Re: Re:Re: (erielack) Re: CNJ Interchange

["Jim Guthrie" <jguthrie_@_pipeline.com>]

> Bill shows great restraint in not pointing out that his book "Tidewater 
> Terminals of the Erie Lackaanna >Railway" shows all this in absolute 
> clarity.  I cannot read any discussion of any of these tracks without 
>  >running for my well-thumbed copy.  I don't know if he has any,  but find 
> it if you can.

Of course the history of all this is interesting because some of the 
operational and interchange rules were left over from the "Line 13" days.

Once upon a time, the Port of Authority was established to straighten out 
New York Harbor so in case of war the place wouldn;t get jammed up as in WWI 
which ended up in the USRA takeover of the railroads.

Line 13 was the "Waterfront" part of the plan, extending from the north end 
of the NYS&W/ETY at Edgewater down to Constable Hook at Bayonne  (IIRC, Line 
6 involved the Northern and NYS&W on the other side of the hill); these 
would be coordinated among all railroads).

These would be neutral switching lines connecting everyone together, and 
serving the docks, and all feeding into the cross-harbor tunnel reaching the 
LIRR at Bay Ridge.

The PA actually built a short stretch connecting the National Docks to the 
Erie; the Erie sued and the rest of the railroads opposed it all -- and the 
PA gave up on its railroading adventure and went into truck terminals and 
airports.

Railfan mythology always blames the PA for not building the cross-harbor 
freight tunnel, but one can also make the case that the failure was due in 
no small measure to the "progressive management" on the Erie.

In any case, the railroads did come to am agreement with the PA, which they 
promptl;y "forgot about" but some of the rate divisions and operational 
agreements lived on -- sort of.

Cheers,
Jim Guthrie
ELHS #1296 


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