Erie Limited Question

[081552]

I have a 1957 Erie Railroad timetable that shows the westbound Erie Limited adding sleeping cars at Salamanca, Youngstown, and Akron. Did switchers at each of these stations add the cars or did the train do the switching?

Thanks!

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Since sleeping cars are usually at the rear of the train, a local switcher would be assigned to handle the addition of the sleeping cars. Mail and express, usually being at the front of the train, would be handled by the road power.

[PBenham]

Since sleeping cars are usually at the rear of the train, a local switcher would be assigned to handle the addition of the sleeping cars. Mail and express, usually being at the front of the train, would be handled by the road power.

In my experience, watching passenger trains being switched, the road crews and power never did any such work, other than tying back on once a car had been added or cut out. If the power had to be moved or changed out during this stop, a hostler did that. The road crews would be entitled to a big bonus if they did switch out or cut a car into their train if it was not being dropped due to a mechanical problem. This was very rigidly adhered to by many roads.