A set of commuter cars are captured at Dover.
Comments:
The venerable Lackawanna "Edison Wickerliners"..these stalwart steel veterans faithfully served generations of New Jersey commuters until their 1984 retirement. Rugged, solid, reliable, and handsome, these historic cars were a familiar fixture in the daily lives of the millions of commuters they carried over their many decades of service to the DL&W, E-L, Conrail, and NJT.
Well done, old friends!
Well done, old friends!
A four-car MU train (two motors and two high-roof control trailers) makes for a timeless portrait of electric MU service on the E-L on this bright day in 1966 at Dover.
From 1930 until 1984, these familiar old cars carried generations of commuters to and from work in Newark and Manhattan, students to classes, shoppers on their way into New York to visit the big department stores, and folks traveling into the city to see a Broadway show.
From a very early age, I had a very intimate relationship with these venerable old cars; they were, indeed, a very integral part of my life for many, many years,
Into the 60's, there were still cars that carried "Lackawanna" on their olive-drab letterboards; on some cars, an "Erie" was simply added ahead of the old "Lackawanna".
To ride these antiques in their later years was to truly experience a trip back into time, back to the days of open-window clerestory roof coaches and flip-over rattan seats. Only the DL&W/E-L and PRR offered electric MU service in the State of New Jersey.
When these landmark cars were finally retired in 1984, they not only marked the end of an era of bygone railroading, they also drew the curtain on a way of life that, even then, had virtually disappeared from most places.
From 1930 until 1984, these familiar old cars carried generations of commuters to and from work in Newark and Manhattan, students to classes, shoppers on their way into New York to visit the big department stores, and folks traveling into the city to see a Broadway show.
From a very early age, I had a very intimate relationship with these venerable old cars; they were, indeed, a very integral part of my life for many, many years,
Into the 60's, there were still cars that carried "Lackawanna" on their olive-drab letterboards; on some cars, an "Erie" was simply added ahead of the old "Lackawanna".
To ride these antiques in their later years was to truly experience a trip back into time, back to the days of open-window clerestory roof coaches and flip-over rattan seats. Only the DL&W/E-L and PRR offered electric MU service in the State of New Jersey.
When these landmark cars were finally retired in 1984, they not only marked the end of an era of bygone railroading, they also drew the curtain on a way of life that, even then, had virtually disappeared from most places.