Campbell Hall is and always was Campbell Hall. And Maybrook is and was always Maybrook. There is a mile or so between them. But before the L&HR, CNE, et al built into the area, Maybrook was not the yard we came to know and love. The town or village was there, the yard wasn’t. Plus note your map is an obvious NYC empire map and to show that Maybrook with its Erie, O&W, L&NE and L&HR (DL&W, PRR, CNJ, RDG) connections to the New Haven empire was not thier perogative. The NYC did access Maybrook via the Erie from Campbell Hall. That’s a really neat map, too. I presume it is one similar to what many eastern roads did back from the turn of the 19/20th Centuries into the 1950s. Multi colored, all connections show, all connections they didn’t want you to know about not shown, direct competitors and thier connections not shown. I have several from the DL&W and the Erie and have seen those of the O&W, PRR, and LV. Great collectors items!
I believe I am supposed to ask the next question. OK, here it is:
We all know of new light rail systems using railroad rights of way, abandoned lines, existing lines, sometimes retension of freight service, but where did the very first use of trolley wire and single-streetcar like operation on a steam railroad start (or former steam railroad)? You don’t have to be specific about exactly which towns or cities, but definitely state the company (ies) involved. That is the first part. The second part is which was the first light rail line with the characteristics of a modern light rail and speed to match?
Henry, thanks for explaining Maybrook and Campbell Hall.
Dave, will you never tell us which railroad had no Pacific?
I am gonna stretch this out with a wild guess. Part one: Sacremento Northern. Part two: Philadelphia and Western (Norristown High Speed Line).
As far as I know, the Sacramento Northern was put together from a collection of local and interurban eledftric lines and never had main line steam. So your first answer is not right. The second, my quesiotn isn’t right. I meant converted from a steam railroad branch line, but didn’t say so, and so I have to give you credit for the seond answer, where the Philadlephia and Western probably was the first really high speed interurban, opened before the North Shore opened its Skokie Valley Line, and before the covernsion that sparked the question and which I will save for some other question. The P&W was invisioned as part of a much longer system, but it did start pretty early. The orignal main l ine was to Strafford, not Norristown, and the Norristown Line became the main line, and some time after WWII, the Strafford branch was abandoned . I believe the junction was a flat double-track junction at Villanova The first question is still open. Hint, one of the electrified lines still exists as a passneger operation that is part of a commuter railroad operaton and not light rail anymore, although riding th eline gives evidence of its original cross-country trolley - steam branch line characteristics. And its trolley operation was VERY early and one of several.
So where are we going with this? Chicago? Like CSS&SB? Not being from there I am sor of Insullated from the history of the area. Insullated? Get it? Insullated. Ha Ha?
I would guess the New Haven, with the line still in service being the New Canaan branch - which I rode in summer of 2006. It was kind of fun seeing some of the stations pictured in Middleton’s When the Steam Railroads Electrified, which I bought 31 years before that.
This is a message I posted t or 3 weeks ago when we were having problems and getting “Post Pending Moderation” messages. It just now was approved and showed up after all that time.
Mark
[quote user=“KCSfan”]
TZ,The KCS actually had two subsidiaries that operated the Texas parts of its lines. The Texarkana & Ft Smith built the 79 miles between Port Arthur and the TX/LA state line at the Sabine River. It became a part of the KCS but was operated separately in accordance with Texas state law until 1933 when the ICC used its authority to override the Texas law. The state of Texas appealed the ICC ruling to the Supreme Court which decided in favor of the ICC in 1934. This was the case that ended the requirement that railroads operating in Texas had to be headquartered in the state. The T&FtS was then leased by the KCS and later was dissolved as a corporation and fully absorbed into the KCS syst
Erikem is correct. The New Canaan Branch was electrified with 600V DC trolley wire in 1901, and this was just one of a number of New Haven branches that had this form of electrification. They were all integrated with whatever local streetcar network was adjacent, soon all owned by the Consolodated Company, later renamed the Connecticut Co., and owned by the New Haven. The New Canaan branch was operated as part of the Stamford streetcar network until the AC 11000V electgrification reached Stamford, then the new 11000V elecctrificaiton replaced it, and the line reverted to being a branch of the railroad. The other branch line electrifications were just abandoned. So Erikem gets to ask the next question.
Erikem, do you have a question?
Johnny
Has the second part of the above question been answered too? - a.s.
Al, from what Dave Klepper said, he was satisfied with Erikem’s response. It looks to me that the thread is open for another question. Will you amuse us?
Johnny
Sorry I was so slow to pick up your offer, but I’m very grateful to get a crack at it! Here goes:
It’s early morning on a weekday in May, 1953, and you’re in Norton, Virginia. You want to travel by rail to Chicago (any downtown terminal will do), and you want to get there as quickly as possible entirely by rail.
The first leg of your trip will involve taking a train from Norton to a more northerly point, where you change to a named train that is operated by the same company that you originated your trip with.
Here’s the kicker: There were two different RR systems at Norton (and I’m pretty sure they both had terminus[termini?)] there) that offer the opportunity to take one of their trains, travel in a northerly direction, and change to a named train that’s the same company as the one you left Norton on.
Correct answer (try it without the OGR first!) will be to name both originating RR’s, the transfer point or points, and the likeliest “name” train(s) you’ll transfer onto to spend the least amount of time on a layover (assume all trains are on time). Both RR companies were Class One and even the youngest among you would recognize the names, although of course they are now history. .
Excellent answer includes the faster of the two journeys Norton, VA to Chi, IL.
Superb answer includes the name of the midwest
This might have been a competitive fare, even though one starting road was from one region and the other starting road was from another region, which had much the same fare structure as the region of both of the ending roads.
Johnny
.C&O or B&O to Cincinnati…
Sorry, neither one. - a.s.
L&N to Corbin, KY and N&W to Devon, WV?
L&N is correct, but N&W – right road, wrong transfer point. Hint: It’s still called “Nature’s Air-Conditioned City” and is just across the state line from a much smaller community with the same name. - a.s.
Bluefield and then right up through Devon to Cincinnati on N&W, yes?
Yup! Now, who can suggest name trains to change to at Corbin, KY and at Bluefield, WV? Both trains go to Cincinnati. A reminder: you are traveling coach class. If you’d like to guesstimate the fare, it’s one way with no excursion or RT discounts, all the way Norton - Chicago.