(erielack) Salamanca

["Michael Connor" <mjconnor_rr_@_hotmail.com>]

List
The recent discussions of the Erie's replacement of the turntable at 
Salamanca c. 1948 takes on more interest with the following from the August 
1948 "Railroad Magazine" (pg 60):
       "Q - Please compare the Erie's new Alco road Diesels with the 
Electro-Motive road freight engines, and tell where this power is being 
employed?"
       "A - At the end of last year [1947] six Erie Diesel road locomotives 
were delivered and six more received early this year [1948].  Nine Alco 
four-unit engines closely followed three 6,000-horsepower, four-unit 
Electro-Motive Diesels, Numbers 706-708, which were immediately put into 
service hauling freight trains up to 110 loaded cars over the hilly grades 
of the Kent and Mahoning divisions.  This power supplemented six similar 
four-unit road Diesels, each 5,400 horsepower, which have been operating 
since 1944 over the 209-mile run between Marion, Ohio, and Meadville, Pa.
         The Alco-GE Diesels were placed in freight service in the territory 
between Hornell, N.Y., and Jersey City, a distance of 332 miles.  The 
assignment of freight Diesel power is nine Alcos on the east end and nine 
Electro-Motives on the west end.  When the three Electro-Motive engines were 
added to the west end operation, it was possible for the Erie to extend 
Diesel freight operation an additional 107 miles from Meadville to Salamanca 
as a regular run based on the present volume of business.
         This run covers a strectch of 316 miles miles between Marion and 
Salamanca over which these engines are hauling through freight trains.  At 
some future time, when traffic is lighter, it may be possible to run them 
right through from Marion to Jersey City, a distance of 729 miles, but for 
the present, due to the quicker turn around, it is more economical to run 
them east of Hornell and west of Salamanca, with steam operation over the 
Allegany Division.
         The passenger diesels, of which there are seven three-unit 4,500 
horsepower Electro-Motive engines, placed in operation last August [1947], 
start their runs at Marion, go west to Chicago (except on Trains 7 and 8, 
which are Diesel-powered only to Huntington, Ind.), then operate east all 
the way to Jersey City and back again to Marion, a practically continuous 
run of 1,995 miles before cutting off for maintenance.  After routine 
servicing the locomotive drops back one train and makes another round trip 
run.
          In addition to the road Diesels, the Erie received thirteen Diesel 
switchers last January [1948], and will shortly add eleven more.  When all 
of these are delivered, Erie's Diesel fleet will number 93 locomotives."
          A table comparing various statistics (length, weight, etc.) of the 
ALCO 6000 HP, EMCO 6000 HP, and EMCO 5400 HP locomotives followed.

The use of Diesel (capital D), ALCO, and EMCO is as written.

Hope this is of interest,

M. J. Connor



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