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ERIE - LACKAWANNA MERGER STUDY
STUDY I
Common Points
The Erie and Lackawanna in general parallel each other from east to west beginning at Hoboken-Jersey City in the east to Buffalo in the west At some points they serve the same large terminals, and in other cases their lines cross or meet at smaller outlying stations. With separate operation of the two companies as at present, services are usually performed at these so-called "common points" by two separate operating organizations except, of course, at points where coordination has already been achieved.
The purpose of Study I was to review the operations at all common points, and estimate the potential savings from merger as a result of serving each point with one unified operating organization.
At several locations particularly at Hoboken and Binghamton to Gibson inclusive, certain services are now being performed by unified forces or are contemplated under coordination prior to merger. The Erie and Lackawanna common points from Coopers to Wayland inclusive are included in Study II, Line 5. There remained 13 common points at which merger would result in substantial savings which are summarized for each point in the statement attached as Schedule A, and their location is shown on System Map No. 1.
In order to estimate potential savings from merger the following procedure. was used:
Maps were prepared for each common point showing the tracks and important facilities of the roads included in the merger, together with the names and locations of all industries served by private trackage. Statements were also prepared showing the operating data at each point, generally for,the year 1956, the latest twelve month period available when the studies were started. These statements covered,switching operations, both by yard engines and by road engines doing station switching at the smaller stations. They also covered passenger stations, freight,stations, enginehouses, car repair tracks, yard inspection, and miscellaneous operations. A complete statement of forces employed under existing operations, together with their rates of pay, was included. In addition, supplemental information in even greater detail, including time of arrival and departure of trains, cars handled, and cars interchanged, was secured for four of the most important points: Buffalo, Binghamton, Scranton-Avoca, and Hoboken-Jersey City.
I Field parties equipped with the data mentioned above were then sent to each common point for the purpose of inspecting the facilities involved, determining which facilities should be retained for use by the consolidated company and which might be retired or released for sale or rental. They also estimated the forces which would be needed for merged operation as compared with the total forces now required for separate operation and developed plans for new yards and facilities where such would be required.
In all cases field parties consisted of representatives of Wyer Dick & Co. and local officers of the railroads serving each point. The most important common points were inspected by the Steering Committee, including Buffalo, Binghamton, Scranton-Avoca area and Hoboken-Jersey City. Recommendations of the field inspection parties, approved or modified by the Steering Committee if the latter did not participate in the inspection, were then incorporated in a so-called "field report" describing the changes. The engineering departments then prepared estimates of the salvage to be recovered from property retired, the estimated cost of new construction and normalized maintenance of facilities to be abandoned or constructed, and the accounting departments calculated the savings in operation and summarized the figure for each common point. It is from these accounting department summaries that the figures shown on Schedule A for each of the 13 common points are drawn.
The total annual savings at the 13 common points, as summarized on Schedule A., prior to the cost of capital required, are estimated at $5,179,876. The saving, in part, is based upon the estimated abolition of 395 jobs, and it is expected that merger would reduce yard engine operations by 205 shifts per week. A total of 17 yard diesels and six road switchers would be released and savings resulting from release of locomotives are computed in Study VII-L.
Extensive new construction costing $10,178,643 would be required at Buffalo, Binghamton, Scranton-Avoca, and the New Jersey Terminal area in order to realize the estimated savings from merger. Total cost of new construction for all 13 points is estimated at $10,215,999, but this is offset somewhat by (1),salvage of $5.120.494 and (2) non-recurring income tax savings of $2,151,468 related to property changes, and increased by (3) $551,793 because of the cost of relocating certain property. The total net cash cost of making the property changes recommended is estimated at $3,455,830. Interest at 5% per annum on this amount totaling $172,791 is deducted as an increased expense required in merging the properties, and the total estimated net saving after this deduction is $5,007,085. To put it another way, the annual operating saving of $5,179,876 represents a 150% return on the net cost of merging operations at common points.
