Erie PA in Hoboken

Been playing with my first scanner and thought I would share this picture. WIth many thanks to Loren (a fellow Trainorders member) who photoshopped my origninal picture. This photo was taken in May 1960 with a Kodak Brownie and 620 film. It is my first ever railfan picture and was taken when my grandad, L.T.O'Neill was still the first trick train dispatcher for the Lackawanna's Boonton Line.

Thanks for sharing !

AIR, and as you may already know, the ERIE trains using Hoboken pre-merger were near exclusively assigned tracks 1 thru 6 by host LACKAWANNA.

Hard to tell in this photo but seems the pictured Stillwells are on track #1 with the PA about to hitch-up.

Keep in mind that in 1960 I was only 11 but I do believe we were near Track 1. If my memory serves me correctly, my grandad and I were on our way to the Terminal Tower to watch part of the afternoon rush hour. He got off duty at 3:15PM and we would normally catch a 3:30 (or so) Montclair train back to Watsessing Ave. This time we spent more than an hour watching the Hoboken Terminal Tower operators begin the afternoon rush hour. Stuck around until 4:30 or so.

Marty -

You and I are the same age I grew up in Montclair and sounds like you lived in the Watsessing area of Bloomfield.

He got off duty at 3:15PM and we would normally catch a 3:30 (or so) Montclair train back to Watsessing Ave. This time we spent more than an hour watching the Hoboken Terminal Tower operators begin the afternoon rush hour. Stuck around until 4:30 or so.

AIR, the weekday operating schedule on the Montclair Branch didn't change much for years and years. Plus/minus a couple minutes, there were afternoon westbounds out of Hoboken at 2:50, 4:15, 5:02, 5:32, 6:15 and 7:05 PM. Back in 1960 or so my vague recall is there may indeed have been 2:30 and 3:30 PM departures ( the 2:50 may have come later as a combo of the 2:30/3:30 trains ).

BTW, I see you're out West....you wouldn't recognise Watsessing Ave. today. The station is still in good shape but the surrounding industries/plants have all been demolished years ago and all the freight sidings are long gone.

Great picture, thanks for sharing!

-otto-