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Re: (erielack) CROXTON / JC MAP - one more try

>
> Interesting perspective on why the PC wanted the NYS&W -- as the most 
> direct
> way to connect the West Shore line and Meadows (S. Kearny Yard).   I 
> recall

PC didn't "want" the NYS&W.

Irving Maidman petitioned to be included; Saunders et al had bigger fish to 
fry, and figured it would be cheap enough. What's more the NYS&W turned a 
tiny profit in 1967, so it looked even more attractive than it would have 
had there been those three daily passenger trains. The $8-million price --  
Maidman wanted the PC to purchase all the common and preferred stock, plus 
the Income Bonds -- then assume the other mortgages -- was more expensive 
than CP-Nave, so that was that.

>  If that's true, then they had to cross over the PATH at Waldo Tower, 
> which
> must have been a hairy move.  IIRC, they seperated the PATH from the PC
> freight lines a few years later; so that move could no longer be made.

It is true. IIRC, there were diamond crossings from the freight tracks over 
the PRR Jersey City Branch (over which the H&M had trackage rights). Before 
Aldene, the "Joint Service" even involved a PRR brakie boarding each H&M 
train at Journal Square -- with flares, flags, lanterns at night -- etc. for 
the run to Newark.

Earlier (much!) One or mpore of the LV's commuter trains to Jersey City used 
the Waldo Avenue Connection too -- so that it could serve downtown Newark.

Going back even earlier -- the NYS&W passenger trains actually used the PRR 
freight tracks through the Journal Square area -- not the Jersey City 
(passenger) branch trackage. There were no crossovers at Marion Jct. -- so 
the NYS&W had the exclusive (passenger) use of the northern two tracks 
through the junction with the Harsiums Cove Branch. Waiting for PRR freights 
to clear was something of an irritation for Susquehanna passsengers, as you 
might imagine.

The question was also asked -- where did the LV begin and Erie/NY Central 
end. The answer is that the Port Authority built a connector in the 1920s as 
part of its plans to build a freight tunnel under New York Harbor. The idea 
was a continuous terminal railroad (Line 13) from Fort Lee to Bayonne to 
make operation of all the piers on the NJ side more flexible.

Of course in the tradition of the railroads at the time -- the Erie sued, 
and for a time even obtained an injunction against any use of the Port 
Authority's trackage. As we know, in the face of such lawsuits and unanimous 
railroad opposition (the RRs demanded improved truck facilities and 
vehicular tunnels), the PA gave up on any thought of building the tunnel.

Cheers,
Jim Guthrie 



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