The Midnight

[Dan Conlin]

Has anyone heard any tales about "The Midnight" (Train No. 99)?
It was way before my time but when I have given history talks in the valley, older residents have often remarked with nostalgia, "Remember the sound of the old midnight?" My mother lived in a house on Mill Street across from the Berwick station and she remembers how confused passengers alighting from the Midnight would regularly knock on their door trying to get taxis or directions, as Berwick at midnight in the 1930s ad 40s was a silent place with not a soul around.
I have done up a page on the Midnight: ( http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Midnight )
and its sister overnight train, the Fast Freight -No. 100: ( http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Fast_Freight ) with nice quotes from Allen Gibson about both.

Dan Conlin

[Frogmore]

I remember the "midnight" very well. Actually, here in Annapolis both night trains were referred to as the midnight. Eastbound at about 11 P.M. and westbound about 4 A.M. About 10:45 the station lights would come on and a couple of taxis would move into position. Today when I drive by the restored station at night, illuminated just as it was way back then, I can almost hear that familiar old steam whistle and the rumble of the train coming thru the Allain River bridge! Although the Annapolis station was manned 24 hours a day, the eastbound midnight made a rather brief stop. The westbound, however, always cut off a few cars; tank cars, LCL cars at the freight station, etc. I remember laying in bed at night listening to the clanking of the side-rods on an old D-10 and the somewhat noisy coupling of railcars, probably the result of a flying shunt. After all, this train did have a schedule to maintain and I suspect the switching operations were accomplished somewhat more rapidly than your average way-freight!

Doug

[Dan Conlin]

Great description Doug! I like your evocative description of those sounds and the image of the late night flurry of activity at the station. I never knew the Midnight was a term applied in both directions.

Cheers,

Dan

[stem]

Wow. Great recollections Doug. Thanks for piping up!