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kellyp72 · 8 years ago

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10 Ways to eat organic on a tight budget

The controversy over whether it’s better to eat organic or conventional food is still alive and well. Many of the debates have focused on whether or not there are any measurable nutritional benefits to eating organic food, while others point out that organic growers still do use pesticides, including a small number of synthetic ones. However, as a recent post in the Sacramento Bee points out, this is the wrong debate to be having.

The debate should be over the impact of farming practices on the food chain. When we shift the conversation to the question of growing practices, the issue becomes a lot less black and white.

Organic farmers generally use ecologically sound practices that encourage conservation and minimal waste. And while there is still not enough research out there to demonstrate the health effects of organic or natural pesticides (with few exceptions: tobacco, for example, is a commonly used pesticide in organic farming and one that I use in my own urban garden. But it is highly toxic to humans and can penetrate the skin), there is a large body of research that demonstrates the harm that many synthetic pesticides cause to human health.

Some conventional farmers are not certified organic, but use organic growing methods. They should not be cast as examples of the evils of industrial agriculture. In fact, getting organic certification is more difficult than ever, and the problem is compounded by the fact that organic farmers have much less access to subsidies and resources to make their operations financially prosperous.

The difficulties and expenses involved in running an organic farm operation is just one of the reasons why organic food costs more to buy. But buying organic food need not be cost-prohibitive. In fact, there are many ways you can buy organic food and not break the bank.

Some of those ways are discussed in Go Green without Going Broke. (It’s on sale right now: $3.99 on Amazon.com for the next week, so please, get a copy and tell me what you think. The price will be going up soon…)

Here are 10 additional ways that you can buy organic food without having to stretch your food budget out of shape:

Buy in bulk – online. The online grocery shopping market has expanded to include many more organic offerings. Even better, there are now a growing number of organic food companies that specialize in organic fare and that will let you buy bulk, and that ship straight to you. Some of these companies require membership, while others let you buy as much as you like with no other obligations. In the US, Sunfood Superfoods, True Foods Market, Vitacost, Azure Standard and Thrive Market have an extensive selection of offerings and offer discounts, sales, and even (for Sunfood Superfoods) free shipping if you buy a certain dollar amount of items. In Canada, try Organic Matters or Yupik. In the UK go to BuyBigOrganic. In Australia look at the organic supply database, OrganicFood.com. If you have a US- based business (or want to sign up for your school, non-profit, or online store), you should also check out Organic Wholesale, which has over 20,000 organic foods and specialty products to choose from, and ships free when your purchase totals at least $50.

Eat frozen. Decades after nutritionists told us about the benefits of eating frozen foods, many of us still believe that frozen is not as nutritious as fresh food. In fact, frozen is not only nutritionally similar to fresh foods, it may be healthier in some cases. Here are 3 reasons why. First, frozen foods are typically picked at their peak ripeness, when they’re at the height of their nutritional content. Second, the freezing process only minimally affects the nutritional content of produce. Third, frozen produce lasts longer than its fresh counterparts. Don’t hang on to it in your freezer for over one year, though. After a year, it loses nutrients as a result of the oxidation process inherent in storage. And avoid boiling your frozen produce, which causes a loss of most of its nutrients. By steaming or microwaving it instead, you can come closer to meeting the recommended daily allowances, with associated nutritional content, from your fruit and veggie consumption.

Plan meals for the week and buy only what you need. Do I need to elaborate on this? Instead of shopping for organic fare on the fly, buying whatever looks good to you at the moment (which always results in spending more money on food), make one day of the week a meal planning day. For maximum savings, start by looking at what you already have in your cabinet, and build meals around that. Need some help planning meals? Try our handy weekly meal planner or healthy grocery shopping list. Want to know what food are best to buy organic? We have a cheat sheet for that too. Download to your phone or print and take with you on your next shopping trip.

Grow your own (organically). Urban gardening is a real phenomenon nowadays. While it may be hard to believe that urban farming can transform cities and save us from the evils of big agriculture, as some have claimed, it does have some advantages over current agricultural practices (not limited to, but including, big ag). Don’t know where to start? Try this free ebook from Patrick at Urbanvine.co. and learn how to begin or improve your farming game. In early May, Green and Prosperous will be offering some online organic urban farming courses as well. Sign up for our mailing list to be notified when the course becomes available, and to be eligible for limited-time discounts.

Barter with local farmers. Most farmers have a rough go. The last thing they want to do is have to advertise their wares, on top of all the back breaking work they do just to keep the farm going. And yet, getting their products to market, and finding new markets are two of the most persistent problems that farmers face, aside from lack of access to capital. Here’s where you can help, and benefit. Do you have a skill that you could use to help an organic farmer advertise his or her business? Can you set up a website? Do you know how to market on social media? What about labor? Can you lend a hand? Many farmers need help with labor, especially during sowing and harvesting seasons. Others still would like to take advantage of the grant opportunities that are available (for example, through the US Department of Agriculture or the European Union’s Single Payment Scheme (SPS)), but have no experience or time to write grant proposals. If you have skills, or just a good set of hands and a willingness to work hard, you can trade them for food. Find opportunities by 1) visiting a local farm or farmer’s market and speaking to individuals personally. (If they look busy, just ask when or how you could contact them outside of market hours, or whether they have a phone number or website with email where you could reach them). 2) Volunteer to man someone’s booth in exchange for food. This method works best with farmers who you develop some kind of rapport with beforehand, like that farmer whose veggie stand you’ve been visiting weekly for the past month.

Buy in-store organic brands (but beware of some corporate brands). Many large stores now offer their own brand of organic fare. Whole Foods’ 365 Brand, Safeway’s O Organics, Albertson’s Wild Harvest, Publix’s Green Wise, Tesco’s Organic, and Sainsbury’s SO organic are among the many store brands available. However, be aware that some corporate organic brands may be diluting the standards for organic products. Others are playing both sides of the food game, with their organic brands promoting GMO-free fare while the corporation behind that brand working to dismiss claims about the harmful effects of GMOs, or actively trying to suppress efforts to legislate for GMO labeling.

Join an organic co-op. (Caveat: these are not always the cheapest option, and you’ll need to shop around for the best prices) Generally understood, a co-op is any member-owned, voluntary organization comprising of a group of people (or organizations) formed for their mutual financial benefit. Food co-ops have been around a long time, but they weren’t always ideal. Remember the days of food co-ops that you had to drive far and wide to reach, that had very limited selections of organic food, exorbitant membership fees, and high prices? (I do.) These days, there are many choices in the food co-op game, and organic food co-ops are among them. Don’t know where to find a co-op near you? Try this directory if you live in the US: http://www.coopdirectory.org/. Based in Canada? Try the Ottawa Valley Food Co-op, the Ontario Natural Food Co-op (if you have a group of 5 or more families), Eat Local Grey Bruce (in Ontario), or the East End Food Co-op (in Vancouver). Live in the U.K.? Type “organic food” into the keyword search box at Cooperatives UK. In Australia? The University of Sydney has a food co-op that’s open to everyone. Other food co-ops elsewhere in the country include Thoughtful Foods (New South Wales), Peach ‘n’ Pear (Ellwood section of Melbourne), and The People’s Market (Perth).

