NYO&W’s Port Jervis & Monticello Branches, Vol 2 Diesel Era

Description

188 Pages
Softcover
By Peter Brill, Barberio and Kierzkowski

The Monticello & Port Jervis Railway Company was incorporated to construct and operate a railroad from Monticello to the Erie at Port Jervis, a distance of 23.75 miles. The broad gauge road officially began operations on January 23, 1871. The M&PJ was reorganized as the Port Jervis & Monticello Railroad Company on July 16, 1875. The PJ&M was reorganized as the Port Jervis, Monticello & New York Railroad Company on November 17th, 1886. The PJM&NY entered receivership on November 14th, 1893. On March 15th, 1900, the O&W announced it had acquired stock control of the PJM&NY and, on December 12, 1902, the O&W organized the Port Jervis, Monticello & Summitville Railroad to succeed the PJM&NY. O&W extended the line from Valley Jct. to the O&W’s main line at Summitville. This history is covered in volume I which was published a few years ago as an O&W RHS Observer.

This new book covers.about a dozen years, the last days of steam and the entire diesel era. An eclectic variety of diesels, limited in size by the Neversink River bridge, arrived in the late 1940’s. Double-headed GE 44-tonners, Whitcombs, an experimental GE diesel produced for the US Army and an F3A would be employed, and not all types were up to the task. Finally, the restricting bridge was strengthened, and the diesel power situation was resolved in a manner similar to that for the entire O&W system. The NW-2’s would handle the local jobs on the branches and one of their number, based in Middletown, would power the last train on March 29, 1957.

A large selection of train paperwork illustrates operations in the very late steam era of the early 1940’s and in the diesel era. Customers and commodities are presented. An ill-fated proposal for the movement of air-activated cement container traffic off the New York Central to Monticello is discussed in detail with illustrations and correspondence.

Once the O&W’s intent to abandon the branches was clear, the Erie extensively studied taking over operations and elected to only take over service within Port Jervis yard limits. A number of former O&W customers left without rail service elected to receive their cars on Erie’s Pine Bush Branch and truck the freight to their plants. An extensive selection of paperwork documents the
Erie’s activities.

A final chapter presents steam era material gathered since the first volume. It includes a look at some of the commodities handled.

The citizens of Sullivan County were forced to organize their own railroad after both the Erie and the O&W’s predecessor bypassed their region. Accordingly, on September 2, 1868, the Monticello & Port Jervis Railway Company was incorporated to construct and operate a railroad from Monticello to the Erie at Port Jervis, a distance of 23.75 miles. The broad gauge road officially began operations on January 23, 1871 although the trackage to the Monticello station didn’t open until the 30th.
Eighty-six years of railroad service would follow although the corporate entity would endure a lengthy series of ownership changes and receiverships over the next three decades. The M&PJ was reorganized as the Port Jervis & Monticello Railroad Company on July 16, 1875. The PJ&M was reorganized as the Port Jervis, Monticello & New York Railroad Company on November 17th, 1886. The PJM&NY’s Board of Directors authorized construction of an 18-mile extension from Huguenot to the O&W main at Summitville on September 10th 1887.

Agreements were concluded for the O&W to handle freight and passenger traffic received at Summitville for New York and other destinations. The branch to Summitville opened on April 1, 1889 and the PJM&NY now had a route to New York City independent of the Erie. The PJM&NY entered receivership on November 14th, 1893. On March 15th, 1900, the O&W announced it had acquired stock control of the PJM&NY and on December 12, 1902, the O&W organized the Port Jervis, Monticello & Summitville Railroad to succeed the PJM&NY.
In 1902, the O&W opened a new 28-mile line, the Ellenville & Kingston Railroad, extending from Summitville to Kingston. This branch plus the PJM&S gave the O&W a direct line between the Erie at Port Jervis and the New York Central (West Shore) at Kingston while connecting to the O&W main at Summitville. The route was operated as a single entity later known as the Monticello, Port Jervis and Kingston Division.

The O&W’s annual report for the year ending June 30, 1904 referred to the “Port Jervis, Monticello & Summitville Division”. The PJM&S’s distinct identity was short-lived as on July 1905 it was leased to the O&W. It would henceforth be a branch of the O&W and its equipment marked for the O&W.

Finally, Monticello’s railroad situation was stable and, indeed, for forty years Port Jervis, Monticello and the other locations along the Port Jervis and Monticello Branches were assured of service even though the O&W eventually entered bankruptcy in 1937. But, as early as 1945, the two branches were being studied for abandonment. Remarkably, they survived another dozen years until the very last day of the O&W’s existence. Even then, there was a glimmer of hope. The Erie extensively studied the situation but many former O&W customers quickly diverted their traffic to Erie branches. Ultimately, the Erie only assumed operations on former O&W trackage in Port Jervis.

Steam power in the later decades of O&W operation was largely limited to smaller engines such as the E class 4-6-0’s and U class 2-6-0’s. An eclectic variety of diesels arrived in the late 1940’s to contend with the mountainous terrain of the Monticello Branch. GE 44-tonners, Whitcombs, an F3A and NW-2’s would be employed and not all types were up to the task. Finally, the diesel power situation was resolved in a manner similar to that for the entire O&W system. The NW-2’s would handle the local jobs. The 44-tonners were sold off. The leased Whitcombs were returned and the F3A went back to the main line service for which it was intended. An NW-2 out of Middletown would power the last train.