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Re: (erielack) Bingo East, etc.
I thought that in the 1970's the EL was using the DL&W east of Binghamton as
the "main line" into Jersey, and using the Erie side much less. Reason
being there was more industry on that side as a whole. Then they had a
tunnel on the DL&W side catch fire and make a mess, pushing it all onto the
Erie side or through a circutous detour via the D&H and an Erie branch line.
Plus I seem to recall some questionable abandonments and reroutes of line in
Jersey, some of which would amount to similar problems as mentioned with
using the commuter-served lines today. But either way the EL was leaning to
the Lackawanna side as the preferred mainline of the two. I suppose the
local traffic in the Scranton area might have negated some of the added
costs associated with the grades in and out, as opposed to much less local
traffic on the Erie side over Gulf Summit.
After Conrail, the Erie side became the favored route because New York State
would subsidize maintenance to keep traffic on it. It also would seem as
though Conrail had no interest in serving the Scranton area, preferring
instead to abandon away business to the D&H, shortlines, or trucks and
hacking up both mainline routes through the area (LV/CNJ and DL&W).
Bill K.
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary R. Kazin" <gkazin_@_yahoo.com>
To: <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 8:56 AM
Subject: Re: (erielack) Bingo East, etc.
(big snip)
>
> One reason the Cutoff's rails were torn up was lack of business along it.
> There were other routes for freight to reach its destination and they
> were much easier railroading. Getting through the valley at Scranton is
> still a pain if you have a big freight train; the Erie side was favored in
> EL days because it avoided the grades around Scranton and because there
> was much less passenger traffic once the commuter zones were reached. It
> will be very hard to thread a freight through Dover with only two tracks
> at the station and an NJT train every 30 minutes in both directions from
> 5am until after midnight. East of Dover, you have the problems of
> overhead wire on both lines (Boonton Line is electrified between Great
> Notch and Walnut St); other low clearances; high-level platforms at Dover,
> Denville and Summit with more to come; and a 'weak' bridge westbound
> between Summit and Chatham that restricts passenger trains to 20 mph.
>
> =====
> Gary R. Kazin
> DL&W Milepost R35.7
> Rockaway, New Jersey
>
> http://www.geocities.com/gkazin/index.html
>
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