Delaware, Lackawanna & Western.
A report comes from Scranton that this company has resolved to finally abandon the 6 feet gauge and that the change to 4 feet 8 1/2 inches will soon be begun. The change is, it is said, to be made gradually, beginning with the line from Scranton to Washington and the removal of the third rail on the Morris & Essex Division. this, if true, indicates a radical change in the policy of the company, which has stoutly adhered to the 6 feet gauge and not long ago changed the Utica Division of that road.
Source: Railroad Gazette, P. 102, March 3, 1876
The six-feet gauge evidently is about to disappear in this country. Only three considerable railroads have this gauge now, and two, the Atlantic & Great Western and the Erie, have long announced their desire to change, and their intention to do so as soon as means could be had. The third, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, was supposed to be satisfied with its gauge. Its business is chiefly coal traffic, and it feels the need of interchanging cars less than do lines with a larger mixed traffic. Doubtless it has been thought that the Erie and Atlantic & Great Western might find a market for some of their 6-feet engines on this road after the former lines had been changed to the standard; but now, evidently, they will be the last roads of their kind and will have no possible customers for their wide rolling stock. There are two reasons why the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western should at last make this change. One is the better opportunity of finding a market for its coal at New York and points distant from its line and from New England points not far from tide-water. The latter especially, can get their coal so cheaply by sea that it is not possible to supply them advantageously by an all-rail route without eliminating all unnecessary expenses from the latter, among which must be reckoned the transfer from car to car. Another is the approaching completion of the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg‘ Lake Ontario Shore road. When this has made a connection with the Canada roads west of the Niagara River, it will be able to compete for a share of the through freight between New York City and the Northwest outlet. The outlet would not be worth much if it were of exceptional gauge; but the change to standard will complete a line 473 miles long from New York to Lewiston, on which the freight car coming from Canada roads may pass without obstruction. This line, too, can be easily shorten, making a cut-off past Oswego, so as to be put about 440 miles long, or about the same distance as the New York Central.
Source: Railroad Gazette, P. 103, March 3, 1876
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western.
At the monthly meeting of the board in New York last week it was finally resolved to change the gauge of the road from 6 feet to 4 feet 8 1/2 inches. The preparations for the change have already been begun, and all the shops of the company will soon be full of work. The present is probably considered a very good time for the change, as business is light and an unusual amount of the equipment is out of active use. The change will affect about 400 miles of track owned or leased by the company, about 130 of which is double track, besides requiring the removal of a third rail from 70 miles of the Morris & Essex Division. About 200 locomotives will have to be changed and about 12,500 coal cars, most of which are four wheeled cars. the passenger and freight cars of the company are of such a size, however, then only the trucks will have to be changed, the bodies not being too wide for use on standard gauge.
In addition to the work in the company’s shops it is probable that a number of the locomotives will be sent to outside shops for alteration. The coal cars can be changed without very much work on each car, though their number is so great that a considerable time will be required to alter them all. The change of the locomotives is the most expensive work, so far as the equipment is concerned.
This change will leave the Erie and the Atlantic & Great Western the only considerable lines of 5 feet gauge. It is said that the company has made arrangements to run through trains to Philadelphia during the Centennial by way of Manunka Chunk and the Belvidere Delaware road.
Source: Unknown. Provided by Richard Palmer.