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No Chance for Switch Connection

NO CHANCE FOR A
SWITCH CONNECTION
THE RAHWAY VALLEY's FIGHT FOR AN INTERCHANGE

 

After eight long years, and four railroad companies, the Rahway Valley Railroad finally reached Summit in the summer of 1905. After several months of dilemmas and final preparations, regular trains finally began operated to  Summit Station on August 6, 1906.

Summit, for the Rahway Valley and earlier the New Orange railroads, was the ultimate goal. There, in Summit, a connection could be made with the Delaware, Lackawanna, & Western Railroad , giving the railroad a third interchange and ensuring its success. Finally came 1906 and all the pieces were in place for a connection to be made. Upon application to the Lackawanna for an interchange, the Rahway Valley was met with a rather simple reply: No.

The ensuing battle lasted, more or less, for the better part of twenty-five years. This battle is chronicled here, letter by letter and news article by news article.

After many years of wrangling, #13 is seen here along the DL&W after the long-awaited connection was made in 1931.
 

 

THE LACKAWANNA, THE RAHWAY VALLEY'S SAVING GRACE:1897-1906

 

From the time of the New York & New Orange Railroad's incorporation in 1897, an extension to Summit and a connection with the Lackawanna was seen to be what would ensure the success of the railroad. This idea remained true for the New Orange Four Junction Railroad, the Cross-Country Railroad, and the Rahway Valley Railroad. A third interchange partner was seen as a way to open up new markets, and bring cheaper shipping rates, to Union County. This, in turn, would attract industry to the Rahway Valley territory.

During the constuction of the Rahway Valley's extension to Summit, the Lehigh Valley Railroad was conducting a report on the New Orange Four Junction Railroad, with an eye towards purchasing the latter road. The following notes come from the LV's Chief Engineer, in regards to the future RV/DL&W connection, "I was given to understand that the Rahway Valley expects to interchange business very heavily with the DL&W when the connection near Summit is made, which will be some time the latter part of this summer, and that agreements in regard to this are already perfected, although this is hearsay. I have formed the conclusion that either the DL&W are directly or indirectly back of the new financial strength shown by the Rahway Valley Company, or else that the new company realized that they must have the DL&W connection so as to obtain better rates and divisions and get away from [higher rates] in connection with its routing via the LV and CRR of NJ. With three roads to deal with . . . they will be more independent and expect to secure better rates and rules."



 

 

FIRST ATTEMPTS AT A CONNECTION: 1906-1912

 

All the cards were in place, or so it seemed, for the Rahway Valley to make its Lacakwanna connection near the close of the year 1906. The Rahway Valley's tracks came within mere feet of the Lackawanna, all that had to be done was to install the switch.

Harry Dankel , the Secretary and General Manager of the Rahway Valley Railroad at the time, submitted a formal letter to the Lackawanna people to apply for a connection to their road in Summit on October 3, 1906.


Delaware, Lackawanna & Wextern R.R. Co.
Mr. T. E. Clark, General Superintendent.
Scranton, Pennsylvania.

October 3, 1906

Dear Sirs:-

The Rahway Valley Railroad Company has built and equipped its line from Aldene (there uniting with the Central Railroad Company of New Jersey) to a point adjoining the right-of-way of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company, in the city of Summit, New Jersey; the beginning and terminal points both being in the county of Union. The Rahway Valley Railroad Company has at Summit extended a lateral, or side track, to and on a grade with our right-of-way line at that place, at a point where a connection with your railroad is reasonably practicable and be put in with safety.

On account of the large interstate freight tonnage offered by its patrons to the Rahway Valley Railroad Company for movement via the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company, it is desirous of making the necessary track, with switch, connection at the point above named for the purpose of handling such interstate traffic which as may be offered. The amount of freightage and business which will be furnished to the two railroads is sufficient to justify the construction and maintence of the track connections.

The Rahway Valley Railroad Company hereby submits this as an application for authority to make such connection at the place above indicated.

Maps have been prepared by our engineers showing proposed location of as witch and other necessary information. These will be submitted for your examination and approval, if so desired.

