Penn Division Mileages

[Engineer Spike]

I was wondering if the mileages on the Penn Division had their own mileage series, due to the joint Erie track, or if they continued from Albany, down the Susquehanna Sub?

[ChiefTroll]

The D&H track on the Penn Division had mile posts with two numbers - miles from Albany on one side, and from Wilkes-Barre on the other. The "magic number" was 211, so the numbers on each milepost added up to 211. The D&H bought the Jefferson Branch from the Erie about 1955, and I believe I remember that the Erie mile posts existed until then, with miles from Lanesboro (on the Erie) to West Carbondale, then picking up the D&H miles again to Wilkes-Barre on the D&H. When the D&H bought the Jeff, they left the Erie mile posts in place, but placed A and WB mileage numbers on them so there was a mileage equation (long or short miles) at Jefferson Jct. and West Carbondale. SW Cabin at Nineveh Jct. was A-188.2 and Wilkes-Barre was A-211.6.

The Susquehanna Division used Albany and Binghamton mileage numbers. The magic number was 143 (via the Albany Main from Kenwood Jct to Delanson).

- Gordon Davids

[mikeexplorer]

In many cases the original Jefferson mile points can still be seen on the remaining posts. I can't post a picture of one but the original mile points were filled in and then painted over with the Penn Division numbers. As an example The post "A-150" was "13" but that number was filled in and painted over. The numbers for the Erie decreased as you head towards Jefferson Junction.

In all the posts I found along the Penn Division, both sides were painted with the "A" (Albany) designations, never saw a "W" on one side of the post. I have found the following posts.

146*,148*,150,153,157,158,160*,13,164,167*,173*,174,182 *=post was toppled over and unreadable.

Mike

[ChiefTroll]

You are correct, Mike. Now that I think about it, the mileposts on the Jeff only showed Albany miles after the D&H converted them. The original Erie mile post 0 was either at JA Tower in Lanesboro, just east of Susquehanna Yard, or Susquehanna Station. Jefferson Jct would have been A-141.5. Erie MP 5 would have become D&H A-142, so that works out right for the equation of Erie 0 = A-137. Even before the purchase of the Jeff, the D&H had run the Albany and Wilkes-Barre mile post series between Nineveh and Jeff Jct, and between West Carbondale and Wilkes-Barre, interrupted by the Erie mile posts on the Jeff.

Gordon Davids