by Sir Ray
OK, I'll go first.
A.) Lets forget the trans-Manhattan tube concept - the PA was planning for Cross Harbor, and I think they would have considered Cranford -- B&O Staten Island -- Tunnel -- Bay Ridge -- Fresh Pond & Beyond. If we are lucky, we get the equivalent to Plate E (15' 8" from railhead to top - not including the distance between wire (remember, electric traction in this tunnel...I guess it could use 3rd rail) and top of rolling stock - maybe we get plate C clearence (foreshadowing). Let's say it gets New Deal funding, and opens 1937...
1.) This means most Car-float service is dumped much earlier than Our Time Line (OTL) - except the Jersey -- Manhattan services stick around longer (no direct access except NYC). I don't think a lot of the cross harbor car floating lasts much past WWII.
2.) Through Cross Hudson service from Jersey to New England - this cuts heavily into the through routing via the Poughkeepsie bridge - perhaps it gets closed down early, knocking the heck out of Leigh Valley and Leigh & New England. New Haven routes via the tunnel (Hell's Gate), so it doesn't care. Hmm, will Penn Central (yes, this tunnel probably won't prevent that merger) try to route everything via Selkirk to avoid the PA Belt Line's charges?
3.) I think heavy industry in Brooklyn & Queens gets a boost, although like everywhere else the local coal dealer, small lumber yard, and LCL service that all towns on Long Island had fade away over the decades, gone during the 1960s
4.) OK, by the 1960s-1970s we have Plate F clearances becoming common enough, especially for intermodal. How is the tunnel handled now? At first I can see High & Wides going via Selkirk, or perhaps car floating them, but would there be any move to increase the tunnel clearances, or would it be relegated to low value, low clearance stuff (and would HazMat be restricted?).
Remember, just cause a lot of money went into building rail infrastructure doesn't mean it will be used - look at the West Side High Line, which I don't think ever got the usage that the NYC foresaw when planning it, and didn't really have a long economic usage (1934- 1980).
A.) Lets forget the trans-Manhattan tube concept - the PA was planning for Cross Harbor, and I think they would have considered Cranford -- B&O Staten Island -- Tunnel -- Bay Ridge -- Fresh Pond & Beyond. If we are lucky, we get the equivalent to Plate E (15' 8" from railhead to top - not including the distance between wire (remember, electric traction in this tunnel...I guess it could use 3rd rail) and top of rolling stock - maybe we get plate C clearence (foreshadowing). Let's say it gets New Deal funding, and opens 1937...
1.) This means most Car-float service is dumped much earlier than Our Time Line (OTL) - except the Jersey -- Manhattan services stick around longer (no direct access except NYC). I don't think a lot of the cross harbor car floating lasts much past WWII.
2.) Through Cross Hudson service from Jersey to New England - this cuts heavily into the through routing via the Poughkeepsie bridge - perhaps it gets closed down early, knocking the heck out of Leigh Valley and Leigh & New England. New Haven routes via the tunnel (Hell's Gate), so it doesn't care. Hmm, will Penn Central (yes, this tunnel probably won't prevent that merger) try to route everything via Selkirk to avoid the PA Belt Line's charges?
3.) I think heavy industry in Brooklyn & Queens gets a boost, although like everywhere else the local coal dealer, small lumber yard, and LCL service that all towns on Long Island had fade away over the decades, gone during the 1960s
4.) OK, by the 1960s-1970s we have Plate F clearances becoming common enough, especially for intermodal. How is the tunnel handled now? At first I can see High & Wides going via Selkirk, or perhaps car floating them, but would there be any move to increase the tunnel clearances, or would it be relegated to low value, low clearance stuff (and would HazMat be restricted?).
Remember, just cause a lot of money went into building rail infrastructure doesn't mean it will be used - look at the West Side High Line, which I don't think ever got the usage that the NYC foresaw when planning it, and didn't really have a long economic usage (1934- 1980).