Erie Lackawanna
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From: tommy meehan tmeehan0421 AT gmail DOT com
Date: Sun, 19 Jun 2022 10:19:39 -0400
Subject: Northern Branch Move
"Apr_26_1959_Northern_Br.jpg" - image/jpeg, 967x973 (24bit)

I have been involved in a number of discussions about this. The backup move
is as described. This was something I researched many years ago -- close to
twenty -- and I was just then starting to be able to contact former
employees and commuters via internet groups. Robert Collins was one of the
first people I got in touch with and he was extremely helpful. To get to
Hoboken the Northern trains had to do the 'backup move' from the old Bergen
Archways connection to the newly installed connection between the Erie Main
Line and the Lackawanna Boonton Branch. Trip times increased by about 7 or
8 minutes. A couple people who commuted on those trains told me it had not
seemed like a big deal. A few extra minutes which most riders barely seemed
to notice. And that Hoboken terminal was a huge improvement over what had
been left at Pavonia. Hoboken had a station staff, ticket counter, coffee
stand, news stand, a bakery, etc.

Looking at *Official Guides* on the Frank Adams' Northern Fields website
the earliest schedule I found showing the Northern Branch trains using
Hoboken is dated April 26, 1959. This is from the June 1959 *Official Guide*.
Erie shut down the Chambers Street-Jersey City ferry in December 1958 -- of
course they still had Hudson & Manhattan rapid transit service -- with the
plan to move the Northern Branch trains to Hoboken. I'm attaching a
screencap of the schedule. I'm not sure of the last day the Northern trains
ran from Pavonia, however. I think it may have predated the April 26, 1959
schedule.

New York, Susquehanna & Western service remained at Pavonia a little
longer. Using HathiTrust Digital Library I found in V. 312 of the ICC
Reports (1960) that on August 8, 1960 an examiner recommended that service
to Pavonia be discontinued. On August 17, 1960 the full commission
authorized the Susquehanna to discontinue service to Pavonia within
thirty-five (35) days. Service would then begin originating/terminating at
Susquehanna Transfer. The last NYS&W runs were operated from the Pavonia
Terminal on September 21, 1960. That information was provided by Walter
Zullig, who was personally involved.

tommy meehan


Apr_26_1959_Northern_Br.jpg

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