Join a CSA. CSAs work like this: you purchase a share (or partial share) of the seasonal harvest, and a fresh, local supply of fruits and/or veggies is delivered to you (or to a designated place) at intervals (e.g. weekly, biweekly) determined by the farmer(s). The concept is similar to purchasing a subscription. Some growers offer additional products: honey, flowers, eggs, and bread, for example. Not long ago, buying CSA shares — at anywhere from $200 on up for a full share — was out of the reach of most families that were cash-strapped or low income. In part because of new incentives at the level of the US federal government, which have enabled small-scale farmers to benefit financially and spread their reach, and in part because of a growing interest in healthier eating among families across the income spectrum, many farmers have now begun to make purchasing CSAs more affordable for people on a tight budget. If you qualify as low-income, you may be able to pay for your shares on a weekly basis, contributing as little as USD $10 a week for a half share commitment. Payment installations are also being offered by some CSAs in Canada, the UK, and Australia. In the U.S., a few major grocery chains have also begun to offer CSA signups at similar prices, enabling those with less cash up front to not only purchase shares cheaply, but also to save the cost of traveling to the farm to pick up their shares. Instead, shares are delivered to the grocery store and you can collect them while you shop for the rest of your family’s needs. Find a CSA through these databases: Local Harvest (US, Canada), Community Supported Agriculture (UK), or Natural Bridge Organics (Gold Coast, Australia). You can also just Google “CSA” and the name of your city or province to find one near you.

Contact your local Weston A. Price Foundation. The mission of this non-profit foundation, founded in 1999, is to restore “nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism.” One of their local chapters (located in 41 countries) can help you find fresh, organic food, CSAs, food-co-ops, farmers, and holistic healthcare practitioners. Local chapters also host cooking classes, potluck dinners and other activities, all with the goal of helping you integrate whole, healthy foods into your lifestyle.

Look for sales and coupons on organic items. Search in store or online. Make it even easier to find discounts and sales by signing up to receive a list of deals on organic, natural, and GMO-free products, whether you live in the US, Canada, UK, or Australia.

Finally, there is one thing you can do to make sure that we’re all able to afford healthy, organic food in the long term. Shop for those brands that practice and support responsible growing, producing, and animal husbandry practices. If you stop buying chicken eggs from chickens that spent their lives cooped up in pens, eating the kind of food you’d never consume yourself, then manufacturers will be forced to stop (or engage less in) raising chickens that way. If you press legislators for GMO labeling, they will support GMO labeling. If you buy more organic fare, more manufacturers will switch to making more organic fare. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Sometimes the only way to bring change is to be the change you want to see.

#eat organic #green living

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addictingtrains · 8 years ago

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The History of the Attica Falls Railroad

The Attica Falls is a fictional that I intend basing a future model railroad on. However between now and then I’ve written some stories about the railroad, but before any of those are posted to give a background to our readers we will start with the railroad’s history. We begin with the first steam era.

The Attica Falls have always impaired transportation in the Mud River Valley. The Mud River, which connects Moose Lake with the St. Lawrence River in Northern New York is not suitable to navigation between the waterfall and the shallow depth of the river below the falls. It is only navigable as far as Medina, 15 miles upstream. It became quite obvious that another form of transportation would be necessary between Attica Falls and Junctionport.

Junctionport is near the end of the navigable water on the St. Lawrence coming from Lake Ontario. From there rapids make navigation difficult until the Lachine Rapids in Montreal. Junctionport following the cooling of tensions between the new United States and British North America (now Canada) became an important link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, along with Johnsonville, across the river from Junctionport. However in 1825 the Erie Canal opened between Albany and Buffalo. Barges from New York bypassed the St. Lawrence. Another canal, the Rideau went from Kingston to Ottawa, from which ships could then take the Ottawa River to Montreal. The citizens of Junctionport and Johnsonville realized they need a new connection to Montreal.

They proposed to build a canal from Moose Lake to the St. Lawrence to bypass the rapids. The Mud River would then be taken to Attica Falls. There arose the question of how Junctionport and Attica Falls would be connected. The two would have to be connected before the canal could be built so forest products from the Adirondacks would have access to the St. Lawrence. In 1830 the Mud River Rail Road was incorporated to build a three-foot narrow gauge railroad. Narrow Gauge was cheaper than Standard Gauge and connecting with other railroads was not yet an issue as the railroad was intended to be a portage. Yet in 1835 the Moose Lake & St. Lawrence Canal Corporation folded. The canal had a difficult fight in Albany for its existence. The State Legislature was long opposed to the canal as they feared the new canal would take away business from the Erie Canal; and with British-American tensions growing (the Patriot War was three years away), the legislature did not want a Canadian corporation building a canal in the state. Montreal investors, including the famed Molson family, had taken part in the corporation.

The Mud River Rail Road, being tied to Moose Lake & St. Lawrence Canal was liquidated in bankruptcy without either the railroad or canal having been built. But an investor from New York City named Archibald Cornell formed a new corporation called the St. Lawrence, Mud River & Montreal Rail Road (St.LMR&M). The St.LMR&M began surveys for a line from Moose Lake to Montreal via Junctionport along the routes of the proposed railroad and canal. Cornell even chartered a corporation in Lower Canada (as Quebec was called at the time), the Montreal & Moose Lake Railway (M&ML) which would build the Canadian portion of the line.

Local interests on the St. Lawrence saw Cornell’s railways as conspiracy to control the Erie Canal’s competition. In response the Mud River Valley Rail Road (MRV) was incorporated by local interests. The MRVRR applied for a charter but was immediately challenged by Cornell and St.LMR&M. The MRVRR interests contended that Cornell’s railroad was originally illegal as no charter was ever granted by the state to St.LMR&M. Cornell won the case has he had purchased the charter of the Mud River Rail Road.

In 1850 the St.LMR&M still had not begun any construction on the railroad. Cornell, a canal investor has begun to lose money. A series of railroads (Standard-Gauge) had linked Albany and Buffalo. The faster railroads in 1853 had consolidated to form the New York Central (NYC). The NYC wore down the canal and Cornell lost interest in the St.LMR&M. In 1855 the railroad was placed for sale. There were no takers as everyone feared litigation from MRVRR interests. In 1859, Cornell died. His heirs disbanded the corporation. The charter-less MRVRR tried to once again to gain a charter. They were denied. With the American Civil War underway by now, the MRVRR interested disbanded to focus on the war effort.

Another reason the MRVRR did not continue was the Alleghany & Ontario (A&O). The A&O built a Standard-Gauge railroad from the NYC main in Syracuse to Johnsonville to meet the Grand Trunk Railway’s (GTR) mainline from Montreal to Chicago. The line opened in 1859. The residents of Junctionport finally had a railroad to the rest of America. Suddenly the little portage didn’t seem that important.