I make this application under direction of the Board of Directors of the Rahway Valley Railroad Company.

Kindly favor us with an early reply.

Your truly,
H.F. Dankel
Secretary


Enclosed with Mr. Dankel's letter were also letters, applying for the junction at Summit, from the Charles E. Wright Company and the American Circular Loom Corporation. Both of these companies were shippers that utilized the Rahway Valley.

Delaware & Lackawanna & Western R.R. Co.,
Mr. T. E. Clark, General Superintendent,
Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Gentlemen:-

We are manufacturers of tools and machines for light wood working purposes, and have been situated in this place for the last seven years. We were incorporated under the Laws of the State of New Jersey on May28, 1903 with a capital of $200,000.00. We have a large factory, three stories of which are occupied in the manufacture of our tools and machines. We have a siding of the RAHWAY Valley Railroad right up to our platform, from which we load and unload freight shipments.

We make shipments by freight to every state in the Union and Canada and to Mexico, but the larger part of the freight shipments that we send out and the shipments that we receive come from Buffalo, New York and surrounding places, which could be much more directly reached from here by the way of the Rahway Valley and Delaware and Lackawanna and Western Railroad if the two roads were connected at the terminal of the Rahway Valley Railroad st Summit, New Jersey.As it is now, our freight shipments that come over your road are very much delayed after reaching Hoboken, if they come that way, and at other points on your road, when they are billed in other direction. We have a great many freight shipments from the Park Machinery Company and other large concerns in Buffalo, and on several occasions it has taken from six to seven weeks to get these shipments here, and we are thoroughly convinced that if you had the connection spoken of at Summit we could save a great deal of time in such shipments, and time is a very important element in our business, Taking all these things into consideration, we , therefore:

APPLY TO YOU to construct, maintain and operate a connection with a switch with the Rahway Valley Railroad at its branch or private side-track in the city of Summit, New Jersey, so that our manufactured products can ce sent directly from our factory by the way of the Rahway Valley Railroad and the Delaware and Lackawanna and Western Railroad through the states of New Jersey and New York to Buffalo and other points outside the state of New Jersey where our manufactured products are sold and delivered, and also that freight shipments to us from the state of New Jersey and from outside the state of New Jersey on the line of the Delaware and Lackawanna and Western Railroad may come to us over said Delaware and Lackawanna and Western Railroad and Rahway Valley Railroad to us here. We have had the situation and surroundings of the locality where the Rahway Valley Railroad ends, and of the surrounds of the locality where Delaware and Lackawanna and Western Railroad as it is now in the City of Summit, New Jersey, and we are satisfied that a connection in that place is practible and possible of being carried out, and that the same can be done with perfect safety to both railroads and to the public in large. And in consideration of the premises herein we will furnish and cause to be furnished such business from and to our manufacturing plant in Kenilworth to justify the construction and maintence of such swirch connection as is above referred to at Summit, New Jersey.

This application is made in order to facilitate our business as a shipper tendering interstate traffic for transportation, and we most earnestly request that you will at once take such measures as are necessary  furor the construction and immanence of such track connection with the Rahway Valley Railroad in the city of Summit, New Jersey.

The Charles E. Wright Company
President

 

Delaware Lackawanna & Western RR Co.
Mr. T. E. Clarke., Generla Superintendent.
Scranton, Pa.

October 3, 1906

Dear Sirs:-

The American Circular Loom Co. (incorporated) is engaged at Kenilworth, Union County, New Jersey., in the manufacture and shipping of Enameled Iron Pipe. This plant, which employs a large number of men, is located on the Rahway Valley RR Co., and it ships its manufactured goods over the same. The plant has been located here for years. It also has a manufacturing plant located at Chelsea, Mass. Our business which is constantly growing requires us to ship our freight (being our manufactured product) to Buffalo, N.Y., and numerous points in the far west all the way through the Pacific coast, we having our own warehouse in Chicago, Ill., and San Francisco, Cal. We desire to ship over the tracks of the Delaware Lackawanna & Western RR Co., but are prevented now in so doing because the Rahway Valley (with which our plant by side track connections) makes no track connections with D. L. & W. RR. We are compelled in shipping to Buffalo, and points further west, to send our goods by a round-about way, which we wish to avoid.

