ISAAC L. HASBROUCK, Westwood, New Jersey
Few of the Erie's engineers wear medals, however much they may deserve them, but Isaac L. Hasbrouck is the possessor of a gold medal presented him in recognition of his services in preventing a serious disaster on March 21, 1888. On account of a misplaced switch he ran onto the westbound track, and with a train bearing down upon him he stuck to his post, reversed his engine and carried his train back out of danger.

Mr. Hasbrouck was born January 22, 1859, in Ulster County, New York, and is the son of Joseph C. Hasbrouck, a miller, who is still working at his trade in Westwood. After attending school until he had received a good common school education, Mr. Hasbrouck commenced to learn the trade of his father, but after a couple of years he abandoned it and worked as a wood turner for three years. While thus engaged he made the acquaintance of J.S. Drake, who at that time was a division superintendent of the New Jersey & New York Railroad. Mr. Drake took a great interest in the young man and prevailed upon him to give up wood turning and try railroading. For a short time he was engaged as an. engine watchman, and after familiarizing himself with the working of engines he was advanced to fireman, going out under C.D. Lockwood, who is now an engineer on the Santa Fe. Under the watchful eye of Superintendent Drake, Mr. Hasbrouck became one of the road's best fireman, and so closely did he follow the advice of his friend that in 1886 he was competent to take charge of an engine. After several trials that fully justified his advancement, he was regularly promoted on September 17, 1886. For nine months he ran the way freight between Jersey City and Haverstraw, and then he was placed in charge of the Hillsdale local, which he ran until 1883. Then for three years he pulled a passenger between Jersey City and Haverstraw, going back to the local run in 1896, which he still holds.

Mr. Hasbrouck is regarded as one of the Erie's best men, and has never had to "explain" but once, and that was from no fault of his, as the following will attest: New signals were put on, but they were not to be used until 12 a.m. of a certain day. Mr. Hasbrouck's train arrived at one of the signal points some time before 12, and following instructions he paid no attention to the new signal, which happened to be set against him. Receiving a hand signal to go ahead, he proceeded and went off the rails. He was promptly suspended for explanation, but that was forthcoming immediately and so completely exonerated him that he was out of service but one hour.

In 1885 Mr. Hasbrouck was married to Miss Letitia Griffin, daughter of Jchn P. Griffin, a letter carrier at the New York City postoffice for over thirty years. They have no children and live in their own pretty home in Westwood. Mr. Hasbrouck belongs to Hudson Lodge No. 1.35, B. of L. E., of Jersey City, and is a strong supporter of that order.

Excerpted from: "American Locomotive Engineers, Erie Railway Edition," H.R. Romans Editor; Crawford-Adsit Company Publishers, Chicago, IL 1899.

From the September, 1914 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine
I. Hasbrouck, Engineer, New Jersey & New York Railroad (New York Division), on a recent date was handling Train 620 with engine 952, when engine developed a broken return pipe. He attached same under the engineer's brake valve, which enabled him to bring the train to Jersey City on time.

From the March, 1933 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
I.L. Hasbrouck, age 74, New Jersey & New York Division engineer of Huntington, IN, has been retired on special allowance after serving the Erie 54 years and ten months.

From the April, 1933 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine:
The Erie has just retired under the age limit Isaac Lyons Hasbrouck, veteran New Jersey & New York engineer whose most eventful period in his long service was the year of the big blizzard of 1888 which tied up things around New York and southern New Jersey. Survivors gathered again last month, the 45th anniversary, to recall their experiences during the big blow and the heavy snowfall which in some places reached more than 20 feet.

Mr. Hasbrouck was one of the first two Erie enginieers to succeed in getting their trains into the Jersey City terminal. The other train was pulled in by engineer Al Dity from Greenwood Lake. "Snow came up to the cab windows," Mr. Hasbrouck related,"and the temperature was below zero. Traffic was at a standstill for almost a week. I pulled my train to the end of track 4 and laid there from Monday morning till Thursday night."

But it wsn't for his work in the big blow of '88 that Engineer Hasbrouck got the medal which he prizes so highly, although the heroic work came right on the heels of the famous blizzard. The Erie was building its first iron bridge over the Hackensack River and trains were run over one track while the second was being made ready.

"East of the bridge," Mr. hasbrouck said, "was a hand thrown switch to let trains in and out of the freight track. In the center of the bridge was a tower manned by the dispatcher to let trains over the single track. From the tower signals were operated at both east and west ends of the single track.

"I was coming east with train 600 on a dark overcast morning. Approaching the west end of the bridge under control I saw that I had a white signal which meant clear in those days. There were no green signals then. After getting 'clear' at the west end I rolled along and at the east end saw another white light which also meant 'clear.' Coming closer I saw the rails set for the freight track, and then I got the shock of my life when I saw a freight 'hog' with 50 cars standing in just to clear the main track, and its engineer and fireman jumping from the cab and fleeing into the meadows. I applied the brakes, 'threw her over and gave her steam' (they used to call it plug 'em), the gravity sanders worked well and we went into an open switch. The fleeing fireman was so deep in the mud that it required the strength of two men with a fire hook to pull him out.

"Passengers piled off my train and ran up threatening me with violence. Then they walked with the conductor to the switch and found the switchman asleep in his shanty. His switch light was on and he had left his white lantern only eight inches from the spot where the switch light should be. They started to beat him but he got away. Then they found the distance between the two pilots to be less than a foot. Four weeks later the same crowd of passengers collected around my engine at Jersey City and gave me the medal of which I am so proud."

Engineer Hasbrouck will never forget J.S. Drake, Superintendent, who gave him his first job because of the latter's deep contempt for liars. He loves to recall an experimental trip from Haverstraw where brickettes were used for fuel. His engine burned 4,600 pounds of brickettes, at the rate of 100 pounds a minute shovelled into the firebox by Fireman Ernest Ingling, but they couldn't make time and had to fall back on soft coal. Ingling didn't think much of the brickettes as fuel and never forgot the experiment and as a result became known as plain "brickettes."