Moose Lake on the other hand, had not forgotten. During the war the forestry industry had continued to expand and after the war, tourism became popular on the lake. Several resorts opened and steamboats began plying the lake and the Mud River as far as Attica Falls. Finally an incentive existed to revive the railroad. On January 25th, 1871; the New York State Legislature granted a charter to the Attica Falls Railroad Corporation. This time the General Bonding Act of 1869 had made the process much easier.

The new corporation had the same goal as all of its predecessors. Connect the navigable portion of the Mud River with the St. Lawrence River. Despite the presence of the A&O, the AFRR decided it would be Narrow-Gauge on the grounds that it was still a portage railroad. It was imagined at the time that most lumber would leave Junctionport by schooner and the remainder of traffic would consist primarily of passengers who would still have had to change trains regardless of track gauge.

Much of 1872 and 1873 was spent securing contracts for materials and surveying the line.Craige, Rafferty & Yeomans of Buffalo, New York was chosen to build the line. Surveying began in 1873, Peter Emslie was chief engineer. Franklin Williams of Junctionport was hired as the local engineer and did much of the survey. Williams submitted the following report in September, 1873:

“Surveys were commenced by me about the first of January, 1873, previous to that a survey had been made by the old St. Lawrence, Mud River & Montreal Rail Road from Junctionport to Medina, a distance of fifteen miles. We were dissatisfied with the old survey. We commenced operations by tracing a line the head of the Mud River Valley down its northern slope, an examination having been made and lines run down the southern slope. Finding the southern the shortest and cheapest route and the most favourable as to grades, immediately commenced under the direction of the board of directors about two miles east of the roadbed of the Alleghany & Ontario Railroad, east of Mud River and extending eastward about fifteen miles.”

The site, two miles east of the A&O, now CSX tracks is still milepost 0.0 on the AFRR and the location of our station and corporate offices in Junctionport.

By October, Curtis Spafford, President of the AFRR, announced that the contractors had nearly completed grading, masonry, fencing and ties for the line. The next announcement was the purchase of over 1,500 tons of iron rails from the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Company of Scranton, Pennsylvania. An order for three locomotives was placed with the Brooks Locomotive Works of Dunkirk, New York to be delivered by 1875. Three 2-6-0 “Mogul” locomotives were the chosen design due the grade that the locomotives would have to climb into Junctionport. They were named for the first three stations; Junctionport, Campbellton and Trinderville.

1874 was occupied primarily with laying track. Most work was done by Irish immigrants hired by Craige, Rafferty & Yeomans. Being a 40 mile railroad, work was uneventful but long. With contractors building laying the track, the board turned its attention to acquiring rolling stock. Much was ordered from the Buffalo Car Manufacturing Company of Buffalo, New York. Spafford, being a carpenter himself who had made his fortune in harvesting the lumber of the Adirondacks, was also involved in construction of some freight cars.

In March, 1875, a special A&O train arrived in Junctionport. A standard-gauge 2-6-0 #75 arrived pulling six flatcars and a caboose. Three of the flatcars carried a 2-6-0 engine and the other three carried a tender. The locomotives were much smaller than A&O #75. It was pretty obvious that they were narrow-gauge. With no connection to A&O rails, the three locomotives were unloaded at the harbor onto a barge and then sailed around Persnor Point and up the Mud River just before the escarpment. There they were unloaded at the wharf. From there each engine was joined to its tender. The moment of truth came then came later that morning when #1, the Junctionport was fired for the first time since leaving Brooks. G. H. Smith in a 1920’s interview with the Junctionport Register in his 90’s recalled the event:

“This is when the railroad was narrow gauge and link-and-pin couplers were still in use, we called them ‘finger crushers’ since it was easy to get your fingers trapped in the coupling boxes. If that happened you could easily have lost your fingers. So these trains were not like the trains we see today. Our first locomotive was a ‘mogul’ named ‘Junctionport’ that we had ordered from Brooks. She didn’t last long but was a nice little engine. Our first day was quite cold. It being March, there were a few inches of snow on the ground and the wind was howling. We loaded the pine off the barge docked at the Spafford Wharf into Junctionport’s tender. Then it was time for some water. There was some water in the tender tank from Brooks, but not enough. The water in the tower that had been built didn’t include any way to heat the water so it had frozen. We ended up bucketing water from the Mud River into the tender cistern. We had to bucket at breakneck pace or else the water would have frozen in the bucket. We did end up dumping some ice into the cistern. Once the tender was full, we had to go around the cold engine with a torch to free up the injectors and water lines. We then lit a fire under the tender to keep the water from freezing. Several of us bearing torches kept the injectors and water lines warm. After filling the boiler with water, we then proceeded to light a fire in ‘Junctionport’s’ firebox. When steam pressure was sufficient, we sounded the whistle, and opened the throttle. We made our way to the enginehouse and completed the first unofficial run of the Attica Falls Railroad. Fortunately, the following day was above freezing making moving the other two engines off the wharf much easier.”

More rolling stock arrived, often moved around by horses to save on fuel. In April, the track was finally finished to Attica Falls. A depot, turntable and facilities capable of serving one engine at a time were built. The three engines ferried supplies and workmen around the 42 mile long railroad. By May the railroad was ready to open.

Monday, May 17th, 1875 is a date that will go down in the railroad’s history. That day the Attica Falls Railroad ran its first train. At 7:00 in the morning, Junctionport leading a train of three coaches and a parlour car named “George Henderson”, who back in 1825 had suggested the Mud River Rail Road in a letter to the Junctionport Republican, pulled into the Junctionport station. Now at the age of 80, he finally saw his vision become a reality. Sitting on the board he gave a brief remark after several speeches. At 8:20 in the morning, President Curtis Spafford declared the line open from George Henderson’s rear platform. G. H. Smith at the throttle of Junctionport sounded the whistle and the train departed for Attica Falls. The railroad was now open for business.

Along the line as the train stopped at each station there was a celebration. Typically featuring bands and speeches with stations decked out in bunting. Kenmore made a scene with firing a cannon as Junctionport rolled in. In Medina, which was upset about the railroad not being the terminus, there were concerns about vandalism. The first attempt to lay tracks through the village had resulted in the rails being torn by ruffians. Later crews repaired the tracks in the middle of the night. When locals awoke that morning they had found engine #2, Campbellton on the west side of town, and #3 Trinderville on the east side. The railroad had made its position clear. Medina would only be a way station, even if schooners from the St. Lawrence were capable of reaching Medina. Later on, the west end between Junctionport and Medina would prove its value and show that the railroad had made the right choice by building tracks along the navigable portions of the river. But it would not be the railroad’s last run in with Medina.

During the railroad’s first year, life proved relatively uneventful. The AFRR lived up to its purpose brining logs from Attica Falls to Junctionport and tourists to the Adirondacks, the other way. Steamship connections in Junctionport were available for as far away as Hamilton, Ontario. People would come from all over New York and Ontario to visit Moose Lake. The Spaffords, after having logged much of the forests around the lake began thinking of a new way to make money off the lake. Tourism was the answer.

