ML-12 1964 Schedule Page from Canada Southern

This is a collection of ML-12 consists for almost two weeks from February 1963.  Most trains include consists from one or more intermediate stations, allowing work enroute to be determined.

ML-12 (ML for Multilevel) was NYC’s finished autos train from the Detroit area to the Northeast.  It also picked up additional autos at Fairlane Yard from the Ford Plant in Lorain, OH.  In the first years of the train’s operation, Flexi-Vans from Detroit were also handled.  Empties returned to Detroit via ML-9.  According to Malcolm Laughlin, the goal was a 4 day cycle time for the multilevel equipment, an impressive feat given the multitude of origin-destination pairs involved.

The Beginning

These 1963 consists represent the earliest operations of ML-12.  Multilevel traffic was small enough that the train was filled with Flexi-Vans, sometimes handling more Flexi-Vans than autos.  A typical train picked up at Fairlane, and set out Flexi-Vans at Collinwood, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.  Additional autos and Flexi-Vans were also occasionally picked up.  Unfortunately, there are no consists from Detroit so it can’t be determined if the train also worked at Toledo.

In 1963, consignees included auto carrier trucking companies such as Anchor Motor Freight and FJ Boutell Driveaway as well as Ford and Cheverolet.  Some autos also appear to have been exported by forwarder DC Andrews through the Port of New York.

Note about Collinwood Flexi-Vans: these were consigned to many different locations such as Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville, and others.  For simplicity I labeled them collectively as Collinwood.

Timekeeping was also different than the published 1964 schedule.  The train typically left Toledo in the morning, was around Cleveland midday, departed Buffalo in the late evening, and would’ve arrived at Selkirk in the early morning hours.  Either the schedule changed before the 1964 schedule above, or the schedule was unattainable as none of the trains were close to the times published above.  The trains also failed to make the scheduled times between stations as shown above.

Growth

By 1964, ML-12 no longer handled Flexi-Vans for intermediate destinations, as shown in the schedule above.  Multilevel traffic continued to grow, and by 1965, the train had become a lengthy solid auto train, sometimes exceeding two miles in length, with the Flexi-Vans relegated to being handled by MC-4.

Malcolm Laughlin from the NYC-Railroad groups.io group relates a story:

This reminds me of the time I was in Selkirk in the fall of 1965 when the 140 car ML-12 arrived. That train was 2 1/4 miles long. Jack Chester and I had taken SLX-1 to Selkirk to watch the switching of the westbound Flexi-van fleet – SV-1, SV-3 and SV-11. Each of those trains had more than seven blocks for various destinations and connections beyond Elkhart and Indianapolis. There was an intricate block switching operation on a tight schedule.

Just as switching had begun, ML-12 arrived, about four hours late – no surprise for a train of that length. The inbound route for ML-12 crossed over the lead used to switch the van trains. With ML-12 crossing at yard speed, the lead was blocked for more than a half hour, causing departures of SV-1 and SV-5 to be about 45 minutes late.

Further Changes

By 1967, ML-12 traffic had grown to the point that MC-4 was now also handling some multilevels in addition to the Flexi-Vans.  From Malcolm Laughlin from the NYC-Railroad groups.io group:

I have ML-12 dated 10/20/1967. By that time the vans had been moved to MC-4 [this happened by 1965, see the 1965 Freight Schedules Supplement which shows MC-4 with the vans (ML-12 is not included, unfortunately)].

Blocking from Detroit is Multi-levels classified
1. Framingham – s/o at DeWitt
2. Weehawken
3. Little Ferry
4. Selkirk.

It shows a connection from MC-4 for Multi-levels picked up at Wayne and Willow Run in the late afternoon.

Pickup on the head end at Fairlane is
3A. Little ferry
4A Selkirk/B&A – s/o at DeWitt

Note how Fairlane pickup is arranged with B&A setoff are together from Fairlane. A lot of thought at 466 [466 Lexington Ave., headquarters] went into arranging multiple blocks to minimize switching.

Thank You

Special thanks to members of the NYC-Railroad groups.io group for their information and assistance.