Buffalo
The principal line of the Lackawanna enters the Buffalo area from the east at East Buffalo and continues to the passenger station at Buffalo. The Lackawanna also has a double track freight line from East Buffalo to Black Rock over which the Pennsylvania and Chesapeake and Ohio Railroads have trackage rights.
The Erie has three lines entering Buffalo. The line from Hornell enters from the east at East Buffalo and this line closely parallels the Lackawanna from Depew to East Buffalo. The line from Jamestown enters from the south over trackage of the Buffalo Creek Railroad, and the Niagara Falls branch from Suspension Bridge and Black Rock enters from the north at East Buffalo. The Chesapeake and Ohio has trackage rights over the latter line between Suspension Bridge and East Buffalo and the Wabash has trackage rights between Black Rock and Smith Street, Buffalo.
The lines described are shown on Map No. 1 included in the map envelope accompanying this report, and a much larger scale map of the Buffalo area is included as No. I-A. The latter shows the principal tracks and facilities of the two roads in color, together with proposed abandonments and new construction.
The principal freight yard of the Lackawanna, comprised of an eastbound yard and a westbound yard separated by the present main lines, is at East Buffalo; and the principal freight yard of the Erie, comprised of Six small yards known as Canada, Old BSW, JX, Eattbound Receiving, Eastbound Departure and North Yards, is located immediately west of the Lackawanna freight yard. Both lines have numerous other tracks and small holding yards throughout the Buffalo area required for interchanging cars with other railroads and serving industries.
Through freight trains and all passenger trains will use the Erie line between East Buffalo and Coming. The principal freight yard of the merged. company would be located at East Buffalo on the Lackawanna where company owned land is available for expansion and where the least amount of new construction would be required. All freight trains and transfers would originate and terminate in this yard.
The present Lackawanna yard could not handle the combined traffic of the two roads, and it is proposed to build a new modern electronic hump retarder yard at that point. This yard would be located. between the present Erie and Lackawanna main lines, and the major portion of the new trackage would be located east of the present Lackawanna eastbound yard., This would permit completion of about 80% of the proposed facility without disturbance of present Lackawanna operations and no disturbance to the present Erie operations.
The proposed classification yard would consist of 44 tracks in four groups of nine tracks and one group of eight tracks with five long tracks of 125 car capacity. Transfers to Black Rock and the various switching areas, interchanges throughout the terminal and all freight trains would leave directly from the classification yard. Buffalo would be reclassified from a regular icing station to an emergency icing station, and the most southerly track in the classification yard would be designated as an icing track. Icing would be performed by mobile truck, and cars of perishable traffic would then be flat switched or re-humped to the proper track.
The westbound receiving yard would be to the east of the classification yard and parallel to the present Lackawanna main tracks and would be so located to permit hump engines to push directly from the receiving yard over the hump. The westbound receiving yard would have seven tracks, the longest being of 160 car capacity.
Twenty-five tracks of the present Lackawanna westbound yard directly to the north of the proposed hump classification yard would be used as a receiving yard for freight trains from Jamestown and Suspension Bridge and for all transfers and industrial engines. The coal yard consisting of thirteen short tracks directly to the north of the westbound yard would be used for cleaning and storage of cars.
That portion of the Erie principal yard known as Canada Yard would be used as a base yard for industry cars for the Erie Ferry Street, Babcock Street, Hamburg Street, Lousiana Street and Niagara Frontier Food Terminal industrial districts and for storage of hold grain. The Lackawanna Abbott Road yard would remain unchanged and serve the adjacent industrial area.
Transfers would be operated between East Buffalo and Black Rock and because of the location of the proposed main yard of the merged company it is proposed to use the Lackawanna line from East Buffalo to Delavan Avenue as indicated in Study II, Line No. 6. This will also greatly relieve the congestion in the heavy industrial district between William Street and Delavan Avenue on the Erie Niagara Falls branch.
