Re: (erielack) the fate of the EL

["Tom Beckett" <tabeckett_@_stny.rr.com>]

Pack Rat Dept:

I have stuff, as I'm sure we all do, going back a good many years. To anyone
else, it would have long outlived its usefulness. To me, it's a reference
source for an occasion such as we have here.

To wit: I located my 1978 Conrail map. It shows:

1. River Line intact and part of the system.

2. B&SW split in two sections, S. Dayton-Waterboro(actually DV, though the
map doesn't show it that way, or even DV for that matter), part of the CR
system; Buffalo-Gowanda, operated under contract, probably to Erie County.

3. Part of the Dunkirk Branch from WC Jct as far as Cattaraugus, operated
under contract, probably to Cattaraugus County.

4. The Bradford Branch as far as Lewis Run.

5.The Attica Branch was kept from Attica as far as Alexander NY, then
connected to the Groveland Branch in its entirety, also part of the system.
The Attica Branch(my ETT #4 of Feb 24 1974 shows it this way) made the
connection from Rochester down to Avon to connect with the LA&L.

6. The Erie Main seems to be intact from Croxton as far as Lima, Oh, and is
part of the system, as is the Mahoning Division 1st Sub. West of there, the
line is shown as intact, run by the Spencerville & Elgin, I'm guessing as
far as Decatur, then the Erie Western to Chicago. The then extant part of
the DL&W also appears to be intact and part of the system, except for a few
lines in the NY Division operated under contract. I don't have an EL NY
Division ETT, so hard for me to verify what was what.

7. The Newcastle Branch is operated under contract from Sharon to Pulaski, I
don't know to whom, probably a local county or IDA.

8. The Oil City Branch is intact, and part of the system.

9. The Lisbon Branch has a section from Leetonia to Lisbon as part of the
system, reached off the ex-PRR.

10. The Dayton Branch shows a section Marion to Richwood operated under
contract; also a section from Glen Echo to Cold Springs, which is part of
the system. This connects at Glen Echo to a line from Springfield to
Bellefontaine(NYC?-I'm a little sketchy out there), and at Cold Springs to a
line from Columbus through Springfield to Dayton, which I'm guessing is the
ex-PRR St. Louis line.

11. The C&E RR is also shown on the map.

12. Former EL intermodal terminals listed are Croxton, Elmira, Scranton, and
Marion. They show a 51st St Chicago ramp; could that have been the EL 55th
St yard? I know I used to pick up at 47th St when I drove for JB Hunt,
always thought that was the PRR facility, though it was possible to exit
that yard at 51st St. Buffalo is also listed, but I have no way of knowing
if it was an EL ramp.

Mike Riley made a comment about "CR had a lot of capacity on NYC and PRR
lines from Chicago, so moving what little traffic existed on the EL wasn't a
major issue..." I wasn't here to see it, so can't vouch for the accuracy  of
the statements-I lived in NY City at the time-but I'm told by a few
observers here in the Binghamton area, among others JJ Young,  that EL
traffic was pretty heavy right up to the end, maybe 25-30 trains/day,
sometimes more. That doesn't sound like "little traffic", though "little"
may be a relative term. But, this was also the heart of the EL, and things
on the West End may have been different.

My apologies for going on so long, I hope I was able to shed some light.

Tom Beckett
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Thurner" <chris.thurner_@_adelphia.com>
To: "Brian J Carlson" <brian_@_net.bluemoon.net>; "Michael Riley"
<wdperson_@_hotmail.com>; <gelwood@dnaco.net>
Cc: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2001 11:43 AM
Subject: RE: (erielack) the fate of the EL


> Brian Carlson stated:
>
> Well in may not be notable to many but the entire B&SW and the
> Riverline were not included in CR.
>
> I respectfully beg to differ in regards to the River Line.
>
> CR operated it for 2, maybe 3 years as I best recall.  A major derailment,
> either near or perhaps actually on the Genesee Viaduct, combined with the
> maintenance headaches of the very unstable (some would say fickle) soil
> there, made Conrail decide to abandon it (cr. 1980, I believe).
>
> If I'm incorrect here, then flame away.
>
> To the best of my knowledge, I believe you were correct that the B&SW line
> was not included (along with the Dayton Branch) in CR (hence the formation
> of the NY&LE, which still operates today).
>
> Regards,
>
> Chris
>
>
>

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