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(erielack) EL 2007 calendar - description and review



Just got my 2007 EL calendar, here's a brief description and my personal opinions....

COVER:
A particularly well-exposed shot of U33C 3312 and SDP45 3656 leading a freight around the broad curve approaching Starrucca Viaduct where the grade crossing is. The photos shows my favorite elements of 1970s EL: big GMY power, relatively colorful freight cars, and piggyback. The caption is a bit awkward (what else is new?): "The power for symbol freight NE74 has cleared Starrucca Viaduct and pusher units, put on at Susquehanna, will be removed at Gulf Summit."   This photo appears to be approaching the viaduct, not just having crossed it?

JANUARY: Erie GP7 1400 (with an EL diamond on its side) leads a two-Stillwell train underneath the NYS&W overpass at Hawthorne, NJ on Jan. 5, 1963. It's a VERY gloomy image (rainy day, very overcast), but it does portray a certain mood. One neat thiing is the tattered remaining paint on the Susquehanna bridge that read "SUSQUEHANNA."

FEBRUARY: A decently-exposed shot (with a few long shadows from adjacent buildings) showing the back 6 cars of the Phoebe Snow at Olean, NY on March 16, 1966. Clearly visible are the Tavern-Lounge car, a former Erie heavyweight diner, and what appears to be either the Spirit or Pride of Youngstown.

MARCH: OK, I think we've seen this shot many times before: An A-B-B set of "F5s" lead an A-B-B-A set of FT's (all in Erie black/yellow with EL diamonds and numbers) out the south end of Maybrook, NY. A "flat" picture - not much color and kind of a gloomy day, but if you like covered wagons, this one's right up your alley. The elevated view highlights the roof details.

APRIL: A slightly backlit shot of some F-unit (the first in GMY, the trailing two in EL B/Y) roll through an amazingly manicured lineside lawn at Sterling, ON, with the B&O crossing and tower in the distance (the B&O line is seen coming in from the left). You know, there's yet another Southern Pacific 40' car at the front of this train with a large yellow diagonal line through the door (the cover image had one as well) - anyone know what that indicated?

MAY: A "roster shot," if you will, of the DL&W Apalachin, NY station with harsh shadows making the station walls appear to be a black hole. Today, this station still stands right along side New York Route 17 (or whatever Interstate it's become now)

JUNE: Another gloomy overcast shot of a pair of Erie E8s wheeling the Erie Limited around a curve at Chester, NY. Lots of neat local track in the right foreground in this image.

JULY: A slightly yellowing image of Erie PA1 861 blowing through the HIllburn, NY station with Train 26 on August 11, 1963. The train features a baggage car and two air-conditioned Stillwells, a neat little train.

AUGUST: A very powerful image of gour GP7s blasting out of Tuxedo, NY with a Port Jervis "Ordinary".  Second in ths consist on this August 1971 day is what I believe was the last remaining Erie-painted GP7, the 1231. All the Geeps are erupting with voluminious amounts of exhaust smoke.

SEPTEMBER: A depressing sight, a pair of B/Y EL GP7s derailed and sliding down the embankment of "Junkyard Curve" just outside of Port Jervis on May 11, 1966. Detail fans, hwere are your roof-level shots!  Interestingly, GP7 1220 has had the rooftop fan closest to the cab removed and the opening plated over. Any thoughts on this? Also notable - 1220 has a white-centered EL diamond, while companion derailee 1245 has a "hollow" diamond.

OCTOBER: Now we're talking! A beautifully exposed shot of a trio of Lackawanna H24-66s ramping up the hill out of Slateford Jct to head onto the Delaware River Bridge, with the Del Water Gap in the background. The caption goes on to pontificate about today's horsepower race (huh?)

NOVEMBER: Slightly dark, but nevertheless colorful view of a new C425 leading two new GP35s through Arden, NY iwth NY-100 (all pigs with a hot ATSF boxcar at the front), and fall colors in the background on November 1, 1964.

DECEMBER: A very interesting elevated view of U33C 3314 and GP35 2567 (which features snowshields) going away from the camera at Cascade Valley, NY on February 23, 1970 with train TC-4. Well exposed, and the touch of snow on the ground is nice.

REAR COVER: A really nifty view for freight car fanatics: The tail end of an early EL freight at Sparrowbush, NY featuring a still-Erie bay-window caboose, an Erie gon, and an early EL repainted 40' boxcar with Roman reporting marks, amongst other period freight cars.

And there you have it...

	- Paul






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