I grew up in Havre de Grace, Maryland and I just came across this picture of Gil Reid sketching the Susquehanna River bridge in there in 1979. A little story to that.....http://history.amtrak.com/archives/artist-gil-reid-sketching-the-susquehanna-river-bridge-1979 My Grandfather worked as a Conductor for the PRR, PC and later retired with Amtrak. After his retirement, he still received things from Amtrak such as the annual calendars. I grew up around trains and had model trains all my life so I have always been fascinated by anything train related (Especially local) In 1980, I was at my Grandparents house across the river in Perryville, Md. and I noticed the calendar hanging on the wall. Wow! It's "the bridge!" I started looking at the detail in the painting. Hmmm...the old bridge piers from the first railroad bridge are missing but other than that.....excellent detail. Check that out, he even put 2 kids fishing out on the wharf behind the American Legion building. Lucky kids whoever they wer......."What a minute"..... I started to remember that my friend Steve and I would often go fishing there and I did remember seeing a man sitting near the boat ramp painting a picture one day. I didn't want to bother the man so I didn't go over and see what he was painting. We walked out on the end of the wharf and started to fish. Whenever a train would come by, we would wave to them and try and get them to blow the horns. (Which they always did and would wave back) I used to love spending my days fishing and watching trains. That year, I used to go fishing wearing an old sailors hat with the sides turned down. My friend Steve...who by the way has red hair....was always with me.....
I hope you and Steve can recreate the scene...25 years later is better than 26 or after. It is a great story and with a new picture replicating the scene should be published someplace like Trains ro Classic Trains or even Amtrak's magazine. I love stories like this...
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Henry6,
I am 99.9% sure that that is us sitting on the wharf. I have my sailors hat on, the green tackle box of my fathers is there, I am slouched over like I always sit and the other boy has red hair. We did see a man painting a picture there and that is exactly the spot we were sitting in. It's us! My friend Steve now lives in Florida but some day, when we are both back in Havre de Grace together, we are going to have our picture taken in the same spot. Maybe this year would be good. 25 years later.Bill
What a great story....hope you can chase down the facts because it is so fascinating and personal and precious.
Hmm...link don't work and pictures are missing....gotta read more into how to post here.....different.