Though nearly six years after the merger of the Erie and the DL&W, this Erie geep is still sporting her handsome Erie nose wings and Erie herald (note, though, an E-L herald is now carried on the sides). To many "old school" rail buffs, seeing an ex-Erie engine pulling former DL&W "Boonton" cars was indeed a sight that would have been unheard of a decade earlier.

Such classic consists would only be in service for several more years; by the early 70's, new PS push-pull trainsets (powered by beefy U34ch's)would displace all of the old "traditional" consists out of Hoboken, with the exception of those trains on the Port Jervis line. By the time of this timeless photo, the ancient open-platform "Boonton" cars (also known as "Wyatt Erps")had already been in service for 50-odd years; like all commuter cars of that long-lost era, they were solidly built and built to last, with no electronic gadgetry or high-falutin' hi-tech components whatsoever on board.

These once-familiar coaches simply provide solid, basic, no-nonsense transportation, rolling monuments not only to their original builders, but to the stalwart, energetic shop crews that kept them in repair during their many years in service. Thankfully, a number of these historic cars survive today in museums and tourist roads.

What happy boyhood memories trains like this one bring back for me.