Henry Hospers

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kurtkk posted on Chaksi.org:

I have read many posts regarding my grandfather Henry Hospers and his locomotive models. I have always been curious where they all ended up. I believe I am the owner of the missing "Hudson" by the way.

Steve Bratina replied:

While I never met your grandfather, Harold Crouch told me quite a bit about him. I know that his 1" Royal Scot is in the Buffalo area. It was owned by one of the Robinson's at one time. His 1" Princess 4-6-2 frame and tender are with someone in the Montreal club. His Niagara first went to Larry Smith of the Finger Lakes club. Here the crown sheet was toasted and Larry and Harold changed the stays in the firebox. It then went to Ken Hill in Ontario. I was told he took it to the Richmond Hill track and when they placed it on the turntable for the hi line, the table started to tip. They took it off and he put it back in the car. It was up at the McJannett's ground level 1" track where it had a roaring coke fire and no water in the boiler. I have seen pictures of it sitting in the grass after the fire was dumped. I bought it next and was going to rebuild it. I remember that the old stays from the first repair were still in the boiler rattling around. I had the frame up and running on air and even took it to the FLLS track to show. Later I realized it was way too heavy for any hi line track at our club so I eventually sold it. It was reportedly sold again to a gent in Texas. Before I let it go, I took the front number plate off and gave it to Harold a a keep sake. I have some other pictures but will have to dig them up. Here's one of the Niagara running at Larry Smith's home track in the US.
Here is one of Henry Hospers Niagara at the Finger Lakes track. Henry Hospers and a very young Dave Sclavi are at the right of the picture. Photo by Steve Bratina
Henry Hosper's Hudson in 7/8 inch to the foot.

Letter to Editor

From Live Steam Magazine, April 1973:

February 1973 Live Steam came yesterday. Now you're getting somewhere! Those Hudsons were magnificent. I know them all. I babied them, (the streamlined versions also) because I was a locomotive inspector at the Rochester engine house of the NYC before I retired 12 years ago. I knew Paul Kiefer, also Mr. Buyse. Mr. Buyse was a visitor at my house before he moved away.
The enginemen of the Empires, Ohio State, Twentieth Century and Wolverine I knew them: Kramer, Antiyunti, McDonald, McCarthy and a few more. Many a time I rode the cabs. I also know Clyde Redfield of the Lehigh Valley's Black Diamond. The memories that the new generation is missing are alive in our Live Steam clubs all over the land.
The 6000 Niagara's--the most beautiful of all. #6017 came in the ahallway and I had to take care of her. Ten new driver brake-shoes she needed. She came in the night before on the Genesee. I took out her mileage tape and no wonder--107 miles an hour! Billy Bergain certainly wheeled her.
Another one later on #6009: I took out her tape, the pencil had gone off the tape at better than 120 miles an hour. Two more tapes that I took out of #6004 and #6011 showed both had been running 111 and 114 miles an hour. The time card between Wayneport Tower and Brighton Tower is 8-1/2 miles and 14 trains must do it in 7 minutes wit 6000's and the J-3's. Those enginemen of ours are mostly gone now. Of the men I worked with, only a few are left.
I'm finishing my second Hudson and in a couple months I'll have her running.
Although we have never met, there is a bond between us.


References

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