Passenger trains would be rerouted from the Erie line to the Lackawanna line at William Street, East Buffalo, and through freight trains would be rerouted from the Erie line to the Lackawanna line at Depew. New remote controlled connections would be provided at both locations. This provides for the operation of passenger trains along the southerly edge of the proposed yard instead of through the middle of the Lackawanna yard as at present.
All road engines, and switch engines working in the area, would be serviced at the Erie enginehouse at East Buffalo and additional diesel fuel storage would be provided by relocating the Lackawanna 400,000 gallon diesel fuel tank. Switch engines at Black Rock would be serviced from existing facilities or by truck and would return to East Buffalo for emergency repairs and monthly inspections.
The only freight car repair track in the Buffalo area would be at the present Lackawanna shop at East Buffalo. Only running repairs would be made at this location, and the present Lackawanna repair building and trackage would be modified to provide for progressive repairs.
Two piggyback loading and unloading tracks would be located adjacent and parallel to the leads at the west end of the present Lackawanna westbound yard.
The Lackawanna freighthouse would be used for all LCL freight and the Erie office building would be used for the station agency and clerical force.
With the concentration of freight yard operations and facilities described above, the following major abandonments become possible:
Erie
- East Buffalo
- JX Yard: entire yard and buildings
- Old BSW Yard: entire yard and buildings.
- Eastbound Departure Yard: entire yard and buildings
- Eastbound Receiving Yard: entire yard and buildings
- North Yard: entire yard
- Repair Yard; entire yard and buildings
- IQ Tower: building and interlocking plant
- Buffalo
- Lousians Street: freight house, nine tracks, gantry crane and truck scale.
Lackawanna
- East Buffalo
- Eastbound Yard: entire yard, interlocking plant, interchange tracks, eastbound car repair tracks, icing facility, covered stock pens and other related buildings.
- Enginehouse: all tracks except two, enginehouse office building, portion of enginehouse, turntable, sanding and fueling facilities, small fuel storage tanks.
- Repair Yard: track scale
After the proposed plan of operation for the entire terminal and facilities required had been developed, the effect of these facilities on existing operations was analyzed.
Many examples of duplication and wasted effort as a result of separate operation were observed by the Committee during its inspection of the terminal, but one may be cited here. Both lines operate transfers to the same interchange points with other railroads and between East Buffalo and Black Rock. Except on weekends, the Lackawanna operates eighteen and the Erie operates twelve transfer assignments per day. It Is estimated that the merged company would operate twenty-two assignments or a saving of eight assignments per day.
The final step in the analysis was to set up the proposed switch engine and transfer tricks, supervisory forces, and employees which it is estimated would be required to operate the merged terminal, compare them with existing forces and estimate the savings.
The estimated savings in switch engine and transfer shifts may be summarized as follows:
No. of Shifts Worked
Classified According to Days
Worked Per Week
Merged
Erie DL&W Total Company
Switch Engine Shifts 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5
East Buffalo 11 - 1 13 - 2 24 - 3 14 1 -
NFFT 2 1 - - - - 2 1 - 2 1 -
Hamburg Street - 1 - - - - - 1 - - 1 -
Lousiana Street 1 1 - - - - 1 1 - 1 1 -
Babcock Street 3 - - - - - 3 - - 3 - -
Coal Yard - - - 3 - - 3 - - - - 1
Shop Yard - - - 1 - 1 1 - 1 - - 2
Abbott Road - - - 3 - - 3 - - 3 - -
City - - - 1 2 - 1 2 - 1 2 -
Columbia Street - - - 1 2 - 1 2 - 1 2 -
Transfers 9 - 3 11 7 - 20 7 3 15 6 1
Totals 26 3 4 33 11 3 59 14 7 40 14 4
Estimated Decrease in Switch Engine and Transfer Shifts
7-day shifts 19
5-day shifts 3
The Erie yard has three antiquated rider humps and of the twenty-four, seven-day assignments eliminated, one operates with a twelve-man ground crew in addition to the engine crew, one with an eleven-man crew, one with a ten-man crew, one with an eight-man crew, one with a seven-man crew, one with a six-man crew and one with a five-man crews One of the five-day assignments operates with a four-man crew.
