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Re: (erielack) LACKAWANNA IS NOT FAST?/Why Yes it is!

Here's what I got through a freind concerning the speed of the DL&W. It 
is rather detailed, but interesting none the less.

Tim
Well, I just happen to have the DL&W Employee TT#114 (October 26, 1958) 
and Timetable of April 24, 1955. Okay, lets do the math.
It is about 82.6 miles from Hoboken to Stroudsburg and they are governed 
by a maximum 70 mph. They are making the run in 82 minutes, so they are 
averaging 60mph.
Granted there is a differential going over the Boonton, but overall 60mph.
 
Now...look at all the permanent speed restrictions on both lines:
 
Hoboken West End - 15
West End to Bergen Tunnel - 40
Bergen Tunnel - 50
Bergen to sub station tracks 3-1-2 - 30mph
Various Crossovers 20-30mph
Harrison on Clear Medium - 30mph
Harrison, first curve east - 55
Newark Interlocking on Clear Medium - 30
Newark, first curve west - 60mph
etc. etc. etc.
 
Boonton Line
 
West End Curve - 30
Crossovers - 25-30
Hackensack Draw - 20, entire length of bridge
First Curve west - 40
2nd Curve West 60
3rd Curve 65
Lyndquist Drawbridge - 20
etc. etc. all the way out
 
Therefore to average anywhre near 60mph with acceleration and 
deceleration figured in, these guys had to really hammer to make their 
time. It appears it would not really have been practical to bump the 
time schedule any faster. I also suspect that the Boonton Line had 
"freight block" signalling, so speeds in excess of 70 they would have 
out-run the blocks.
 
Overall the question is not so much why didn't 21 go faster, but how the 
heck did #3 keep the schedule ?
 
Also look at their eastbound counterparts #22 and #6. #6 takes 1hr-55min 
from Stroudsburg (3:35pm) east to Hoboken(arr.5:30pm), and 22 does it in 
2hr-03mins
leaving Stroudsburg at 3:13 and arriving in Hoboken at 5:15pm, BUT 
returns on the Mainline.

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