(erielack) Cars behind caboose

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

The July 1962 schedule shows 3 sections of 99, 1st and 2nd out of Cx and
NE-99 out of Maybrook. None show an Akron stop (although the schedule
doesn't necessarily tell all); the last section (2-99)shows cc at Kent at
4:45pm, so it wd have to be really late to make 5am freighthouse delivery at
Akron an issue. I presume that the cars in question were s/o by NE-99 at
Meadville and then fw by 2-99. Sounds like much ado about nothing, since 1-5
cars lightly loaded with LCL are very unlikely to crumple a caboose. I don't
think this practice was widespread on through freights; I don't recall
seeing any photos of this although I'm sure some exist. The only way you
could have attached a lantern in the center of a freight car is on the
coupler, sort of a primitive FRED but without the flashing.

Paul B

With all the recent posting about #99 and freight forwarder traffic, I
came across some information from the early post merger that raised some
questions.  In going through a volume of Penna. PUC Decisions for 1964,
there was a complaint filed by the Brotherhoods against E-L for their
practice of attaching freight cars behind the caboose on #99.
Specifically, beginning in the fall of 1961, a block of cars (1 to 5)
were added to #99 at Meadville to be dropped in Akron.  When the train
was on-time at Meadville, the Akron cars were placed on the head-end
behind the locomotives and switched out at Worthington Street, just west
of Akron.  When the train was more than an hour late, the cars were
added behind the caboose in Meadville and dropped in downtown Akron.
The train stopped on the main while the cars were detached to minimize
further delay to #99 and the freight (cars had to be spotted by 5
a.m.).  This happened about 12 days each month.  (There was also some
mention about #74 on occasion, handling cars behind the caboose from
Meadville to Jamestown.)

The Brotherhoods cited safety concerns to those in the caboose from
hauling loaded freight cars, which the E-L countered was not unduly
hazardous if the weight of the commodities loaded was kept to a maximum
of approximately 10 tons.  So individual cars weighing approximately 31
tons were place behind a caboose of approximately 21 tons.  Another
issue was the lack of (2) marker lamps, which can't be displayed on the
corners of freight cars.  Instead a single oil-burning lantern, with a
red globe was displayed in the center of the rear freight car.  They
questioned how long this would stay lighted.

The PUC ruled that it wasn't going to forbid the railroad from attaching
cars behind the caboose in emergency situations, but that the practice
of adding cars behind the caboose on #99 to meet schedules (on average
of 12 times per month) was to stop.
Employee safety is a higher consideration and merely meeting schedules
is not an "emergency."

My question is what happened after this ruling. Did this practice
continue (even on a limited basis) on #99?  Then and in later years what
other EL trains (aside from locals) hauled cars behind the caboose?

Also, just wondering about how you attach the lantern in the center of
the back end of a car.  Did they tend to go out?

Mike Oravec


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