Phoebe Snow (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Snow was a named passenger train operated by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
and (after a brief hiatus) the Erie Lackawanna.
It travelled across New Jersey
, Pennsylvania
, and western New York
.
passenger train named after its long-dormant promotional symbol, Phoebe Snow. The new Phoebe represented the Lackawanna's modernization of its passenger train fleet, and image, as it became Train No. 3 (westbound) and 6 (eastbound), which previously had been assigned the railroad's former premier train, the Lackawanna Limited. The Phoebe ran on a daylight schedule between Hoboken, N.J., and Buffalo, N.Y., a trip of 396 miles (639 km), in about eight hours.
Westbound, the sleeper
s and some coaches would continue on to Chicago, IL over the Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
) and, on return, would be attached in Buffalo to Train No. 10, the New York Mail. Motive power was initially provided by an A-B-A set of passenger-equipped EMD F3
diesels, later supplanted by a pair of EMD E8A
diesel-electric locomotives, as the F3s steam boilers provided insufficient heat to the train in winter.
In 1958, as part of the consolidation of operations between the Erie
and Lackawanna railroads — the two railroads would formally merge in 1960 — the Lackawanna's mainline between Binghamton and Corning was severed and all trains traveling between those points were rerouted over the Erie's
mainline. Between April 29 and July 1, 1962, all passenger trains between Corning and Buffalo were re-routed off the DL&W mainline over Dansville Hill to the former Erie mainline via Hornell, NY: a routing that was four miles (6.5 km) longer than the old route, but which added an hour to the scheduled trip time.
s on their tail-ends, had to be turned on a turntable
or wye at the end of each trip. Both cars were placed in storage in the unused Erie shop facilities at Susquehanna, Pa. Another explanation that was offered for the discontinuation was that the Erie
management resented the symbol of the Lackawanna playing so prominent a role in the EL's passenger train operation and sought to get rid of it.
But with the appointment of William White as EL president in 1963, the man who had created the train as president of the Lackawanna Railroad in 1949, the Phoebe Snow was reborn with much fanfare. Indeed, a Hoboken-Chicago routing was chosen, which skipped Buffalo entirely, and which put the train in direct competition with the New York Central's passenger operation. In an earlier time, the new train might have flourished, but with the steadily declining image of passenger rail travel in the US in general, and competition from airlines in particular, it was doomed from the start.
So, on November 27, 1966, the Erie Lackawanna discontinued the train for the last time, and the Lake Cities
took over the Phoebes diner
cars and sleeper
service, a service that ran until the Lake Cities itself was discontinued on January 5-6, 1970. The trademark Tavern-Lounge cars were placed into storage after the final run, appearing occasionally on the rear-end of special trains until they were finally sold off.
on trains to Montauk
, Greenport
, and The Hamptons.
The coaches were also split up with most being sold to the New York MTA where they were used as commuter cars. At least one coach ended up in the hands of Conrail where it was used on the Valpo Local
out of Chicago.
The two Budd-built streamlined diners built for the Phoebe Snow also survive today. Diners 469 (EL 769) and 470 (770) are owned by the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society, a non-profit historical group, and will be undergoing a full restoration in the future.
took over most U.S. passenger train operations. Amtrak might have taken over the Hoboken-Chicago operation, but observers speculated that the EL wanted to rid itself of its passenger trains before that could happen.
In 1979, three years after Conrail assumed operation of the former EL lines, Amtrak ran an inspection train over Phoebes former route between Hoboken and Scranton to determine the feasibility of restoring rail service between the two cities, and to try to prevent the abandonment of the Lackawanna Cut-Off. Dubbed the Pocono Day Express, it was the last passenger train to run over the Route of Phoebe Snow in the 20th century.
