RE: (erielack) ES99/SE98

["Paul R. Tupaczewski" <paultup_@_comcast.net>]

> With a 10 mph speed on the High Bridge branch, how long did it take for
the
> "ES/SE" trains to travel from E-port to Scranton?

It was an all day affair. The trains would leave E-port around lunchtime,
and would usually end up at Lake Junction in the later afternoon hours (4-5
PM), often times meeting up with CS-9. Once on the EL, the train made better
time and would usually arrive at Scranton around 11 PM.

The High Bridge Branch isn't that long - about 25 miles - and barring any
problems, it would a little under two hours to crawl up it.

> I read that CNJ had a few
> derailments on the branch.  Did they make any improvements on it when the
> Scranton freights began running there?

Yes (see my previous E-mail)


> I never really understood the need
> for CNJ to give up there Pennsylvania operation.  LV seemed to like their
> grades better abandoning a lot of their mainline in favor of the CNJ.
>  I do remember a New York bank was frustrated with the performance of
> CNJ and desired to liquidate the property to get what they could out of
it.
>  They probably should have been molded in to the MARC-EL plan spinning all
> commuter operations off to another agency.  Ultimately I guess that
> happened through CR and then CSX and NS taking over properties.  The CSX
> heritage with CNJ goes back to when the B&O alliance controlled Reading
and
> CNJ.  Interesting to see how things finally turned out.

CNJ's value by the 1970s (taking away the heavy yoke of forced commuter
operations) was not in Pennsylvania. No real local industry to speak of
there (with the exception of the former LNE lines), and too much duplication
with the LV, even after all the line rationalization. Plus, the LV had a
better route to Newark, unfettered with commuter service (mostly).

	- Paul



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