Re: (erielack) Operations of CNJ-EL SE-98/ES-99

[Dlw1el2_@_aol.com]

In a message dated 10/25/2005 1:53:43 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
paultup_@_lucent.com writes:
 
Paul 
Some tidbits I do remember:
The power was shared on each side, being mixed for close to a year or more,  
and then one Holiday it didn't run, and things changed so that one side was  
solid EL and the other solid CNJ.   I could have been just the  opposite, but I 
do remember it changed after a holiday. Maybe it was New Years  and they 
wanted to change it at the beginning of the year, that I can't  remember.
 
SAIL ON THROUGH?  Well until the new connection was built, it was  close to 
an hour move, making the large Z move from the main ( Chester Jct )  through 
Lake Jct up the CNJ towards Green Pond, till the other end of the 100  plus car 
train  cleared the switch at Lake Jct to head south towards HO Jct  and High 
Bridge.  With CS9 and PN 98 usually working at Lake Jct during the  early to 
mid 70s, there seemed to be always something happening at Lake Jct Late  
afternoons, and evenings.  As a rule I don't think 98 or 99 worked at Lake  Jct. 
There were always exceptions, but this crew was always tight on time. In  the Mid 
to late 70s when additional trains got rerouted over to the DL&W  side, 
additional trains often worked Lake Jct.
Not everyone was familiar with the names of the tracks in the yard there,  
and I think on more than one occasion a wrong track was picked  up.  Someone 
finally painted a large diagram of the  yard with the track names painted on it, 
inside of the cement  Octagonal phone shanty, where the bills were kept. 
 
Union Agreements had the CNJ crew going on duty at a set time at Scranton  
regardless of whether or not the train was ready, thus often they would sit on  
their power for hours at Scranton waiting for the train to be made up.
 
Often the CNJ power laying over was used on pusher assignments at  night.  I 
road a puller one night from Taylor up to Clark summit, and it  was the 98/99 
power all CNJ.  I remember the engineer liked it cause  the CNJ units had air 
flow gauges and apparently the EL units did  not.  Maybe someone else can 
comment on if all EL units didn't and if that  was the case till the end?   After 
CR came along, air flow gauges were  the standard rule.
 
I don't think this train came out of Taylor, think it was made up right at  
Scranton Yard, ONLY cause I remember seeing the head end power waiting  there 
to couple up. It would be my guess that it didn't go to Taylor in a west  
direction either, but that's just an educated guess.
 
It was always a heavy train, and most always had pushers out of  Scranton  On 
rare occasions, the pushers would go all the way through to  Lake Jct, to 
assist the train up out of there onto the High Bridge Branch. I  watched this one 
evening as they cut away, rocking and rolling,  coming up  through Lake Jct 
yard on 98.
 
On the eve of Conrail everyone had there special place to go and watch for  
what might have been the last time.  Mine was Lake Jct. I watched ES99 that  
evening for the last time.   Seems that they made a move in the yard  on 
something, and it was just after dusk when I watched the marker on the  caboose 
slowly blink into the night as it proceeded up the new connection for  the last 
time.   A maintainer had been following the train up the  Branch disconnecting 
the crossing apparatus.  They sent SE98 down the P  Burg line that night cause 
he was late.  If anyone has an old Tri  State Railway Hist Soc, BLOCK LINE, 
I wrote a shot article on the evenings events. I'll try and find it if no  
one else has it, or if someone is interested in it.
 
Little did I know that in a year and a half I would be working for CR, but  
that's another story.
 
Just some cloudy memories.
Bob Bahrs
 
 

Hi  folks,

Most of us have probably heard of the joint CNJ-EL  Elizabethport-Scranton 
trains (SE-98 eastbound, ES-99 westbound). The trains  were started when CNJ 
pulled out of Pennsylvania, but they wanted to retain  the ability to serve their 
customers in Scranton. Easiest way to do this was  by going up the High 
Bridge Branch and allowing the EL to take the train west  from Lake Jct to Scranton.

Alas, there haven't been many  details of the trains operationally (Rich Jahn 
did a great article in ARHS'  "Flgas Diamonds and Statues" magazine, but I'm 
looking for even more detailed  information). So here are a few questions for 
you listers....

1. Did  the two trains do any work along the way? Or was it a straight 
through  freight?  Was any work done at Lake Jct., or did the train just sail  
through?
2. When the train got to Scranton, where did it go? Taylor Yard?  Scranton 
Yard? How did these cars to go CNJ customers? Did the EL handle  this?

Thanks in advance,

- -  Paul






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