Paul and List,
The handling of cars through Maybrook varied with year, direction and priority level. Until the postwar years, most freight was classified there since the yard was well-equipped to do so with its EB and WB humps. Beginning in the 1950's, more traffic was expedited with preblocking, in response to competition from NYC and of course, truckers. The attrition of New Haven's Maybrook connections simplified preblocking. By 1961 (or thereabouts) with the loss of O&W and L&NE they were down to essentially two: EL and L&HR. Interestingly when the photo was taken, six months into the EL merger, freight operations had yet to be combined, so NH was still blocking L&HR cars for interchange to the former DL&W at Port Morris!
The train in the photo was either XC-91 or XC-75, both due out of the Brook in the morning (X was Erie's symbol for Maybrook); judging by the power, it may have been a combined XC-91/75. The connections for these trains off the NH were due at Maybrook in the early morning, and since they also connected with L&HR trains 31 and 35, they were likely reclassified at Maybrook. These were mostly empties, so there was no need for expedited handling. So yes, this photo likely does not depict a through train.
On the other hand, EB's were mostly loads so at this date were generally not classified here. For example, NE-98 was scheduled into the Brook at 10am and connection Advance OB-2 was due out at 11am ("O" was the NH symbol for Maybrook). Sufficient time to change power, setoff non-priority cars and add a block from L&HR train 32/NE-4.
By the time PC took over in 1969 the humps had been shut down and little happened here besides changing engines and splitting and combining trains to and from EL and L&HR.
Paul B
The calendar caption contains a few fallacies (what else is new?),
calling the three lead units "F7s" and stating that the units have "a
general merchandise train through Maybrook, NY" - but really, is there
anything that actually runs THROUGH Maybrook? I thought everything ended
at Maybrook yard and was sorted out to the various roads that ran there.
- - Paul
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