Where the Geese Wear Pants

     Since the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad crew works on improving the railroad on Saturdays, there is not much time for me to update my posts on Saturday nights.  Because of this, I am now going to post updates of the current events of the railroad on Sundays.  To finish off the second post for this week though, I am going to give a bit of history on the name of the railroad. 
        
     When ever the crew of the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad talk about where they work, they typically say "the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad Where the Geese Wear Pants." 

    

Picture taken by Andrew Ottinger    

     So, why is this the place where the geese wear pants and where does Bucksgahuda come from?  "In Germany, where both the founding Bauer family and Otto came from, parents told their children a fairy tale of “Bucksgahuda”. If the children didn’t mind their flock of geese and do their chores, the story goes, a giant gander would swoop down and cart them off to another place. In this place, the gander would turn the children into baby geese, still wearing their little boy knickers, who never grow up. Our Bucksgahuda is the place where the little trains never grow up."

Story told by William Bauer

 

     Along with the trains, the crew working at the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad have never really grown up either.  They just got bigger toys.   

 

Picture by Mitchell Smithbauer

 



1973---The Vulcan

     Before moving on to talking about the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad's acquisition of three Vulcan locomotives in 1973, I think it is important to conclude Otto's restoration story with some final background information.  Otto is a steam locomotive with a 0-4-0 wheel arrangement which means that the engine does not have any leading wheels, has four driving wheels and no trailing wheels.  Otto was built by Henschel of Kassel, Germany in 1939.  During the overseas journey here, the crew on the American Merchant decided that the locomotive deserved a proper Bavarian name and chalked "Otto" on the cab and the name has stuck every since.  Otto weighs about 10 tons dry or 12 tons with coal and water added, and takes about three hours to build up enough steam to go to work, so the engine is only run a few days each year.  Because Otto was the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad's first locomotive, the engine obviously received the number one.  The number two slot was then reserved for another potential steam locomotive which explains why the B&W numbered the Vulcan number three. 

     When a glue factory in Gowanda NY closed down in 1973, The Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad actually received three Vulcan locomotives from the company.  After keeping the first one, the second one went to friends across town, and the third went to a friend in Pittsburgh.  The Vulcan at the Bucksgahuda and Western Railroad quickly received the nickname of Norman for its sometimes cranky behavior.

The Vulcan in Gowanda, NY

Picture provided William Bauer

 

Norman in 2012

Picture taken by Ryan Brennen

 

     The year 1973 quickly came to a close after October 7th which marked the B&W's second annual open house.