(erielack) More Hoboken stuff

["vze3fhdr" <vze3fhdr_@_verizon.net>]

Hi again:

    Here's more stuff I remember about Hoboken and the area.

   Ferry Stuff: 

    Back in the old days, when the ferries carried passengers and vehicles, the "official" entrance for both was where the entrance to the lower concourse is now. There was a shanty of sorts that had a cashier or two. The vehicle would drive up to the shanty, and pay the fare. There a window that faced the walk. Passengers would pay there, and walk to the boat. Then, passengers figured out that they could walk to the boat through the waiting room, and board the boat without paying. So, the EL put up turnstiles in the waiting room and on the upper concourse to make sure everyone paid the fare. 

    The EL, and probably the DLW had a "Red Flag Boat". Maybe the Erie did as well. This boat would leave from slip 1 around 10:00 AM each weekday. It only carried fuel oil trucks, as well as trucks loaded with flammable material that were not allowed to pass through the Lincoln Tunnel. Passengers were not allowed on this boat.

    All the ferries in the EL days were still coal fired except one. That was the Lackawanna. IIRC, They, whoever "they" are , took the engine and generator from a Geep, and converted the boat to Diesel-Electric. It was probably very cost effective, but came too late to save the service.

    IIRC, the other boats were anthracite coal fired. At least once a day, a small dump truck would board the boat. Depending on the orientation of the coal bunker, the truck would back onto the boat. It would dump the coal through a grate in the vehicle gangway into the bunker. Then., they would remove the ash by pulling a large round container, about 3 feet in diameter and about 4 or 5 feet high, up via a windless to the truck. There was a man who operated the windless, and a man in the dump body to empty the container, besides the man in the engine room who filled the container.

    During the morning and evening rush hours, the EL had six boats running. One at each end just arriving, leaving, and two between NY and NJ that crossed mid river. They operated on some kind of schedule, but I suspect it was load and go. Non rush hour there were two boats on a twenty minute schedule, IIRC.

    Bill

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