The Spaffords began by building a steamer named the Adirondack to run from Attica Falls to points around the lake. In Moose Lake, the Mud River Hotel became a major attraction. It was right on the waterfront and connected with the Adirondack’s wharf. Cottages sprang up on islands on the lake and even a sanatorium opened on the east shore of the lake. The A&O also brought tourists. New York City residents would often ride the New York Central to Utica, then the Utica & Black River (U&BR) to Philadelphia, NY; the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg (RW&O) to Ogdensburg and then the A&O to Junctionport. At this time the difference in gauge was becoming an issue along with the lack of a physical connection. A connection was built, but surprisingly, not with the A&O.

In 1852, the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) on its mainline from Montreal to Toronto, came through Johnsonville, Canada West (as Ontario was known at the time). The GTR decided in 1875 to build a bridge across the St. Lawrence from Johnsonville into Junctionport. The GTR crossed the St. Lawrence, met the A&O in their yard, crossed the Mud River and then arrived at the Spafford Wharf where it met the AFRR. While this sounds great, it made the situation even more complicated as the GTR was built to a gauge of 5 ft. 6 in. Needless to say transfers between different railway companies made life difficult in Junctionport. It remained easier to send cargo from the AFRR around Persnor Point by water, then to transfer the load to a GTR boxcar for two miles and then onto an A&O boxcar. The GTR, having problems with connecting other railways not just in Junctionport but throughout Canada and the Great Lakes region of the United States, made the decision to transfer to standard gauge. By 1877, the GTR was converted to standard gauge. However the GTR sold the segment from the Spafford Wharf to the A&O yard to the AFRR. The AFRR was now 42 miles long. Even today, mileposts on the two-mile segment are measured from Johnsonville.

In 1876, disgruntled residents of Medina made their displeasure with not being named the terminus of railroad known again. Junctionport had arrived in Medina with a train of lumber from Attica Falls that was to be floated down Sandstone Creek to the Spafford lumber mill, some residents aware that the first locomotive and pride of the fleet was going to the wharf decided to grease the rails and teach the railroad the value of maritime transportation. Just after 2 o’clock in the afternoon of Wednesday, June 7th, 1876 with engineer Charles Johnson at the throttle and conductor Albert Harrison on duty, were backing the train of logs to the wharf. Harrison had just crawled off the tender onto the first car to tie down the brakes on the flat. Johnson had already begun to apply the brakes on Junctionport when her drivers slipped. Johnson moved the throttle to forward and tightened the brakes. But it was too late. Harrison jumped off at the last minute, but the train skidded down the rails and past the end of the wharf into the river. The engine crew also jumped off. While the worst injury (up to that point) was Engineer Johnson breaking his right arm, Junctionport careened into the river, with cold river water rushing into the firebox, it was only inevitable what would happen next. When Junctionport’s safety valve opened, the alarm was sounded and the port was evacuated. Nonetheless, Junctionport was destroyed in a boiler explosion. Shrapnel from the train flew everywhere, causing much injury and property damage. Amazingly, there were no deaths. But the residents of Medina had learned their lesson. Two river drivers, Stephen Hale and Percy Jones were caught and apprehended for spreading grease on the rails. They spent 20 years in prison for vandalism and assault. The residents of Medina seeing the damage they had caused their town and facing litigation from the railroad for the loss of their prized Junctionport learned to make peace with the railroad. That is why today, there is a statue of Junctionport in Medina’s town square.

With Medina having lost all hope of ever becoming a terminus, Attica Falls itself was about to lose its terminus status too. The railroad had discovered that going all the way to Moose Lake would be better. Tourists didn’t like having to change to the Adirondack to get there and transferring logs from the barges on the Mud River to the trains became lost productivity. So in 1877, President Curtis Spafford received authorization from the board to raise $500,000 to fund an extension from Attica Falls to Moose Lake. An order was placed with Baldwin of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for an 0-4-2 Forney tank engine and with Brooks for two 4-4-0 locomotives along with an 0-4-0 tank engine. Rolling stock this time came from the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad’s shops in Watertown, New York. Again; Craige, Rafferty & Yeomans was chosen for construction of the extension. By 1879 grading was underway.

In 1880 the railroad reached Mud River, passing through Adirondack Creek and Beaver Valley, where the Beaver River joins the Mud River. Four new engines had also arrived, #4 named Kenmore was an 0-42T built by Baldwin, #5 named Medina was 4-4-0 built by Brooks, #6 named Wayne was an 0-4-0T built by Brooks and #7 named Waynesborough was identical to number five. On May 16th that year the first train ran from Junctionport to Mud River behind Campbellton. Celebrations in Adirondack Creek, Beaver Valley, Mud Corners Elsbridge and Mud River were similar to those in communities along the portion opened in 1875. While Charles Johnson was the actual engineer, Curtis Spafford himself did pilot Campbellton into Mud River. Curtis’s son James, was fireman.

During the rest of 1880 and into 1881 construction continued toward the ultimate goal of Moose Lake itself. During the 1880 season Adirondack’s wharf has been moved from Attica Falls to Mud River and in 1881 it was moved right to the Mud River Hotel in Moose Lake itself. Also in 1880 the second steamer Moose Lake entered service. She was quite the improvement over Adirondack. Adirondack was 68’ long, with a 14’ beam, two decks and side paddle wheels. She was known for her small size (to fit the river) and slow speed. Moose Lake on the other hand 154’ long, with a beam of 26’ and displacement of 250 tons. She had three decks a capacity of 900 persons. Her cabins had wood trim, upholstered furniture, carpet, plate-glass mirrors, and colored skylights. No expense was spared on Moose Lake, she quickly became more popular than the old Adirondack. Adirondack herself would only last until 1882, when she burned.

While this work was being carried out on the maritime side of the business, the railroad was not idle either. 1881 saw the addition of four new locomotives; #8 named Orleans was a 2-4-2T built by Baldwin, #9 named Monroe was 2-6-0 built by the Pittsburg Locomotive Works of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. #10 named Wyoming was identical to #9 and #11 named Attica Falls was a 4-4-0 built by Brooks. Campbellton was sold to a narrow gauge railroad in North Western Pennsylvania who it is believed was a predecessor of the infamous Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern. But on September 4, 1881; the railroad was opened all the way to Moose Lake. With James Spafford at the throttle and Harold Conrad firing, Curtis Spafford opened the line through West Shemp, East Shemp and Moose Lake. The railroad was complete.