But Amtrak was facing budget cuts that threatened numerous routes across the country. The addition of a new route, one which had not seen a passenger train in nearly a decade, was an low priority.
operations at Penn Station
. Five years later, the Kearny Connection
opened, allowing trains on the former Lackawanna lines to pull into Penn Station. On January 25, 2008, New York Senator Charles Schumer
announced that Amtrak and the New York Department of Transportation were studying a passenger rail line between Syracuse, N.Y., Binghamton, N.Y., and Scranton, Pa., to connect to New York City via a restored Lackawanna Cut-Off.
Although Schumer's proposal has reportedly been shelved in favor of a routing via Albany, NY, a proposal to fund commuter rail service between Scranton and New York via NJ Transit is being pursued.
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
and (after a brief hiatus) the Erie Lackawanna.
It travelled across New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and western New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Lackawanna passenger train (1949-1960)
On November 15, 1949, the Lackawanna Railroad inaugurated a new streamlinedStreamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
passenger train named after its long-dormant promotional symbol, Phoebe Snow. The new Phoebe represented the Lackawanna's modernization of its passenger train fleet, and image, as it became Train No. 3 (westbound) and 6 (eastbound), which previously had been assigned the railroad's former premier train, the Lackawanna Limited. The Phoebe ran on a daylight schedule between Hoboken, N.J., and Buffalo, N.Y., a trip of 396 miles (639 km), in about eight hours.
Westbound, the sleeper
Sleeper car
Sleeper car may refer to:* Sleeping car, a railroad passenger car that can accommodate its passengers in beds* Sleeper , a car that has an unassuming exterior but is capable of high performance...
s and some coaches would continue on to Chicago, IL over the Nickel Plate Road (New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad
The New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad , abbreviated NYC&St.L, was a railroad that operated in the mid-central United States. Commonly referred to as the Nickel Plate Road, the railroad served a large area, including trackage in the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
) and, on return, would be attached in Buffalo to Train No. 10, the New York Mail. Motive power was initially provided by an A-B-A set of passenger-equipped EMD F3
EMD F3
The EMD F3 was a , B-B freight- and passenger-hauling diesel locomotive produced between July 1945 and February 1949 by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant...
diesels, later supplanted by a pair of EMD E8A
EMD E8
The EMD E8 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E8A, was manufactured from August, 1949 to December, 1953, and 449 were produced – 446 for U.S., and 3 for Canada...
diesel-electric locomotives, as the F3s steam boilers provided insufficient heat to the train in winter.
In 1958, as part of the consolidation of operations between the Erie
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
and Lackawanna railroads — the two railroads would formally merge in 1960 — the Lackawanna's mainline between Binghamton and Corning was severed and all trains traveling between those points were rerouted over the Erie's
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
mainline. Between April 29 and July 1, 1962, all passenger trains between Corning and Buffalo were re-routed off the DL&W mainline over Dansville Hill to the former Erie mainline via Hornell, NY: a routing that was four miles (6.5 km) longer than the old route, but which added an hour to the scheduled trip time.
Erie Lackawanna passenger train (1963-1966)
Under the Erie Lackawanna (EL), the Phoebe was temporarily discontinued, ostensibly because the Tavern-Lounge cars (observation cars), with the Phoebe Snow drumheadDrumhead (sign)
The term drumhead refers to a type of removable sign that was prevalent on North American railroads of the first half of the 20th century. The sign was mounted at the rear of passenger trains, and consisted of a box with internal illumination that shone through a tinted panel bearing the logo of...
s on their tail-ends, had to be turned on a turntable
Turntable
A turntable is generally a rotating platform, and may refer to:-Music:* Turntable, a motor-driven platform that normally rotates a gramophone record at a constant rotational velocity as part of a phonograph....
or wye at the end of each trip. Both cars were placed in storage in the unused Erie shop facilities at Susquehanna, Pa. Another explanation that was offered for the discontinuation was that the Erie
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
management resented the symbol of the Lackawanna playing so prominent a role in the EL's passenger train operation and sought to get rid of it.
