RR Car Makes Try at Self-Delivery
Branchville (C) - A do-it-yourself-type
milk car on the Lackawanna railroad line here made an attempt to make
it on its own Monday afternoon and took off, sans engine, for Becker's
Creamery at Ross' Corner. Realizing that no train was scheduled to
pass at that time, Forrest Howell, the station agent, was startled
to hear an approaching rumble and dashed from the station in time
to see the milk car headed toward Augusta under its own power.
Sprinting after the car which had been
standing in the Branchville yard near the station, Howell caught up
with it as it gained momentum, climbed on the rear and tested the
brake. Apparently set as tight as possible, the brake never-the-less
did not hold the car, and Howell, tempering bravery with common sense,
decided there was nothing more he could do on board, jumped off, and
returned to notify the authorities.
Merrily continuing on its way, the car
meanwhile approached and cleared crossings without incident, passed
the Lehigh and New England crossing and reached level ground where
it gently came to a standstill, its nearly 3 mile free run still short
of the creamery.
No reason could be found for its free
start, but after examination the car was put back in service and on
Tuesday was underway again-this time behind an engine.