Life during the narrow gauge era was typical for a shortline in the 1880’s. Lots of local traffic consisted of besides lumber and tourists, dairy products. There were several farms and creameries along the line. Dairy would actually remain an important commodity for the railroad until the 1970’s. Just about every farm had a platform by tracks on which milk could be loaded into reefers. It was joked by locals that the railroad “milked every cow along the line” as the train made its way. Being narrow gauge, the trains ran at a pace that seemed slow to those familiar with standard gauge railways. There was a story of two crew members who ran ahead of the train to clear a cow off the tracks. G. H. Smith recalled the story in the 1920’s:

“After leaving Trinderville we encountered a cow on the line. It being a simpler time we didn’t think anything of it. Me and Dempsey, who was serving as a brakemen, jumped off a coach and ran ahead of the train to shoo the cow. When the cow was off the right-of-way we noticed how far ahead of the train we were. We also noticed some berry bushes alongside the tracks. We decided to pick some while we waited for our train (I believe number seven, Waynesborough, was pulling the train). By the time the train arrived, we had picked two hat-fuls of berries.”Then-President James Spafford when being interviewed for the same book that G. H. Smith had been interviewed for Fifty Years of Progress in the Mud River: The Story of the Attica Falls Railroad had similar recollections.

“One morning we were doing a milk run and stopped at the Percival farm platform near Orleans. The Percival children were loading the cans onto a reefer that I had built before they headed off to school. Again a cow strode onto our line. I believe the cow was upset about being milked before having the opportunity to finish her breakfast. Needless to say, she was in a foul mood that morning. All of us, the crew and the Percivals tried to drive that cow off the tracks and back into the pasture but she was not hearing any of it. We fell quite behind schedule trying to coax the poor beast. Eventually word spread throughout Orleans and every other farmer showed up with a wagon of their milk wanting to load it Percival’s milk platform. When the cow finally did move we so far behind schedule, that we learned that every train had been held up at their next depot. We had to wait for just about every other train to past and when we got back to Junctionport, my father gave me and my crewmates quite the earful!”

Cows however were only a passing concern. On April 3rd, 1882; while at her berth in Moose Lake next to the hotel, Adirondack caught fire. The vessel was engulfed and clearly lost. To prevent the fire from spreading to Moose Lake docked behind her and the hotel, Adirondack’s mooring lines were cut and she was set adrift in the lake. That night the light from the fire outshone that of the lighthouse on Shemp Island. The fire was only extinguished once it reached the waterline. By then, the keel and engine were all that was left. Needless to say they sank to the bottom of the lake. Both segments along with some other pieces of debris remain at the bottom of the lake today.

Her replacement was ready that fall, named Phoebe Spafford after President Curtis Spafford’s wife. She even outdid the Moose Lake, She had three-decks, was 132 feet long with a beam of 26 feet. Upper Cabins had stained glass skylights, a picket fence railing around the second deck and the finest furnished ladies cabin on the lake. It should be mentioned the AFRR was not the only company operating steamers on the lake. So the claims of Phoebe’s amenities do carry weight than I have made it sound like. The Shemp Island Steamship Company also ran a service from Shemp Harbor, which was not served by the railroad.

They had several steamships of their own and the two despite having two different home ports could be fierce rivals, however as the SISC is not the subject of this book, they and their vessels will not be discussed here except when their path crosses with that of the railroad. Nonetheless, Phoebe Spafford was a magnificent source of pride for the company and would remain in service until the New York Central ended AFRR passenger service in 1957.Since the hotel had opened before the Spaffords got involved in railroading, the depot was not near the hotel or the wharf and there was room for only one track and platform there. The station was closer to town and not in the tourist area. There were no facilities for the locomotives at the wharf but the railroad was able to get around it in quite an interesting manner. The last coach of each train would be reserved for passengers making connections with the steamships so after arriving at the station, the last car would be uncoupled and allowed to coast down to the wharf. The conductor stood on one of the open platforms at the end of the coach with his hand on the brake to prevent the coach from getting out of control. He also had a sheet-metal horn that he would sound at grade crossings. When he was close enough to the wharf, he would apply the brakes in full and give two blasts of his horn. Then a local driver would show up with a team of horses, who would be coupled to the coach and pull it to the wharf. This continued as late as 1917 when the New York Central funded a major rebuild of area around the hotel making it more practical for railroad operations.

By now the choice of gauge was becoming an issue. More traffic was going to the A&O, instead of the schooners on the St. Lawrence. In fact the schooners were being replaced by new larger steamships and iron was rapidly replacing wood as the material of choice. While the last schooner on the lakes would sail in commercial service until 1925 they were becoming increasingly rare and rare. Many of the new steamships were too large to navigate the Mud River and reach the Spafford Wharf in Junctionport. Rolling stock could not be interchanged with either the A&O or the GTR. It was obvious that the AFRR had chosen the wrong gauge.

Now to be fair to my Great-Great-Great-Grandfather back in 1871 narrow gauge was an obvious choice. Besides cost, the railroad does run through a valley with a river in it so space was at a premium. After Attica Falls the railroad enters the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and because of the first mountain the railroad encounters, Beaver Mountain requires some tight track work including a horseshoe curve between Beaver Valley and Mud Corners. Shemp Hill between Mud River and West Shemp, while not as bad a Beaver Mountain, did also make life inconvenient for the railroad. But at this point the advantages of being able to interchange with other railroads outweighed the cost savings and tight terrain. In 1887, Curtis Spafford went before the board and received permission to being converting the line to standard gauge. The line was completely converted to standard gauge in December of 1889. The first run by a standard gauge train was made on the 16th, a Monday. Two new locomotives were built for the railroad in 1889 in preparation for the change of gauge. Both were 4-4-0’s built by the New York Locomotive Works of Rome, New York. One was number 12 and named Adirondack Creek the other was numbered 13 and named Beaver Valley. On top of that four 2-6-0’s were acquired from the A&O after they were taken over by the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg. The RW&O found the four moguls redundant and as such sold them to the AFRR. They were all built in 1875 by the Schenectady Locomotive Works of Schenectady, New York. The RW&O rarely purchased locomotives from Schenectady preferring those from Taunton and the only major presence of Schenectady locomotives were those inherited from the Utica & Black River. They were numbered; 20, 21, 22 and 23. They were named in numerical order; Mud Corners, Elsbridge, Mud River and West Shemp. It should be mentioned that #20, Mud Corners was originally A&O #75 and delivered #1, Junctionport to the AFRR back in 1875.

The transition to standard gauge turned around the AFRR. The railroad was now receiving more traffic due to being able to interchange with both the RW&O and GTR. In fact the AFRR and the RW&O were growing close. The two began work on a new station in Junctionport. But not all was rosy for the RW&O.