The Consists

Saturday, February 9, 1963: NYC ML-12 2-9-1963

• Depart Toledo 10:20, 30L – 4E
  Autos for Little Ferry & Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Collinwood, Buffalo, Syracuse
• Depart Collinwood 16:55, 39L – 0E
  Autos for Little Ferry & Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester
• Depart East Buffalo 22:25, 52L – 3E
  Autos for Little Ferry, Weehawken, Framingham, North Bergen, Readville
  Flexi-Vans for Syracuse, Rochester, Dewitt, High Bridge
• Called Dewitt 01:40, 41L – 0E
  Autos for Little Ferry, Weehawken, Framingham, North Bergen, Readville
  Flexi-Vans for High Bridge

Sunday, February 10: NYC ML-12 2-10-1963

• Depart Toledo 11:50, 53L – 0E
  Autos for Little Ferry, Weehawken, Readville
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, High Bridge, Boston, Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo

Tuesday, February 12: NYC ML-12 2-12-1963

• Depart Toledo 07:30, 12L – 5E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Syracuse, Buffalo, Collinwood
• Depart Collinwood 12:26, 28L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Boston, Syracuse, Buffalo
• Depart East Buffalo 17:10, 25L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Boston, Syracuse
• Called Dewitt 20:10, 22L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Boston

Wednesday, February 13: NYC ML-12 2-13-1963

• Depart Toledo 08:45, 32L – 11E
  Autos for Weehawken, Little Ferry
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Collinwood
• Depart Collinwood 13:33, 36L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken, Framingham
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo
• Depart East Buffalo 18:10, 29L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken, Framingham
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse
• Called Dewitt 21:30, 19L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken, Framingham

Thursday, February 14: NYC ML-12 2-14-1963

• Depart Toledo 04:40, 35L – 13E
  Autos for Weehawken, Little Ferry
  Flexi-Vans for Syracuse, Buffalo, Collinwood
• Pick up 11 autos for Readville and Little Ferry at Fairlane
• Depart Collinwood 13:30, 52L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo
• Depart East Buffalo 18:25, 47L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse
• Called Dewitt 21:35, 42L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken

Friday, February 15: NYC ML-12 2-15-1963

• Called Toledo 13:30, 38L – 3E
  Autos for Framingham, Weehawken, Little Ferry, Readville
  Flexi-Vans for High Bridge, Collinwood
• Pick up 8 autos for Framingham and Little Ferry at Fairlane
• Depart Collinwood 21:55, 48L – 0E
  Autos for Framingham, Little Ferry, Weehawken, Readville
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, High Bridge, Syracuse, Buffalo

Saturday, February 16: NYC ML-12 2-16-1963

• Depart Toledo 09:50, 58L – 0E
  Autos for Little Ferry, Weehawken
• Pick up 5 autos for Readville and Little Ferry at Fairlane
• Depart Collinwood 14:35, 58L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo
• Depart East Buffalo 22:00, 54L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse

Sunday, February 17: NYC ML-12 2-17-1963

• Pick up 13 autos for Framingham, Readville, Little Ferry, Weehawken at Fairlane
• Depart Collinwood 14:51, 52L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Framingham, Weehawken, Little Ferry, Ayer
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo
• Depart East Buffalo 19:35, 50L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Framingham, Weehawken, Little Ferry, Ayer
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse

Tuesday, February 19: NYC ML-12 2-19-1963

• Depart Toledo 07:35, 15L – 4E
  Autos for Weehawken, Little Ferry
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Collinwood
• Pick up 6 autos for Readville, Little Ferry, and Weehawken at Fairlane
• Depart Collinwood 12:35, 20L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Weehawken, Little Ferry
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo
• Depart East Buffalo 16:30, 17L – 0E
  Autos for Readville, Weehawken, Little Ferry
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse

Wednesday, February 20: NYC ML-12 2-20-1963

• Called Toledo 07:00, 41L – 6E
  Autos for Weehawken, Little Ferry
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Collinwood
• Pick up 9 autos for Readville and Little Ferry at Fairlane
• Depart Collinwood 13:20, 53L – 0E
  Autos for Framingham, Little Ferry, Readville, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo
• Depart East Buffalo 18:10, 54L – 0E
  Autos for North Bergen, Readville, Little Ferry, Framingham, Weehawken
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse
• Called Dewitt 21:15, 52L – 0E
  Autos for North Bergen, Readville, Little Ferry, Framingham, Weehawken

Thursday, February 21: NYC ML-12 2-21-1963

• Depart Toledo 08:30, 35L – 3E
  Autos for Weehawken, Little Ferry
  Flexi-Vans for Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Collinwood