RE: (erielack) The merger (was: The Cuttoff, wasNJ Industry)

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

In this case, there was no gold mine for PRR. NYC was clearly the company 
with the superior management, from Al Perlman on down. They had an actual 
marketing dept with several clever traffic initiatives including Flexivan 
and FlexiFlo. They had done their best to modernize the physical plant, 
including new, efficient yards at Elkhart, Avon and Selkirk (completed just 
after the merger). In contrast, PRR was firmly rooted in the 1950's, and had 
done little to upgrade the property which was replete with antiquated 
facilities. It was supposed to bring Buckeye yard (Columbus) into the 
merger, but it wasn't completed until 2 years into PC. Perlman, the idea man 
who loved and understood railroads  was shunted into a dead-end by the 
ex-PRR guys, who were more interested in the country club than figuring out 
what was on the balance sheet.

To bring this back on topic, EL clearly saw little future for the ex-DL&W 
into Scranton. The ex-Erie could easily handle the traffic, and had not only 
the Maybrook interchange, but Ford-Mahwah. Another operational problem with 
the ex-DL&W was Kingsland tunnel, which couldn't clear the tall trailers 
that had begun to appear by 1963.

Paul B

This brings to mind the PC merger with NYC getting the shaft.

Ed
 


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