The above reduction in switch engine shifts and transfers represents the. elimination of about 136 jobs daily. The aggregate saving is $1,803,556 per year and the release of ten diesel yard locomotives for other service would result.
As to forces employed in yard offices, freight stations, etc., the statement below summarizes estimated net reductions or additions in jobs which would result from merger.
The net changes in jobs are shown, regardless of whether they are assigned to work five, six or seven days per week. The number of employees involved. would be slightly greater because of the relief men required to handle the 6th and 7th day assignments.
Net Number of Jobs Abolished
Yard Forces 27
Freight Stations 10
Enginehouses 22
Car Inspectors 46
Freight Car Repair Tracks 20
Miscellaneous 4 (Added)
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Total 121
Total estimated savings in non operating labor in the Buffalo study are $736,642, which is included in the, total savings from all sources of $2,007,340 per year. Total net cash required, mostly for construction of the new hump yard, is estimated at $4,075,681, and after interest on this amount at 5% is deducted, net savings are show& as $1,803,556.
In a sense, the proposal to spend over $4,000,000 for a yard at Buffalo may not seem consistent with Studies V and XIII where it is estimated the merged company would experience a total of about $12,000,000 of revenue lost or diverted from the Buffalo Gateway.
It is suggested that in the event,of merger the order of procedure would be to concentrate on Hornell and when changes have been completed there, it would then be possible to gauge more accurately the movement of traffic through Buffalo. It may well be that announcement of plans to provide a modern yard at Buffalo as early as possible after merger will be a powerful deterrent to diversion of traffic through solicitation by the western connections.
If business is diverted as anticipated, the expenditure at Buffalo may not be necessary in large part, but on the other hand if spent it may prevent a substantial lose of traffic to other lines.
In any event, the form in which these studies are presented represents, in our opinion, the maximum potential loss and greatest foreseeable expenditure at Buffalo. Final results may show some modification of one or both.
Binghamton
The Erie and Lackawanna main lines from Hoboken-Jersey City converge at Great Bend and Hallstead about-fourteen miles east of Binghamton and parallel each other on opposite banks of the Susquehanna River to a point about two miles east of Binghamton where the two rights of way adjoin each other and remain parallel westward through the city. The Lackawanna also has a branch line northward from Binghamton to Chenango Forks from which point separate lines run to Syracuse and Utica.
The Lackawanna East Binghamton yard would be the main yard for a the merged company in the Binghamton area. This yard would combine traffic to and from the east and to and from Scranton with D&H interchange traffic and would also serve as a distribution point for empty equipment for the territory.
The three present receiving and departure tracks would be lengthened to a capacity of about 150 cars which in turn would require other minor track revisions. A new freight car cleaning track would be provided and the switching lead at the east end of the yard would be lengthened. West of Binghamton the Erie and Lackawanna will be coordinated prior to merger and the freight stations are now coordinated. The merged company would use the same freight and passenger station as under coordination. The present Lackawanna enginehouse and car department facilities at East Binghamton would be used.
Under the plan of operation described above the following major abandonments become possible: all except six tracks in the Erie Binghamton yard, Erie mechanical facilities, four tracks in the DL&W "YO" yard and the Erie line between Binghamton and Great Bend as proposed in Study II, Line No. 4.
As a result of the above changes, 18 switch engine tricks per week, four yard force positions, four enginehouse positions, and two car inspectors would be eliminated and one yard diesel locomotive would be released. Four positions would be added, for car cleaning. The net cash cost is estimated at $15,403 and the estimated net annual saving from all sources is $190,533 including 5% interest on the net cash cost.
Scranton-Avoca
The Lackawanna main line is an past-west line passing through the area at Scranton at which point major yards and system heavy repair facilities for locomotives and care are located. The Lackawanna also has a north-south branch line from Scranton to Northumberland known as the "Bloomsburg Branch" which serves the territory on the west side of the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Rivers including Taylor, Kingston and Plymouth.
