Erie rolling stock on the NYS&W

[Snowmojoe]

When the Erie controlled the Susquehanna, how common would it be to see Erie locos and rolling stock on the NYSW? There are a number of bridges around this area which I never noticed prior to being on this forum that actually say "ERIE". How total was the Erie's control?

[ExCon90]

As nearly as I can determine, although the NYS&W was leased by the Erie, it was operated as part of the Erie Railroad, using Erie locomotives and cars, at least through the 1930's and -40's. The January 1934 Official Guide shows, in the Erie listing, under the heading ERIE RAILROAD,
CHICAGO & ERIE RAILROAD COMPANY
THE NEW JERSEY & NEW YORK RAILROAD COMPANY
NEW YORK, SUSQUEHANNA & WESTERN RAILROAD COMPANY
BATH & HAMMONDSPORT RAILROAD COMPANY
In the schedule pages, the timetables of the NYS&W, New Jersey & New York, and Northern Railroad of New Jersey are all separately identified, each with the note "For List of Officials, see Erie R. R. pages 432-433." I know that trains on the the Northern RR and the NJ&NY used Erie equipment and I always understood that the same was true of the NYS&W until it became independent in 1940. I believe it was the trustee, Walter Kidde, who adopted the maroon and gray livery (later solid maroon on the Stillwells), as well as the whole Susquehanna Transfer concept. So it appears that until the separation the NYS&W was operated as an integral part of the Erie.

[Scaro]

I think in the 1960s, the Squeak leased a couple of Stillwells from what was probably by that time the E-L, for commuter trains. There's a pic on the Maywood station site.

This was long after the road had stopped operating its own Stillwells.

Cheers, Ben

[lhrfan]

When the Erie took control of the Squeak in the late 1800's, most, if not all, of the NYS&W steamers were retired and replaced with Erie power. Many were purchased by the NYS&W after the split, with the rest remaining on lease. The gray and maroon scheme on the new diesels were the colors of Mr. Maidmans alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology.
Bill

[mackdave]

The grey and maroon colors where from Walter Kidde's alma mater, Stevens Tech, not Irving Maidman.

[ExCon90]

True -- the maroon-and-gray scheme was system-wide by at least 1940. (Did I just say "system-wide"? Make that Jersey City to Butler.)

[Statkowski]

Did I just say "system-wide"? Make that Jersey City to Butler.

Up until the Lehigh & New England went belly up in 1961, the Susie-Q ran all the way to Stroudsburg, Pa., correct? True, at one time it went all the way to the Scranton-Wilkes Barre region, but that was during steam, not diesel.

[ExCon90]

No, the line was cut back to Hainesburg Jct. by Walter Kidde's time. However, the passenger service (the maroon and gray) never made it west of Butler except for various specials.

[Statkowski]

Passenger service (your "maroon and grey") may have never made it west of Butler, but maroon and grey RS-1s certainly did.

From the interwebs, here's a picture of one such RS-1 at Hainesburg, Jct., N.J.

[ExCon90]

Ah, forgot all about those; I was just thinking about Stillwells, gas cars, and doodlebugs.

[Statkowski]

Although the Stillwells, gas cars and doodlebugs were a little before my time, I remember when all the engines were painted aluminum (except for the three GP18s), and the Butler Day Express was always a fun train to ride.