(rshsdepot) CNJ/LV/DL&W v. PRR???

["Paul S. Luchter" <luckyshow_@_mindspring.com>]

rshsdepot
Jim writes:
=B1=B1=B1Recall that Hudson County/Jersey City were already beginning to
finance the entire operation of the city from railroad property taxes
by then, and the PRR (with the huge expense of the PT&T) did not have
the wherewithal of the Anthracite Roads (CNJ/LV/DL&W) to =
subsidize=B1=B1=B1


Hmmm, where does the Erie fit in?

I am wondering-Were the Lehigh Valley and the Lackawanna, let alone CNJ. =
richer than the Pennsy in early 20th century??? That is puzzling. PRR =
built two separate (actually more than 2) tunnels under two Rivers into =
Manhattan, a very very very large and quite elaborate palace (I mean =
Station) in Manhattan, would grade separate much of the LIRR in the two =
boroughs, electrify much of the PRR and most of the LIRR, among quite a =
lot of other stuff- building their own long lasting engines, power =
plants....

This sounds a lot richer than all four of the others with their depots =
still in New Jersey, still dependent on ferries and the tubes for a city =
connection. Oh yeah, the Connecting RR as well, direct travel west to =
Chicago and St Louis, Washington (only the Erie could even come close to =
that breadth), through connections to New England..and god knows what =
else I am overlooking, didn't they also control some city's traction =
systems for instance?

Plus it seems the Pennsylvania RRs went through similar anthracite =
country, though if that wasn't true, I still don't know if it =
matters..they seem the richer by far. They could afford to escape the =
taxes of Jersey City and I bet paid far more for all that real estate in =
Manhattan; this was after all before our age where municipalities give =
everything away with humongous tax breaks (though I guess that is not to =
railroads!!)

Also they didn't give up the property, even still using the station for =
a few decades more.

And this property is worth the taxes. Have you seen what they are =
building at these sites now???

[In Weehawken there are apt buildings in a row on the old pier, but =
that's another story]

Paul


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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #10
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