We now make application to you to construct, maintain, and operate a switch connection with the Rahway Valley RR Co. at its branch or private side-track in the city of Summit, so that our manufactured products can be sent directly from our factory via the Rahway Valley RR and the D. L. & W. RR Co. through the states of New Jersey and New York, to Buffalo and points west where our manufactured products are sold, and delivered.

Our examination of the locality at Summit assures us that a connection between the two railroads is, at that place, reasonably tractable, and can be put in with safety to both the Rahway Railroad, and to the Delaware Lackawanna & Western RR. We are in position to furnish, and will furnish sufficient business from our plant at Kenilworth, N.J. to justify the construction and maintence of a switch connection at Summit.

We make this application for a connection to be made between and two railroads at Summit in order to facilate our business as a shipper tendering interstate traffic for transportation, and request that you will at once take measures for the construction and maintence of a track connection with the Rahway Valley RR, at the City of Summit, N.J.

Very truly yours,
American Circular Loom Co.


The matter, of granting a connection to the Rahway Valley, bounced around from department to department within the Lackawanna, even making its way to the desk of W.H. Truesdale, President of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad.

 

Mr. T. E. Clarke,
General Superintendent,
Scranton, Pa.

October 15, 1906

Dear Sir:

Referring to your of the 10th inst., herewith, and enclosing several communications to you, one from the Secretary of the Rahway Valley Railroad and others from gentlemen representing several industries located on that line, all urging that we permit the Rahway Valley Railroad Company to connect with our line at the point near Summit, where they have evidently graded up to us for that purpose, it seems to me this should first be considered as an operating proposition.

In a general way I have understood that this Rahway Valley enterprise is laid out for a sort of belt line proposition and will eventually extend to tidewater at some point in Lower New York Bay in the vicinity of Perth Amboy. This with a view of doing a large freight business between the different lines it will cross and industries which will be located at different points on its line of railway.

The things we have got to consider then is the ultimate possibility of having a consideration freight business to interchange with that line of railway should we make connection with it at the point they urge.

My own idea is that it would be a pretty serious matter for us to undertake to handle any large freight traffic to and from Rahway Valley Road at the proposed point of connection and should the business develop largely, it would sometime in the future seriously interfere with the handling of our large suburban traffic. These people picked out their own point of connection without consultation and us and are evidently now attempting to forces to grant them a connection under the provisions of the new railroad law passed by the last Congress.

It is an important matter and I think Mr. Ketcham and yourself had better look it over quite carefully, doing so without undue delay and submit your views as to the advisability of our granting such connection. If you advise against it, I wish you would give your reason fully and in detail. I think I will have Mr. Jenney draw the form of reply we will make to this application and in talking with him he suggests that if we feel we should decline it, we ought to give in our letter advising thee people to this effect our reasons quite clearly and fully for doing so.

Yours truly,
W. H. Truesdale
President.

 

Mr. T. E. Clarke,
General Superintendent

November 2, 1906.

Dear Sir:

Your letter of October 16th., file 18718, and returning letter from President Truesdale relative connection with the Rahway Valley Railroad Co. at Summit. In accordance with our conference with Chief Engineer Bush I beg to advise as follows:

We built a yard at West Summit to handle business to and from P. & D. Branch also to hold any cars for Summit proper. The facilities we have in Summit yard are adequate for the handling of our own business. As to an interchange with the Rahway Valley RR at that point we have no facilities for such an arrangement, neither could we handle an extensive business between the point where they propose the connection and our West Summit yard, without interfering with our passenger traffic; furthermore Summit is increasing to the point where more trains will end there instead of decrease, as the suburban business west of Summit to Port Morris without great interference account of the grade westward and eastward.

You appreciate that it has been our intention for a long time, when our third track facilities are completed between Newark and Summit, and proposed cut-off between Secaucus and Harrison is built, that all freight from the west for points this side of Summit will be handled via Secaucus, returning cars from that territory via the same route, thus confining ourselves to freight movement down old road as far as Summit proper, and West Summit for P. & D. points, thus materially decreasing the amount of freight handled between Port Morris and Summit.

