(erielack) More C&IW information

[Mark Kerlick <marksd45_@_adelphia.net>]

 From my Chicago connection and CB&Q fan
I know Rich and will likely see him in a week or so. If time permits, I 
will bring this subject up.

We know a few things. Allow me to summarize.

1.) Erie and EL used C&WI trackage (State Line to 80th Street) to reach 
Chicago connections via BRC at Clearing.

2.) Erie and EL had trackage rights on C&WI, but could not directly 
serve industry.

3.) C&WI had few local customers making car delivery from and to Erie 
and EL a very small increment of business.

4.) The majority of deliveries in Chicago from and to Erie and EL was 
via the Belt Railway of Chicago. At this time and without more 
research, I am hard pressed to recall any direct delivery at Chicago. 
Virtually all Erie and EL connections were made via BRC. I am unsure of 
a direct delivery to and from ATSF.

5.) Direct deliveries to and from CNW, Milw, CB&Q(BN), were the result 
of facility closings (Hammond) and newly negotiated work agreements in 
the late sixties and early seventies. One example is the pool and run 
through of CB&Q (BN) and EL power on CB&Q (BN) trains 97 and 88. This 
arrangement was a direct result of the failure of the former NYC and 
PRR, then PC, pool and run through agreement with CB&Q.

We tend to forget, largely because the transfers were not well 
photographed or understood, about the large number of moves to and from 
Hammond and Clearing Yard. In the pre-run through era, most Chicago 
interchange was not direct but via BRC or IHB. The new agreement 
significantly changed the traffic in the Chicago area.

What was Erie's Chicago presence in the fifties? Two or three daily 
through freights in each direction making a total of 200 to 300 cars 
each way per day? Those numbers likely held steady until PC fell and 
the remaining traffic came over to EL.

My suspicion is that urban legend magnifies the role of the Erie and 
Chicago traffic. The big kahunas, NYC and PRR, held sway to the 
majority of East Coast - Chicago traffic  with B&O, Erie and NKP 
fighting for the remainder. May I suggest that you consider using yard 
capacity as a rule of thumb to indicate the role and presence of a 
carrier in a metropolitan area. That will help to place a scale and 
dimension to the issue.

I hope this is of some help. See you in Naperville.

Best regards,

Ed DeRouin





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