Walker Transportation Collection News

Albert Hale Photo Collection Donated to the Walker Transportation Collection

October 12, 1998. Albert G. Hale and his son Tom officially donated Al's vast assortment of pictures, films, slides and negatives to the Walker Transportation Collection. His photography is considered one of the most important and priceless collections of New England railroad images that span almost 60 years. Al Hale's collection almost doubles the current amount of photos that the Walker Transportation Collection has from 100,000 to almost 200,000. This makes the Walker Transportation Collection one of the world's largest repository of New England transportation images.

What makes this donation even more special was that Mr. Hale knew Laurence Breed Walker and traded railroad photos with him. As a banker, Mr. Hale took care of L.B.'s banking needs during the last years of his life. L.B. Walker, if he were alive, would have been very honored to know that Mr. Hale choose the Walker Collection to donate his photography. This donation will allow future generations access to images that showcase a way of life that simply does not exist anymore. Currently, Al Hale continues to railfan around the Northeast and the Canadian Maritimes.

This generous donation will remain separate from the core Walker Transportation Collection and will be available to the public within 5 to 6 months, once it has been properly cataloged and stored.

Except for one other photo, Al Hale has taken the only known photographs of the "Erie Mikes" operating under the B&M flag. The Walker Transportation Collection is proud to have the original negatives to share with future generations. This particular locomotive, Boston & Maine #2803, was caught by Al Hale in West Medford, Massachusetts near the Grove Street Bridge in 1942.

The Boston & Maine Railroad leased five Mikado 2-8-2s from the Erie Railroad during World War Two. The five "Erie Mikes" arrived on the property in April 1942 and left over the months of May and June 1942. Even though the B&M had them for only a month, the "Erie Mikes" were painted into B&M colors and they were the only 2-8-2s that the road had. The "Erie Mikes" only ran on the New Hampshire Mainline between Boston and White River Junction, Vermont. This was formerly Erie #3150. If any of you Erie fans out there know of the history of this particular Mikado while it was on the Erie, please e-mail us a info@walkertrans.org. (Walker Transportation Collection)

Large Slide Collection and Railroad Rules Books Are Donated

October 12, 1998. Another icon within New England railroad history circles, Don Robinson, has donated over 5000 slides pertaining to New England railroading, along with an extensive library of vintage railroad rule books, some of which date back to 1854, to the Walker Transportation Collection. A number of years ago, Don permanently loaned thousands of black and white negatives to the Walker Transportation Collection. A couple of them appear below.

Maine Central #708 New Haven #2009

Boston & Maine train #51 with Maine Central EMD E-7 #708 in the lead at Troy, New York on December 17, 1949. (Photo by Donald S. Robinson. Walker Transportation Collection)

New Haven #2009 FL-9 on May 20, 1961. EMD's FL-9 not only ran as diesels, but were equipped with a electric "shoe" to run on a third rail. (Photo by Donald S. Robinson. Walker Transportation Collection)

What Bus Was That?

What is this mystery bus? Boston Elevated Railway"s six wheeled bus #1204. (Photographer unknown. Walker Transportation Collection)

Thank you to all who identified the Boston Elevated Railway bus #1204. It was built by, the drum roll please, the Versare Corporation of Albany, New York. From the information that people had sent us, the Versare Corp. built buses from 1925 through 1931. They became a part of the Cincinnati Car Company around 1929 and the bus pictured seated 37 passengers. The Versare buses were considered advanced for their day and some were powered by gas-electric motors. A number of transit companies in cities throughout the Untied States and Canada purchased them besides the Boston Elevated Railway, including Albany, Cleveland, Montreal, and New York.

Again, thank you to those who provided the above information. More can be found about the Versare in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks and Commercial Vehicles by Albert Mroz and Cleveland Transit Vehicles by James A. Toman.

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