RE: (erielack) Happy Erie Lackawanna Day!

["Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>]

> Paul,
> 
> That raises two more questions: 1) Why would the EL reroute CS-9 via
> Morristown (track maintenance, derailments?); and 2) Were there height
> restrictions, due to the overhead catenary, that might affect 
> the cars that
> could be placed into CS-9?  Not to mention the ruling grade 
> up to Summit
> (1.5%?) was a good reason not to have many of these detours.
> 
> Chuck


As Rich Pennisi once told me, "there are no set rules on the railroad" when it comes to operations. A lot of these decisions were made at the whim of the dispatchers. Often times dispatchers would route a train that normally ran on the "Erie side" down the "DL&W side" to avoid congestion, or vice versa. The same goes for trains like the CS-9 - a low priority freight that was rerouted possibly to help expedite "hotshots" along the Boonton Line.

The height restriction item might be a concern, but generally CS-9 carried "plain Jane boxcars" and similar standard-level cars. I don't think clearances would have been a restriction for it, and if it was the dispatcher probably wouldn't have sent it that way anyway.

By the way, the gradients on the Boonton Line side weren't exactly "easy", either. :)

	- Paul

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