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Weekly News August 15, 2016Description
U. S. Route 202, Our Long-Time Steamer Route yo New England: My father never liked city driving or having to stop for traffic lights. He would frequently drive miles out of his way to find a less-traveled route. When the federal highway numbering system came along in the early 1930s, parts of U.S. 202 were numbered 122, but there was a duplication with the future Pennsylvania Route 10 from Oxford north, which was also U.S. Route 122. The confusing 122 was removed from both roads. Route 202 was established from Wilmington, Delaware, to Bangor, Maine, keeping west of all major East Coast cities. We traveled it often and knew most of it well.
In going northeast from Delaware, we had to pass through the center of West Chester, Norristown, and Doylestown in Pennsylvania, and Morristown, New Jersey, before reaching the New York State Line at Suffern. Sometimes we went east from Suffern to cross the Hudson River’s Nyack-Tarrytown Ferry, but most of the time we stayed with 202 that crossed the Bear Mountain Bridge, as did east-west U. S. Route 6. Routes 202 and 6 paralleled each other to Danbury, Connecticut, and on toward Hartford. In this scenic stretch, it passed Newtown and Sandy Hook, the Taft School at Watertown and through the clock towns of Thomaston, Terryville, and Bristol, Connecticut. Before reaching Hartford, Route 202 turned north again, passing through Farmington, Connecticut, and Westfield, Massachusetts, reaching the Connecticut River at Holyoke.
We had few occasions to use 202 north of there, but its route was northeastward across northern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire through Concord and Rochester. In Maine, it stayed west of Portland, passing through Auburn-Lewiston and Augusta en route to its northeastern terminus at Bangor.
We started to use Route 202 before the many Stanley trips after World War II. In 1937 and for several years thereafter we followed it to Westfield, (MA) en route to Maplewood, New Hampshire, and the trapshooting tournament there. Continuing to use 202, we went twice to the North Jersey Gun Club at Fairfield, northeast of Morristown, and in 1939 we attended the Connecticut State Shoot at Danbury. My father used it to the west of Hartford en route to Boston. I took my car to M.I.T. over the same route in 1942 and returned that way less than four months later, crossing the Bear Mountain Bridge at midnight with snow and ice covering the road for most of the trip.
In 1947, we attended our first Glidden Tour in my father’s Stanley Models 71 and 735, using Route 202 in both directions. The tour began at Hartford, Connecticut, and ended in Newport, Rhode Island. After traveling up the Connecticut Valley, then to Concord, Intervale, and Portsmouth in New Hampshire, we headed south through Boston to its finale at the Viking Hotel in Newport. I have claimed to have driven a Stanley to New England 20 times, and in almost all cases, I used Route 202. Near home, we even had designated water stops, the first being in Norristown at an Esso station run by “George.” On many other trips, we would take 202 to Doylestown, then Route 611 north through Easton to the Poconos and beyond. We knew every mile of the route, and it was a pleasant way to go.
In the late 1940s, travel in an antique car was a different experience. Sometimes we were appreciated, but much of the time we were ridiculed. Bystanders would shout disparaging remarks (“Get a Horse!” was overused) or burst out in laughter. Young drivers with hot rods would shoot around us on the road as we were traveling at 35 m.p.h., wanting to prove that they could do 50.
Today, much of Route 202 is “impossible,” with hundreds of traffic lights and heavy local traffic. With a modern car, it takes nearly twice as long to most destinations as traveling on limited-access highways, even though it is more direct. But the old 202 was fun, such as driving alongside an interurban electric trolley northeast of Norristown (the Interurban from Philadelphia to Allentown).
Work Report: On Tuesday, August 9, 13 volunteers turned out, as follows: Mark Russell (in charge), Steve Bryce, Mike Ciosek, Bob Jordan, Ted Kamen, Bob Koury, Dave Leon, Jerry Lucas, Tom Marshall, Brent McDougall, Ed Paschall, Neal Sobocinski, and Kelly Williams.
The carpet was cleaned in the Mountain Wagon, and a missing nut was replaced on the steering column. It is noted that the steering quadrant and worm gear need to be checked for lubrication and ease of steering. The new spacers for the frame rods on the Model H-5 engine appear to be good, but the coil springs are too long. This is being addressed by Jerry Lucas, who has been heading this project. The dimensions on the new cylinder block installed on this engine are slightly different from the original, which have caused these clearance problems.
The new clincher tire to be installed on the left rear of the H-5 is being stretched on our specially made stretcher of old. On the ’37 Packard, the wiring problem affecting the dimmer switch was solved. Locomotives #401 and #402 were thoroughly cleaned from their runs on August 7. The boiler in the Model 725 was flushed again with kerosene.
On Wednesday, August 10, only three volunteers turned out, viz: Richard Bernard (in charge), Bill Schwoebel, and Tom Marshall.
The Model 740 was pushed outside the museum and fired up to test the new copper line between the throttle and the superheater. There was a substantial leak at the flare nut connecting to the throttle. It was determined that this nut became cross-threaded as it was pulled up, and the thread stripping was on the male thread of the throttle itself. Without removing anything, it was possible to run a ¾”-16 die over this thread, and a successful repair resulted. The car was backed into its space in the museum and should be ready for its trip to Kinzers on August 19. Tables were set up for the impending Board of Directors meeting in the museum on August 11.
On Thursday, August 11, eight volunteers were on hand for the work session that took place at the same time as the Board of Directors meeting. Those working were Dave Leon (in charge), Ted Kamen, Bob Jordan, Devon Hall, Dave Stransky, Bob Stransky, Neal Sobocinski, Paul Blau, and Nate Blau.
The instrument panel on the ’37 Packard is completely wired and installed. Repair to the speedometer on the Mountain Wagon was delayed as a broken link was found to be wedged inside the new cable housing that had been painted and prepared for use. There is some question as to whether this can be removed or whether another housing needs to be prepared. The stretcher for the H-5’s clincher tire was rotated 90 degrees and tightened.
