EL An Erie Railroad family tree question

BoxcabE50 Jul 6, 2020

  1. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Does anyone have information on the New Jersey & New York Railroad company? Did it last until the Erie Lackawanna RR merger? The same question about the Northern RR of New Jersey...?
     
  2. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    The New Jersey & New York Railroad's history gets complicated, as it was chartered as the Hackensack & New York in 1856, then taken over by the Erie in 1869, went under with the Erie's bankruptcy in 1875 and was reorganized as the New Jersey & New York Railroad in about 1882. The Erie too was reorganized and by 1895 had again gained control of the NJ&NY via a lease and the NJ&NY was allowed to operate independently, though as the years progressed, the NJ&NY's existence became one of accounting -- a paper railroad with an Erie face. This this state of ownership continued until 1960 when the E-L was formed.

    The Northern Railroad of NJ was chartered in 1854 and was leased by the Erie in 1869 (the same year as the NJ&NY). I can't find much more detail about the NRR of NJ. Unlike the NJ&NY, passenger and freight service on the Northern faded in the 1960s and 1970s and much of it is gone today. One 2-1/2 Mile segment between Nanuet, NY and Spring Valley, NY remains an important track for NJ&NY commuter trains. I am guessing that if the NRR of NJ remained on the Erie's books, it too was erased upon the E-L merger.

    Sources: The Next Station Will Be Vols. - II (1974) and IV (1976)

    Perhaps some Erie fans can fill in the blanks or make corrections to my post.
     
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    This is what had me wondering. Copied at "SV" (Spring Valley), I cannot swear the year. It is either 1951 or 1957. I would guess the latter:

    [​IMG]
     
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  4. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    "motor 800", was it electrified?:cautious:
     
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  5. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    That's a really neat train order, referencing an Erie motor car too. (y) Fairmount Avenue was a station in Hackensack, NJ. It still stands, but trains no longer stop there.

    You might enjoy this 1895 map as found in one of my books. Spring Valley, NY is the northernmost terminal on this line today. As was in the Erie days, a Metro-North / NJ Transit commuter train yard is there. The line from there north to Haverstraw, NY is gone.

    NJ&NY Map of 1895 - smaller.jpg
     
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  6. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    The only lines that the Erie electrified were out of Buffalo. I can't reference a Train 800 in my 1945 or 1954 Official Guides and the Erie's gas-electric cars had four digit numbers I think. So that's kind of a mystery, unless it was a maintenance motor car?

    Erie Trivia: When the Erie ordered its "Stillwell' commuter passenger cars in the teens, they were engineered to be easily adaptable to electrification at a later date. The Erie's Buffalo electrification was a testing ground for electrification. The Great Depression put an end to plans to electrify other routes.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2020
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  7. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    One reason I posted that photo is the sub-heading showing the NJ&NYRR.
     
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  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I my collecting of train orders, (now spanning six decades), I have seen such references elsewhere and that was indeed the case. Assorted types of track inspection cars.
     
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  9. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Today I found the 1985 copy of the Erie-Lackawanna Historical Society's Diamond I was looking for. It lists the Erie's entire passenger motor car roster and aside from a small handful of cars from the late 1890s, all of the Erie's cars carried four-digit numbers and mostly all in the 4000 and 5000-series. So yes, your conclusion is right on -- the 800 was definitely a track inspection car. (y)
     
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