Tim and all: It's an interesting map, nonetheless. I know from this list, the Dimond, the ARHS' FD&S and even a previous Trains Map of the Month that there's great interest in "what's left" of the railroad map from the period for which we all wax so nostalgic, namely the 1950s and 60s. But the map is simply odd with no real expanation as to its selections. The map claims to be "as of 1954" and notes to omission if the NYS&W in the text -- but by 1954, it would no longer be accurate to call these "Anthracite Railroads" as the bottom had dropped out of the business before then, and all had worked hard to diversify their traffic base. I suppose that if the authors explained 1954 as their base date with some historic perspective, I'd be happier with this. Another important anthracite carrier is omitted as well -- the PRR. If one includes the Erie, certainly the PRR should be included. We don't think of the PRR as an anthracite carrier, but then we don't think of the Erie as an anthracite road, either. If one wants to narrow it to the carriers that were **mainly** anthracite carriers "back in the day" as they were in 1954 vs today. the inclusion of the Erie seems odd. What's **really** interesting from a historian's POV is that other than the Erie and the PRR, these roads had other now-vanished traffic -- iron ore (especially North Jersey origin), ice and milk. And all -- including the DS&S -- had some sort of commuter operations. In any case, the primary anthracite railroads were: Philadelphia and Reading DL&W Lehigh Valley CNJ D&H NYS&W DS&S L&NE O&W PRR Erie All but the Erie and the PRR made their living off anthracite, though both the latter might arguably have actually been the most profitable in their anthracite trade over the years, as fixed costs could be spread over many commodities. Cheers, Jim Guthrie ELHS #1296 > Jim, > > I hope you will write Trains so at least they are on notice of these > omissions. > > Tim > > On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 7:58 PM, Jim Guthrie <jguthrie_@_pipeline.com> > wrote: > >> The new Trains magazine popped into my mailbox today, with its map of the >> "Anthracite Railroads Today." >> >> The first howler is the omission of the NYS&W/WB&E -- which carried more >> anthracite than the O&W (though the Erie buried the numbers for >> competitive >> reasons. Also omitted is the DS&S, although not lasting very long, also >> carried more anthracite than the O&W. I suppose one could also be >> nit-picky >> and note that the L&NE's route to the Port of NY is not showm although >> that >> was a pretty busy route too. >> >> The NYS&W's Edgewater Terminal was one of the busiest anthracite >> tidewater >> terminals of all -- yet is omitted as well, but the Erie at >> Weehawken(!!!) >> **is** shown. If Weehawken is "important" for the Erie, then the DS&S and >> L&NE should have been shown; And considering that most of the Erie's >> anthracite was dumped at Edgewater -- and not Weehawken after 1906 -- >> makes >> it even more annoying in its omission. >> >> I wonder if there'd be any interest in a map that shows the railroads >> that >> actually shipped anthracite and where the anthracite was consigned over >> the >> years? >> >> Take that map -- and then re-do this map to show what happened to those >> routes might be a revelation. >> >> In any case, I am again irritated by railfan mythology overtaking >> railroad >> history here: the Northern Field Map last year had a few nitpicky errors; >> the NY Harbor Map had a bunch of real howlers, and this one is delightful >> as >> far as it goes, but doesn;t thell the story that **is**anthracite. >> >> Cheers, >> Jim Guthrie >> ELHS #1296 >> >> The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List >> http://EL-List.railfan.net/ >> To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html >> > > > The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List > http://EL-List.railfan.net/ > To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List http://EL-List.railfan.net/ To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html ------------------------------
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