Erie Lackawanna Conductor Badge

This Conductor Badge saw service on the Erie-Lackawanna's Morristown Line. According to people I have talked to and other research, the EL never made employee hat badges. By the time of the EL creation on Oct 17, 1960, there were already train-offs occurring and the EL employees either kept using their old badges or an employee could purchase a generic badge like this one. This was obviously a cost cutting move by the new, cash strapped railroad. This badge was in service until its owner retired in 1980. On Sunday it rode former EL rails once again and it visited Hoboken Terminal for the first time in 37 years. The strangest "quirk" I have found involving EL hardware has to be in the diners. The railroad took Erie silverware and made new pieces with the EL diamond logo. However, no new china was ever made with the EL logo. Dining car china was surplus Erie Starrucca pattern or the plain white unmarked Lackawanna Phoebe Snow pattern. The spoon at the top of the photo shows the EL Grecian Pattern, with the Erie version right below it.