LV's Black Diamond

Did the Black Diamond ever run to Niagara Falls, or was Buffalo the ultimate destination?

How did the Black Diamond get to New York Penn Station? Where was the engine swap to electric made?

-otto-

Otto:

Am sure that the Black Diamond was always a New York-Buffalo train. Service to Niagara Falls was provided by other LV trains such as 7 & 8, the Maple Leaf via a Niagara Falls section that ran Depew-NF (trains 107 & 108).

The Black Diamond was taken to Penn Station in Manhattan via the Pennsylvania Railroad. The power swap from LV steam and later diesel power to PRR electric power was made in Newark at NK Interlocking (NK Tower).

Pictures of the power swap and details are available in several books "The Lehigh Valley Railroad East Of Mauch Chunk" has a few and I believe LV In Color Vol. 3 does as well.

Just to pile on what's already been said...
NK Tower was located at the LV's connection to the Pennsy mainline. It's also where the LV built their Newark passenger station (i.e. Meeker Ave. Station) when the Pennsy evicted them from Exchange Place in Jersey City in 1913 (or thereabouts). IIRC, the station was on the other side of Meeker Ave. and on the opposite side of the tracks. The Federal Government reassigned LV trains to Penn Station-NY in 1918, but the "locals" terminated at Exchange Place again. The Meeker Ave. station was the LV's passenger stop in Newark until eventually being replaced by Newark Penn Station after it's opening. I do not know the exact dates as to when the LV stoped using Meeker for it's NYC-Penn Station trains. However, I believe that the LV continued to use Meeker Ave. for their local trains until the last one (S. Plainfield - Jersey City) was eliminated in 1948 or 1949.

Thanks all for the information!