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  • Choices in single tracking former EL in WNY/PA under Conrail

  • Discussion relating to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Erie, and the resulting 1960 merger creating the Erie Lackawanna. Visit the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society at http://www.erielackhs.org/.
Discussion relating to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Erie, and the resulting 1960 merger creating the Erie Lackawanna. Visit the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society at http://www.erielackhs.org/.

Moderator: blockline4180

 #97939  by Matt Langworthy
 
True, some of EL's trackage was in horrible shape but so were competitors like PC and LV. However, some of EL had been rebuilt after the flood of '72 so at least that section (Hornell to Binghamton) was in pretty good shape.

I agree with your comment about Fishwick. Poor judgement on his part, although I give him some credit for trying to make Dereco work. One question that never seems to get raised- why didn't anybody ask Fishwick/N&W to fully commit to either EL or LV instead of playing them off against each other? If one of those roads had been able to capture a majority of the bridge traffic, perhaps it would be intact today.

Yeah, EL gave PC some serious competition. And despite the early merger issues, EL was certainly a better managed corporation than PC. PC never had inspired leadership like William White, Gregory Maxwell or Fred Coffman. One of EL's few surviving executives, Coffman is quoted in a very interesting article about EL in the current issue of TRAINS. Check it out!