With the competition of our new tunnel and completion of third track, the prospect of an increase that we have had during the last five years between Hoboken and Morristown, will doubtless make it necessary during certain hours of the day to have fifteen minute service to Morristown, also more trains should be run in hours, thus increasing the number if passenger trains in the territory mentioned.

In doing this, it would complicate matters very much to undertake to handle increased freight traffic.

Yours truly,
Superintendent

 

The Rahway Valley Railroad awaited its response, as the matter moved about the many different offices and departments of the Lackawanna. While the RV remained patient, others such as the Charles E. Wright Company, were not.

 

Delaware & Lackawanna & Western R.R. Co.,
Mr. T. E. Clerk, General Superintendent,
Scranton, Pennsylvania.

November 21, 1906

Dear Sir:

On October 3rd last we wrote you a very long letter on a very important subject, and up to this time we have not received any reply from you to the same. That you received the letter is certain, because we have your receipt from the post office department. We do not know, of course, what rules of courtesy are applicable to the officers and servants of a great corporation, but common courtesy certainly does demand that letters should be answered within a reasonable time, unless there is some good and sufficient reason for not doing so. Our letter was certainly a courteous one, and upon a matter of vital importance to us from business stand point and it also should be of sufficient importance to you to elicit a reply.

We are writing this to call your attention to the matter expecting that we will receive a reply to the same in due reason.

Thanking you in advance for any courtesy you may show us in this matter, we remain.

Yours truly,
The Charles E. Wright Company.


Finally, after waiting for a response for more than a month and a half, Mr. Dankel finally received his answer from Mr. T.E. Clarke, General Superintendent of the Lackawanna, on December 1, 1906.


Mr. H.F. Dankel,
Secy Rahway Valley Railroad Co.,
Kenilworth, N.J.

December 1, 1906.

Dear Sir:-

I am in receipt of your favor of Oct. 3rd, advising me that your company has built and equipped its line from Aldene to Summit, in Union County, N.J., and requesting that we assent to a connection at the letter point. I, personally, was not familiar with the situation, and have conferred, as my time permitted, with other officials of our company, in order that I might intelligently pass upon your request.

As you are doubtless aware, we have two lines of railroad extending from Dover to Hoboken, the northerly line being known as our Boonton Branch, and the southerly line, the old Morris & Essex main line. The Boonton Branch has been sent aside for use of freight trains and through passenger trains, in order the the old Morris and Essex main line might be exclusively used to accommodate the suburban passenger travel along the line of that road. At the present time, we are engaged in operating 100 passenger trains daily by the suggested point of connection at Summit, and this traffic is growing to such an extent that it becomes necessary for us to increase the number of trains from time to time. At present the only freight that we carry over this line is cosigned to the localities along the line of that road, except such as is cosigned to and from points on the Passaic & Delaware Railroad connecting at West Summit. Between Summit and Dover the grades are so considerable as to interfere largely with the economical carriage of freight trains, and we have already planned to divert freight shipments to and from points east of Summit along the line of the Morris & Essex Road, via Harrison and Secaucus to our Boonton Branch. We feel that our first public duty is to give the best passenger service possible to the increasing number of persons residing along the line of the Morris & Essex Road who go daily to and from the city of New York, and that we ought not to assent to any connection which would hamper such service. All of our own future plans as to the development of the Morris & Essex division are guided by the foregoing consideration.

So far as the present shippers upon the line of your road are concerned, we should not suppose sufficient business would be furnished to warrant any connection with our line. Even if the foregoing considerations were not insurmountable objections thereto, we are advised that the plans for the development of your company contemplate traffic to and from Ocean Lines at Perth Amboy, and that at some time in the early future very considerable freight traffic may be moved over the line of your road. If this be true, you will see that it would be impossible for us to handle such traffic over our Morris & Essex division, not only because of the way which such traffic would interfere with our passenger service, but because of the grades between Summit and Dover.

