Re: Re:(erielack) NYTimes: Location, Location and Shape

["Jim Guthrie" <jguthrie_@_pipeline.com>]

James writes:


> OK, if nobody else will, then _I_ will. Gary, what on earth does the
> Flatiron building have to do with the Erie, the Lackawanna, or the Erie
> Lackawanna? And before you (or anyone else, for that matter) tell me to
just

Hmmmm. I thought historians were a welcome part of the list. I would hope
we'd be as welcome as, say, the modelers.

To the instant case: The huge investment in NJ passenger infrastructure of
the Lackawanna and Erie commuter lines is directly attributable to the NYC
skyscraper -- of which the Flatiron Building (1902) is a pioneer -- along
with the [late] Singer Building on Liberty Street. Other significant
buildings of special note in the history of the E-L and predecessors and
other railroads in the NY region, include Hudson Terminal and its
successor -- the World Trade Center, and perhaps, the Port Authority Bus
Terminal. I might add the opera house on 23rd Street for the Erie historians
<g>.

The technology of the Flatiron building is significant also because its
location was also determined because of its particular convenince for the
typical suburbanite of 1902 -- simple and frequent crosstown transportation
from the North River, where DL&W, Erie, CNJ, and PRR all offered significant
ferry operations. Skyscrapers meant  that such operations could be
concentrated and made far more efficient. The multitude of 19th Century
ferry destinations contracted considerably with the advent of skyscrapers --
but the ridership also soared on the remaining routes.

Keep in mind that hundreds of cities had some manner of commission-hour
service in the 1890s -- and save for a few cities where skyscrapers
concentrated employment, all pretty much disappeared with the advent of the
automobile (and to a lesser extent, local electric railways).

The concentrations of jobs -- and their relationship to the commuting
railroads in general had implications on suburban development as well.
There's a great story in the development of railroad commutation and of both
NYC suburbs and Manhattan job destinations that's begging to be written.
That railfans generally have parochial interests expressed in "my favorite
railroad(s)" (not to mention that most seem to prefer picture books to
railroad history) doesn't help.

So in a larger sense, the Flatiron Buildiong **is** significant, and
although perhaps not as interesting to railfans as rail historians, it
doesn't hurt to have significant reminders of the raison d'etre of  the very
existence of our favorite railroad(s) or their significant product offerings
(namely commutation services) and the infrastructure associated with it.

I would add that there's also a considerable story in the specifics of all
online customers. Obviously, some -- like anthracite mines and facilities
have a direct significance on the construction of railroad infrastructure;
Others might not be so obvious, and need exploration if we're to understand
the hows and whys of our favorite railroads.

Cheers,
Jim Guthrie

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