Beginning in the 1870’s the RW&O went on an expansion binge acquiring railroads across New York State. The Lake Ontario Shore Rail Road extended the RW&O’s reach all the way west to Niagara Falls. Other railroads acquired included the A&O; the Carthage, Watertown & Sackett’s Harbour; the Syracuse & Northern and the Utica & Black River. The RW&O had exhausted its financial resources and overextended itself. In the late 1870’s, the RW&O came under the control of Samuel Sloan of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western (DL&W). Sloan neglected the RW&O to the point it earned the nickname “Rotten Wood & Obsolete,” but in 1880’s, Charles Parsons became president and Hiram Britton became general manager of the RW&O. The two magnificently turned around the RW&O. The RW&O quickly became a poster child for the industry and began to attract the attention of others such as the NYC; the Erie; DL&W; GTR; Canadian Pacific and the Lehigh Valley; but on March 14th, 1891 Britton’s successor; E. S. Bowen from Oswego sent a telegram. While short and brief it told the people of the North Country including those of the AFRR all that they needed to know.Oswego, March 14, 1891To all Division Superintendents:The entire road and property of this company has been leased to the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, and by direction of the President, I have delivered possession to H. Walter Webb, Third Vice-President of that company. Each superintendent please acknowledge and advise all agents on your division by wire.(Signed) E. S. BowenGeneral ManagerThe New York Central was known as the “New York Central & Hudson River Railroad” from 1869 until 1914 when it acquired the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern.

President Curtis Spafford on March 24th, travelled to the Opera House in Watertown to hear NYC president, Chauncey Depew speak on the merger. Mr. Depew’s theme that night was about the “inevitable” consolidation of the railroad industry. President Spafford having observed the growth of the RW&O, including the swallowing up of his former connection, the A&O, had to concede the validity of President Depew’s point. He had wondered if the AFRR would need to consolidate with larger railroads and after the RW&O takeover of the A&O he had been approached by Parsons about joining the RW&O. The two had agreed to an affiliation, though not an outright merger. With the RW&O now part of the NYC, Spafford wanted to know if the NYC would honour the AFRR’s affiliation agreement. President Depew assured him he would, including the new station/headquarters in Junctionport and the branch to Moose Bay. For those wishing to read more about the old RW&O I will recommend The Story of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburgh Railroad by Edward Hungerford.

On Monday, May 11th, 1891; the AFRR became an affiliate of the NYC. While the AFRR remained an independent corporation with Curtis Spafford still as president, operations of the two were integrated. Through-ticketing was available and the AFRR had NYC equipment at its disposal. But the NYC had plans for the AFRR too.

Initially the towns of Shemp Harbour, Muddy Forks and Moose Bay were not upset about the lack of a railroad. The steamships of the AFRR and the Shemp Island Steamship Co. piled the lake and served these communities along with those of Shemp Island and on the far end of the lake. While Moose Lake and Phoebe Spafford were beloved by the people around the lake, the lack of service during the winter months was becoming a problem and it was obvious that the steamships were not a viable alternative to the railroad. The NYC and AFRR agreed to build a branch from East Shemp to Moose Bay. Despite protests of the Shemp Island Steamship Co. the railroad was built with usual fanfare. Engine #12, Adirondack Creek pulled the first train into Moose Bay.

The AFRR adjusted to life in the NYC system well and developed an acrimonious relationship. Chauncey Depew even built a cottage on Shemp Island, near that of the Spaffords. While the Depews later sold the cottage, the Spafford cottage is still in the family today.

Speaking of the family in 1897, the AFRR was in unchartered waters. That year Curtis Spafford died at the age of 75. His son James Spafford was elected by the board as president. Curtis Spafford born in Moose Lake was buried there, despite have later settled in Junctionport. Engine #12 pulled the funeral train. The entire train was decked out in black and white bunting. A portrait of Curtis Spafford was hung on the smokebox and chrysanthemums, which the Spaffords had adopted as a family emblem, were displayed on the train. All other trains were cancelled that day and all depots were closed. At each depot there were many mourners, ranging from employees, shippers and just regular people whose lives had been improved by the railroad. Many had dreamed of the railroad since 1830 and came to pay their respects to the man who made it a reality. His legacy remains with the railroad to this day. In January of 2016, Curtis Spafford’s Great-Great Grandson, James Trinder became the railroad’s 7th president. In 1896 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the railroad’s charter the board presented Curtis Spafford with a portrait of himself. As you probably guessed this portrait was hung on #12’s smokebox for his funeral train and remains on display in the board room to this day. It was instructed in his will that the portrait be displayed there as long as the family controls the railroad.

The 1890’s were overall an uneventful decade for the railroad. #13, Beaver Valley, had been destroyed in a wreck in 1889 so the roster remained at five locomotives with #12 and the four moguls. But with a new president, the AFRR was ready to head into a new century that would see many changes on the railroad.

In 1900, G. H. Smith retired from the railroad at the age of 65, leaving James Spafford the longest tenured employee of the railroad. 1901 saw the retirement of #13 and the AFRR replaced her with a leased engine from NYC. #1653 was a class Ec Mogul built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1892. She was much larger than other moguls and quickly became the railroad’s main workhorse. In fact she was purchased outright in 1917 and would remain on the roster until 1941.

1902 saw one of the worst crashes in AFRR history. That Fall was particularly wet and there had been several washouts. The bridge over Adirondack Creek had received damage and was in the process of repairs when on October 7th, Engine #1653 was leading a gravel train from West Shemp to Junctionport. The bridge had been cleared for trains with a slow order, but the fact that an extra heavy train was to go over had not been taken into account. The bridge collapsed causing the death of fireman Lionel Wolf. This was quite surprisingly the first fatality on the AFRR. Neither #1’s boiler explosion or #13’s derailment on the horseshoe curve around Beaver Mountain had resulted in any fatalities and the railroad was rightfully so, proud of its safety record. What made the crash further ironic was that while there had been a fatality, 1653 was salvageable. As I previously mentioned the locomotive worked the line until 1941.

A new bridge opened in 1903 which still stands today. The disaster showed the tenacity of the AFRR to survive and weather the tough times the company would face later on. President James Spafford’s handling of the disaster proved that he was a worthy successor to his father.

The railroad has had quite a love/hate relationship with water. The railroad was built as portage, follows a river and of course had a steamship division. Yet water could also be a problem. In the spring, the Mud River often overflows its banks and causes washouts. Beavers also make life difficult. Their dams are often the causes of washouts the rest of the year. It’s common to see a dinghy on the running boards of a locomotive so crews can go swim over to a dam and break it in a spot to lower water level. While this has drawn the negative attention of animal rights groups, it is simply the best option. Attempts at trapping beavers and releasing them in a distant location often fail as the beavers return back to where they were captured. Due to their protected status they cannot be killed. Breaking the dams is the only option the railroad has. When it gets cold enough for water to freeze, then it becomes an even bigger headache. The railroad’s northerly location and lake effect snow from Lake Ontario make winters a testing time for the railroad. Trains have become stranded, incidents in 1916 and 1941 when the trains could only be reached by ski come to mind; and keeping the line open can be a major challenge. The railroad has three plows. Our oldest is No. 402 which was built by the Russell Plow Company in 1895. Originally wood bodied it was rebuilt with a steel body in 1933 and also given air wings. It is the oldest piece of equipment still on the property though is very rarely used due to its age. Plow No. 403 was also built by Russell, but in 1923 for Canadian National. We purchased the plow from them in 1996. Our main plow now is No. 404 which is also a Russell product. It was built for the NYC in 1952 and we purchased it in 2009 from CSX. No. 404 is our main plow now. After heavy snowfalls it common to see plow No. 404 on the head end with engines Nos. 2035, 1802 and 111 pushing and with plow No. 403 on the rear. Snow can and does remain a major headache for the railroad.

