(erielack) Decembere Calendar Picture

["Montgomery, Edward T" <Edward.Montgomery_@_fcps.edu>]

Getting away from all of the unanswered question e-mails I would like to go back to that picture on the December calendar page.  it is intriguing to me because the longest trip I ever made on the EL was from Mountain View to Branchville and return.  Everyone else I knew who used the EL never traveled more than about 35 miles on the railroad and here is this picture at Binghamton with what appears to be more people boarding No 1-31 than probably did in Hoboken.  EL was kind of fooling around with the schedule at this time.  No train had a through sleeper from Chicago to Hoboken on EL tracks.  One did transfer from Chicago from NKP.   I have a November 1962 Official Guide and EL had just reduced pullman service.  At this time Nos 1-31and 2-32 had sleepers between Chicago and Binghamton.  If the train was on time it was stopped at Binghamton between 2:45 and 3PM in the afternoon while mail was handled and the sleeper added.  The eastbound Erie-Lackawanna Limited dropped its pullman at Binghamton. 
 
As a side note, No 21 arrived from Hoboken over the former Erie route at 2:25.  No 22 left Binghamton at 2:30.  No 2-32 the e/bound Limited arrived at Binghamton at 1:44 and left at 2:08 if on time.  22 Left Binghamton at 2:30.  That was a busy hour or so at the depot.  
 
Before the Interstates were completed EL seemed to have quite a clientel.  Any memories of passenger traffic on the EL through trains in the 60s?
 
Ed Montgomery

------------------------------