NYS&W Commuter Timetable - 1939

Here's a neat item I just picked up from eBay... check it out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottomatic77/4245728660/

Mixed trains, Cleveland contacts, and H&M terminating at 28th Street!

According to Wikipedia:

"Main line passenger service west of Beaver Lake, NJ, was discontinued in 1935, with only the mixed train between Butler and Hanford remaining, and this service finally ended in 1939. The spring of 1938 saw a one-third reduction in commuter trains from Butler to Susquehanna Transfer, with additional runs cut that summer."

When did Erie Railroad control officially end?

-otto-

Otto and others, According to the two books that I checked the year the Susquehanna broke completely from the Erie was
1940.
I have a Susquehanna timetable same style as on e-bay dated September 24, 1939 and I also have one dated April 28, 1940.
Both of these timetables show a mixed train which was actually a passenger train with the same number east of west of
Butler that apparently became a mixed at Butler. It ran as far west as Sussex which was 29 miles west of Butler at the time.
It didn't quite make it to Hanford which was another 7 miles west from Sussex.
Noel Weaver

That Hanford Branch mixed train was interesting. It did go all the way to Hanford but no passengers were carried between Sussex and Hanford. The combine went along for the ride, serving as the caboose for the crew.

My Grandfather was an extra list operator/telegrapher for the NYS&W from the 20's into the late 30's, and again during manpower shortages during WW2 when he worked as the dispatchers operator in Paterson. When my Dad was a teenager in the 30's, during the summer he used to ride the westbound train that came through Butler (where my family lived) around 7-8PM to Hanford. The train would lay over in Hanford for several hours, load milk, and then would come east in the early AM hours, stopping at Butler to become the first inbound commuter train of the day. He told me that the train was always pulled by one of the 2400 decapods which he would help turn on the armstrong turntable at Hanford. He said that the train was refered to as the milk train by the crews and employees.

Here's a tease: A cover from 1929, that clearly follows Erie design for timetables, also lists schedule for Wikes-Barre & Eastern, plus mixed train service to Stroudsburg!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottomatic77/5161246887/

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:According to Wikipedia:

"Main line passenger service west of Beaver Lake, NJ, was discontinued in 1935, with only the mixed train between Butler and Hanford remaining, and this service finally ended in 1939. -otto-

The Hanford mixed train is discussed in the Carstens softcover NYS&W Book by Krause & Crist - you should pick one of these up if you don't have it already. The reported last date of service as a mixed was March 22, 1941 which I believe was a Saturday (Mixed ran Mon-Sat). The passenger accomodations apparently only went as far west as Sussex - it was freight only up to Hanford and back. Train 907 westbound ran as a passenger train (behind a 4-6-0) Jersey City to Butler. Train 907 continued west of Butler with a decapod leading freight and a combine. The eastbound run was #930. Interestingly, even after the 3/22/41 date, the 907/930 trains still ran west of Butler, presumably without carrying passengers.

There was an evening freight train on the Hanford Branch as well that seems to have been known as the "M&U PD Haul" with M&U being the Middletown & Unionville and "PD" standing for "Per Diem" which is the daily rental charge for foreign road freight cars on the property.

gravelyfan wrote:The Hanford mixed train is discussed in the Carstens softcover NYS&W Book by Krause & Crist - you should pick one of these up if you don't have it already.

It's a really good book, I do have it... Answered a lot of questions!

http://www.carstensbookstore.com/sunewyosuweb.html

-otto-