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From: "Daniel G DOT McFadden" dan DOT mcfadden AT gmail DOT com
Date: Tue, 20 May 2014 13:18:25 -0400
Subject: RE: (erielack) Block Line EL content - October 1977
"19840829-004-Hoboken-PS-DETAIL.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1500x1071 (24bit)

It certainly is interesting to see the planned sequence for phasing out the
old MUs. In those years, I commuted from Plainfield on the CNJ, but Murray
Hill was also an option for me and I commuted from there to enjoy and record
the last two months of the old MUs. The switch over as it happened I believe
is as follows:
1) the last run of the old MUs was Train 639 leaving Hoboken at 7:30 PM on
Friday August 24, 12 cars with parlor 3454 in the lead. I was on that one
with many others. Ten minutes prior, Train 429 was the last departure of the
old cars to Gladstone.
2) I have a shot of the new equipment running on the M&E on Tuesday the 28th
so the switch had been made at least by then. Not sure if it first ran on
the Monday; a family funeral kept me away.
3) the first revenue run of the new equipment on the P&D was Labor Day
September 3. In the 9 day interim, push-pull equipment was used for non-rush
service and the old MUs were ingloriously hauled by GP-40's for rush hour
trains. As Ray Wetzel noted, there was at least one F-unit with push-pull
equipment on the P&D.
So I do not think there was ever a mixture of old and new as planned except
for the old cars being diesel hauled.
The attached shot shows the yard in Hoboken on August 29 with both new
equipment and a GP-40 with a string of the old MUs. As well, I saw three or
four GP-40's lined up in Gladstone on the first weekend so I think they did
the bulk of the rush hour P&D service, if not all.

Dan


-----Original Message-----
From: Paul R DOT Tupaczewski [mailto:paultup AT comcast DOT net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 7:48 AM
To: 'EL Mail List'
Subject: (erielack) Block Line EL content - October 1977

In the October 1977 Block Line, there's clarification on the
re-electrification, lines that may potentially be abandoned
(interestingly, only one is actually abandoned today - and why would they
consider abandoning ANY of the electrified lines?!?), the
first seeds of the Kearny Connection and the Hoboken Terminal restoration,
and a few operational notes...

- Paul



OCT 77

REILLY CLEARS THINGS UP ON THE E-L/NJDOT ELECTRIFICATION. These persons who
delight in spreading rumors are now at work swearing
that everything and anything from E7's and E8's to steam locomotive will be
hauling the 70 daily passenger trains on the former
Erie-Lackawanna Railway electric lines in New Jersey. (There are three lines
involved: Hoboken to Dover (40.5 miles); Summit to
Gladstone (22.2 miles); and Newark to Montclair (3.5 miles).) One simple
question: where is all of this exotic equipment supposed to
come from?

To set the record straight, and this comes directly from the top brass at
the N.J. Department of Transportation (which is planning
and paying for the project and is solely responsible for it), there will be
four (4) phases to the re-electrification.

(1) A test track of approximately three (3) miles in length will be
placed in service using an existing track in Harrison.
E-L/Conrail crews will be trained to use the new electric-powered MU cars on
this section of trackage.
(2) The Gladstone Branch will be done in sections, as is the current
practice when the catenary needs to be repaired. During
off-peak hours and on weekends, the current will be changed from 3000 volts
DC to 25,000 AC (not 11,000 as some people allege) and
the new equipment used between Gladstone and Summit, where a transfer to the
old equipment will be made for points between Summit
and Hoboken. During "rush hours," the old equipment and old voltage will be
used to assure a fast through trip.
(3) The next section will be the portion from Dover to Summit, where the
exact same rush hour and off-peak hour service changes
are planned.
(4) The balance of the line will then be rebuilt and perhaps on
Thanksgiving weekend of 1979, the entire line will be converted
and all the old MU's replaced. Thus, the present old cars will continue to
operate at least until late in 1979 (or, with delays,
even 1980)

The only electric train service that will be adversely affected (and only by
a few minutes) will be off-peak hour trains from 9:00
AM to 4:00 PM. 1979 will be here sooner than you think, so don't wait until
the last minute to get photos of the old MU cars (some
dating back to the early 1900s) They'll be gone before you know it! (Try
for some quaint old shots on the Gladstone Branch, since
most of the catenary is mounted on old wooden poles, reminiscent of early
electric railroading in the United States) (Frank Reilly)

(ED. NOTE. No chance of ex-EL passenger units turning up to pinch hit
anyway. all but three of the E8's have gone to scrap at Pielet
Bros., McCook, ILL and the former passenger equipped GP7's have long been
converted to freight gearing with steam boilers removed.
FINIS!)



19840829-004-Hoboken-PS-DETAIL.jpg

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