Re: (erielack) Boonton Line freight trains-analysis

[Charles_Walsh_@_Berlex.com]

Dear Paul B. and all,

So what remained on the Scranton side once the shift to the Erie side was
completed?  There were definitely CR freights that operated over the
Cut-Off, at least during 1976.  Whether this continued in 1977, I don't
know.  By 1978, Port Morris to Slateford Jct. had been placed out of
service.  Once again, I'm curious why there was significant tie replacement
on the Cut-Off after CR took over.  Maybe they had all that federal money
to spend, or maybe it was something else?  It doesn't make any sense.  Any
speculation?

Chuck



                                                                                                                                  
                      "Paul Brezicki"                                                                                             
                      <doctorpb_@_bellsouth                                                                                         
                      .net>               To:     "EL Mailing List" <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>                                  
                      Sent by:                    "Paul R. Tupaczewski" <paultup_@_optonline.net>                                   
                      erielack-owner_@_list cc:                                                                                     
                      s.elhts.org         Subject:                                                                                
                                                  (erielack) Boonton Line freight trains-analysis                                 
                                                                                                                                  
                      09/30/2005 09:42 PM                                                                                         
                      Please respond to                                                                                           
                      "Paul Brezicki"                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                  



Paul, Steve, Chuck et al,

This might help. The July 1962 schedule shows 6 trains over the cutoff:

EB: BH-4, NE-4 (Bfo-Cx); BH-12 (Bingo-P Morris)

WB: HB-1, HB-3 (Cx-Bfo); HB-9 (P Morris-Bfo)

I don't think CX-99 ever operated via Scranton. Don't forget it was really
2
trains: originally a hot boxcar/lcl/TOFC overflow from NY-99 schedule
operated via Port; in early '71 the symbol was assigned to the new UPS
train
with a 4am cutoff at Croxton. It also operated via Port where it picked up
the Stratford CT trailers. (The original CX-99's traffic went to NY-97.)
Starting in '72 you also had the Cannonballs (at least some of the time),
and the CNJ runthru pair (SE-98/ES-99) that began running via Lake Jct when
it bailed out of PA.

Conrail began shifting traffic back to the Erie side almost immediately. As
for intermodals, the UPS traffic went to former PC routes and the remaining
pair, TV-77/TV-98 went via Port, unless detoured.

Paul B

It appears that for the first four years of the newly-merged railroad,
there
were 5 trains on the line, mostly old DL&W symbol hold-overs (HB-1, HB-3,
etc.), and all but one were westbounds (the sole eastbound was SC-2).
Then
it appears that the plan was to transfer as much of that traffic as
possible
to the Erie side, which undoubtedly coincided with the rearrangement of the
DL&W Boonton Line in the same year. In 1965-66, there were only four trains
on the Boonton Line (HS-9, X-1, NY-98, SC-2), then in 1967 the NY-98 was
moved to the Erie and X-1 was terminated. The low point was in 1968 when
the
only trains were CS-9 and PN-98 (SC-2's successor). Then from 1969-1971,
there were three (CX-99 was added), one more arrived in 1972 (ND-91), and
the "big move" came in 1973 (which was the high point of trains on the
Boonton Line, with 13 trains). The trains stayed relatively constant (11 in
1974, 12 in 1975 and 1976) until the end of the railroad.

Of course, we to consider the many locals that plied at least part of the
Boonton Line: 1st and 2nd Boonton Drill, Totowa Roustabout, Silver Lake
Drill, Greenwood Lake Haul, and tangential locals like the Seaboard Drill.
Plus all the commuter trains, and you still had a busy line, even in the
"bottom" years of the mid-to-late-1960s.

This topic has gotten my juices flowing; watch for a formal presentation at
a future EL meeting...

- - Paul


_____________________
Paul R. Tupaczewski
CDMA Trials and Demos Group
Lucent Technologies
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