RE: (erielack) Dansville Hill, and maximum speeds on pre-merger Erie and DL&W

[intercityrailpal_@_netscape.net]

A Samostie <quahog_@_sprint.ca> wrote:

>Dear Group,
>
>Two questions for you.
>
>1)  I've never seen a line profile of the DL&W main, so this question
>may seem obvious to some of you... nevertheless...
>What were the grade percentages and lengths of the grade over Dansville
>Hill, eastbound and westbound? 
>Were pushers (for freight) required in both directions? 
>Were passenger consists ever heavy enough to require additional power
>over the hill?
>
>2) What were the maximum authorized speeds for passenger trains on the
>pre-merger Erie (including both the Hornell-Buffalo line and West End)
>and the DL&W?  Where were the high-speed segments located?
>
>I'm assuming that the max. speeds on the DL&W were in the flatlands of
>western NY state, but the Binghamton-Corning segment and the NJ Cutoff
>could also support high speeds.  Not sure about high speed segments on
>the Hornell-Buffalo Erie line, but I'm guessing that high speeds could
>be attained across Ohio and Indiana.
>
>Cheers,
>Alan <quahog_@_sprint.ca>
>
>Hi Alan, The Erie-Lackawanna was not known for high speeds. But with todays tilt trains it could be. I rode it many,many times Hoboken to Chicago,Buffalo and Cleveland. One part I remember really, was ripping along thru the gorge, north of Scranton on the Hallstead cut-off.There also was one time in the Pocono's we were late..Erie-Lackawanna would get a manager up in the engine to get that engineer out of his seat. (Engineers had to follow rules, management makes it's own! After all who's going to check on them!)We came down Mount Pocono so fast one time, THE CROSSING GATES WENT DOWN BEHIND THE TRAIN! They knew what they were doing! The equipment was the best.I always rode the rear lounge car, in the left rear seat to look out.Erie-Lackawanna never charged extra fare like the New York Central and other railroads.

You would think the route accross the midwest would have been a race track. But it was built in the Nineteenth Century, and didn't change much. If you modernized anything your property taxes would go up.The taxes would be added to road trust funds..to put you out of business! The speed under Erie management was 70MPH. The dispatchers had a way of telling the engineers if they wanted more out of them. The railroad would then look the other way ...within reason. (nothing crazy)If they really wanted speed they got a manager up in the cab!....Lackawanna Lance
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