Erie Lackawanna Historical Society Two New ELHS Exclusives


Erie and DL&W


Wreck Trains by Ron Dukarm Available through the


MAITLAND TOWER HO Erie Lackawanna Historical Society BART at 40 Maitland Tower Erie Crossing Shanty


The Maitland Tower kit builds into a model of the tower's initial configuration and can be modified to represent a number of other Erie west end towers. Maitland also broke up the block between Glen Echo and Cold Springs on the Dayton Branch and was used by the DT&I to issue trains orders. This served to extend the tower life more than anything else and remained in service well into the Conrail years. Crossing Shanty not included


Member price $5200


plus $8.95 s&h (US Funds Only)


Non-member price $6500


ERIE CROSSING SHANTY


This kit builds into a model representing crossing shanties located throughout the Erie west end.


This 100 page, five chapter spiral bound book includes 153 photos of Lackawanna, Erie, and EL wreck cranes and their associated equipment. Most of these photographs are being published for the first time. The book also includes 36 drawings and equipment charts. Ron thoroughly covers the complete roster of wrecking cranes, wreck trains, and wrecking procedures of all three railroads. Ron also provides the first ever explanation of Erie's mysterious Maintenance Of Way numbering system. Non-member price


Member price $1400


plus $8.95 s&h (US Funds Only)


Member price HO $5000


plus $8.95 s&h


Non-member price $1750


★ ★ STILL AVAILABLE ★ ★ DL&W Vestal, N.Y. Station


(US Funds Only)


Member price HO $5000 N


$1696


Member price $3800 (US Funds Only)


plus $8.95 s&h $8.95 s&h


Erie Lackawanna Historical Society Erie Steam Locomotive Diagram Book Book No. 2 (1944)


Books from


Erie Passenger Equipment Diagram Book Book No. 76, May 1952


DL&W Locomotive Classificaton Diagram Book Revised July 1st 1939


Erie Passenger Equipment Diagram Book Book No. 76, May 1952


$32.00 $24.00


$32.00 $24.00


DL&W Classification of Freight Equipment Corrected to May 1, 1952


Erie Lackawanna Passenger Equipment Diagram Book, Book No. 15, Issued Aug. 30, 1966.


Erie Lackawanna Freight Equipment Diagram Book, Book No. 78, Updated May 9, 1975


plus $8.95 s&h


(Book prices are non-member. Please allow 4-6 weeks delivery) (US Funds Only)


plus $8.95 s&h (US Funds Only) (Book prices are non-member. Please allow 4-6 weeks delivery)


www.erielackhs.org Dealer Inquiries Welcome


Order from: ELHS, Department RF Jay Held, 10-10 ELLIS AVE, FAIR LAWN, N.J. 07410 No phone calls will be accepted For information send SASE


N.J., PA & Ohio res. add sales tax. Outside US extra s&h.


ELHS membership at $35 per membership cycle. Cycle includes four issues of our magazine “The Diamond” and four newsletters with modeling


information. Separate check please. Send to: ELHS c/o Randy Dettmer, 290 W. Prospect St., Hudson, OH 44236


50 DECEMBER 2012 • RAILFAN.COM


Erie Lackawanna Freight Equipment Diagram Book, Book No. 78, Updated May 9, 1975


Erie Lackawanna Passenger Equipment Diagram Book, Book No. 15, Issued Aug. 30, 1966.


DL&W Classification of Freight Equipment Corrected to May 1, 1952


$30.00 $21.00


$30.00 $21.00


$32.00 $32.00 $32.00 $32.00 ★ ★ STILL AVAILABLE ★ ★


Erie Waldwick Interlocking Tower HO & N plus


US Funds Only N Books from


$1995


Non-member price HO $6500


$4800


Erie Lackawanna Historical Society Erie Steam Locomotive Diagram Book Book No. 2 (1944)


DL&W Locomotive Classificaton Diagram Book Revised July 1st 1939


GOOD GRIEF, as Charlie Brown would say — the Bay Area Rapid Transit District has been providing service for 40 years! Septem- ber 11, 1972, was the first day of operation. For many years, before there was hardly any expansion of rail transit in the U.S., BART was seen as a model for rapid transit across the nation. It was modern and automated to a degree not normal in the U.S. Indeed, there had been little expansion of rail transit since the end of World War II; Cleveland’s new rail rapid transit development in the 1950s was an exception. Voters in Alameda, Contra Costa, and San


