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

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

In August of 1989, Conrail ran a Southern Tier employees' special using a
pair of E8s and the executive train from Port Jervis to Hammond Dam near
Wellsboro, Pa. This train ran the Erie as far west as Gang Mills, where it
went onto the ex NYC. Jack Kithcart did some of the running on that trip. I
remember chasing it out of Corning on NY 17 on the return trip, going 65
MPH, and not keeping up. The Erie could be fast; Jack knew it, and wasn't
shy about running like he really meant it!! Must have been one helluva ride
to Binghamton.

Tom B

> >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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End of EL List Daily V3 #492
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