(erielack) Lets get down to Earth........

[STEVEZ10_@_aol.com]

Some DL&W Cutoff reality's as opposed to the PADOT and Morris County DOT 
recent fantasies on a 2006 completion date.........

Some good points below from some fellow NEW JERSEY railfans!!!

"I think if the Cut-Off was suddenly now 'in the works' it would be BIG news 
- - if not in the public media, certainly within the northest rail fan 
community....
I suspect that it would take a year to just clear and grade the entire route 
before any rail related construction could commense.
And then you've got stations with parking lots and access roads that need to 
be built ( see how long it took NJT to build the Bay Street-Montclair station 
)....and I strongly suspect that Roseville Tunnel is gonna require a full 
concrete inner liner with stone/concrete portals at each end ( see how long 
the Bergen Tunnel project has taken ). Then you get to the massive Paulins 
Kill and Delaware River viaducts....you KNOW the engineering 'experts' are 
gonna recommend - at the very least - that both spans have their respective 
deckings completely rebuilt/fortified. After all this is completed, you got 
26 miles of ballast, ties, rail, signal work to undertake.....all by 
2007-2008....with NJT at the helm ???
I kinda doubt it!!!

And we haven't even addressed the work on the Pennsylvania 
side....re-alignment of the existing one-track main in several locations from 
what once was track #1 to track #2 and vice versa, installation of CWR, new 
crossties, signalling, crossing gate apparatus installation at numerous grade 
crossings, parking lots, access roads, station refurbishment, perhaps a 
couple passing sidings....not to mention construction of a proposed/planned 
storage yard at Anolomink and an adequate station complex with parking 
somewhere in Scranton....there's ZERO available parking at the old and grand 
former Lackawanna Station ( now a 4-star hotel ). My guess is a deal will 
have to be arranged with the National Park Service for a loading 
platform/trackage on the grounds of Steamtown adjacent to the latter's 
excursion loading area with overhead access to the Mall and it's parking 
garage....

That's a quite alot to get done within 4-5 years....even if the money was 
allocated, all engineering plans finalized, construction bids received and 
chosen AND all NIMBYS pacified....TODAY !

I'm not getting any younger....have been waiting for this since that bond 
issue I voted for back about 14-15 years ago !!!
Everyone knows that the traffic on Route 80 in Northwestern New Jersey (along 
the Lackawanna Railroad) is not getting any less than that over the last 30 
years.

"When will it be completed" (only follows commencement )

When will it begin?

1) After I and everyone else is retired
2) After most taxpayers leave New Jersey
3) After performing more costly enviromental impact studies
4) After building more ADA mini-high level platforms (that are hardlly ever 
utilized by anyone; was there any evidence of useage by wheelchair tracks or 
footprints on those ramps during or following a snow job?) 
5) After building more Sound Walls (like the ones along Route 80 in Denville, 
adjacent to the cemetary, Wendy's, Burger King, public and commuter parking 
lots)"
    
    



    
    

------------------------------