But with the appointment of William White as EL president in 1963, the man who had created the train as president of the Lackawanna Railroad in 1949, the Phoebe Snow was reborn with much fanfare. Indeed, a Hoboken-Chicago routing was chosen, which skipped Buffalo entirely, and which put the train in direct competition with the New York Central's passenger operation. In an earlier time, the new train might have flourished, but with the steadily declining image of passenger rail travel in the US in general, and competition from airlines in particular, it was doomed from the start.
So, on November 27, 1966, the Erie Lackawanna discontinued the train for the last time, and the Lake Cities
Lake Cities (train)
The Lake Cities was a passenger train operated by the Erie Railroad and its successor the Erie Lackawanna Railway between Chicago, Illinois and New York City....
took over the Phoebes diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
cars and sleeper
Sleeper car
Sleeper car may refer to:* Sleeping car, a railroad passenger car that can accommodate its passengers in beds* Sleeper , a car that has an unassuming exterior but is capable of high performance...
service, a service that ran until the Lake Cities itself was discontinued on January 5-6, 1970. The trademark Tavern-Lounge cars were placed into storage after the final run, appearing occasionally on the rear-end of special trains until they were finally sold off.
Disposition of cars
Both of the Tavern-Lounge cars from the Phoebe Snow were acquired by Metro-North, where they still serve in the Metro-North business train after having been used as parlor cars by the Long Island Rail RoadLong Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
on trains to Montauk
Montauk, New York
Montauk [ˈmɒntɒk] is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name located in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 3,851 as of 2000...
, Greenport
Greenport, Suffolk County, New York
Greenport is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located on the north fork of Long Island. The population was 2,048 at the 2000 census....
, and The Hamptons.
The coaches were also split up with most being sold to the New York MTA where they were used as commuter cars. At least one coach ended up in the hands of Conrail where it was used on the Valpo Local
Valpo Local
The Calumet, also commonly called the Valpo Local, was a passenger train route operated by Amtrak between Chicago and Valparaiso, Indiana. Despite Amtrak's mandate to provide only intercity service, the Calumet was a commuter train...
out of Chicago.
The two Budd-built streamlined diners built for the Phoebe Snow also survive today. Diners 469 (EL 769) and 470 (770) are owned by the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society, a non-profit historical group, and will be undergoing a full restoration in the future.
Amtrak era
The EL discontinued its last long-distance passenger train, "The Lake Cities", in January 1970, about 16 months before AmtrakAmtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
took over most U.S. passenger train operations. Amtrak might have taken over the Hoboken-Chicago operation, but observers speculated that the EL wanted to rid itself of its passenger trains before that could happen.
In 1979, three years after Conrail assumed operation of the former EL lines, Amtrak ran an inspection train over Phoebes former route between Hoboken and Scranton to determine the feasibility of restoring rail service between the two cities, and to try to prevent the abandonment of the Lackawanna Cut-Off. Dubbed the Pocono Day Express, it was the last passenger train to run over the Route of Phoebe Snow in the 20th century.
But Amtrak was facing budget cuts that threatened numerous routes across the country. The addition of a new route, one which had not seen a passenger train in nearly a decade, was an low priority.
Proposals for service restoration
In 1991, Amtrak consolidated its New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
operations at Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
. Five years later, the Kearny Connection
Kearny Connection
The Kearny Connection in Kearny, New Jersey, allows suburban passenger trains from New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines to run to New York Penn Station,instead of their traditional ferry terminal on the river in Hoboken. New Jersey Transit dubbed the new service Midtown Direct; the...
opened, allowing trains on the former Lackawanna lines to pull into Penn Station. On January 25, 2008, New York Senator Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
announced that Amtrak and the New York Department of Transportation were studying a passenger rail line between Syracuse, N.Y., Binghamton, N.Y., and Scranton, Pa., to connect to New York City via a restored Lackawanna Cut-Off.
Although Schumer's proposal has reportedly been shelved in favor of a routing via Albany, NY, a proposal to fund commuter rail service between Scranton and New York via NJ Transit is being pursued.