Regarding the crew pools on the EL: I wasn't familiar with east of Hornell, but most of the trains between Hornell and Meadville were run by a long pool district (we called them IDR for Interdivisional Run) between those two locations. So not all trains changed crews at Salamanca. Many trains between Meadville and Marion were operated by IDR crews between those two locations, but there were also many short pool crewed trains that changed at Kent, Ohio. The long pool crews between Hornell and Meadville continued on after Conrail started on April 1, 1976.
As to the full crew laws of New York and Indiana, they were abolished in the 1970's. And they were getting rid of using the full crew men by attrition. So if there weren't enough brakemen around to fill all the assignments, a train did not have to have the extra brakeman. After April 1, 1976, with the reduction of trains between Meadville and Hornell, there were enough brakeman to go around and about all the trains had a full crew man. Otherwise, if they weren't used they had to be paid anyway. It just wasn't required by law anymore. And of course there were no through trains on EL in Indiana after April 1, 1976.
Initially at the start of Conrail, there were three through trains running west of Meadville to the Chicago area. In early 1977, they added an intermodal TV train each way. Westbound, they were BRC97, IHB 7 and IHB 9. Eastbound was BRC76 (I think it was 76), NY 74 and something else. A hand operated connection was installed from the EL main to the former PRR Akron Branch at South St. Akron, Ohio (West of JO Tower where the EL crossed the joint PRR/B&O) and operators were located there in a trailer 24/7. These trains used the former PRR down to Orrville and got on the PRR main at Orrville. The PC had little used the traack between Orrville and Warwick and it received CWR, a major upgrade and its speed raised to 40 MPH. Those through trains only lasted for a short time into the early 1980's before they were gone and the operators removed from South St. Akron.
A few weeks ago I drove to Starucca to see the National Historic Registered Erie RR station and the viaduct. The viaduct is still looking good even with some small homes and buildings built underneath and around it. The original at grade tracks are gone but the ones on the bridge are still there. The station has passed onto a new owner about 6 years ago and he and the town are at war with each other. Basically it seems like personalities are getting in the way of preserving this building. I was there about 12 years ago and the then owners had a small cafe going and used the ballroom for meetings and receptions hoping to make enough money or get grants to help preserve the building. I don't know why they left but the current owner told me he paid $8,000 for the building and had put a lot more into a new roof and some other repairs. Frankly with the town doing their best to hinder this fellow the building is looking very sad. The ballroom is full of construction equipment and debris, the town re-routed drains from a higher road behind which caused flooding in the station basement. Some flooring has rotted through. Who knows what the Pullman bedrooms upstairs are like. The vintage coach and 2 boxcars are still there on the siding slowly aging but still restorable. The main track looks used, i.e. no rust or weeds while the siding hasn't been used. The vintage semaphores and signals are gone but modern ones are still there. The owner said the town and Steamtown are planning to build a railway themed park across the tracks. That would be nice, but it would be nicer if they got this wonderful station restored into its classic standards of railway architecture. It is bigger than the one that burned down in Hornell or Salamanca a few years ago. So yes the bridge is still there and working at least occasionally. Same with the Tunkhannock or Nicholson viaduct down the road a ways. Lots to see and do in this area of Pa. The 2 bridges, the station, Steamtown, the trolley museum and ride, a coal mine tour, head over to Jim Thorpe to see the Asa Packer mansion and museum (Lehigh Valley rr and canal company-maybe the remains of the gravity railway), the Molly McGuires and Jim Thorpe stories and the Reading and Northern RR running through Mauch Chunk now Jim Thorpe.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.