We confess that we have no feeling of responsibility in connection with this matter to any of the shippers upon the line of your road, because of the fact that your road was constructed to Summit without any advices from you to any officials of your company, so far as I can discover, that you contemplated connecting with us at that point, and without consultation with us as it whether it would be practical or feasible for you to make such a connection at such point. If you had taken the matter up with us, we should have advised you as above. Moreover, even if it were possible for us to arrange to handle freight in conjunction with your road, over our Morris & Essex line, we could not assent to a connection at Summit. For many reasons which it is unnecessary to relate in detail, that point is not a feasible or practical one from our point of view. We have already constructed a storage yard st West Summit, and have not contemplated any freight business at the point you suggest for an interchange nor arranged therefore.
For reasons above suggested, we must respectfully decline to assent to the suggested connection.

Yours truly,
General Superintendent.

 

Harry Dankel, and the Rahway Valley Railroad, did not let this matter pass without conflict. The Lackawanna's response was not acceptable. The Rahway Valley Railroad was being operated at a deficit, a connection with the Lackawanna seemed to promise a solution to all the RV's financial woes.

Dankel retained the services of Elmer L. McKirgan , a prominent and successful attorney from Summit as well as a member of the Rahway Valley Railroad's Board of Directors, to fight the Lackawanna's decision and compell them to make a connection.

McKirgan took the matter to the Interstate Commerce Commission, and after some delay a decision was handed down on June 24, 1908. 




 

 

The Interstate Commerce Commission, the governmental body which regulated the railroads, ordered the DL&W to install a switch connection with the Rahway Valley Railroad.

For the Rahway Valley the ICC's decision was satisfactory, but they did not intend to wait for the Lackawanna to build the connection.



Mr. T. E. Clarke,
General Superintendent.

August 19, 1908

Dear Sir:-

We have been watching the matter of attempt by the Rahway Valley RR to connect with our road at Summit, N.J. Last night a force of men was working there and about 1:00 AM they seemed to have made all arrangements to make the connection. We communicated with Mr. Rine who arranged to have engine 968 sent from South Orange and placed on track so that no connection could be made. When this was done the men put out their lights and left.

Yours Truly,
Chief Special Agent



Dear Sir:

Rahway Valley people have instructed their foreman to remove tracks off our property at Summit, which will be done early this morning.

Yours Truly,
E.M. R.

 

The Lackawanna quelled the Rahway Valley's physical offensive and intended to end its legal offensive as well. The Lackawanna, represented by Mr. William S. Jenney, brought the matter to the United States Circuit Court.

 

 

Mr. Arthur Hale,
General Agent,
American Railway Association,
Grand Central Station,
Chicago, Ill.

October 19, 1909

Dear Sir:

Replying to your letter of August 30, making inquiry relative to case 2239, before the Interstate Commerce Commission, - connection desired by the Rahway Valley Railroad with this company. I am just in receipt of advice from your Legal Department giving the following status of this matter:

“A proceeding was brought before the Commission by the Rahway Valley Railroad Company to obtain an order of the commission requiring our company to make a physical connection of our railroad with the Rahway Valley Railroad Company at Summit, New Jersey. After a hearing an order was made by the commission requiring us to make the connection. We brought an action against the Commission in the United States Courts to enjoin the enforcement of the order upon the ground that the section of the Interstate Commerce Act under which the complaint moved, did not contemplate the compelling of a connection upon the application of a shipper. The Commission took an appeal from the order of the Circuit Judges top the United States Supreme Court. and the case has been advanced upon the calendar of the Supreme Court and will doubtless be argued during the winter. Meanwhile, the American Circular Loom Company, a shipper on the line of the Rahway Valley Railroad has brought another proceeding against the Commission to to compel the connection, which is now pending before the Commission. We propose to continue to resist any effort to comply us to make the connection, upon the ground that any connection with our line of the road through Summit, would interfere with our suburban passenger service.”

I will endeavor to keep you posted on further progress of the case.

Yours truly,
General Superintendent.

