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Re: (erielack) Favorite Era
I don't think you are the odd man out. I turned 18 in 1977, about the same
time I started to really discover railfanning as a serious pursuit. That
puts me in pretty much the same category, in the sense that the most
formative time for me was the late 70's, when things were rotten!!
I had gone to Xavier HS in Manhattan in the mid 70's, but, like most people
from the NY side of the Hudson, I'd sooner have gone to Outer Mongolia than
Newark-despite the 30 cent PATH fare at the time. This is someting I'm still
regretting over 30 years later. The stuff I missed!!! CNJ, LV, RDG and B&O
at Bound Brook; PC in its Red Team manifestation on the Corridor, and of
course, the EL in all its gray, maroon and yellow glory. Almost all of this
action was accessible by various forms of convenient public transport-I
might have even had a shot at riding Stilwells. Once I turned 18 and had a
car, my horizons expanded, and I was able to get to Jersey a little more
conveniently(convenience on the GWB???). By then, everything had become a
mash of fallen flag equipment, and it was fascinating to watch. I recall
spending a couple of hours in Utica, NY, in summer 1976, and seeing power
from every pre CR road, plus a smattering of lease units. I also recall
watching an ex EL GP 7 working at Weehawken on the dilapidated track, and an
RS3m at Croxton about 1978. They derailed a boxcar right at County Road,
which was an interesting sight. It was a great time to be a railfan. Despite
having missed the swan song of the pre CR roads, to watch as the power and
equipment mixed from all the predecessors and CR tried to get all the
different operations(most of which retained their pre CR flavor well into
the 80's) to mesh; to watch as the crews did their best under what had to be
trying circumstances with beat up diesels and battered track, and much of
the place held together with baling wire and duct tape, was a wonderful
experience for a fan, as much as it may have been maddening for the people
who had to work there.
Tom B
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>
To: "'Fred Stratton'" <erief7_@_msn.com>; <doctorpb@bellsouth.net>;
<erielack_@_lists.elhts.org>
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 10:14 AM
Subject: RE: (erielack) Favorite Era
> Fred Stratton commented:
>
>
>> Very good point and observations. As you say, my favorite era
>> was the late 60's and early 70's and like you lost interest
>> for a time around 1976 (Conrail?)
>
> I must be the "odd man out" here, or maybe it was my youthful naivete? :)
>
> I thought the early CR era was really neat! Of course, I lamented the loss
> of my beloved EL, but to a young kid, the real-live sightings of RDG
> GP30s, LV U23Bs, and PC F7s were tremendous! It was like a whole new world
> of railroading opened up to me!
>
> Of course, that era was short-lived, and two years after Conrail, the
> through-freight traffic on the Boonton Line disappeared. :( It was fun
> while it lasted, though.
>
> - Paul
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