Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: October 1986 Volume 24 Number 4, Pages 169–170

Notes and Comments

• Electrification of the Main Line
• New Eagle School Flies High
• Devon Man Heads Aviation Museum Project
• T-E Bus Driver State Champion

Page 169

Electrification of the Main Line

Since our previous issue several readers have noted that Mary Eachus' recollections of the costs of electrifying the Pennsylvania Railroad's Paoli Local were considerably below the actual costs.

In fact, when the Railroad announced on May 12, 1913 its plans for the electrification of the Main Line for suburban traffic between Philadelphia and Paoli, to reduce the congestion at the Broad Street Station, it also announced that it was "expected that this improvement ... will involve an expenditure of about $4,000,000".

New Eagle School Flies High

The U. S. Department of Education has recognized the New Eagle Schcol of the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District as one of the 200 "finest public elementary schools in the country". It also received a certificate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, commending the school for its "unusual success in efforts by the total schcol community to provide quality education". (The Sugartown School in the neighboring Great Valley School District also received similar recognition.)

The recognized schools were selected frcm more than 500 nominations by the chief school administrators in 49 states. In addition to achievement in reading and mathematics, the schools were judged on the working relationship between the staff, administration, and parents. In the review by the Department of Education the school was also visited for two days by a review team.

Page 170

Conestoga High School received similar recognition among the nation's secondary schools two years ago.

Devon Man Heads Aviation Museum Project

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary next year of the Piper Cub, Ray Noll, of Devon, has announced plans to create a museum at Lock Haven devoted to the history of aviation in general and to lightplane aviation history in particular. Among its goals is a collection of flyable planes of every model the Piper Company ever produced, with a representative selection of other historically significant lightplanes. Noll, a former resident of Lock Haven, where the Piper plant was located, also hopes eventually to include a reproduction of an aircraft manufacturing assembly line, turning cut parts and components of the type that were used in the various Piper planes.

"We don't really have a museum yet," Noll realistically admits, "We have a. lot of bits and pieces in people's garages and such. Things are still being collected." The kick-off for the project was a "fly-in" to Leek Haven -- "A Sentimental Journey to Cub Haven" -- by lightplanes from all over the country last July.

T-E Bus Driver State Champion

The winner of this year's state School Bus Safety Road-E-0, and one of the top fifteen bus drivers in the national competition, was Janice Harding Buckley, a nine-year veteran school bus driver for the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District. In winning the championship she beat out 84 other drivers from throughout the state.

While the competition featured manoeuvering the buses over a prescribed course and a demonstration of safety skills, Mrs. Buckley believes that "managing the kids" -- at which she is a master -- is still "where the challenge arises"!