}

ERIE LACKWANNA & HURRICANE AGNES

Detours on Canadian National

Erie photo here

CN train #60 speeds past a detouring freight led by D&H U30C #705 at Belleville, Ontario on 22 June 1972.

Last month's Diesel Shop provided a brief profile on Hurricane Agnes in the Summer of 1972 and how the mammoth storm crippled several railroads in the eastern U.S. Agnes traveled up the east coast, and then moved inland to New York and Pennsylvania. Erie Lackawanna, Penn Central and Lehigh Valley had already been fending off bankruptcy and were in no financial condition to deal with Agnes' devastation and recovery expense. Property damaged in the region was set at $2.1 Billion (or $12.8 Billion in 2021 dollars). Without question, Agnes was instrumental in changing the face of eastern railroading forever.

Canadian railroads were also affected by the hurricane; traffic increased on both CN and CP with detoured trains coming off Erie Lackawanna and Lehigh Valley rails for three weeks during June and July 1972. Although unofficial, a record does exist that helps paint a picture of eastern U.S railroad trains that detoured over the Canadian National from June 25th to July 11th -- 28 eastbounds and 10 westbounds. Bruce Mercer made the table data below available, and it is appreciated


* * * Detoured Train Photos * * *

Erie photo here

Erie Lackawanna's train NY100 passes through Burlington, Ontario with a classic A-B-B-A set of F7s/F3s on 26 June 1972. (Bruce Mercer photo)

Erie photo here

An unusual combination of EMD / Alco / GE power lead EL Train SF100 [Chicago, Santa Fe to Port Jervis] at Snider, Ont on 25 June 1972.(Ken McCutcheon photo / Bill Linley collection) collection

Erie photo here

Word of the NY100's detour through Ontario spread quickly and provided several opportunities to capture the eastbound freight and its four F-unit power. (Doug Page photo / Bruce Chapman electronic collection)

Erie photo here

Delaware & Hudson U30C #702 waits near the Belleville, Ontario station for an eastbound manifest led by EL 3647 and 3622 to clear on 22 June 1972. (Bill Linley photo)

Erie photo here
The financially strapped Erie-Lackawanna declared bankruptcy on 25 June 1972, just two days after Hurricane Agnes roared into history. Damage to rolling stock, trackwork and facilities was extensive, and the railroad was force to detour a large number of freight trains over the CP and CN. A pair of U-Boats and a C424 led TC-100 though Ontario on the 27th. (Doug Page photo / John Eull collection)
Erie photo here

(photo caption here)


* * * Detoured Trains over Canadian National * * *



Eastbound Trains in June 1972
Date Train Symbol Assigned Locomotive Power Loads/Empties Smith Falls

Departure Time

25th ATC 4 EL 3653-3638-2506 85/16 --
Canon Ball 100 EL 2414-3308-3655 79/6 --
-- LV 313-311-312 88/12 --
26th BX 74 EL 2577-2558-2574 99/5 --
Canon Ball 100 EL 3607-2456-2582 41/6 --
TCS4 EL 3632-3309 81/29 --
NY100 EL 6361-6332-7962-7094 53/1 --
COJ32 LV 412-405-414 & CN 1396-1324 70/44 --
27th SF100 EL 2583-2406-DH 760 101/2 --
NE 74 EL 3622-3647 90/1 --
ATC4 D&H 611-601-618 64/20 --
TC 100 EL 2501-2505-2412 63/24 --
28th NE 74 EL 3645-3666 92/5 --
TC4 EL 2409-2407-2514-C&O 6143 97/1 --
29th PN98 EL 3635-3625 94/2 --
DH100 EL 2453-2413-2458 75/23 --
30th PO98 EL 2570-2563-2579 88/11 --
Eastbound Trains in July 1972
1st DH100 EL 3643-2561-2572 62/16 --
2nd PX 74 DH 701-D&H EL 3653-CN 4526 90/1 --
3rd SF100 EL 3654-3617 85/9 --
NE 74 EL 3633-3656 77/4 --
5th PO 98 EL 2584-3610 65/4 --
7th TC 100 EL 3611-2565 48/24 --
9th PO98 EL 3617-3620 74/27 --
TC 100 EL 2578-3630-3622x 85/17 --
10th TC4 EL 3652-3607 80/3 --
10th TC 100 EL 2578-3630-3622 80/3 --
Westbound Trains in June 1972
Date Train Symbol Assigned Locomotive Power Loads/Empties St. Luc

Departure Time

26th TC3 EL 3657-3658-7082 18/96 2315
PBX EL 3310-3313-2409 25/110 1730
NE 97 D&H 601-618-611 40/61 --
-- EL 3660-DH 761 21/94 --
27th PBX3 EL 2519-2454-2512 9/115 --
28th TC1 D&H 612-707 13/102 --
29th PO97 EL 3607-2582-2456 5/65 0100
30th AP1 EL 2524-2562-2567 1/72 0001
PO97 D&H 603-EL 3652 23/88 1400
EP1 EL 3636-3631 14/63 --
Westbound Trains in July 1972
1st PO97 EL 2571-2460-2583 32/91 --
2nd TC3 EL 3657-3645 32/91 --
TC3 EL 3656-3633 23/84 --
3rd TC3 EL 3636-3631 19/85 --
5th AP1 EL 803-2570-7102-2563 19/47 --
7th AT1 EL 3654-3661-2503 23/65 --
10th NE97 EL 3632-3634-2556-NW 1518-EL 2585 18/76 --
11th TC3 EL 3648-3647 16/101 --

Locomotive Power

  • EL 2400s - Alco C424
  • EL 2450+s - Alco C4245
  • EL 2500s - GE U25B
  • EL 2500s - GE U25B
  • EL 2550+s - EMD GP35
  • EL 3300s - GE U33C
  • EL 3600s - EMD SD45/45M
  • D&H 600s - ALCO C628
  • D&H 700s - GE U33C
  • LV 300s - GP38
  • LV 400s - Alco C420
  • N&W 1300s - EMD GP35

Train Symbols (From / To)

  • AP1 - Croxton to Buffalo
  • ATC4 - Buffalo to Binghamton
  • Cannon Ball 100 -
  • BX74 - Buffalo to Hornell
  • DH100 - Gang Mills to Binghamton
  • EP1 - Elizabthport to Scranton (??)
  • NE74 - Chicago to Maybrook (New Haen)
  • NE97 - Maybrook to Chicago
  • PBX - Piggyback Chicago to Boston (via D&H)
  • PBX3 - Binghamton to Chicago
  • PO97 - Port Jervis to Meadville
  • PO98 - Marion to Croxton
  • PX74 - Port Jervis to Croxton (??)
  • SF100 - Chicago (Santa FE) to Croxton
  • TC1 - Croxton to Buffalo
  • TC3 - Port Jervis to Buffalo
  • TC4 - Buffalo to Croxton
  • TCS4 - ??
  • TC100 - Marion to Binghamton

Additional Info

  • "Erie Lackawanna Railroad in Color" by: David R. Sweetland
  • Bruce Chapman
  • Bruce Mercer
  • Gray Trainpix -EL Train Symbols (website)
  • The Diesel Shop rosters

Back to Motive Power Rosters

Back to By-Gone Banners