 

Judge Lacombe, of the United States Circuit Court, granted a preliminary injunction on October 22, 1908 against the Interstate Commerce Commission, suspending the ICC's order for a switch connection to be made at Summit.

 

 

The Interstate Commerce Commission, not to have its power diminished, took the case to the next level: the United States Supreme Court, in a case titled ICC v. DL&W.

 

 

The United States Supreme Court, in the matter of ICC v. DL&W, decided in favor of the Lackawanna on March 7, 1910, that the Interstate Commerce Commission could not force the Lackawanna to grant a connection with the Rahway Valley Railroad.

The Rahway Valley Railroad however did not let the matter rest.

 

 

Apparently, within the Supreme Court's final decision was a clause that such a switch connection could be made if applications made by shippers along the railroad warranted its installation.

 

T. E. Clarke, Esq.,
Gen. Supt. D. L. & W. R. R. Co.,
Scranton, Pa.

April 22, 1910
Dear Sir:-

The F. & F. Nurseries are located at Springfield, Union County, New Jersey, and are engaged in raising and shipping of shrubs, trees, and other nursery stock. The Company’s nurseries are extensive and are located on the in of the Rahway Valley Railroad Company, a lateral, branch line to your Company, and its product is shipped over the same. Our business which is constantly growing requires us to ship our freight outside of the state of New Jersey to the state of Pennsylvania and the state of New York. We desire to ship over the tracks of your road, but cannot do so advantageously because the Rahway Valley Railroad Company makes no track out of state points, which we desire to reach, on your line, to either have shipments carted from the Rahway Valley R.R. Company’s cars to your cars at Summit or send our goods by a roundabout way either of the above methods are expensive, unsatisfactory and detrimental to our business.

We now make application to you to construct, maintain and operate a switch connection with the Rahway Valley Railroad Company with its branch or side track at the City of Summit, which extends to your side track upon which your Coal Pockets are located, so that our shipments can be sent directly from our nurseries via of the Rahway Valley Railroad Company and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company through the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania and through the states of New Jersey and New York to points outside of the state of New Jersey, where our products are sold and delivered.

We have made application to the Rahway Valley Company, requesting them to procure a switch connection between their tracks and yours at Summit as aforesaid, and they have agreed to provide said connection and to maintain the same. Our examination of the locality at Summit assures us that the connection at Summit between the two railroads is at the place aforesaid, reasonably practicable and can be put in with safety to both the Rahway Valley Railroad Company and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company.

We are in a position to furnish and will furnish sufficient business from our nurseries at Springfield aforesaid to justify the maintence and construction of a switch connection at Summit.

We make this application for a connection to be made between the two railroads at Summit, in order to facilitate our business as a shipper tendering interstate traffic for transportation and request that you will at once take measures for the installation, construction, and maintence of a track connection with the Rahway Valley Railroad Company at the City of Summit.

Yours truly,
F. & F. NURSERIES.
Wm. Flower,
Mgr.


 

Mr. Flower's application to the Lackawanna apparently fell on deaf ears. The matter of the RV/DL&W connection would not be brought up again for another nineteen years.

 

 

 

THE CLARKS GET THE JOB DONE, A CONNECTION IS MADE
1929-1931


 

The coming of the Great Depression in 1929, and the resulting financial ruin of many railroads across the United States, set the stage to reopen the discussion of a connection between the Rahway Valley Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. This along with the cunning wit of  the Rahway Valley's new management: Roger A. Clark and his son George A. Clark, ensured the success of negotiations with the Lackawanna. A connection with the DL&W was constructed and ready for service on March 22, 1930 at 7 a.m.

 

Kenilworth, N.J. March 6, 1930

Mr. A.S. Lewis,
Supt. Car Service, DL&W RR.,
Scranton, Pa.

Dear Sir:

As you are probably aware a connection is now being made between our respective Companies at Summit, N.J. which will be turned over to traffic around April 1st.

