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Re: (erielack) NJ Questions - L&NE Operations

I had another question about trackage rights.  The recent CLASSIC TRAINS did a feature on the Lehigh & New England which reached Maybrook through a lot of trackage rights on the Susquehanna and Erie.  I imagine this probably made the operation more costly than owning their own ROW.  Here's a question:  Since L&NE used the Susquehanna and the Erie tracks more than their owners did, who took care of the track maintenance.  I know that old Erie ETT's indicate an "L&NE Siding" on the Pine Island Branch indicating private ownership of the track.  L&NE used an additional branch of the Erie to get to Maybrook. CLASSIC TRAINS said L&NE shut down with their ROW in top condition with trains running at 40 mph.  How long did EL continue to operate the Pine Island Branch after L&NE closed up?

Ed Montgomery

Ed - The Pine Island Branch from Goshen to Pine Island was gone by 1967m before I went to Hoboken.  The Montgomery Branch from Goshen to MQ Tower was still in service, at least up to 1970, but there was no regular operation on it.  The Montgomery Branch from MQ to Montgomery is still in service, as far as I know.

The Erie and the Susquehanna maintained their own tracks and dispatched all trains where the L&NE had trackage rights on them.  That is the common way of handling those arrangements.  Payment formulas vary, and I don't know if L&NE paid a percentage of expenses, a per-car or per-train charge, or some other formula.  Those trackage rights agreements often work very well, especially on a single track railroad that can easily handle the traffic.  Expenses are shared, and property taxes, especially in New York and New Jersey, were only paid on one railroad line rather than two.

Gordon Davids




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