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(erielack) DL&W from the mid 30 through the mid 50 was very unfriendly with railfans
- Subject: (erielack) DL&W from the mid 30 through the mid 50 was very unfriendly with railfans
- From: ELRRB65_@_aol.com
- Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 08:34:08 EST
My first visits for my cousin and I to the Scranton Yards and
Locomotive Shops was around 1972 and we never met or saw any EL RR police. The fuel and
sand tracks, and the back shop was open to visit any time, day or night. We
would walk in, ask the first employee we saw if it was OK to take some pictures
and "ALWAYS" got a "sure, go ahead but just be careful."
My cousin and I got to know the gang at the fuel track very well and
would spend a night with them, having a bite to eat, or showing them a quick
slide show of our latest railfan trip. They would gladly re-position units on the
fuel/sand track for that perfect line up and later, we would learn how to run
and move units around the fuel tracks from one of the hostlers.(this operating
experience came in handy when I got my job as a railroad engineer years
later.)
As I first said, I never saw an RR policeman at Scranton. Then Conrail took
over and I would see them all the time. We only got stopped by a CR policeman
once, it was at night and there was some PC 6 axle ALCO's and BAR geeps in
town. We were taking some night shots, he asked us what we was doing, we told
him and all he said was that you can't be here at night, come back during the
day for your photos.
During the same time in the mid 1970s, the LV RR police were always
stopping us. At the LV RR yards and Loco shop in Sayre, PA., you had to sign a
release to be on the property. We were all set to sign our release the one day and
the lady says" you are 18 aren't you?". No release that day and no shots of
all the ALCO snowbirds in storage. At the LV RR Coxton Yards in Pittston, PA we
were on a dirt back road above the tracks when a LV RR policeman stops us,
checks ID, takes down our auto registration and all and throw us off the
property.
As Chuck notes the DL&W from the mid thirties through the mid fifties was
very unfriendly with railfans or actually any non-employees going on the
property in particular in the Scranton Yards and Locomotive Shops and
Servicing areas. Having my Grand Dad being a long time employee I somehow in
the fifties made friends in the Scranton Diesel Shop and let's say was
allowed to visit on a fairly frequent basis. The employees actually hid me
out from the RR Police and certain officials on a couple occassions. I
noticed after Erie Lackawanna came in they still were vigilant, but somewhat
softened the hardline attitude. Of course cutting the police force in half
could have factored in that also.
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