If you will refer to Railway Line Clearances, you will find that our Maximum Load Limit shows up as: Cars of 50 tons capacity or under may be loaded 10% above marked capacity, maximum lading allowed 110,000 pounds. This is one point that we must strictly adhere to in connection with you line as we have one light bridge on our connecting track at Summit, N.J., that will carry no heavier tonnage. Cars in excess of the above weight if received in interchange at Summit, N.J., will have to be transferred as we will be unable to handle at this time though necessarey bridge work will be done to take care of heavier lading at later date.

Am enclosing herewith a copy of Lehigh Valley R.R. Circular T-19 of October 31, 1929, covering this feature and would suggest that you issue a like circular for the information and protection of all concerned as we expect to develop a nice interchange buisness with your line just as soon as rates are worked in and this is now being done.

Will you also see that this office is furnished with one copy each of all embargo notices issued by your line?

Would appreciate hearing from you at your convenience.

Very truly yours,
Geo.A.Clark
Gen.Frt.Agt.

Lehigh Valley Railroad Company
Office Superintendent Transportation

Bethlehem, Pa., Oct, 31, 1929

TO ALL CONCERNED:

Circular T-19

To Rahway Valley Railroad publish the following restriction in the “Railway Line Clearances”:

“cars of 50 tons capacity or under may be loaded 10% above marked capacity, maximum lading allowed 110,000 lbs.”

This means that the Rahway Valley Railroad are unable to handle cars where the weight of lading exceeds 110,000 lbs. therefore, cars should not be loaded in excess of this weight when destined to or via that line.

Please call the attention of shippers and other interested, particularly coal shippers, to see that this restriction is properly observbed.

J.N. Haines,
Supt. Transportation


Hoboken, N.J.,
March 20, 1930

Messrs. G.J. Ray,
R.M. White.
J.J. Pierce.
J.E. Saunders.
J. Kielty.

Gentlemen:-

Effective Saturday, March 22, 1930, 7:00 A.M., connection with the Rahway Valley railroad at Summit, N.J., will be complete and ready for operation.

Yours truly.
[Illegible signature]


The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company
Accounting Department
Scranton, Pa.

March 28th, 1930

RE: Rahway Valley Railroad- Summit, N.J.

Mr. G.E. Hustis,
Comptroller.

Dear Sir: -

Please refer to your file 620.91 covering the subject of interchange of freight traffic with Rahway Valley Railroad via Summit, N.J.

Mr. George A. Clark, General Freight Agent, Rahway Valley Railroad and Mr. W.A. Kinkel, Freight Agent, Summit, N.J., called upon us yesterday morning for the purpose of discussing in detail, all matters pertaining to accounting requirements.

Mr. A.L. Rogers of Mr. Moffatt’s office, was also present in the interest of any matters pertaining to the Operating Department, involving additional work and expense at the Station.

It was the consensus of opinion, that the most practical method for the accounting of this traffic and the financial settlement of same would be on an interchange basis, similar to the practice now in effect between the Rahway Valley Railroad and the CRR of NJ and also with the Lehigh Valley Railroad.

On inbound traffic originating on the DL&W RR or beyond our Line, destined to stations on the Rahway Valley Railroad, Agent at Summit, N.J. will take the waybills into his account, from which freight bills will be prepaired, and a copy will be furnished the Rahway Valley Railroad to move with the freight, thus avoiding the necessity of rebilling by our Agent.

All waybills received will be abstracted on weekly reports which will show the amount of arbitrary due then Rahway Valley Railroad.

On Forwarded traffic originating on the Rahway Valley Railroad destined to points on the DL&W or beyond, Agent at Summit will waybill such traffic as from Summit, N.J., showing the Rahway Valley arbitrary in the advance column of the waybill, the total advances for the current month to be covered by an interchange certificate, showing the amount due Rahway Valley Railroad.

The combined amount of Rahway Valley proportion of revenue on Received and Forwarded Traffic will be summarized by the Agent who will render a monthly report to this Department, when same will be checked and verified and an interchange certificate issued showing the grand total due the Rahway Valley for the month.

Mr. Clark stated that the rates and tariffs were now in the course of preparation and that it was not expected that the traffic would be very heavy as yet.

Yours truly,

Mr. E.B. Moffatt,
General Superintendent


The Delaware Lackawanna And Western Railroad Company
Office Of Superintendent Car Service

Scranton, Pa., April 9, 1930.

