NYALBANY-L Archives

From: "gencon" <>
Subject: [NYALBANY]
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 07:29:49 -0700
In-Reply-To: <E14lHc1-0001Oi-00@quasars>

This is a quote from my great grandfathers memoirs- he wrote them when he
was 62 that was in 1909- This is talking about the rail road from New York
City to Albany.

"The first recollections which I have is a visit made to Aunt Mary's farm -
[her husband was O.H.Perry FISHER] at a small town about 15 miles from
Albany, New York. Uncle Perry was running a saw mill and I remember
watching the saw running through the solid logs. they had a pet lamb of
which I was very fond of. It was here that I saw the first steam cars as
the track run across their meadows. The line was from New York City to
Albany. Uncle Perry called one morning saying if we wanted to see the
railroad cars pass that we would have to go down to the meadow fence. This
we did and when we got there he pointed out the smoke which was about a mile
to the east of us and it seemed even at that time to us, like an age before
it got near us where we could see it. We had a chance to talk to the
engineer and passengers while it was passing, It ran at the rate of a very
slow walk and everything was open with a shade awning overhead. After it
got by, we went and examined the track and Uncle Perry told about his sawing
the rails and how much he made on those he furnished. The rails were simply
4x4 oak and maple laid on cross ties about four feet apart and fastened to
the ties with wooden pegs. No iron at all was used in the tracks,

We looked the railroad over until we were tired and still the train was in
sight and I thought that it was terribly slow. I said to father [William
Augustus Franklin PECKHAM 1810-1849] that I would rather ride after old Dan
our horse than on that thing!"

Wilma Fleming Haynes



-
Can anyone on the list tell me about a good source on the railroad between
Albany and Schenectady? Was this the first railroad in the US? According to
one source John Butler was the owner of a half-way house on this line and
was
on the "first train of cars" on this line. Thanks, Ken Newton

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• [NYALBANY] by "gencon" <>