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Re: (erielack) NY Connecting RR/NY Harbor Ops
> Much of the traffic going to NYC's West Side line was high-rated including
> perishables (meat), and so was expedited by the fastest route. Carfloat
> operation was generally slow and expensive, and therefore avoided when
> possible. NYC 60th St interchange coming in from the south via Washington
> and Harrisburg was best handled by float, while a significant portion of
> cars coming in from the midwest were likely given a routing that would get
> them on the NYC west of Selkirk. Floating direct to 60th St avoided the
> additional move of transfer to Weehawken.
Let's not confuse float business with West Side line business. You are right
that quite a few of the major customers were meatpackers and consignees of
perishable goods, the NJ railroads including the Erie had their own
facilities, floats and marine equipment to get traffic across the river
without having to share with the NYCentral.
[My grandfather ran an office furniture company (Steelcase) in the New York
Central Building at 437 Eleventh Avenue, and the basement freight docks
(three high level platforms and six tracks) was my daycare center (as was
sitting upstairs watching the switching of the 30th Street Yard. Must of
the product came from Grand Rapids in high cube cars, and because of
NYCentral clearance restrictins were routed from from Selkirk to Chatham,
the NY & Harlem to Brewster, the Putnam Division to Kingsbridge, and then
over to the West Side line for delivery.]
But interchange freight floated across the river to interchange with the
Central was a different business. Just because the West Shore was nearby
didn't mean it was the same thing as the New York Central (only railfans and
taxing authorities would think so <g>). In fact, the State of New Jersey
figured property taxes in part on the basis of gross receipts, so keeping
the WS separate saved money You'll recall the CNJ even set up the CRRofP to
avoid this.
There were various interchange rules and restrictions and tariffs that
encouraged sending freight to 60th Street , as there were restrictions with
the West Shore at Montgomery. You and I might think that irrational in our
20/20 hindsight, but the railroads thought this all very important at the
time, and filed this stuff with the ICC to make sure it was all enforced
nice and legal (and to keep the NJ tax people at bay -- mostly
unsuccessfully).
Cheers,
Jim Guthrie
ELHS #1296
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