The Erie branch line from Lackawaxen enters the territory at Rock Jct. and terminates at Plains Jct., serving the area east of the Lackawanna and Susquehanna Rivers including Dunmore, Scranton, Avoca and Pittston. Secondary branch lines serve the territory from Rock Jct. to Jessup and from Hillside Jct. to Plains.
Main freight yards are at Avoca on the Erie and Taylor an Scranton on the Lackawanna. The Lackawanna also has a large retarder yard on the Keyser Valley Branch known as Hampton Yard which is not in use except for storage of cars.
In addition to the above, both lines have numerous mine spurs, industry tracks, and small yards throughout the entire area. The lines described above are shown on Map No. I-B and this map also indicates trackage rights for all lines in this territory.
The plan of operation for this area was based upon abandonment of the Erie line between Hillside Jct. and Hawley as proposed in Study II, and use of the Erie as the main freight route between Hoboken-Jersey City and Great Bend as proposed in Study IV.
The Lackawanna Taylor yard would be the main freight yard for the entire area and Scranton yard would be used mainly as an industrial supporting yard. A segment of the Erie Old Forge Branch would be restored connecting with the Lackawanna Bloomsburg Branch at Old Forge to provide access to the Erie Avoca, Pittston, Plains and Plains Jct. areas. Access to Erie mines and industries north of Dickson City would be via the present Lackawanna route.
Interchange with the CNJ would be at Taylor, with the Lehigh Valley at Pittston Jct. and with the D&H at Scranton.
The Lackawanna diesel shop and freight house at Scranton would be used and the Lackawanna freight repair track would be moved to Taylor yard.
With the concentration of freight operations in the manner described, the following major abandonments shown on Map I-B become possible:
Erie
Scranton: two freight house tracks and freight house.
Dunmore: four yard tracks, one freight house track, freight house, engine house and related trackage, and track scale.
Avoca: bulk of yard, enginehouse and-related trackage, car
repair facility and track scale.
DL&W
Scranton: car repair facility and trackage.
In addition, the following lines in this territory which are also shown on Map No. I-B would be abandoned and are included in Study II:
- Line No. 1: Erie line Hillside Jct. to Hawley
- Line No. 2: Erie line Rock Jct. to Gypsy Grove
- Line No. 3: Erie line Dunmore to East Jct.
In addition to switch engine savings resulting from consolidation of operations this area would realize savings due to rerouting of through traffic over the Erie line east of Hallstead and it is estimated that 60 switch engine shifts per week would be eliminated which may be summarized as follows:
Switch Engine Shifts Per Week
Merged Net
Location Erie DL&W Company Decrease
Scranton-Taylor - 205 163 42
Avoca 18 - 5 13
Dunmore 10 - 5 5
Total 28 205 173 60
Rearrangement of mine runs would result in estimated annual savings of $33,845. The reduction in yard and road service would also release two diesel yard and six road switcher locomotives for other service which includes three Erie road units now operating on the Avoca-Ashley turn and two Lackawanna helper units.
The statement below summarizes estimated net reduction in non-operating jobs which would result from merger.
Net Number of Jobs Abolished
Freight Station 3
Yard Forces 12
Enginehouses 22
Freight Car Repair and Inspection 31
Miscellaneous 2
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70
Total estimated savings in non-operating labor are $375,651, which are included in total savings from all sources of $905,401 per year. Total net cash required is estimated at $63,482 and after interest on this amount at. 5% is deducted, net savings are shown as $902,227.
Of the $507,611 required for new construction, approximately $263,000 represents the cost of restoring a portion of the Erie Old Forge Branch. Due to mine flood damage in the Pittston area, it may be that the level of business on the Erie lines south of Avoca would not warrant the new construction. The Avoca area could be reached via Pittston Jct. and the Lehigh Valley over which the Erie now has trackage rights and it is recommended that this alternative be investigated prior to construction of the proposed extension.
