[Date Prev][Date Next]
[Chronological]
[Thread]
[Top]
RE: (erielack) Re: The EL un-merger
Interesting, Curt, and I've thought about this along much the same lines. One caveat: even in the
50's, the DL&W+NKP would have been nuts to try to take the New Haven away from PRR, for starters,
not because PRR wouldn't have wanted to be rid of it (they probably would have) but because even at
that point, the NH was essentially a large switching district, with no westbound traffic to speak
of, and a highly expensive commuter territory. It looks good on a map, but not to a traffic
manager, I'm sure.
The ERIE+D&H+B&M is a little different, though it would have been good to accelerate the B&M's
too-slow divestiture of it's many too many branch lines in New Hampshire. As a slimmed down trunk
line connecting Mechanicville, Boston, Portland, and the line up the Conn River valley to connect
with the CV, it would be a good line to generate traffic via the seaports. But again, not enough
westbound traffic generated. No need to take on the MEC, because it only generated the potato
traffic, way too seasonal.
SGL
> -----Original Message-----
> From: erielack-owner_@_lists.elhts.org
> [mailto:erielack-owner_@_lists.elhts.org] On Behalf Of Curtis Brookshire
> Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 5:15 PM
> To: erielack_@_lists.elhts.org
> Subject: (erielack) Re: The EL un-merger
>
> I love to speculate on what the picture might have looked
> like if the DL&W and Erie went separate ways instead of
> merging. Several people hit on it already, but the albatross
> around both companies necks were the prohibitively high New
> Jersey + Hudson County on top of that taxes and the commuter
> traffic which in the 1950s both roads were paying 100% of the
> costs. Remember in 1972 the N&W said there should be a
> "firewall" erected at Buffalo since no profitable railroading
> could take place east of there.
>
> DL&W:
> Should have merged with the NYC&StL (Nickle Plate). This
> would have to have been the pre-1955 DL&W, since hurricane
> Diane delivered the fatal wound that forced Mr. Shoemaker to
> look toward the Erie. Also merge with the L&HR to take
> advantage of the Maybrook connection. In a perfect world,
> this combination with the New Haven would have given the DL&W
> a big place in New England traffic. The Lackwanna would have
> had to build a New Jersey intermodal terminal at a strategic
> location. Secaucus was close to a lot of highways, but you
> had to deal with local streets and Hudson County congestion.
> Didn't they consider one at Port Morris? OK then, if
> everything clicked, and New Jersey took responsibility of
> commuter service, they combined company would have become
> part of the N&W - Wabash and later NS and you'd see black and
> white power on the cut-off. Of course it could have been
> part of Chessie too. To complete the transcontinental route
> (and we're talking 1950s conditions), maybe Rock Island/UP -
> SP or MP - D&RGW - WP.
>
> Erie:
> I find the Erie a little easier since it was a "complete" New
> Jersey-Chicago line. I'd go for broke and merge with the
> ATSF. Here's the transcontinental intermodal route years
> that could have made UPS THE package carrier (might have even
> prevented the advent of Federal Express). Also pick up the
> D&H and Boston & Maine - Maine Central for Montreal and New
> England reach. This carrier would still exist today and be
> BNSF's eastern line.
>
> It would have been interesting to see if this would have
> provided the competition needed to keep Conrail from
> blanketing the northeast. It also would have been
> interesting to see how a larger transcontinental system could
> have battled the demographic and market shift that doomed the EL.
>
> Curtis Brookshire
> Manassas, VA
>
>
> The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
> Sponsored by the ELH&TS
> http://www.elhts.org
>
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
Sponsored by the ELH&TS
http://www.elhts.org
------------------------------
End of EL Mail List Digest V3 #2174
***********************************