Circular No. 38-A.
(Superseding Circular No. 38, March 11, 1930)

TO ALL CONCERNED:

Until Park Avenue Bridge at Summit, N.J. has been strengthened, cars of more than 80,000 pounds nominal capacity must not be loaded for delivery to the Rahway Valley Railroad at Summit, N.J.; however, such cars not exceeding 80,000 pounds nominal capacity may be loaded to the maximum gross weight permitted under M.O.B. Rule 86, as outlined in Circular No. 1-G.
It is expected that bridge will be strengthened within the near future and restrictions will then be modified, but until notice is received, all concerned should see that cars which, because of weight limitation, cannot be handled over the bridge as Summit, N.J., are not loaded for delivery to the Rahway Valley Railroad.

A.S. Lewis,
Supt. Car Service.

April 11, 1930

Rahway Valley Railroad- Summit

Mr. E.M. Rine,

Vice President and General Manager.

Dear Sir:
On March 22, 1920 the physical connection with the Rahway Valley R.R. at Summit, N.J. became effective. Shortly thereafter a conference was held in office of A.F.&P.R. Ross with Mr. George A. Clark, General Freight Agent of the Rahway Valley R.R. and Mr. W. A. Kinkel, Agent for this Company at Summmit present, for the purpose of discussing the accounting requirements.

Mr. Clark explained in detail how buisness to and from his line was handled with the Lehigh Valley and C.R.R., after which a plan was agreed upon embodying the features of the other two arrangements best suited to our conditions. In brief, this contemplates that all freight destined to points on the Rahway Valley R.R. will be billed to Summit and transferred to the Rahway Valley on a copy of a freight bill, which will do away with the necessity of rebilling it at Summit. The charges will be accounted for in line with current practices and settlement of the Rahway Valley’s proportion will be made direct to that line. With the exception of about twenty consignees located at different points on the Rahway Valley R.R. all freight must be prepaid. These twenty or so consignees now have credit on the C.R.R. and Lehigh Valley and application has or will be made for similar credit at our Summit, N.J. Station, from which point the freight bills will be mailed direct to the consignee.

Freight originating on the Rahway Valley R.R. will be waybilled to Summit at the Rahway Valley proportion and there rebilled to destination showing the Rahway Valley R.R. arbitrary in the advanced column according to R.A.O.A. rules.

While this will involve some extra work at Summit, it was felt that the present force could take care of same without additional help, at least for a year or so, until the volume of buisness shows a material increase.

Respectfully yours,
Nat Duke

 

Hoboken, N.J.,
June 4th, 1930.

Mr. E.B. Moffatt,
General Superintendent,
Scranton, Pa.

Dear Sir:

Mr. Geo. A. Clark, Vice President of the Rahway Valley Railroad, requests permission to take water at our crane at Summit, N.J. in case his crew runs short while working over in that territory.

The nearest water facilities the Rahway Valley have are located at Kenilworth, about eight miles from Summit.

I see no objection to allowing them to take water as the movement to the P&D main at the station will be under interlocking protection, and would recomment that we authorize them to do this billing them the standard rate for tank of water.

Will you kindly advise.

Yours truly,
[Illegible signature]
Superintendent

Ok as it is in yard limits- Do not let their engins go on our Mtown Branch main track

June 5, 1930.

Mr. R.M.  White,
Superintendent, Hoboken.

Dear Sir:-

Answering yours of June 4 in connection with request received from Mr. George A. Clark, Vice President of the Rahway Valley Railroad, that they be permitted to take water at our crane at Summit, N.J. when they run short while engine is working in that territory.

There is no objection to permitting them to take such water as they need, as the movement to our crane is within yard limits. It should be understood, however, that they are not to permit their engines to go on our Morristown Branch main track.

Report should be made to you at the end of each month of the number of tanks of water furnished to their engines and advice given to Chief Engineer Ray, who will prepare bill at the usual rate.

Yours truly,
Mr. G.J. Ray

 

 

Head Back to the Station!