New Haven Railroad
Stamford 1955
by Morley J. KelseyNovember, 1982
In 1955 the New Haven Railroad's Stamford Shop was running as it had for a number of years, a seven day, three shift operation employing 181 men. This included those working in the shop proper, those on "The Hill" and others involved in freight car work as well as one car inspector stationed at South Norwalk.
Multiple unit motor cars and trailer cars were given periodic inspection on a time and mileage basis. The "Ex Parte" requiring monthly inspection was still in the future. Inspection and storage tracks for MU trains were located on both sides of the main line atop the embankment which carries the tracks above the level of Stamford's streets. This was known as "The Hill."
Cherry Street Yard, south of the shop at street level, provided storage for all types of cars and the passenger yard east of the station along the main line provided further storage capacity. During the night hours, Stamford was virtually packed solid with cars waiting the morning rush.
Stamford Shop, built as a repair facility for electric locomotives at the time of the electrification, was a two track wood structure attached to the steam locomotive round house. This was to serve until the shop at Van Nest was completed. Track No. 1, nearest the main line, was equipped with a pit and a drop table for the change-out of wheels and motors. Later a three track addition to handle MU cars was added, making Stamford Shop a five track facility. The addition had pits on each track and inspection bridges at roof level to facilitate roof inspection and pantograph work.
For MU work, a post crane was later installed near the east end of track No. 2. The east end of a car could then be jacked up, the truck rolled out, and heavy truck work performed. The Track No. 1 - No. 2 section of the shop was built for locomotives and was too short to completely house an MU car spotted for truck work. Thus the east end of the car protruded from the door and allowed the cold winter winds to enter. At some time after World War II, a brick extension was built to the original shop eliminatng this problem. At the same time, another post crane was installed near the west end of track No. 2, permitting work on either end of a car without turning it on the armstrong turntable. All MU cars were operated with the No. 1 end west for operational and maintenance purposes. The extension of the building also provided space for a forman's office and locker room. The inspector still had a tiny office near track No. 3 in the new section of the building.
The complex also included a steam heat plant, an office building, a storehouse, and a line storehouse for the transmission department. The new MU shop had been removed some years before and its components used in the construction of a work equipment shop at New Haven. This building, located in old Yard No. 4, is presently used by Amtrak as a wheel, truck and air brake shop. The steam plant, which heated the entire shop complex plus the yard office, freight house and both passenger stations, was the responsibility of the shop forces and received a refurbishing each fall.
An Assistant Master Mechanic, stationed at Stamford and reporting to the Master Mechanic at New Haven, covered the division west of South Norwalk, and had general supervision of the Stamford Shop. A General Foreman actually ran the shop and had a foreman on each shift seven days a week. The day shift, Monday through Friday, had both a car and a locomotive foreman. In the fall of 1955, an additional car foreman was assigned solely to improve the level of car cleaning. The foremen at Stamford were all experienced and capable men.
One Friday, early in September, 1955, the Assistant Master Mechanic and the General Foreman reported for work before 7:00 AM, as was their practice. During the day troubles developed, and the two men worked through the night and until 11:00 AM Saturday. With things then running smoothly, and a competent foreman in charge, the two men went home to get some sleep. At about 2:00 PM, the Chief Mechanical Officer from New Haven, who knew nothing of the operation at Stamford, made a surprise visit, and finding neither the Assistant Master Mechanic nor the General Foreman on duty, took them both out of service. The Chief Mechanical Officer was a McGinnis appointee, who had no experience with electric railroading.
I was a Diesel Inspector at the time, and the next morning, Sunday, was called into the Chief Mechanical Officer's office at New Haven and asked to go to Stamford as Acting General Foreman. I was told that the General Foreman was sick, and might never come back, making the appointment permanent for me. The Assistant Master Mechanic was replaced by a full Master Mechanic, an east-end man "Bull of the Woods" type, who I liked and enjoyed working with. I had had considerable MU car experience at New Haven both before and during World War II.
When I reported for work at Stamford Monday morning I was told that I would have to live within 15 minutes of the job. Having just moved into a new home in Hamden, I was not about to move to Stamford. The fact that I could get to Stamford via the Parkway in 45 minutes didn't cut any ice. I finally agreed to cover the job until a replacement could be found, but to continue to live in Hamden. In the first week of December, I was promoted to Supervisor of Locomotive Maintenance, and sent to the EMD plant in McCook, Illinois for two weeks of schooling. This ended my three month stay in Stamford.
Because I was in Stamford on a temporary basis, I refrained from making many changes. I felt that whoever took the job after me should have that right. The ignitron cars were new then and many modifications were in the works, adding interest to the job. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Stamford, liking both the equipment and the men.
A train, known as the "Garbage," operated between Stamford and Van Nest Shops, carrying Stamford's worn out wheels, grounded motors and other used material in specially constructed cars, and returning with new and repaired items.
One Sunday afternoon, I was in my office doing paper work when I heard a loud thump outside. A pole, on which the city fire alarm box was mounted had rotted below ground level. It had fallen, tearing down the wires. The engine dispatcher called the fire department, who, alerted by the single stroke bell on their board, were quickly on the scene. I had notices posted about the shop area with the fire department's phone number. I felt that if a fire once got started, the whole shop would burn to the ground. In 1978, it did burn completely to the ground.
One Sunday morning, when I went to the station in New Haven to get a train to Stamford, I found that all trains had been annulled due to a washout at Glenbrook. The storm that had been building when I left Stamford the previous evening had created floods throughout the area and all four tracks at Glenbrook went out. A passing freight was piled up at the washout. Light engines were being dispatched from Cedar Hill to retrieve train No. 97, marooned at Darien. I was able to get aboard and at Darien, walked down to the wreck. I found the Master Mechanic, borrowed his car, and drove to Stamford. Except for time out to eat and buy some clean clothes, I was in and around the Stamford Shop until late the following Saturday evening. The bunk room was full day and night and we had an old sleeping car spotted in the yard to take the overflow. This was a busy week for all of us at Stamford.
When the 4400's were being delivered, the old cars were removed from service and some were stored in the West-Bound Departure Yard at Cedar Hill. Finally they were moved piece-meal to Van Nest for disposition. One morning at Stamford, I found that the local freight had torn the whole draft gear out of one of the old open platform cars. They had dragged it in with chains. We turned it on the turntable so that the bad end was east, and sent it along to Van Nest. All in all I had a pleasant time in Stamford, and thank all the men who gave me a hand when the going got rough.