The PRSL & Oysters - Part I

The Railwire forum has a traveling PRR B60 baggage car. At each stop a photo shoot and fictional story needed to be posted. Here is my portion of the story, very loosely based on reality. 

It was late when B60 #9368 had the misfortune to be spotted in the 30th street station. It had just arrived through the time portal from Detroit. It was quickly welcomed to early 1951 and the Philadelphia/South Jersey region. Due to a shortage of PRR R50s, the PRSL (Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines) management folks have been scrounging for capacity to serve the peak of the Oyster season here in late January. Word was that a B60 had headed in on a passenger train from Detroit and due to some finagling and swapping of favors, a switcher had been surreptitiously dispatched to snatch it from the 30th street yard in Philly. 

It was quickly attached to an evening commuter train returning Philly workers to their homes in the rapidly expanding suburbs of southern New Jersey. (The P70s have recently returned from refurbishing at the Broughton car shops (@cbroughton67) in Louisville, Kentucky.)

In the 1950s the end of steam was rapidly approaching and most PRSL parent's (Pennsylvania RR and the Reading Company) small to middle sized steam was ending their days on PRSL rails.

Meanwhile the diligent peons in the PRSL’s main Pavonia Yard in Camden have purloined 2 brand new REX reefers to add to the train. Although the oyster industry has shrunk to 40% of its peak they were still moving 1 million bushels in 1950. (In another 7 years the MSX blight would wipe out the industry leaving several south Jersey villages as ghost towns.) 

Passing over Timber Creek we slow for the stop at the new small brick station serving Westville. The much more impressive 2 story station was torn down to make room for the concrete overpass needed to feed the growing interstate road system (I295) going through town. (Westville was known as the “Gateway to South Jersey” since the roads webbed in all directions after passing over Timber Creek.)

We notice the passengers tumbling out, some shrieking, as they depart more quickly than usual from the rear passenger cars. 

The process is repeated at the shelter stop in North Woodbury and Eddie is complaining about being bothered by spirits (of the non-alcoholic variety) 

It is too much for everyone when we reach Woodbury. The station master, a devote man of Romanish faith dispatched his assistant to run across the street to St. Pat’s and return with Father O’Malley. Being a priest adequately schooled in exorcism, he quickly is attracted to the B60 mumbling about “legions” of foul spirits.