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I would like to model the 1950s Lackawanna RR commuter trains out of Hoboken to towns in northern Jersey-the ones powered by the FM Trainmaster. They ran 3-6 passenger cars with the engine "pulling" going west, and "pushing" going east-so the end passenger car has to appear to have some kind of an engineer's window/space. The Atlas Trainman green/gold Lackawanna cars are reasonable matches, but none have that enginee'rs compartment. Any thoughts out there in OGR land. Thanks in advance-turtle7

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turtle7 posted:

I would like to model the 1950s Lackawanna RR commuter trains out of Hoboken to towns in northern Jersey-the ones powered by the FM Trainmaster.

Not sure where you got your information but, the FM Train Master units (note they are NOT 'Trainmaster', which is a  Supervisor title in the RR business) on the DL&W were generally freight units. The non-electrified line, i.e the "Boonton Line", passenger/commuter trains were powered by either GP7/9 units or F units.

They ran 3-6 passenger cars with the engine "pulling" going west, and "pushing" going east-so the end passenger car has to appear to have some kind of an engineer's window/space.

No. The DL&W never had push-pull passenger service on the Boonton Line. The steam or diesel locomotives were always on the head-end pulling.

The Atlas Trainman green/gold Lackawanna cars are reasonable matches, but none have that enginee'rs compartment.

And they shouldn't have, either.

Any thoughts out there in OGR land. Thanks in advance-turtle7

As information, I was raised from the middle 1950s thru the early 1960s in Chatham, N.J. on the DL&W M&E electrified line, and railfaned the DL&W from Hoboken to Denville Jct., to Dover, to Port Morris. Lots of phots of freights & passenger trains.

 

The trains you are referring to are the Pullman Standard Comet 1 cars. They were pushed and pulled by GE U34CH locomotives. They were the first commercially built push pull trains. They were not in existence until 1970. They saw use into the 90's. 

The CNJ had home built push pull trains they built using older heavyweight coaches. The cab cars were normal coaches with a cab installed on one end. 

Atlas makes Comet II coaches and cab cars. They are slightly different from Comet Is in appearance. 

Tom

From the description you give of the trains, it sounds like you're confusing the Lacawanna out of Hoboken with the CNJ out of Jersey City. Both railroads went to Scranton, and both had green coaches with gold lettering.

The CNJ used Train Masters primarily for commuter trains, in the configuration you mention. In fact, the CNJ units didn't even have dynamic brakes, which is contrary to almost every other railroad.

As for the cab cars, they were built in the late '60's, in anticipation of the Aldene Plan, because Harrison yard would not have provided for turning trains. They were used in several test runs prior to the plan going into effect in 1967. I have seen photos of the Train Masters being used with cab cars, but the Train Masters only lasted until 1969. After that, it was GP7's and GP40P's.

From 1967 to 1978, they could be seen on the main line, and the Bayonne shuttle, if Budd Cars were not available. They normally didn't run on the NY&LB, except for the Monmouth Park racing trains, because the Bayhead Loop made them unnecessary.

They were built from the round roof 1300 series coaches, because these cars were built in anticipation of electrification that never came, so they already had cab windows on the end.

Nobody has made these in o scale yet, but Lionel is going to be making some sets of Reading coaches that are pretty close. But they don't have cab windows. You might try replacing one end with the cab front from another electric coach, but it needs to be one with square windows.

Last edited by Trainman2
Hot Water posted:

As information, I was raised from the middle 1950s thru the early 1960s in Chatham, N.J. on the DL&W M&E electrified line, and railfaned the DL&W from Hoboken to Denville Jct., to Dover, to Port Morris. Lots of phots of freights & passenger trains.

 Do you have those photos posted on the internet anywhere? I'm very interested in that railroad/area … I bet you have some cool photos.

Jim

Last edited by CNJ Jim
EBT Jim posted:
Hot Water posted:

As information, I was raised from the middle 1950s thru the early 1960s in Chatham, N.J. on the DL&W M&E electrified line, and railfaned the DL&W from Hoboken to Denville Jct., to Dover, to Port Morris. Lots of phots of freights & passenger trains.

 Do you have those photos posted on the internet anywhere? I'm very interested in that railroad/area … I bet you have some cool photos.

Jim

No, nothing posted anywhere. I do not have a scanner, but some of my color photos have been published in various books (Morning Sun?) on the DL&W, plus in Railfan & Railroad Magazine.

 

Brian DeFazio posted:

A simple Google search shows a few pics of DL&W Trainmasters in passenger service.

To be correct, those are FM Train Master locomotives. A "Trainmaster" was a supervisory position, or management.

  One of the photos shows locomotive 858 with 5 Boonton coaches in tow.  As far as I know, the Boonton coaches haven't been produced by any model company.

Correct, at least in O Scale anyway. The Boonton passenger cars were produced in brass, for the HO market, many, MANY years ago.

 

Brian DeFazio mentioned the DL&W.

Q: Does anyone remember the nickname commuters gave to that line?

A. Delay, Linger and Wait. 

I grew up in Morristown, along the electrified M&E line. Until we moved in 1957, the tracks were in our backyard. After that, they were a block away. As kids, we played in the Morristown train yard (now the location of Staples and a shopping center). My dad rode those Erie-Lackawanna MU cars into Hoboken for years, and I rode them into Newark for school. They were so cool, but those rough wicker seats sure did a number on men's pants.

Last edited by Joe Connor

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