Francisco counties voted in favor of BART and a $792 million bond issue to pay for the construction, which began in 1964, and the 72-mile rail line was under way. The first por- tion to open was between Oakland and Fre- mont, then Oakland to Richmond, Oakland to Concord, San Francisco to Daly City and finally, the Transbay Tube. There were just 28 cars available to operate on 28 miles of track on the first day. In the first four days of service, over 100,000 people rode the trains. BART is still growing, with extensions to


Non-member price HO $6500


Warm Springs and East San Jose under con- struction and serious plans are in motion to expand the tracks to Livermore. In the meantime, BART has already expanded to Pittsburg/Bay Point, Dublin/Pleasanton and San Francisco International Airport. When the service began, the average daily rider- ship was 15,000. In August 2012 BART set a record for daily patronage of 384,000 trips. Clearly, the San Francisco region could not function without BART. After 40 years, much of the system has been rebuilt and lots of improvements are needed to keep BART functioning in first rate shape; changes are needed in the com- puter control system in order to increase the railroad’s capacity. I first rode BART in 1974 in the company of Jim Ranfranz and Jerry Hanas, both of whom were working to save the commuter rail service of the South Shore Line between South Bend and Chicago. If perchance you are in San Francisco, be cer- tain to take a ride on BART. Thanks to Robert A. Doyle for the information and in- spiration.


Boston Rolling Stock Grows Older One of the problems with rail transit is that the rolling stock is expensive and it eventu- ally wears out. Most transit properties ex- pect that rail cars will have a 30-35 year ef- fective economic life. Maintenance costs begin to go up when a railcar is about 20-25 years of age. Every property that has rail equipment is faced with the constant need for replacement or upgrading. Boston is not unusual, but it does depend upon some relatively old rolling stock to serve its passengers. Of the 205 cars that serve the Green Line, 92 are 24-26 years old, 19 cars are 15 years old and 95 are 6-12 years old. Of the cars assigned to the Red Line, 72 are 42-43 years old, 58 are 24 years old, and 86 cars are 18 years old. The Orange Line has cars assigned to it that were deliv-


ered when Jimmy Carter was president. The newest cars in Boston are employed on the Blue Line, whose 94 cars are between three and five years old. Buying new rolling stock is a major problem for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and their management team will earn their pay in solving that problem. Thanks to Charles Bogart for the information.


New York Subway Map


Some people here in the Midwest think the New York subway map is a guide to restau- rants rather than a map of the underground railway. There have been revelations and ad- missions lately that the map in question is a map of the complicated subway system and not a street map. In the process of making the map clear, some accuracy was forfeited. How- ever, it is a great map of the wonderfully com- plex rail system that serves New York City. Bill Middleton and I often spoke of visit- ing the Big Apple and taking in key parts of the subway, and Brian Cudahy insisted that we had to visit the Stillwell Avenue station in Coney Island, where four of the rapid transit lines terminate. Thinking of subway maps leads me to think about maps of the London Under- ground. Again, the well-known map tries to make a very complex system usable. The London map is not geographically correct, to say the least. Years ago I came across a geo- graphically correct map of the Underground and it was very difficult to figure out. Thanks to Harry Ross for the inspiration.


In the Good Old Trolley Days


Here is an item that is anything but current. In the 1940s we had a family friend who had been born in 1890. One day she got thinking about the good old times when she was a lit- tle girl. A church or social group would char- ter an open trolley on a warm summer evening. In days innocent of air condition- ing, a ride on an open car was a pleasant way to cool off. She said there would be much good food on board and a small band to play happy music for the residents of the German ethnic area of South Philadelphia. The kids loved it and the adults had a great time. The same thing probably happened in many places in the good old days of open trolley cars. Most of those reading this column have seen pictures of the streetcar days in Wash- ington, D.C., and almost all of the pictures are of PCC cars. Turner Classic Movies broadcast a Lum and Abner movie entitled


PLEASE SEND light rail, tran- sit and commuter rail news items and correspondence di- rectly to Prof. George M. Smerk, Emeritus Suite, Kelley School of Business, 1309 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-1701.


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