Re: (erielack) NYSW / DL&W between Water Gap, Stroudsburg and Gravel Place

["Gary R. Kazin" <gkazin_@_yahoo.com>]

- --- A Samostie <quahog_@_sprint.ca> wrote:
> Thanks to all who responded.  Still a few unanswered questions (unless I
> just missed the answers):

> 1. Did NYSW passenger trains use the DL&W station at Gravel Place, or
> was there a separate NYSW station?

The NYS&W had its own station in Stroudsburg; the DL&W passenger station
was east of Gravel Place.  Gravel Place was west of town; the NYS&W went
there only to interchange freight and to service trains.  Before the WB&E
was built, the NYS&W had the DL&W bring coal from NYS&W mines to Gravel
Place, where it was interchanged.  The passengers didn't go that far -
they could get between the stations by trolley.

> 2. Did NYSW trains run through to Wilkes-Barre on the WB&E, or did
> passengers have to change trains at Stroudsburg?

From Fredericks:  The WB&E's passenger service began on June 4, 1894. 
Initially two round trips ran between Kingston and Jersey City (PRR)
except Sundays, but patronage was light and one was cancelled after a few
months, only to run during the following summers.  The last through train
ran on May 12, 1902.

Local service between Stroudsburg and Kingston continued until 1905 when
the Susquehanna River bridge was found to be unsafe; service was cut back
to Plains - three miles short.  By then, passenger service was a single
mixed train leaving Stroudsburg about 7am, reaching Plains (3 miles before
Wilkes-Barre) after noon, leaving there about 1pm and reaching Stroudsburg
by 6pm, but was often late due to freight handling.  The local press did a
lot to ridicule the meager service.  The train was scheduled for the
convenience of its crew and the freight customers, not passengers.  It
didn't connect with NYSW trains, which arrived after the local left and
departed before it arrived, forcing ELEVEN hour waits overnight in both
directions.  The last mixed ran on May 15, 1935.  Two charters were run
from Jersey City (Erie) over the WB&E in 1938, one on June 12 and the
other on Dec 4.

Lucas' history of the NYS&W includes the October 26, 1908 timetable,
showing NYS&W trains to and from Stroudsburg and WB&E trains to Plains;
unfortunately the NOTES are not included.  It appears there were two
trains except Sundays and one on Sundays between Jersey City (Erie) and
Stroudsburg and one on Monday-Saturday beyond.

> 3. Was there a physical connection between the DL&W and the WB&E at
> Stroudsburg?

No.  Fredericks has a map showing the WB&E ending southwest of the
NYS&W/DL&W connection.  Imagine a reversed 'Z'.  The top is the DL&W, the
bottom is the NYS&W.  The top left corner is Gravel Place; the bottom left
is the connection between the NYS&W and WB&E.  The diagonal is the
connection between the NYS&W and the DL&W going to the Poconos.

=====
Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

New Jersey Transit - THE WAY TO GO!!!

(I have no affiliation with New Jersey Transit.)

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