Hoboken,-Jersey City
The Erie main line reaches Jersey City via Ridgewood, Rutherford and Croxton. At Croxton the line divides into a single track tunnel line used for freight only and a single track archway line used for both freight and passenger, which lines again converge at Jersey City. A branch line extends from the east end of the tunnel to Weehawken. The Erie Northern and Greenwood Lake Branches enter the main line in the vicinity of Croxton. The Newark Branch enters the Greenwood Lake Branch about one mile west of Croxton.
The Lackawanna Boonton Branch enters Hoboken via Clifton, Passaic, Kingsland, and Secaucus, and this line is joined by the Morris and Essex Branch from Summit at Bergen Jct. The Lackawanna also has a branch line used for freight only from Kingsland on the Boonton Branch to Harrison on the Morris and Essex Branch.
The main freight yard of the Erie is at Croxton with principal supporting yards at Jersey City and Weehawken. At present all through freight trains originate and terminate at Croxton and transfers handle all traffic between this point and the supporting yards. All Erie lighterage is handled at Weehawken except for a small portion of covered lighterage which is handled at Jersey City Pier 8. All car float traffic is handled at Jersey City.
The Lackawanna main yard is at Hoboken and principal supporting yards are at Secaucus and Harrison. Through freight trains originate and terminate at Hoboken and pick ups or set outs are made at Secaucus. All Lackawanna lighterage operations are concentrated at Hoboken.
The lines and facilities described above comprise the New Jersey Terminal area and are shown in detail on Map No. I-C included in the envelope.
Passenger operations are for the most part already coordinated in the Lackawanna station at Hoboken, and for the purpose of this study it was assumed all passenger service would be coordinated and the Erie passenger facilities at Jersey City would be abandoned prior to merger.
In order to settle on a terminal plan for this area it was first necessary to determine the main line which would be used for handling through freight to and from Binghamton and the west. This question was analyzed in Study IV where it was determined the Erie line would be used.
It was also necessary to determine the water front railhead facilities which would be used. A special day by day car and tonnage study was made for December, 1956, which was the heaviest month on both lines during the year, and based thereon we believe the Lackawanna facilities would be used for all open lighterage, with the area now occupied by the Lackawanna float bridges converted to facilities for storage and handling of open lighterage.
Erie Pier 8 would be used for all westbound and certain selected eastbound covered lighterage. Lackawanna Piers 3, 4, 7 and 9 would be used for the balance of eastbound covered lighterage. Lackawanna Piers 5 and 6 would, be used for all coal, grain and cement.
All car float traffic would be handled at the Erie facility. Two modern electric float bridges,would be added just south of the present bridges, and a supporting yard for the additional float bridges would be constructed on the site,of the present passenger station trackage and passenger car yard at Jersey City. The Erie truck-in-lieu of lighterage facility at Jersey City would be used and would be expanded.
This plan not only concentrates all marine freight operations at one central location allowing for greater efficiency in tug operations, but also eliminates towing to and from Weehawken resulting in substantial savings included in Study VII-M. Additional advantages are as follows:
Based on the above, Erie Croxton Yard would be the main outer yard for the merged company and most of the crews in through freight, local freight, transfer and yard service would originate and terminate at that point. Two new connections are proposed at the intersection of the Erie Greenwood Lake Branch and the Lackawanna Harrison-Kingsland Branch to facilitate movements between Croxton Yard and Harrison and between Croxton Yard and the Lackawanna Boonton Branch. One train per day handling car float and industrial traffic for Jersey City from the west would be classified west of Croxton and would operate direct to Jersey City without break up at Croxton and one westbound forwarder train would also be made up and depart from Jersey City. Two tracks would be replaced on the Erie archway line east of Palisade Avenue and connect with present yard tracks at Jersey City to serve as long receiving and departure tracks.
Coal trains from Scranton would operate direct to Hoboken, and, empty hopper trains would operate out of Hoboken.
