There is some very interesting information regarding the makeup of the
Bar Harbor contained in the document, "The Pennsylvania Railroad MAKE-UP OF TRAINS, NEW YORK DIVISION, No. 4, In Effect 2:00 A.M. Sunday, April 26, 1953." It can be downloaded from
http://pennsyrr.com/operations/94-passenger/511-makeup-of-trains.
On page 95 (pdf page 53), the consist of eastward PRR-NHRR Train 184, the
Bar Habror [sic], is listed. It shows the train leaving Philadelphia Mon-Wed-Fri at 4:30 p.m. (Standard Time), with 14 cars (17 on Friday), arriving New York at 6:15 and departing at 6:30.
There is the curious notation, "Cars designated N-6, N-14, N-18, N-24, N-26, N-28 and N-30 for exclusive New York sales." In other words, the seven cars listed in the public timetable for New York to Ellsworth, Rockland, and Plymouth were
not switched into the train at New York Penn Station but rather ran light from Philadelphia and were merely
opened at New York.
That answers the question I've long had about how so many New York cars could be switched into the train
in the proper order at Penn Station, load, and depart in such a short time during the afternoon rush without tying up precious station tracks. That's not how it worked. The train arrived and began loading immediately. Fifteen minutes was plenty of time for that, especially since there were no passengers getting off. The only switch move was the change to a New Haven engine, a routine that happened several times a day in Penn Station.
A fascinating look at the operation of this train.
Formerly of Pittsfield and Waterville (Maine), New York City, Montréal, and San Francisco.