Re: (erielack) Operations of CNJ-EL SE-98/ES-99 (2)

["Rich Behrendt" <rbehrendt_@_columbus.rr.com>]

To add a little to what Bob indicated, I remember a CNJ coach on cribbing at
HO Jct. which I was told was for changing crews for the CNJ/EL runthrough
trains.   I assume that the CNJ crews didn't runthrough to Scranton past
Lake Jct., and EL crews took over for the remainder of the w/b trip from
Lake Jct. westward, with the reverse happening for the e/b's.   Be
interesting to find out if crews did in fact 'layover' here, or were taxi'ed
in/out...

I also have shots of CNJ power in Scranton ET in '75...

Rich Behrendt
ELHS #384
- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Dlw1el2_@_aol.com>
To: <paultup_@_lucent.com>; <erielack@lists.elhts.org>
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 2:50 PM
Subject: Re: (erielack) Operations of CNJ-EL SE-98/ES-99


>
> 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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