[Date Prev][Date Next] [Chronological] [Thread] [Top]

Re: (erielack) Boonton... this hour

- --- Todd Hollritt <thollritt_@_yahoo.com> wrote:
>   Next, stopping at the former station (NJT uses a modern brick shelter
> just west of the old station) you can see all the LIRR passenger
> equipment that had been placed here. ( The nice wood CNJ caboose went to
> URHS P-burg I think) but what is intresting is the former CNJ coach in
> the mix. What were these cars used or indended for? Little shops??Plus,
> what's is the heritage of the two cars east of the main station
> building? 

In the early 1970's, a boutique mall was actually operated in the LIRR and
other cars.  Jewelry, antiques, collectibles, etc.  One or two shops per
car, with partitions as needed to separate them.  It lasted a few years.

Problems:
1 - Heat/Air Conditioning.  The LIRR MP54's originally had electric
heaters under the seats, no air conditioning.  As shops, electric heat and
window air conditioners were used.  With no insulation in the walls and
large amounts of single-pane glass in leaky windows, the bills were huge.

2 - The large amounts of glass in the windows attracted vandals (who broke
the glass) and thieves (who broke the glass, went inside and stole
merchandise.

3 - The novelty value (mall in a train) attracted business for a while,
but it was somewhat isolated from similar shops on Main Street.

4 - The shops were too small.  I went there once or twice while the mall
was open, but the stores were not very big and they were hard to walk
through.  Not many businesses can exist in a space nine feet wide and 40
feet long (for an entire car).

=====
Gary R. Kazin
DL&W Milepost R35.7
Rockaway, New Jersey

http://www.geocities.com/gkazin/index.html


		
__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish.
http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail 

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