(erielack) BC Interlocking

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

Otisville Tunnel was single-tracked in 1953 in anticipation of the advent of TOFC service on Erie the following year. At the west end of single track was West OV, while OV was the east end of single track, then it was double track to Howells. Around 1974 after the shift of traffic to the Lackawanna side, single track was extended from West OV to Port. This created frequent delays for hotshot 
CX-99 which remained on the route, as it waited at OV for #54 or #70.

Speaking of tunnels getting plugged, there was an incident around 1996 on Tehachapi where a UPS trailer got tired of it's long ride on ATSF, and in wandering off it's hitch managed to wedge itself more or less sideways in one of the line's many tunnels. Trains backed up on either side for about 12 hours; when the cork was finally popped the action was nonstop for the next 12 hours, and a buddy of mine arrived at just the right time to take it all in. When they got back to NC his wife blurted out "it was better than sex", which elicited some choice comments as you might imagine.    

Paul B

From: "Schuyler Larrabee" <schuyler.larrabee_@_verizon.net>
Subject: RE: (erielack) BC Interlocking

 
> From what I understand in the later EL years, BC at the east 
> end of Port Jervis was the funnel to single track. It was 
> single track to Otisville. Now my question is, was it single 
> track thru the tunnel? I believe it was but am not sure. The 
> next question is, on the east end of Otisville Tunnel, what 
> was the track configuration? Was there any passing sidings or 
> was it single track to Howell's Junction?

> Fred Stratton

I'm not sure, Fred, when it became single track up the hill.  It was double for a long time, and
with the advent of auto racks, the double track through the tunnel (as it was built) was singled for
clearance reasons, using 70 mph equilateral switches at either end.  Dan Biernacki is the source for
that knowledge, and he said at that time speed limits were 70/50.  Later, the limits were reduced to
(I think he said) 40 for both passenger and freight.  He asked why that was, and the answer was that
if anything were to go wrong, it'd be easier to unplug the tunnel from a 40 mph accident than from a
50/70 mph accident, and it didn't cost much time on the schedules.


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