BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

(SEE PREVIOUS TWO POSTS)

By 1975, CNJ's RDCs had lost their familiar "Liberty" heralds, and now sported striped ends.

Seen here at Penn Station, Newark, this two-car setwaseither operating a fan trip, or, possibly, 'filling in" for a conventional (off peak) push-pull run............

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?36744

(courtesy: nycsinway.org)

["NJDOT"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

This interesting railroad operates both freight and excursion trains; operating the last RDCs in the state; their logo is patterned after that ysed by the old PRSL, which, by the way, was once the southermost bastion for RDCs in New Jersey (good RDC photos on this page).........

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_May_Seashore_Lines

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The ULTIMATE site for the many loyal enthusiasts dedicated to the timeless RDC!!

https://www.budd-rdc.org

["5:15 RARIRAN CLOCKER"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

More on CNJ's RDC fleet........

The ten-car fleet was spread out throughout the CNJ system; they did NOT run on Pennsylvania trackage (CRP), except on fan trips

The held down shuttle service for years on the Atlantic Highlands Branch, and the Newark Branch (shuttle between E'Port and Broad Street)

During rush hours, you could find up to three lashed up, on a "Clocker" out of Jersey City, pre-Aldene.

Also, he RDCs also never operated on the NY&LB, except on fan excursions......

"NYO"

["THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

While on the subject of RDCs, I always found it odd that they were never purchased by either the ERIE or the DL&W; interestingly enough, the ERIE did roster a number of "doodlebugs", which lasted into the early 1950s.

RDCs would have been ideal on the DL&W, on its non-electrified branches out of Hoboken, especially during off-peak hours.

The LV also rostered a very small number of RDCs; though their "doodlebugs"once ran in New Jersey, the RDCs only ran in Pennsylvania, connecting with main-line trains to and from Newark and New York.........

"NYO"

["RDC"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

RDG's RDCs..............

The RDG had a good number if the versarile RDC in their fleet; they operated on a number of lines out of Reading Termonall for many years.

Pre-Aldene (1967), RDC also filled in for locomotive-hauled consists on the weekend "WALL STREET" and "CRUSADER".

After Aldene, as noted, these two trains were operated with RDCs only.....

"NYO"

["READING COMPANU"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Here are a 2 RDG RDSCs laying over at the CNJ's coach yards at Harrison, 1976)

The "RDC-2s" used on the "WALL STREET" and "CRUSADER" had their baggage compartments converted into a kitchen/food service area.....

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?43706

(courtesy:nycsubway.org)

["CRUSADER"]

[Cyberider]

A handsome pair of cars. Unfortunately, I never lived anywhere they were used.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Of interest............

The closest thing to having the DL&W operating RDCs was, back in the 1960s, when a railfan group charted a couple of CNJ units,to travelover former DL&W lines in New Jersey.

Interestingly, these charted cars had "DL&W" insignias temporaeily affixed to the ends of the front and trailing cars......

"NYO"

["DL&W"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Aldene Plan fallout........

The ferry crews, which included bridgem en/gatemen/ferrymasters at Jersey City and Liberty Street were now all out of work.

Almost allof the Marine Department personelll were sacked.

At the Jerset City terminal, not only did all the people who worked the concessions there now out of work, also, the gatemen, ticket agents, station masters, cleaners, switchboard operators, most of the clerical workers as well as others.

The towermen at towers "A" and "B" also were out of a job.

The Car Equipment Repair shopmen at Jersey City were also all out of a job, except those few that were re-assigned to other locations.

Dark days, indeed.....

"NYO"

["JERSEY CENTRAL LINES"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Further:

The stations in Batonne all had their ticket offices and waiting rooms closed; tickets for the "Scoot" shuttle thereafter had to be purchased on the train.

The complex Elizabethport station became a flag stop for the "Scoot"; the station building and adjacent platforms were all closed.

The historic Elizabeth station had its grand waiting room and ticket office closed as well; by this late date, this once-bustling main line station became yet another flag stop.

The "Scoot" itself was abandoned in 1978 vy Conrail............

"NYO"

["CRRofNJ"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Also:

The "Scoot" saw very little (if any) "commuter traffic"; Bayonne commuters wheonce rode CNJ trains into Jersey City for their ferry connections, now took buses either directly into the PABT, or to JSQ, where they connected with the PATH tubes.

Most riders of the "Scoot" were factory workers in the Elizabethport area, as well as CNJ employees who worked at the E'Port shops (they rode on CNH employee passes, gratis.

Rough track, breakfowns, and other issues made for a less-than-reliable service, totally unlike the efficient, punctual CNJ of years past.

The "Scoot" was a money loser from the first day i toperated, serving almost no purpose(recall, one had to make main line connections at Cranford, to get into Newark)

By the time ConRail took over, the "Scoot" had a poor perfiormance record; on the end, the ailing CNJ RDCs had been replaced by leased units from PRSL.

Wih to ROW now virtually all gone, and the massive Newark Bay Bridge long since demolished, there would not be even theslightest hope of any sort of transit use today

A far cry from the glory days, pre-Aldene.........

"NYO"

["NJDOT"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The ill-fated Aldene Plan of 1967 eliminated much vital rail infrastructure that could be serving a vital important purpose today.

There was far more loss than gain with this plan; somuch was destroyed in the name of "progress".....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldene_Connection

["CNJ"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The CNJ becomes a PRR tenant(1967)..........

With the CNJ nolonger serving uts own Jersey City terminal, it became but a PFR "tenant"at Newark.

Except during off-peak, CNJ trains had to vacate a given track once they loaded/unloaded.

IF CNJ commuters were lucky, their train would be spotted at the platform were a PATH trai n(no longer a joint PRR/PATH operation) waited on the other side of the platform, after passing through the newly-installed turnstiles

If not, commuters had to go downstairs, cross the conourse, and then use the escalators/stairs to board thei New York-boundc PATH train.

Commuters were NOT happy with this convoluted arrangement.

CNJ commuters could no longer enjoy a bracing ride across the Hudson on a commodius ferryboat; they now found themselves crammed into overcrowded PATH cars.

At Jersey City, commuters simply had to walk in a straight line to and from the trains and ferryboats.

During rush hours, half of the 17 tracks would be in use ;ferryboats from Lower Manhattan, each carrying well over a thousand passengers, would dock at Jersey City, within several minutes of one another, disgorging over 2000 commuters from two levels, heading for their home-bound tr ains.

The upper level of the monumental 4-sllp ferry terminal was only used during tush hours,; acces via a stairway from the main waiting room, and broad inclined ramps from the train concourse.

The CNJ was VERY strict about adhering to timetables; split-second timing wa then the rule.

All this ended in April, 1967, sacrificed in the name of "progress"........

"NYO"

['TO UPPER DECK OF FERRY BOATS"]