Favorite Phoebe Snow Memories

This train was a jewel. The DL&W treated it as modern varnish, even down to making a special announcement in Hoboken prior to its departure (which was always on Track 8). That was most convenient for those who got off both the upper and lower levels of the ferries as well as coming out of the waiting room. It was also a direct track out onto the mainline.

Anyone else have any memories of this train they can share?

No memories since I wasn't born until 1978, but from reading the history on it I do know that the last couple of trains that ran in November of 1966 were pretty packed due to the Thanksgiving Holiday....Does anyone know what E8 pulled the last Phoebe snow out of Hoboken? I believe the last Lake Cities in January of 1970 was either pulled by the 829 or the 833...


Steve

IN TABER'S BOOKS, CASEY'S "LACKAWANNA STORY", KING'S "ROUTE OF PHOEBE SNOW" AND INDEX IN TRAINS. ALSO SEE E-L RAILFAN AND ANTRACITE SOCIETIES' NEWSLETTERS AND PUBLICATIONS, LOOK FOR COPIES OF "LACKAWANNA MAGAZINE" FROM THE 50'S ESPECIALLY VOLUME ONE, NUMBER ONE.

I rode the DL version only once...from Dover to Scranton...and the E-L version(s) several times in the early 60s from Dover to Owego. It was usually full in the coaches but surprising empty in the lounge which offere supurb views of the right of way. It was a great riding train that felt important.

Otherwise I viewed her passage through Denville every day...and at Morris Hills High School, if class was on the correct (south) side fo the building at 11:33,could spot her through the trees as she breezed through East Dover!

I rode the Phoebe from Hoboken to East Stroudsburg in 1960 right after the merger took effect. My first impression came upon coming into the Hoboken station from the H&M (now PATH) Tubes. All the trains in Hoboken were painted in dingy, dark green, except for this shiny gray and maroon streamliner with an obs car on the end. Imagine how special this seven-year old was when he learned that would be his train!

The train was long and well patronized. Coming back, we had to ride in former Erie 1000-series cars, and the train extended well beyond the end of the platform at Hoboken. Alas, the trip was too short to have an opportunity to visit the diner or obs car.

From 1957 until 1962 you could do a round trip from Hoboken to Scranton on #3 and #6 for $4.10. $0.15 would get you the most delicious orange ade and free peanuts from the bar tenders in the observation car. The conductors and collectors would not allow anyone to carry coats, luggage or big brief cases in the observation cars, so they were not cluttered.

A decent hamburger, fries, and pie was available in the one restaurant on a corner about a block away (between #3s arrival at 1:51 and #6s departure at 3:18).

Coming eastbound out of Scranton #6 nearly always wrong-mained, because there was a long freight being pushed up the mountain on track 2. The Phoebe Snow would cross back over somewhere around Moscow.

Neat memories from whenever there was a school holiday during the week. Otherwise, the fare was somewhere around $6.

Mine is when I lived in Oxford Furnace.

You didn't travel to Blairstown to see #6 about 4:57 PM.

Instead you went south to Washington because several DL&W trains were re-routed after Hurricane Diane in 1955 via the Old Main and Phillipsburg Branch.

They actually stopped #3 at Washington to board passengers and the boyhood enthusiast got a real close look at the mainline trains, after a steady diet of mine runs, slow freights and commuter trains. Seeing the famous obs-lounge creeping over Railroad Avenue crossing is something I'll never forget.

A major wash out took place between Cresco and Mount Pocono. As I remember the through passenger trains were routed through Washington, Philipsburg, then on the CNJ up to Wilkes Barre then into Scranton to rejoin the DL&W. Our neighbor (I was only 11 at the time) was then editor of Railway Age magazine. He actually took that run. I have no idea what the Hoboken-Buffalo transit time was for it.

In 1962 or 63 my dad took my cousin and I for a brief ride on the Phoebe from Hoboken to Brick Church. Have a vivid memory of an MU train creeping up behide the Tavern-Lounge car as we detrained there at BC.

Also, a friendly black porter, spiffy as heck in his black slacks, short white jacket, white shirt and solid maroon necktie, in the T-L car....man, was that the way to travel !

The company did a nice job with the Phoebe Snow fairly far into the decline of traffic. One example, it left from track 8 in Hoboken. There was purposely almost never a train occupying track 7 (across the platform) when #3 was getting ready for departure. That was to give more of a presence to #3. Track 8 was also one that minimized any movement from one track to the other when getting out onto the mainline.

On the other hand, #15 the Owl, left at midnight. It was way over onto track 12 and positioned up the platform. You almost had to go looking for it. The sleeper was usually open for its passengers at 10:00. Though it was tucked away in the terminal, it was also a quiet location for those going to sleep early.

In the EL years, what track did they typically put the Lake Cities on?

What year and month was the last run of "the Owl"???

Thanks,
Steve

pd -

" On the other hand, #15 the Owl, left at midnight. It was way over onto track 12 and positioned up the platform. You almost had to go looking for it. The sleeper was usually open for its passengers at 10:00. Though it was tucked away in the terminal, it was also a quiet location for those going to sleep early. "

GREAT info pd....

Question or two....What were #15's schedule stops westbound ?

Where was that sleeper located in the typical consist ?

Upon leaving Hoboken at midnight, was that sleeper locked or were other riders denied access to the car en route thru the night ?

pdman:

I remember the LV (not CNJ) taking the DL&W passenger trains from Easton during the Hurricane Diane diversion route.

I stand corrected on the CNJ/LV through Easton. It was from foggy memory. Thanks for the update.

Tri-State Tom, a schedule for #15, The Owl, can be found in original timetable form on raildata.railfan.net

The consist was as follows for sleepers: Hob-Scranton, Hob-Binghamton, Hob-Elmira, and Hob-Syracuse. A diner-lounge was put on for Binghamton-Buffalo, and a coach ran from Hob-Buf.

It was express from Hob-Stroundsburg, and it ran on the M&E. This route was 2.4 miles longer than the Boonton Line, but I think the reason for this was that the hot shot freight HB-5 left Hoboken at 11:45 pm and arrived at Port Morris at 1:30. So, I think the Owl did this so as not to conflict.

It was pretty much a morning local from Binghamton - Buffalo

The employee timetable, #110 - Oct. 1956, shows notes as follows:

* Reduce speed passing cresco, Dalton, La Plume and NIcholson daily fo rdelivry of papers

* Stop at Tobyhanna Monday through Friday for delivry of U.S. Mail

* Reduce speed passing Apalachin fo rdelivery of U.S. Mail

* Stop at Groveland each Wendesday (or the following day when Wednesday is a holiday) for delivery of U.S. Mail

* Stop at East Bethany when necessary to discharge bulk mail in volume.

* Reduce speed to 25 miles per hour passing East Buffalo Yard Office to exchange railroad mail.

As I remember, the sleepers were typically at the end of the train. I guess this was so that they could be peeled off at Scranton, etc. without too much switching.