ERIE-LACKAWANNA

Continuing on with the former Erie side of things in New Jersey, this page will run from Ridgewood Jct. to Suffern, NY.  At Ridgewood Jct., the Bergen
County Line and the Main Line via Paterson came back together and a four track mainline existed west to Suffern.

  Former Chicago & Northwestern F7A 418 pushes a deadhead train east on the Bergen County Line in 1980.

  The former Erie tower at the junction.  The blue Conrail signs give away the post-merger era.  1980.

    A Conrail numbered U34CH makes its rush hour stop on the outside westbound track

  Westbound station from street-side in 1990.     Eastbound side.

  Another westbound at Ridgewood in 1980.  NJT is currently installing high-level platforms here.

  Ho-Ho-Kus station in May 1987.

    Train 1254 heads toward Hoboken.  May 1987.

      Mid-day EL trains meet on the famous S-curve in Waldwick.  August 1975.

  A more classic view from the street overpass sees train 1259 westbound with 4162 leading.  1983.

U34CH 4173 arrives at the Waldwick depot.  With the curve a natural attraction to fans, the classic Erie depot was often overlooked.

  A short distance north of the station was WC tower.  Waldwick was the end point, as well as, the turning pint for many trains.
The use of the push-pull cars made things much easier than having the engine run around the train.

  WC tower was a classic wood Erie tower.  In 1980 it was still very much in use.

  4180 with a westbound train in 1980.

  4171 passes by the tower on its way to Suffern on July 11, 1983.

  On a quiet Sunday in 1986, several sets of rush hour trains wait out the weekend. 

  Waldwick also featured a small yard for trains not going through to Suffern.  By the late 1980's NJT used it mostly for storage and MOW.
In this May 1987 view, many of the donated old coaches destined for the still yet-to-be NJ rail museum sit.  The blue and yellow car in the foreground was
part of the group of cars purchased by the State of NJ (long before NJT) for use on the CNJ commuter trains.  This is either a Missouri Pacific or a Kansas
City Southern former long distance car. 

    More retired classics in the yard.  That set of CNJ cars makes it look almost like Raritan.

  Allendale, 1980.

  Ramsey, also 1980.  Some of those 70's era cars are probably more of interest than the station itself.

  U34CH 4180 on a westbound local. August 1980.

  4152 leads a de-powered set of former Arrow I cars.  1980.

  Mahwah from 1980.  Still looks about the same today.

      Images from 1988 include the towns preserved original depot and an Erie caboose.

  A new kit-bashed GP40 westbound.  The once four track main is now down to just two.  March 1988.

  The eastbound station at Suffern, NY in August of 1980.

  4156 is pushing a train from the yard to the station.

  By 1988 these veteran GE's were getting and looking pretty tired.

  Another veteran from 1968 is this former CNJ GP40P.  These units were re-built and continue in service today.

  Even though NJT picked up a few of these former Chicago & Northwestern F7's, this one always showed up whenever I was around.

  Here is one of the CNJ GP40P units after its rebuild.  1992.

  On a warm Saturday in June 1987, my friend and I took a trip from Hoboken to Campbell Hall and return.  At this time NJT trains
only ran as far as Suffern.  To continue on to Port Jervis one had to change trains.  MetroNorth provided a pair of Budd RDC's for train # 71.  

On the return trip we were fortunate enough to be able to ride up front.  Train number 74. 

  The leaning tower of Suffern, better known as 'SF' wasn't always so crooked.  As you can see, when they built the New York Thruway overpass
that one bridge pier was placed rather close to the tower.  After ground started to settle, very slowly went the tower.  NJT removed it after combining most of their
operations at Hoboken.

  Our return consist was same set of RDC's.  While our NJT train went by way of Paterson, this set ran empty to Hoboken via the Bergen County Line.

  After everyone transferred over to the connecting NJT train I was the last straggler and, yes that is the conductor waiting anxiously for us.  Run !!!!

  I found this unmarked slide at a train show.  The original had turned bright red with age.  Thanks to Adobe Photoshop it is somewhat restored.

    On a dark and quiet Sunday evening in January 1976, the depot and tower sit in the snow.

      Train TC-4 with SD45 3673 is making a move onto the old Piermont branch.  This line was part of the original
Erie mainline when it was first constructed.  The Erie couldn't get a charter (?) to build into New Jersey so they made a hard turn and stayed along the state line to reach the
Hudson River.  You thought only today's politicians were ridiculous.  Portions of the branch remain today as part of the upper end of the Pascack Valley Line.

  Sitting quietly in the snow.  It was strange that the engines were shut down despite the cold.

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