In a message dated 7/2/2008 5:33:42 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, erielack-owner_@_lists.railfan.net writes: can always imagine what it was line to ride The Lakeland into Hoboken at 60+ mph on the original Boonton Line across The High Bridge, skirting I had the "opportunity" to ride the Steamtown special from Scranton to the Delaware Water Gap last Saturday----no 60mph! This was the first time for me in 40 years riding over the old DL&W main (rode the '68 Hob-Bing via Erie, back via DLW train). There were 7 cars-4 CNJ, 2 electric, and a Boonton coach, which we rode for old times sake, all clean til we left. The power was a CN 2-8-2, 1917. Train was sold out, I estimate about 400 pasengers. Once we started out and up the grade, it was soot-and-cinders-city. It was a hot day and a/c was open windows--the stuff just swirled into the train. Aside from that, once the train got moving, it was reasonably cool. Took 3 hours to go the 60 miles to DWG. We stopped at the station, which is in crappy shape, right under the I-80 bridge. Hotter than blue blazes. Evidently one/the reason for this particular trip was Founder's Day in the mighty burg of DWG.I think there are eight houses, maybe nine, and one corner We stayed there in the heat of the river valley for about 3 hours, then everybody boarded in a big rush--shades of the mass movement in NYPenn when they announce the track for your train. No steam engine. Apparently, it had a "warm" trailing truck bearing and a decision was made to use the protect engines, a NKP GP7 and a C425/5. Good move, but probably a bit of a disappointment to the big steam fans among the crowd. Interestingly, we were in the third car coming east and could hardly hear the steam engine, even though it was working pretty good. Maybe you could hear better if you stuck your head out, but that is discouraged--or rather prohibited---anyway you wouldn't want to have your head snicked off by one of the encroaching forest, on spread like jam on one of the rocks. I had forgotten how long and heavy those grades are, either way up into the Poconos. This track was , I'm guessing from some milepost checks, about 30mph. Three hours EB, two and a half back, 60 miles.. Lots of clickety clack. Most of it is a tree tunnel, so there isn't a whole lot to see--e,g,, no vista from Paradise Curve.. Although there isn't much to see in the Pokes anyway---if the trees weren't close, they'd be a little farther away, and you could probably see some of the swamps. Also lots of money for any reasonable passenger train speed/operation. Although, with the new era of high gas prices---which is not going to go away--views on rail passenger service will probably change, but we are many years away from that--or rather you younger folks are! I had also forgotten how dirty steam engines are--took only one trip like this to remember dirty sleeves on the Boonton Line and smoke coming tin the door window as we passed thru the tunnels into Hoboken, Lo! these many years ago.. For you of the Erie persuasion, we got there quite early (leaving Paoli about 430a), so we drove around Scranton. Found the Erie freight station on the Green Ridge branch, used by a lumber dealer of some sort. Building itself looks like the Walthers Water St. Terminal. It was an interesting, long outing---once is enough. Jim Dalberg **************Get the scoop on last night's hottest shows and the live music scene in your area - Check out TourTracker.com! (www.tourtracker.com ?NCID=aolmus00050000000112) The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List http://EL-List.railfan.net/ To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html ------------------------------
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