The P&WV Hi-Line

[Longview Station]

With the Dale Elder Photo Collection now being shared with this Group,
for any whom might be interested, today June 11 is the One Year
Anniversary of the Passing of "D.K. Elder".

I came to know Mr. Elder in the early 1980's upon his arrival at Rook
as Assistant Superintendent of the Connellsville District. I was a camera
toting individual who was everywhere inside those 111 Miles of former
P&WV tracks. After a few introductions out along the road, I felt comfortable being in or on the property in his presence without the fear of being turned into the Railroad Police.
I soon learned Elder was a railroad buff but he was also tough as nails on the employees.
As time passed, seemingly each time I ran into Mr. Elder I was greeted by his warm..."Helllloooo - Gene"....
Yes the man who was tough as nails had a human side and I was fortunate I fell into his good graces.
If I was out along the road as I often could be found, if he was Hi-Railing he would stop and chat for a few minutes, introducing me to his traveling companion.
For a Company as strict as NS...I was very fortunate.
After Elder relocated back to Brewster...then back to Terminal Superintendent at Bellevue, I kept in touch with Elder.
If I telephoned and he was out of the Office, sometime later in that day he "would" return my telephone call, without fail.
After Elder Retired from NS, when I learned of his illness, I re-established contact with Elder. In one letter to Elder I wrote him about some of the things he unknowlingly did each day, that assisted me in my daily quest in photographing the operations along the P&WV.
Seemingly each morning, around 6 AM...long before cell phones were ever thought of, his morning ritual was to key up the Brewster Train Dispatcher requesting a current line up on train crews...
The Morning Ritual was usually identical day to day and went ...
(After the radio base station was keyed up...)
Each conversation contained the slow Elder drawl...
"NS Assistant Superintendent Elder"...to the Brewster Dispatcher...
NS Brewster Dispatcher answering Assistant Superintendent Elder...
Where is my "DJ-12"...
...After the reply...
Where is the Grain Train(s)...
...Reply...
Then on occasion went the delimena about Chessie at Connellsville.
Elders voice deepened with urgency as the Train Dispatcher was instructed to have the "Chief" contact such and such at Chessie and resolve this ASAP.
Arrival and Departure times filled the morning airwaves...
Loads...empties...pick ups and set offs...
Sperry Cars...NS Track Geometry Cars if on the property were discussed.
Mifflin, Clairton, Monessen and Fox Grocery instructions came and went.
With that information at hand, my days events were either on or off the map.
Sometimes I am amazed how all of this came together in my best interest.
In one later conversation with Mr. Elder, I learned his early railroad career he was stationed at Conneaut. One of the P&LE Superintendents I worked for on the Montour worked out of Astabula.
In that conversation Elder knew Costello from the P&LE.

So today, appropriately on (NW)"611"...according to Erick Elders Message from June 11, 2007 - I will stop at 12 Noon for a moment and say a prayer for "NS Assistant Superintendent Elder"...A Man who touched my Life for a short time from long ago...
GPS

[Dave Stanton]

Gene, it is great people like you that brings or keeps these great railroads alive. It is the railroaders like you and Mr Elder that made the railroads what they were. Thanks so much. The same goes to you guys that made this site possible. I check this site everyday to see what I can learn new. When an update shows up it feels like Christmas morning. All of you out there have made a great impact. Thanks

[Longview Station]

Yes Dave...Christmas...
I may be nearing 52, but each time something unique happens on the P&WV, I feel like that young boy I once was anticipating Santa's Arrival so long ago.
The best part often comes when it is recalled years later for you and others.
GPS/VW

[dkelder]

Gene,
thanks for the kind words about my father. I found a few letters from you that he had kept in his collection as well.

I hope all of the P&WV Hi-Line visitors enjoy the many documents he had collected and saved from his time at Rook and Brewster. I was home for the railroad auction and found a few more things that may be of interest to all. I'll get them to the webmasters as soon as possible so they can be shared too.

In discussing the collection with my dad, he simply said that he wanted to see people who enjoyed the railroad be able to share in what he had. I hope by opening up his collection, I'm able to help keep his memory and his joy of working on the railroad alive.

Thanks again,
Dale

[Fla. Mike]

I guess I only met Dale Elder one time, and I think that it was only a few years before he retired. I had ridden wit the BBCX 1000 and 1001, both medium sized empty Schanble cars that two months earlier I had hauled huge boilers with to Gambrinus yard near Canton. Anyways after arrival on the W&LE train into Bellevue, and a day or so layover in that nice Best Western motel just outside the yard, my empty cars were called for the NS train bound for Decatur Ill. I find the conductor in the second floor sign-in room, and I ask him who to see about my release, since this was about 1998, and clerks were a thing of the past! The conductor says, oh go right to the top, I just saw Dale Elder in his office. I go right down the hall and introduce myself, and Dale Elder says where are you from? I say Pittsburgh. He says I was there for many years on the N&W,and then the NS. I then remember the name, and hearing him on the radio as Gene said, and then I tell him that I used to live only a mile or so from Longview. Then his next question is do you know Gene Schaffer, and I say sure, and then we sit and talk for at least 20 minutes about Pittsburgh, the old P&WV, N&W and NS. About then the conductor comes by and says they have all their paperwork and a ride is downstairs to take us out to our train. On the way out of the ex NKP hup that is and was Bellvue I could not help think about Dale Elder at the helm of Rook and that sub, in the busy years of WM/N&W, and then NS, as we pulled through the neat west end of the yard, and downtown Bellevue. Mike