Greetings everyone,
I mostly model the NYC during the early 40s. However, I’m becoming interested in the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (P&LE), after the demise of the Penn Central ('70) and up till the early 80s.
Given the P&LE’s size and it’s primary loads of coke, coal, and iron ore for outfitting the steel industry in that area, what would be a reasonable approximation of the home road-to- “other” road ratio for rolling stock? Would it be fair to say 3:1? Would it also be reasonable to say that any railroad that supplied the steel industry might have interchanged with the P&LE?
Thanks for the help, fellas. I appreciate it. [:D]
Tom
Tom.
The last time I went back home to the Cleveland area about 8 years ago. Rail fanning the P&LE tracks I seem to remember a lot of trailer train, P&LE box cars and some enclosed auto racks. I don’t remember any open top hoppers but do remember some really beat up gons. By 1978 most of the large steel mills were closed down. The economy of the rust belt was depressed starting in the early 70s. There were no decent jobs to be had in 78 when I graduated so I joined the military and escaped the rust belt. I don’t seem to remember too many trains running.
Pete.
Plenty of P&LE gons and coil cars soldiered on well into the last decade. The ones that the B&LE got are still out there.
All the P&LE photos I’ve ever seen looked to be be overwhelmingly home road. That jade green kinda stands out.