Harrison Yard would remain unchanged and would serve as a base yard for industries in that territory and for local way freight crews. Monmouth Street Yard would also remain unchanged and would continue to be used for storage of commuter passenger equipment during daytime layover.
The Erie piggyback facility at Croxton would be used and the Lackawanna facility would be converted to much needed team track area.
Weehawken yard would be reduced to a yard handling interchange and local industrial business. Pier H would be retained for handling iron ore from boat to car. A shell-type building would be constructed on the present site of the Bowery Yard for the handling of set-up automobiles for export now handled at Erie Pier D.
The Lackawanna float bridge at llth Street, Hoboken, would be retained for handling General Foods business.
The Lackawanna freight house at Hoboken would be used and the Erie freight house at Jersey City would be leased.
The Erie enginehouse facilities at Jersey City and Croxton and the Lackawanna enginehouse at Hoboken would be retained.
The Erie car,,repair track at Croxton would be expanded and would serve the entire terminal.
All perishable protective service would be handled at Croxton and Jersey City.
As a result of the above changes in the manner described the following major abandonments become possible:
Erie
Weehawken: all of present Bowery Yard, storehouse and crane shop. Annex "A", Piers A, B, C, D and F and all adjacent land and related trackage outlined in yellow shown on the insert of Map No. I-C would be available for sale or lease.
Jersey City: all passenger station and passenger yard
trackage and facilities which will not be retired under coordination but
which would be necessary to accomplish the proposed track changes for the
supporting yard for the new car float bridges. Grove Street interlocking
would be retired, but the tower and remote control interlocker would be
retained.
DL&W
Hoboken: all float bridges, portion of float yard trackage, east end of four yard tracks, car repair track and facilities, Henderson Street enginehouse tracks and turntable, west end of freight house tracks, icing facility, float yard track scale, and piggyback facility.
Secaucus: bulk of yard, track scale, all repair tracks and facilities, runaround track, running track from Secaucus to Erie Greenwood Lake connection, portion of DL&W-PRR interchange track at West End, yard office and-portion of interlockings at West End Tower and Hackensack River Bridge.
The net change in switch engine shifts and transfers may be summarized as follows:
No. of Shifts Worked Classified
According Days Worked Per Week
---------------------------------------
Merged
Erie DL&W Total Company
7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5 7 6 5
Weehawken 1 2 2 - - - 1 2 2 - 2 1
Jersey City 4 4 7 - - - 4 4 7 6 7 8
Hoboken - - - 8 6 9 8 6 9 1 8 3
Croxton 7 6 5 - - - 7 6 5 13 9 3
Secaucus - - - 2 - 1 2 - 1 - - -
Transfers 6 - - 3 - 1 9 - 1 3 6 -
------- ------- ------- ---------
Totals 18 12 14 13 6 11 31 18 25 23 32 15
Estimated Increase/Decrease
7-day shifts - D 8
6-day shifts - I 14
5-day shifts - D 10
The above summary represents the elimination of 22 switch engine shifts per week. However, 14 car rider positions would be added at Croxton. Two yard diesel locomotives would be released.
The statement below summarizes estimated net reductions in non-operating jobs which would result from merger:
Net Number of Jobs Abolished
Yard Forces 14
Pier and Lighterage 48
Freight Station, 30
Station Bureau 10
Enginehouse 6
Car Inspectors 21
Car Repair Track 18
Miscellaneous 13
Total 160
Total estimated savings in non-operating labor are $965,425, which is included in the saving from all sources of $1,578,403. Total net cash realized is estimated at $1@3,551, and after interest on this amount at 5% is added, net savings are shown as $1,584,581.
The total estimated cost of new construction is $3,273,276 most of which represents new construction at Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken but this amount is more than off-set by (1) selvage from property retired, (2) non-recurring income tax saving and (3) extraordinary expense which would be eliminated as a result of merger detailed in Column 12 of Schedule
Other Common Points
The same procedure was used to determine necessary changes and estimate the net savings of the other nine Common Points shown on Schedule A.
