Question About The Passenger Train That Went Through Youngstown

[sfc_oliver]

That's pretty much what I had figured, strange to see though....

[Rick Rowlands]

They were being shipped on their own wheels somewhere.

[sfc_oliver]

6 or 7 years ago, we noticed several passenger cars in the center of a freight train going through Lowellville. We noticed this from the house and couldn't tell if there was any passengers, I sort of doubt it. If I remember right there were 3 or 4 passenger cars and at least 40 cargo......

[Rick Rowlands]

This was a rare mileage, all private car excursion chartered over NS. The purpose was to travel down the Erie from NJ to Hubbard and also to travel the PRR Conemaugh line from Pittsburgh to Conpit, and then return back east.  Each car on the train is privately owned and maintained to Amtrak standards.  This is the second or third time that Bennett Levin has organized these rare mileage excursions. 

[Towntalk]

A rare sight rolled through Youngstown Sunday afternoon on the tracks in downtown.

The passenger train crossed through downtown under the Center Street Bridge.

The seven car train began its journey in Hoboken, New Jersey and is was headed into Pittsburgh for the night.

The train's two engines were built in 1951 and used to run on the old Erie Mainline track right through town.

This was the first time a passenger train has travel through since the early 70's, when the Pacific Limited last ran through Youngstown.

It's also rumored that the Kennedy Family rode on the train's last car, the Pennsylvania 120.

The Engine was also an old Pennsylvania RR engine.

If these were original Pennsylvania RR Engines why would they have ever used Erie tracks since the Pennsylvania RR had its own Mainline tracks when it was operating here?

[jay]

It was reported on WYTV news today that an old style passenger train traveled through Youngstown today.  The report stated that the train started in New Jersey and was stopping over in Pittsburgh for the night.

Question
Wasn't there a more direct route between New Jersey and Pittsburgh?