In 1917 some major changes came to the railroad. First the railroad received major work in Moose Lake. The depot and servicing area was moved to the shore and near the Mud River Hotel. This allowed trains to stop right the hotel and ended the requirement for coasting the coach from the depot to the wharf. Also number 1653 was sold to us. Being official AFRR property she was named Lakeport. We also purchased another 2-6-0 from the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway (TH&B) which we numbered 24 and named East Shemp. No. 24 was built by Baldwin in 1894 for the Santa Fe, but they cancelled the order so the following year she went to the TH&B where she became their #23. In 1917 she was sold to us. She was a very reliable engine surviving a nasty wreck in 1923. She would serve us until 1947. Unfortunately this also meant the end of the line for Nos. 20 and 21. Both were now 42 years old and near the end of their working lives. Having been a prominent part of our fleet and some of the first Standard Gauge engines we had, it was sad to see them go, but it was there time.

In October, 1920, James Spafford purchased a gasoline railcar from the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railroad in California. She was numbered M-1. No. M-1 had been built in February 1917 by the Hewlitt-Ludlow Alice Company and could seat 32 passengers. She was assigned as a shuttle between the AFRR station and the NYC/GTR station. However she could not compete with a new bus service and service was discontinued on December 31st, 1923. Crews were not fond of “the contraption” also known as “Jim’s folly.” Albert Harrison, near retirement and a veteran of the narrow gauge days didn’t have much nice to say about her.

“Jim Spafford was a wonderful man who had my highest respect, but despite practically having been born into the railroad he seemed to have lack the bond the rest of us had with steam. I guess it was because we all knew he was destined for the boardroom and a desk job, but it was still odd. This lack of the ‘bond’ that we steam men share was most manifested in his affair with gasoline railcars. ‘The Contraption’ was his first attempt at introducing internal combustion power to our railroad. People often say steam is cantankerous, but the contraption had a very hostile attitude to us. Many mornings she simply refused to start. When that happened we often had to borrow an 0-6-0 from the Central to use on the shuttle trains. She had no love for us and we had no love for her. Besides ‘the contraption’ we also called her ‘Jim’s Folly’ as it was his greatest failure. Of course we later had those Evans Auto-railers in 1940. While they made good speeders, passengers didn’t really appreciate them. Fortunately, Bill saw them for what they were but we can’t discuss him without mentioning diesels.”

It should be mentioned that Albert Harrison retired shortly after “the contraption” was purchased.

Despite the failure of No. M-1 in 1923, the railroad upgraded its motive power yet again. After 1653 was sold to the AFRR, the NYC assigned #1905 a class Ed mogul built by Alco in 1901, she was joined in 1921 by #5780 a class G-43a 2-8-0 built by Alco in 1913. In 1923 the NYC retired #1905 and #5780 was sold to the AFRR. No. 5780 was the largest steamer the AFRR ever owned. We also purchased a ‘new’ mogul from Alco. She had been built in December 1920 for a sugar mill in Cuba, but the order was cancelled. She was kept in stock until March 1923 when we purchased her. We gave her the number 25 and named her Moose Lake. She was very attractive locomotive and was well-liked by crews. The NYC then assigned #1207 an H-5e Mikado built by Alco in 1912 and #4827 a class K-3c Pacific built by Baldwin in 1912. They would be the largest locomotives assigned to the line. Besides #M-1, the last two A&O moguls, #22 Mud River and #23 West Shemp were also retired. The last of the original Standard Gauge engines were gone.

While it did not affect the railroad directly, I must also mention that the GTR was taken over by Canadian National Railways (CN) in 1923.

The 1920’s was of course a prosperous time and the AFRR was no different. While buses, trucks and of course private cars began to make inroads into the railroad’s business, it was still good. The railroad had five flatcars, fifteen gondolas, five reefers and two passenger combines. Remaining rolling stock was supplied by the NYC. In 1925 the AFRR hauled a 57-car gravel train. It required a triple-header consisting of engines Nos. 25, 5780 and 1207 to pull the train. Robert Johnson, who was engineer on #25, remembered the event:

“We were all quite nervous about the train. The Adirondack Creek bridge disaster of 1902 was in the back of our minds the whole time. Jim Spafford himself decided the train was so important that he needed to oversee it himself and served as conductor. Needless to say for us, that only added an extra level of stress knowing that the man who signed our paychecks was our going to be our conductor. Though being the hands-on kind of man he was, we knew we could trust him in that position. I had the lead engine which was of course the smallest, ‘Moose Lake.’ She was a nice reliable engine we were very fond of her. But I was quite glad that were triple-heading. Truth is she probably didn’t need to be there, but Mr. Spafford wanted an engine not from the big road to head the train to show those on the big road that while we appreciated their help we could stand on our own. Well, we did show them. The big road guys manning 1207 were quite stunned when we left and Moose Lake gave a big lurch at the start that resulted in 1207 being dragged for a few seconds. It was quite a triumph for the railroad and a moment we look back on fondly.”

James Spafford himself later wrote in his journal:

Today we had to deliver 57 gondolas of gravel! We have never pulled a train this large before and the big road questioned our ability to do so. After hearing Danny’s [The NYC division superintendent at the time] concerns I decided to make a point to show the NYC that we were not their child and that we more than capable of handling the load ourselves. While I knew 1207 would be needed along with our own 5780, I wanted to use an engine with no ties to the big road. Of course a couple months earlier we had purchased 25 from Alco and I knew she was the one for it. I remember riding in the caboose with Danny as we prepared to leave the interchange. There was a great lurch when we started, we both assumed it was 1207. When we heard from Rob that it was 25, there was a smile on my face that everybody who knows me claims was the largest they had ever seen while there was a look of scorn on Danny’s face. For the sake of modesty I kept quiet, but I had never felt such a level of pride in my railroad as I did that day.”

Needless to say, the gravel was delivered without any issues. It would remain the heaviest train run on the AFRR until 2007 and is still the heaviest run with our own power.

1925 was also the 50th anniversary of the opening of the railroad. The board presented James Spafford with a portrait that also hangs in the boardroom alongside that of his father. A special banquet was held at the Mud River Hotel with NYC president Patrick E. Crowley serving a M. C. A special train powered by #4827 brought participants to Moose Lake and a sunset cruise around the lake was provided by Phoebe Spafford.

In 1929 another part of the AFRR was consigned to the history books. The vessel Moose Lake was retired, at 49 years old she was becoming dated and did not sit well with modern passengers. Rather than build a new vessel, James Spafford found a vessel on Chautauqua Lake at the other end of the state named City of Buffalo. City of Buffalo had been built in 1890 was 125 feet long with a beam of 24 feet and three decks. While smaller than Moose Lake she was better suited to changing tastes as both automobile and pleasure boat ownership were eating into the steamships’ business. City of Buffalo was taken to Jamestown, completely dismantled and then each component was shipped by rail by the Jamestown, Westfield & North Western (JW) to Westfield where the NYC then took them to Junctionport. The AFRR then brought the components to Moose Lake where she was completely reassembled and re-christened as the Elizabeth Spafford, after James Spafford’s wife. Elizabeth Spafford was the last steamship on the lake, ending service in 1963. Fortunately she was not scrapped and restored in 1981, today the Moose Lake Maritime Preservation Society cares for and sails the vessel around the lake as she did in the past. She is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest operating steamships in North America.

