(erielack) Re: Late arriving B&W scan

[Todd Hollritt <thollritt_@_yahoo.com>]

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GA-Block_Line_Phone_001.jpg (image/jpeg, 972x1296 410104 bytes, BF: 3.07 ppb)
GA-Block_Line_Phone_002.jpg (image/jpeg, 972x1296 346191 bytes, BF: 3.64 ppb)
GA-Block_Line_Phone_003.jpg (image/jpeg, 1296x972 387989 bytes, BF: 3.25 ppb)

Rich,
  THANKS for posting the images! That elderly gent at Great Notch was either Joe Augey (After 1974) or a Mr Moon prior. I am pretty sure it was Joe, he was a great guy who would do things like taht for railfans, and tollerated this teenage "Erie Lackawanna Employee" who worked many a day for the EL at Great Notch! His actual assistant was Tommy Earle who worked for the EL, who was in his early 20's at the time and was just hired on by the railroad. Many a summer day was spent at the station with the mantainers as I pedaled my bike to the station to see EL in action. They were responsible for maintaining the railroad from Singaic / Wayne border to the Glen Ridge / Belleville area, taking care of the gates and signal system. The Winter and Summer of 1974 / 75 holds countless fond memories of passing trains, heavy freights, pushers, passenger trains and two local drills every day. In fact that westbound freight on 3/1/75 with the U-25-B shows some
 people standing on the eastnound track at the station, 90% chance I am there in your photo! 
   When the shift to the Scranton side brought all the activity to the Boonton/Greenwood Lake side made Joe and Tommy's work much more difficult, the Caldwell branch would see its last local drill, and EL undercut the railroad at Great Notch to fit PLATE C freight cars under the Long Hill Road bridge you see in the images, that's why all the stick rail and tie plates all around on the ground near the station (Don't forget to model that Paul) this was also old stick rail from the eastbound track 2 that became welded rail from here to just beyond the Clove Road overpass also. LOTS of piece meal "Upgrades" like this were being performed by the struggling railroad during the last years prior to Conrail that brought all kinds of EL work gangs into the area working to make this section of the railroad its new freight route. Just a great time to be trackside and watch the show! And as many have reminised on the list it was the greatest show in northern
 New Jersey. 
   Arriving at the station during weekday afternoons I sneak out of school early to "Work" for EL or the time spent during two summer seasons working full time are some of my fondest memories of "Railroading". Prior to this I spent many years visiting Little Falls station, but it was just trains then, had no clue what I was watching :) just trains on the single track speedway. But once I discovered Great Notch it was more like "Big Time" railroading, same railroad line, just now I had a yard, two tracks, a branch and an active station plus a better signal system to know when trains were coming! I even ended up working along the railroad after 1974 with the occasional locomotive and caboose rides anywhere from Hoboken to Dover. The 1041/1040 push-pull run from 4:10 pm till 4:45 pm, Great Notch to Lincoln Park and back was my "regular" job for many years... running a U34CH BEFORE I could drive a car! 
 
   Oh, that Block Line phone Joe used to call "JY" (Hoboken Dispatcher) that day is still around, I still have it! Enjoy some photos of a piece of EL history that helped many a railfan, inculding me, capture the EL in all its glory! This phone was located  inside the Great Notch station. I heard Tommy Earle still works for NJ Transit out of Orange, NJ but will retire very soon. And the first EL engine I got a ride in is still around today, the 3372 is sitting in Passaic, NJ! 
 
Todd ~   
 
From: Richard Onorevole <rev66vette_@_gmail.com>
Subject: (erielack) Late arriving B&W scan

Westbound through Great Notch:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2645958

Looking at these scans make me yearn for the good old days of the E-L. I
recall my first venture out to the Great Notch area. A friend and I stopped
at the Little Falls station where an agent was on duty. I recall him being
an elderly gent..........we didn't have to ask him anything, for when he saw
us with our cameras he asked if we were looking for trains. We didn't even
have time to answer when he picked up his phone and dialed up the dispatcher
and gave us a line-up of two east-bounds and a westbound. The environs of
the railroad at that time were a far-crime from the post 9-11 security
frenzy that we currently face. Those were the days.

Regards:

Rich Onorevole


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