More Merger Ironies

[Bill Stephens]

In addition to the already mentioned ironies of NS controlling the
N&W's former master, the Pennsy, and the fact that the Pennsy will once again
be in competition with the ex-NYC and B&O, don't forget that NS will get what
N&W never wanted: the Erie. The Erie Lackawanna was a part of Dereco, an
unwanted stepchild of the N&W. Now NS will get the Buffalo-Newark route of the
old Erie main line.
Someone else commented that perhaps NS will sell the ex-NKP from
Cleveland to Buffalo, and the Southern Tier (old Erie) from Buffalo to Jersey.
While that's certainly possible, there are a couple of sticking points:
1. It would seem that NS capacity may be strained a bit across the
Midwest if and when the merger dust settles. Could the ex-Pennsy line handle
all the traffic, particularly between Fort Wayne and Pittsburgh?
2. If they were to sell it, who would buy it? NYS&W doesn't have the
cash, and will be losing their Sugar Daddy, CSX. B&P probably wouldn't be able
to belly up to the bar and make such a big purchase, either -- especially in
light of its pending purchase of CR's Buffalo line.
Finally, one wonders if NS wouldn't buy the Meadville Line, the ex-Erie
route from Hornell, N.Y., to Youngstown, Ohio. Youngstown wouldn't be of much
use to NS, but the Meadville Line does connect with the A&E, which connects
with the NS in Erie, Pa. This would be a shortcut over the Southern Tier to
Buffalo. Of course, the Meadville Line is is atrocious shape and has heavy
grades between Hornell and Olean, N.Y.
Anyhow, it should be interesting to check out the NS and CR-CSX
operating plans to see how this all will shake out.
Bill

[Keith Ranker]

The old Erie Main between Port Jervis and Newark has a lot of commuter
trains on it, operated by New Jersey Transit. The Erie Main commuter
traffic at Saddle Brook, and Rochelle Park, NJ, was VERY heavy in Dec
1996, when I visited. During several periods of the day, trains every
15 minutes were common, and they even had a lot of trains on Christmas
Day!

Keith

[Mark D Bej]

> Someone else commented that perhaps NS will sell the ex-NKP from
> Cleveland to Buffalo, and the Southern Tier (old Erie) from Buffalo to Jersey.

It was I. But I suggested selling/abandoning only Cleveland--Buffalo--Hornell,
not all the way to Jersey.

> While that's certainly possible, there are a couple of sticking points:
> 1. It would seem that NS capacity may be strained a bit across the
> Midwest if and when the merger dust settles. Could the ex-Pennsy line handle
> all the traffic, particularly between Fort Wayne and Pittsburgh?

Absolutely. This line is not too terribly busy as we speak west of the
easternmost part of Ohio. In central Ohio it's single track with some double
track, but at least signalled. In the western half of Ohio it's single track
with signals ripped out. Make it the original double and triple track, and
you've got all the capacity you need. Plus in the east, you have the Bayard
cutoff, 2 additional tracks.

> 2. If they were to sell it, who would buy it? NYS&W doesn't have the
> cash, and will be losing their Sugar Daddy, CSX. B&P probably wouldn't be able
> to belly up to the bar and make such a big purchase, either -- especially in
> light of its pending purchase of CR's Buffalo line.

Assuming this still goes through as planned. NS may want it from Olean, where
it crosses the Erie, south, or maybe the whole thing.

--
Mark D. Bej

[Brett Rekola]

Maybee the same folks that worked on ripping out the connections and the
double track can get gainfull employmeny putting it back again under a
different roster. The iterations and combinations are staggering. Many
good railroad people spent 20 years chasing a vision that is fleeting
only to realize that their own company is destroying itself. This is too
bad but in the turbulence others will prosper again. It is ironical that
some of the same routes that were anemicially maintained to shift
traffic to the NYC and Penn route could come back to become vibriant
competitors of a third pieced together regional from the ashes. States
interested in economic development should watch with interest the
developments of teh split. Maybee this time it should be planned to
increase competition and remove more trucks from key roads.\

rekola