, 1939, when I rode the last Breakdown nounced yesterday It was noted the following grants to national agencies were authorized: American Social Health Association, $197; Arthritis Association, International Social Service, $118; United Health Foundation, $250; and United Service Organization (USO), $1,287. Family Service and the YM YWHA, the two new agencies on the list, received sufficient funds to start a program Rockland County. Mayer Heading Fund Drive By BRUCE REISMAX Journal-News Staff Writer You meet some of the itrangest people on trains. I mean you would have expected to find at least one commuter on commuter train No.

1205 when it pulled into Nyack last night. On any other night you would have 6een at least 10 persons alight in the damp night, briefcases in hand. Their wives would have been waiting for them in autos near by. But not last night. There weren't any commuters aboard No.

1205. Instead the only passengers were a dozen railroad buffs, members all of "Railroad Enthusiasts," an esoteric organization. They had come from all over the metropolitan area in a final tribute. FOR LAST NIGHT was the last run for a passenger train between Sparkill and Nyack, the Erie-Lackawanna having terminated both passenger and freight traffic on its northern Branch. Why were they there? All 12 indicated to this Journal-News reporter that they had come for reasons much akin to those of men who climb mountains or swim the English channel.

The railroad buffs, notified of the final run by E-L ad United Fund's United Fund's cost for raising some $185,163 for county and national organizations came to Dine per cent or $34,575, according to figures released by Chairman James A. Collishaw. Fund officials also pointed out that each organization Included In this year's initial drive, received more under United Fund than they were able to raise Individually a year ago. Each agency also saved fund raising costs of its own. In addition to allocations an Only 10 days till Christmas and all through the house Christmas spirits must be bubbling over.

And so It is with the North family residents of the North Pole and practically next-door neighbors of the Clauses (Mr. and Mrs. Santa). You'll meet the North family on Friday, and In the sub- It of in a that and In Haverstraw Is Scheduled The Haverstraw village advisory committee has fixed Jan. 18 for a mass meeting at which residents may air their gripes about the village.

The information garnered at tb meeting will be used to formulate an agenda of problems to which the 15-man committee, headed by former State Democratic chairman Michael H. Prendergast, will address itself. In September, the villagv board asked Prendergast to form the group in response to complaints by Republican leaders and members of C.O.R.E. about downtown housing conditions. Prendergast expanded the inital membership of six with the addition of five local clergymen and five members of minority groups.

A fifth representative from the latter has still to be appointed. The committee agreed then lhat it would seek complaints and suggestions on all kinds of social problems, Including housing, by means of the mass meeting. An Individual memorial gifts committee, which will invito major subscriptions to the Good Samaritan Hospitals' $750,000 building fund, will soon begin Its work under the chairmanship of Henry Mayer, Suffern, it was announced today by Joseph G. Balsamo, General Chairman of the Campaign. A plan for contributions by which subscribers to the fund may establish selected rooms or sections or the new wing planned for the hospital, by gifts of the proportionate cost of the selected unit, was described by Chairman Mayer in his statement accepting leadership of this phase of the campaign.

KIDS MINADO, SANTA LOCK HORNS OVER NORTH they haven't even told us what it's about!" The chapters were penned alternately by the two girls with constant collaboration on the story line, she said. This will be the first "publishing" for the young authors, but, Judging by "The Christmas Spirit," it may not but It will be the first glimpse the authors' parents, Mr. awl Mrs. Charles Thomas and Mr. and Mrs.

Kevin Cody, will have of the result of their offsprings' wilting talents. "IT'S BEEN a deep, dark secret," Mrs. Thomas told The Journal-News. "They've been working on It since the beginning of November and her evil goblins; Santa and his helpers (there's Happy and Hoppy); and Christine, the Christmas falty. The young of heart, from 3 to 93, won't want to miss a single Installment of this delightful idle which begins In Friday's edition of The Journal-News.

Not only will the story be a surprise to Rockland readers, season, are busily making plans for the big day. But something happens and for the rest of the week Christmas becomes a nightmare for the North family. IN THE SIX exciting chap-tem of "The Christmas Spirit" you'll get to know not only the North children, but Mlnado, the wicked witch, and citing Christmas tale are Kathleen Thomas and Marya Cody, both of New City, both sixth grafle students at the Link School and "best friends." As the story opens, Christmas Is only one short week away and the North children, filled with the Joy of the sequent five Issues of The JournalNews the adventures (and more often, misadventures) of the North children, John, Mary, William and Carol, will unfold in "The Christmas Spirit," a six-part story written by two local youngsters. THE AUTHORS of this ex be the last..