Erie Lackawanna
Railfan.net 'erielack' E-Mail List Photo Archive

7114_1976-07_MeadvillePA_JoeMayer.jpg   Original: 1591 by 1206 pixels - Current: 1591 by 1206 - 100%
                          Try your mouse wheel too!

(No Previous Image) C1486.jpg - Next Image

From: "Joe Mayer" jmayer AT insight DOT rr DOT com
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2015 14:34:43 -0400
Subject: Re: (erielack) E8s without portholes
"7114_1976-07_MeadvillePA_JoeMayer.jpg" - image/jpeg, 1591x1206 (24bit)

It is true that the EL used plywood to patch some F units, but I don't know
about the E8's. The patch jobs that I saw were all to repair rust along the
floor line, a common problem for freight cars, baggage cars and cab-style
units. I never recorded anything to show them using plywood to blank out E8
portholes. Attached is a photo of 7114 in Meadville in the Summer of '76.
Please excuse the quality- this financially-strapped 17 year old
photographer was doing the best he could with a Kodak 110.

The plywood option seems to be a rather late innovation, when the life
expectancy of the unit didn't warrant spending a lot of money, and when the
railroad was really strapped for cash. Those guys in the shops were very
creative. But as you can see in this photo, the paint didn't hold up on the
wood very well.

Also interesting in this photo is the spacing of the numbers in the number
board, the extra space before the 4 indicative of when this was "711-D".

On another recent List topic, the DL&W troop sleepers in MOW service: There
were several that I saw in Wadsworth when they were doing track work there,
but I never saw them lettered for divisions. In late '75- early '76 the EL
was replacing the worn stick rail on the EB main (worn by trains working the
grade up to Silver Creek) with ribbon rail, and there were always a lot of
MOW cars in the siding and on the team track.

In winter or '75 I photographed 454024 and 454017. They were both in G/M/Y
paint, though 454017 was odd in that half the car was painted very crudely
without the yellow stripes and the maroon looking like it was brush painted,
whereas the other half was more finished. Both of these cars had small
lettering on the right end as you faced them stating "EL Signal Dept". They
were accompanied by R-29, a renumbered ex-Erie baggage car in the 540
series, a hopper, ballast car (modified covered hopper), and two gons with a
light crane.

In February '76 I photographed them again, and now caught that two other
troop sleepers were on the team track. 455000 and 455001, both in dark
green with silver roofs, with yellow lettering. Both of these cars were
lettered "Communication Dept". 454024 and 454017 were still there too,
along with an ex-Erie ACF lightweight baggage car, a gray/maroon 40' boxcar,
and some hoppers and gons.

I can share photos if anyone is interested.

Joe Mayer
ELHS 702



7114_1976-07_MeadvillePA_JoeMayer.jpg

Image EXIF Data:
Image Creation Date   2011:07:04 21:57:49
Software Version   Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0
X Resolution   2400 Pixels/Inch
Y Resolution   2400 Pixels/Inch
Exif Image Width   1591 pixels
Exif Image Height   1206 pixels
ColorSpace   Uncalibrated


Click Here or on the corner X to close this window.


    All photos are the property of the original photographer unless otherwise noted and are to be used for personal viewing purposes only.

    The use of these photos on any website or other distribution media is strictly forbidden without the express consent of the image copyright holder.

    Linking directly to this page is permitted as long as "Railfan.net Erie Lackawanna Email List Photo Archive" is creditted on the linking page.