Re: PC: PC\CR frieght symbols

[anderson <andersoncn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

LAKINSA -AT- AXP.CALUMET.PURDUE.EDU wrote:
> 
> Can anybody try to explain how the PC and early CR used the two letter one number symbols.
> Seth Lakin
> Chesterton IN

Seth:

Some of those old train symbols were a carry-over from NYC practice that 
dated back to World War II, but routings were changed while the two-lette 
symbol remained.  For example:

***In 1944, BF-9 ran from Pittsburgh to Cleveland (Rockport Yard), while 
in 1969, BF-7 was a Detroit-Toledo train.

***In 1944, LS-7 was a Philadelphia-Chicago train via Cleveland, while in 
1969, LS-5 was a Toledo-Detroit symbol.

***NY-4 shows up in both 1944 and 1969 schedules, although in '44 it was 
a Chicago-New York freight via Cleveland, while in 1969 it shows up as an 
Elkhart-Buffalo train via Detroit (and Ontario).

How they came up with the designations is lost to history, I guess.  Most 
of the letter symbols don't correspond with cities of origin/destination 
(with the exception of those "NY"-symboled trains).  NYC simply gave 
trains a couple of letters and a number and that was that.  In 1967, NYC 
ran an "LS"-symboled train (LS-1) from New York City to Bensenville Yard 
(Milwaukee Road) in Chicago, and another "LS" train (LS-3) from Boston to 
Streator, Illinois via Detroit.  The only thing those two trains had in 
common was re-classification in Elkhart.  So why were they both 
"LS"-symbols?  Your guess is as good as mine...

To wrap it up, PC (and Conrail in it's very early months) simply kept 
symbols of existing trains from NYC (and maybe PRR).  They didn't have to 
 make sense to railfans, just to the railroad (and to shippers, I 
presume).

That'll do

Uncle E