Re: (erielack) NJ Trip

[Bruce <qc_@_comcast.net>]

There are many examples of 'sloppy' schedules, designed to make the 
mangers look good with respect to "on time" performance.
No trains past Bay Street on weekends.  The town of Montclair doesn't 
want to disturb the local residents.  There used to be two Saturday 
trains on the Boonton-Greenwood Lake but I guess NJT gave in to local 
pressure.
There was a short piece of third electrified track Roseville toward 
Ampere.  I suppose at one time trains started/ ended at Ampere. Not 
recently however [not in last 50 years or more].

On 7/28/2011 9:31 AM, Ed Montgomery wrote:
> Earlier this month I took my annual trip to NJ to oversee some family
> matters.  This year I did take NJT from Mountain View to Hoboken.  One thing
> that I can't get out of my mind is why NJT nearly doubled the time for
> locals to get from Mountain View to Hoboken.  The old Lackawanna did it in
> 39 minutes with a GP7 and some Boonton coaches.  I realize there is the
> slow-order through Montclair, but NJT could speed things up a little.  They
> do have frequent electric trains from Montclair State so why couldn't the
> diesel trains miss most of these station stops?  In my mind, something
> should be done to improve running time but maybe I am one of the few who
> remember what it was like.  Maybe most of today's commuters don't remember
> how things used to be.  Speaking of that, here we are in 2011, and I'm
> wondering how many EL employees are actually left running trains?  How many
> employees remember the faster running?  EL left us 35 years ago - hard to
> believe!
>
> Hoboken terminal is really looking nice.  I can't wait for the ferries to
> start using the old ferry building.  This will improve the use of the
> waiting room.  Wouldn't it be nice if that led to the re-opening of the
> "Lunch Room" in the station?
>
> I always find it interesting riding past the NJY shops in Kearny.  I say the
> NYC observation car "Hickory Creek" and a stainless steel NYC car parked
> their.  I believe the "Hickory Creek" was one of the cars once used on the
> "20th Century Limited".  Good to see it still around, still in NYC gray.
>   Does NJT provide shop service for the owners of these cars?
>
> I noticed something on the old Montclair branch.  Between what was once
> Ampere and Roseville Avenue, the catenary supports seemed to have been
> designed for a third electrified track.  Does anybody have any information
> on that?  If it was installed, it was removed a long time ago.  Looking at
> that line, it once had a lot of industries on it.  I don't think there is
> one active siding now.  The freight on that line probably greatly exceeded
> the expenses necessary to operate it.
>
> I realize that NJ is in a budget crunch, and looking at the
> Montclair/Boonton Line timetable, the reduction of trains west of Montclair
> state is almost where train service was in the 70s.  One thing that really
> boggled my mind was the weekend service.  Why is it terminated at Bay
> Street?  One would think the majority of passengers would be between there
> and Montclair State.  The Bay Street termination almost insures low
> ridership.
>
> Ed Montgomery
>
>
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