(erielack) Port Morris, BH-12, BH-8

["JG at graytrainpix" <graytrainpix_@_hotmail.com>]

Paul,

You indicate that the 1961 EL freight plan had BH-8 as well as BH-12 
operating via the Old Road.  I was under the impression that the 1961 plan 
mostly reflected pre-merger practices.  In each of the DLW freight schedules 
I’ve seen from the 1950s, (1954, from Taber 20th Century book 1; 1956, 
courtesy of Jon Lile’s great web site; and 1960, from George Elwood‘s 
equally great site), there is a note about BH-12 running the Old Road, but 
no such note for BH-8.  Also, they indicate that BH-8’s slow running time is 
largely taken getting from Scranton to E. Stroudsburg; 5 hrs 15 min in 1960, 
vs. 2:45 for BH-4, 2:55 for NE-4, and 3:30 for BH-12.  From E. Stroudsburg 
to Port Morris, BH-8 takes 2:35, versus BH-12’s 3:45 via the Old Road.  BH-8 
is probably doing doing what PN-98 and SC-8 did on the later EL, i.e. 
working at Tobyhanna and Stroudsburg.  The 1956 classifications show BH-8 
taking Portland cars as well as BH-12, but BH-8 could have set them off at 
Slateford, or left its train at Slateford Jct. to run the setoff down to 
Portland, then come back to run the balance of the train via the Cut-Off. 
Many EL trains did that.

One reason why the Cut-Off might have been preferred for BH-8: if he were 2 
or more hours late on a weekday or Saturday, he could interfere with the 
evening Washington commuter train.  In such case, he would be held at 
Washington until about 7:30PM; given the other work he probably had at Port 
Morris, East Dover, Denville and Boonton, he’s now a candidate to outlaw 
before reaching Hoboken (went on duty in Scranton around 8AM), and also 
might get in the way of two eastbound hotshots needing to use the Boonton 
Line in mid-evening (BH-4 and Adv BH-4; more on them below).   Or even if 
he’s on time, if he gets into trouble between Washington and Port Morris 
(hotbox, airhose, knuckle, engine failure, grade crossing incident), he’s 
got less than 2 hours to resolve it before sticking the passenger train.  On 
the Cut-Off, if he’s late or has trouble, they might need to get the w/b 
Twilight around him, but they’ve got controlled sidings at Greendell and 
Slateford.

As to running BH-12 via the Old Road – one rationale might have been to 
allow an evening set-off in Washington, as to have cars ready for the 
Hackettstown Roustabout to work the next morning.  But in that regard, the 
DL could have ran BH-12 on the Cut-Off and probably connected the Old Road 
cars to the P’Burg Roustabout, on duty at Port Morris at 7:30 PM.  So why 
use the Old Road?  My guess is that the DL had those two hotshots coming 
into the picture around the same time BH-12 would be finishing up at 
Portland, i.e., BH-4 and Adv BH-4.  Using the Old Road avoided a tough 
dispatching decision between delaying a junker that might get short on time, 
or slowing a merchandise run (or two) between Slateford and Port Morris (a 
long upgrade, remember).  And if BH-12 had any trouble east of Washington, 
he’s got all night to resolve it (before the AM passenger train).

Well, I wasn’t there, so I can’t be sure.  But I wish I had been.

Jim Gerofsky

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