That October, the stock market crashed and the world entered the Great Depression. Ironically the AFRR was resistant to the hard times. The railroad was able to last the entire depression without laying off a single employee. In fact in 1932, a major track rehabilitation program was done. 70 lb. rail and new creosoted ties were installed. That being said the railroad was not completely immune. Tourism numbers did suffer and Phoebe Spafford was laid up for few seasons. In 1938, the branch to Moose Bay was lifted. Fortunately the AFRR and NYC were able to absorb employees who had previously worked on the Moose Bay branch. The railroad was now back to just its 73 mile mainline.

The 1940’s turned to be a time of major change for the AFRR. In 1940 in one of his last acts as president, James Spafford purchased three Evans Products Model A-3 Auto-Railers. The Auto-Railers were passenger buses that could run on either road or rail. They had been built in 1937 for the Arlington & Fairfax Railroad in Virginia. They were numbered; 102, 108 and 109. One passenger and a one mixed both powered by #4827 remained while the Auto-Railers handled the rest initially. However passengers did not like them. Nos. 102 and 108 were sold, while 109 was kept for mail and MOW duty.

On May12th that year, James Spafford died at the age of 80. Born in October of 1859, he had joined the railroad at the age of 17 in 1876. He worked his way through the ranks and in 1897 upon the death of his father became president. After 43 years in charge, he was succeeded by his son, William Spafford. Like his father he was buried in Moose Lake. Engine #25 led the funeral train. Robert Johnson was engineer, William Duke fireman and Fred Lynch, conductor. While all trains were still scheduled to run, all were expected to take the hole for the funeral train and each locomotive gave a whistle salute when the funeral train passed. This time decorations were more modest, the entire was draped in black and a bouquet of chrysanthemums used instead of marker lamps. The portrait of James Spafford was instead hung in the baggage compartment of combine #301 where his casket was laid for the journey. However the decade of change was only just beginning.

In June of 1941, William “Bill” Spafford made his first major change to the railroad when he purchased a 44-Ton Center-Cab Diesel switcher from General Electric of Erie, Pennsylvania. Numbered 110, this resulted in the retirement of #1653, Lakeport, but resulted in very significant financial savings. As GE sourced their engines from Caterpillar, they featured our railroad in an ad that appeared July 24th, 1948 issue of Railway Age magazine. Bill Spafford stated in the ad “The company purchased its first Caterpillar Diesel-powered locomotive in 1941. During seven years of 10-hour-a-day service it has proved so efficient that a second unit has been bought.” Master mechanic Samuel Henderson added “I find that with ‘Caterpillar’ Diesel Engines there are fewer repairs and lower operating costs. We save approximately $15,000 a year with ‘Caterpillar.’” Unlike his father’s motorcars, Bill’s diesel was a resounding success, having cost $36,000 the annual savings quickly added up. Crews also had a more positive experience. Robert Johnson had praise for her as he recounted.

“When we heard we were getting one of those new-flanged diesels, we were a bit skeptical. After all the motorcars that Jim had experimented with did not work out so well. But 110 is different. She runs like a charm. She has none of the temperament that the motorcars did and provided a nice, clean, alternative environment to the steamers. Outsiders will say that she is loud but compared to a steamer she is quite quiet. We think quite highly of the two little ‘tonners’ they are lovely little locomotives indeed!”

Of course on December 7th, that year the Japanese bomber Pearl Harbor, this launched the United States into World War II. The AFRR stepped up to the cause and experienced a major increase in traffic. While the steamboats had to be sidelined and the hotel closed due to lack of tourists, an increase in freight and non-tourist derived passenger traffic (thanks to gasoline and tire rationing) made up for the loss. The railroad also did not have single employee killed in the war.

When peace returned, the AFRR was in a new world. While other competition from other modes of transport arrived in the 1920’s, after the war cars, trucks and buses made their presence known. In 1947, the railroad purchased a second 44-Tonner from GE, #111. Number 24 was retired to make way for #111. In 1949, the NYC retired #4827 and brought in a Budd RDC-1 #M-493. She took over most passenger duties. By 1952 only one round-trip a day by rail was being offered. In 1947 the AFRR purchased five Flxible Clipper buses. These quickly took over most passenger duties. Two round trips were made between Junctionport and Moose Lake in the morning, with another four trips in the afternoon. In 1953, the NYC retired H-5e Mikado #1207 and replaced her with Alco RS-3 #8249, built that year. With the two tonners busy switching industries in Junctionport, most notably the Junctionport Chemical Company and Borden’s creamery, steam locomotives #25 and #5780 were still hauling a lot of freight. However #8249’s presence also meant that we could place #25 in reserve. She was sold in 1955 to Dr. Stanley A. Gorman of Syracuse, New York for his rail city museum outside of Oswego, New York. After that #5780 was placed in storage. A downtown in traffic at the expense of trucks allowed #5780 to be sold in 1956 thus allowing the railroad to be dieselized. While this was the major accomplishment of Bill Spafford’s administration it does cause the railroad to loose some of its character and the end of steam was well mourned.

Friday, June 29th, 1956; #5780 made a special last run. Engineer Robert Johnson also decided to retire that day after 40 years with the railroad. Both Cabeese numbers 303 and 304 were used to provide extra seating as dignitaries and the press rode along. #5780 was even featured on television as WCBY covered the event. When interviewed by the Junctionport Register Bill Spafford commented “It is hard to imagine the Attica Falls Railroad without steam, but that is the reality we have now come to. It is a sad occasion, I was born into this railroad back when it was still narrow gauge, but as my grandfather had to do away with narrow gauge the burden falls to me to end steam. It is simply no longer economical. We bought our first diesel in 1941 and noticed an immediate improvement in the performance of our railroad. So while we will miss our steamers, we know that we are better off with diesels.”

General Manager, David “Corky” Trinder was a bit more sentimental;“I have always loved the steam engine. There is something just special about it that no diesel can compare too. It is a living, breathing being and I even consider 5780 to be a friend of mine. She knows when I’m here and is excited every morning to put in her day’s labor. You can sense her disappointment when she is not needed that day. I feel she does have something to prove against the diesels but alas it is a battle she has lost. That being said we are working to see that she is spared the scrapper’s torch like we did number 25 last year. We have good home lined up for her after this. All that there is left to say is ‘Farewell old friend, you have served us well and you will be missed.’”It was truly the end of an era. It goes without saying that many a tear was shed by those who worked for the railroad and by bystanders who had come trackside to see the last run of steam.

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