Last evening, I was watching an AT&SF video. It showed trains from the late 1960's, and early 1970's. Most views were in Illinois, west of Chicago. In the freight trains, I kept noticing pairs of NYC (and PC) diesels. This started me wondering- How far west did that NYC power travel? Perhaps KC? Further? And, conversely, did ATSF power go east on the NYC, from Chicago? I'd guess there was some sort of joint venture ongoing, moving a specific commodity to and from the east coast? Anyone know what might have been happening? Boxcab E50
I believe the NYC had a track to Joliet and another that swung around via Kankakee out to Granville and then up to Howe, Ladd, Churchill and Depue. It crossed the Santa Fe at Steator.
IIRC, the Central had trains that terminated at St. Louis. I'm sure that the more western NYC fans will confirm or correct me, because my experience was all NY State. However, here are a few that I find thanks to Google....... Missourian - St.Louis/Cleveland Knickerbocker - St. Louis/New York&Boston Cleveland/St. Louis Special - Cleveland/St. Louis Gateway - Cleveland/St. Louis
Russell and Hank are right on. The "newest" NYCS timetable that I own is 1961, and I left upstate NY that year so have no personal knowledge of ATSF power running along the Mohawk Valley. I surely would have noticed! Beside Russell's detailed list of stations on that line, the line to St. Louis crossed from Indiana into Illinois west of Terre Haute and went through Paris, Charleston, Mattoon, Shelbyville, Pana, Hillsboro and Granite City. There was a loop from Hillsboro to Litchfield, East Alton and Alton. Another went south from the Chicago area to Cairo, through Paris, Marshall, Robinson, Lawrenceville, Mt. Carmel, Grayville, Carml, Norris City, Eldorado, Harrisburg and Parker. Back in the glory days of passenger travel, passenger cars went through Chicago in both directions, ATSF on the Central and vice-versa. I don't know about freight power sharing, though. Maybe LEW or Larry Baggerly know. :tb-sad:
The NYC or PC engines I was seeing, in that video, were always tucked into the midst of 4-5 units total of an AT&SF freight train. And were on the transcontinental main line. Chicago-Galesburg-Fort Madison-KC. These were heavy freights. Not like a local. So I don't believe they were set out anywhere. Or the train would have underpowered. Hmmm. Small mystery? Boxcab E50
I believe what you were seeing was New York Central run-through power. Santa Fe and NYC had joint agreements around that time period for a run-through freight train, expediting certain freight traffic around the Chicago bottleneck. It was not unusual for the Santa Fe U25Bs to run thru east on the NYC on that one joint freight train, although I do not know how far east. Nor, do I know how far west the NYC power would go. There are some photos of this run-through train in one of the Santa Fe Morning Sun books. Around the same time, there was a proposed Santa Fe + NYC joint venture to have a coast to coast premium service freight train. For a variety of reasons, the NYC end of that joint venture did not materialize, but the western end of that proposed train did come into being, as the Santa Fe's Super C high speed Chicago - LA TOFC train of approx 1968 thru 1976. (all of the above off the top of my head, feel free to add or correct, all).
Boxcab I believe what you saw in the tape was the Streator Connection. Pooled power running from Elkhart, Indiana through to Kansas City began in 1968. Before that regular interchange between the two roads ATSF and NYC was practiced. From High Green to Marceline by Joe McMillan.
Ken, here's more from LEW: Jim, To Boxcab In the early to middle 60's the NYC started interchanging power with western roads. As the years past more trains used run through power.At first it was BN and Sante Fe. As the years went by and mergers came the same trains still run through ,BNSF, UP with just the names changed. I am not aware of the set up on the equity but I do know there was one. LEW
Jim- I can't say for certain, on the NYCRR. However, I have paperwork from shortly after PC came about, showing leased Northern Pacific F units operating in ex-NYC territory. That's getting a few miles from home territory! Boxcab E50
That would have been a sight, seeing a Northern Pacific engine on the NYCS. I sometimes wonder what I may have seen as a young child, not knowing all these other railroads, living west of Schenectady, how many UP, or other steam engines on their way to their home roads, went through Little Falls? I bring up the Time Machine again, wish we could go back. :tb-biggrin:
