September 11, 1874: "Home News": At Port Jervis, NY on a single evening not long since, there were assembled not less than 1,615 cars and 101 locomotives belonging to the Erie railway.

"Home and Vicinity": The Erie Railway are having fifty new coaches built, of an improved style, in anticipation of the immense traffic of the Centennial year.

"Home and Vicinity": On Monday morning an extra to No. 3 on the Erie passed through this place with 180 U.S. Soldiers on their way to the seat of the Indian War. They were from the 3rd Artillery, Fort Hamilton, N.Y.

Thirty miles per hour is the speed to which Erie engineers have been limited to run their trains.

"Home and Vicinity": The snow makes work on the railroad. Erie track foreman Kane has had an extra force of men busy during the week shoveling the tracks and "flanging" the snow out from the sides of the rails.

The Delaware Division of the Erie has been blockaded by the late snowstorms and ice to a greater extent, it is said, that ever known in the history of the road. During Tuesday and Wednesday about 100 men were engaged in shoveling snow and ice from the track between this place and the eastern end of the division. Among this number between 40 and 50 were extra men. Tuesday Engineer Ware arrived here with 40 men and put them at work between here and Stockport. The "flanging" of the track on the division was about completed on Wednesday and most of the extra men were dismissed. Trouble, however, may be yet expected, as whenever a thaw comes water will run and freeze on the rails and thus cause a serious impediment to the moving of trains.

November 16, 1877: The Erie company have given orders for the number of every locomotive, day and night, to be telegraphed to Jersey City the minute it passes the various depots, so that the precise location of every train on the road will be known and at all times. Railroading is getting to be one of the exact sciences.

October 9, 1879: Equinunk, Oct. 8: The new tank which the N.Y., L.E. & W. Railroad have just erected at Lordville is quite an improvement to the place, as well as a great convenience.

July 29, 1880: Railroad Notes: The first passenger car on the Erie, lit with gas, went east on the fast train No. 8 on Monday. There are four large burners on a side, with two large reservoirs under the car for the gas. The gentleman in charge reported the working of the new light a grand success. It will probably be placed on all the Erie passenger cars in time.

October 14, 1880: Railroad Notes: General Grant passed through Hancock on Erie train, 8 o'clock Saturday evening. The train was two hours late and only stopped a short time. The few who could shook hands with the General.

November 25, 1880: Railroad Notes: The Erie Company pays $30 for cows killed by it.

April 7, 1881: It is promised that the Erie trackmen and laborers, whose wages were advanced recently, will be further increased to $1.20 per day.

May 26, 1881: The watchmen along the Delaware division of the Erie railroad, receiving $1.00 a day, have been given a ten-cent increase per day. They work from six in the morning until six at night.

June 1, 1882: The Erie railroad was chartered in 1832, and opened from Piermont on the Hudson River, to Goshen in 1841; extended to Binghamton in 1848; to Elmira in 1849; to Corning in 1850; and to Dunkirk in 1851.

June 15, 1882: Hereafter all the passenger trains on the Erie road are to burn hard coal. As fast as the change can be made, the locomotives will all be changed to hard coal burners.

December 21, 1882: It is announced that about the first of next month the Erie will commence tearing up the third rail, thus doing away with all broad guage rolling stock.

July 10, 1884: The Erie Company has paid its road tax to the highway commissioners. The amount was $1,028.50.

November 26, 1885: An engine and caboose left Hancock yesterday morning soon after 6 o'clock to get some men from Lordville, and just before reaching that place it ran into the rear end of a freight train. Several men were somewhat bruised, and the caboose and one car were burned and the engine somewhat damaged.

June 17, 1886: The Erie some times posts notices on a number of its bridges prohibiting pedestrians from crossing. Many people, however, pay no attention to these notices, and it has been decided to adopt other means to keep them off the bridges. The ends of the ties are to be cut off close to the rails so that those who use the bridge will have to walk between the tracks, and if a train comes along will have to choose between being run over or jumping into the water.

July 15, 1886: Fast Newspaper Train
Beginning Sunday, a fast newspaper train will be run over the Erie railway, leaving Jersey City at 2:45 a.m. and reaching Hancock at 6:32, Susquehanna at 7:17, and Elmira at 9:15. This train has been chartered by a combination of New York Sunday papers . . . The idea being to supply the people living along the Erie and its branches with papers, at an early hour, and also to extend their field to points in the western part of the state. This newspaper train consists of an engine and two cars and is the fastest on the road, its running time on the rails being fifty miles per hour. The train will make, we understand, but four stops between Jersey City and Elmira, bundles of papers being thrown off at every station where they are ordered. (Note: Discontinued in November, 1886)

August 5, 1886: The Erie has ordered twenty new hard coal burning engines for use on its passenger trains. The engines are to be equipped with all the latest improvements, are to possess great power, and are to be built with special reference to speed, from 65 to 70 miles per hour being expected of them.

September 2, 1886: The Erie has sent out a circular to parties who may desire to erect hotels or private houses along its line, offering special inducements in the way of freight &c. A copy of the circular will be sent to all who apply.

October 21, 1886: To persons wishing to attend the dedication of the Bartholdi Statue of Liberty October 28, 1886, the N.Y.L.E. & W. R.R. Co. will sell excursion tickets from Hancock to New York and return, at $4.

January 26, 1888: Alva I. Lord of Lordville, in 1856 deposited with the Erie $5 for his station and car key, the price being imposed to make the agents careful not to lose the keys. On December 14, 1887 Mr. Lord returned his key, as the custom of locking cars with the key had been discontinued. He received $20.49 as principal and interest on his $5 deposit.

May 31, 1888: Notice to Farmers Along the Railroad
Many farmers along the line of the Erie have received notice from the company that in future they must maintain the fences along the track. It seems that when the company secured the right of way for the road, many farmers agreed to maintain the fences but have failed to do so. The company now proposes that they shall do as agreed or be responsible for damages. It is quite a serious matter for the farmers interested.

July 19, 1888: "Roar of the Rails": The Erie has now completed stone ballasting of its road for a distance of 200 miles from New York. The ballast is 18 inches in depth, and gives a pleasant elasticity to the road bed as trains fly over it. New, 74 pounds to the yard, steel rails are being substituted as the continued improvements are being carried on.

August 16, 1888: "Sullivan County": Extra to train 4, on Saturday morning, did some pretty fast running between Lordville and Callicoon. The distance between the two places is about 19 miles, and yet the Extra made the run in 19 minutes. This is remarkable speed considering that the road is full of sharp curves. If the road bed was not in excellent shape, this speed could not be attained.

October 4, 1888: "Down Around Stockport": Daniel LaBarre has returned from his trip to Missouri, bringing with him car loads of horses and sheep. He reports the crops in the states through which he passed as being very good.

April 25, 1889: Only When the Railroads Bid
The price of real estate in Hancock has advanced 100 per cent the last few days. The cause -- competition between the Erie and the N.Y. O & W Railway Companies for the right of way. (Orange County Press)

May 23, 1889: Long Eddy, May 20: The railroad company expects to take the switch out at the Basket dock. H.W. McCoon will not sell the dock to them.

May 30, 1889: Long Eddy, May 27: There are more stone men in town this week than there has ever been before at one time. The Basket stone dock has been opened again. The railroad company on account of some trouble with the owner of the dock refused to give them any cars. The trouble has been settled and the switch has been filled with cars.

June 13, 1889: "Near-By Notes": In 1888 the stone business done along the Delaware division of the Erie railway amounted to a million dollars, gross. Of this the Erie got about $200,000 for freight.

September 26, 1889: A "Herald" reporter in interviews with Messrs. Randall & Underwood and J.W. Kirkpatrick of this village get it as their opinion that no less than 2,500 cars of bluestone will be quarried and shipped from the town of Hancock for the year of 1889. Of this amount about 2,000 cars will go from Hancock village and Lordville. Figured at $80 a car, the result is the round sum of $200,000. This is a very handsome showing, when we consider that about 60% of the above amount goes to the producers -- the real laborers of the town.

December 26, 1889: Brakemen on the Erie are now required to pay $1 each for the lanterns used by them in the company's service. There are exceptions to this rule. Delaware division brakemen are excepted. We can't speak for the rest of the road.