(erielack) Southern Tier Passenger Loyalty (was: Re: What People Called the Railroad)

[A Samostie <quahog_@_sprint.ca>]

Dear Rusty,

Interesting story!  Now, I'd have thought that fewer Owego passengers
would have used the Lackawanna, because it was on the other side of the
river.  (No big deal if you owned a car, but during the Depression,
people were so tight with money that they'd try to avoid paying cab fare
if they could).  Any idea if other people in Owego shared your
grandfather's preference? 

A similar choice existed between Endicott (Erie) and Vestal (DL&W) --
but I can't imagine that passengers to/from Endicott would have crossed
the river to ride the DL&W out of loyalty alone.  With the E-J tanneries
and IBM plants in Endicott, I imagine Erie got the lion's share of
passengers.

What about elsewhere in the Southern Tier -- were passenger loadings in
Binghamton, Elmira, and Corning comparable for both roads?

Waverly / Sayre?  (Folks in "The Valley" had the choice of Erie, DL&W
and LV, depending on their destination!)

Of course, it's hard for us to guess how things really were...  both The
Erie Limited and The Lackawanna Limited were steam-hauled trains of drab
Pullman green heavyweight cars.  My guess is destination, schedule,
convenience, and ticket price were the main deciding factors in markets
that were served by both the Erie and DL&W.  There may have been other
factors... but unless anyone here is old enough to remember the comfort
of the coach seats, the meals in the dining car, and the friendliness of
onboard staff, the comparison will be difficult.  However, as we have
discussed before, Phoebe Snow and the reputation she established for
cleanliness and gracious service may have played to Lackawanna's favor
even after the ads were discontinued.

Cheers,
Alan <quahog_@_sprint.ca>

Rusty Recordon wrote:
> 
> To add to the discussion of this vital topic, My grandfather (born 1880)
> was a traveling salesman out of Owego, NY from about 1912 until late in
> the depression (36-37).  He always called the Erie, "The Dirtyolderie,"
> (yes, as one word).
> 
> The DL&W was always "The Lackawanna", though most others I remember as a
> child called it the "DL".  He preferred to travel the Lackawanna until
> the day he died.=20

*snip*

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