A Different Erie Lackawanna: The ERIE's Old Allegheny Division Before and in EL Times -Mike Schleigh

This presentation celebrates those early years of the railroad when past practices had yet to be reformed into a more modern railroad. While signs of change had arrived with repainted and re-lettered passenger equipment, this presentation predates the arrival of all those large six-axle EMD and GE locomotives lumbering around super-elevated double-tracked curves. Former passenger “E” units were yet to receive new coats and repainting of a full DL&W-style freight locomotive fleet was soon underway but nowhere near completed. As a teenage burgeoning railfan, Mike Schleigh witnessed all this unfold on the Allegany Division, which was particularly special given the hometown tracks were a nearly ‘ERIE-unique' single track mainline operated by timetable and train order (TT & TO). This was a different sort of place to watch the newly merged railroad unfold into the very special railroad it became by the 1970s. The handout for this talk first given some 14 years ago became the written basis for a “Diamond” article published in Vol. 22, No. 2, 2008. Issue Vol. 27, No. 2, 2013 contains supplemental information about X Tower in Olean, and both issues will offer more information about this interesting part of the ERIE LACKAWANNA.
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[@RHTeebs]

As a person who was also born in Olean, I enjoyed this immensely. It's amazing to explore the history of the Erie RR.

[@maggiesmusings5035]

Mike, Great presentation. Enjoyed it very much. Enjoy learning more about the EL west of Hornell.

[@scottadair5541]

I grew up in Linwood NY, we had a Agway with a siding and a Depot thats been moved, tracks are gone. Agway's gone. I used to ride my dirtbike alongside the tracks on a service road (that was also an old bed for a second rail I believe) to Batavia one direction, and Mt.Morris the other way. I mostly saw coal trains headed towards Buffalo/Rochester as well as salt from the Retsof mine before it moved to it's new location. I saw lots of EL engines in the 60's and 70's, I remember the 1776 engines going by during the bicentennial.

[@thomaslusk7621]

I thought the Erie was double track all the way to Chicago.

[@dknowles60]

the Erie took out some double track over the years to save money