East Coast hobos

[SteamGene]

I ran into a fellow writer yesterday who is starting a book about a female hobo in 1938 heading south from New England.  She asked me about railroads that a 'bo would have taken from Conneticut to Florida.  I suggested New Haven to New York, then PRR, Jersey Central, or B&O to DC, then RF&P or Southern/C&O to Richmond/Charlottesville, then Southern, ACL to Florida or Georgia, perhaps Georgia Central through Georgia, then FEC or Seaboard in Florida. 
I'm thinking that 'bos might not know the name of the railroad, but would know the name of towns. 
Where was New Haven under wire?  I know PRR was under wire going into DC - did that start in Baltimore?  Philadelphia? 
Thoughts?  Your chance to get on the Acknowledgement page! 
Gene

[Conrail Quality]

All the electrification in the Northeast was centered around New York, since by law, only electrics could enter into the long tunnels under Manhattan. The New Haven electrified to Stamford in 1907 and New Haven in 1914. The Pennsylvania electrified to Manhattan Transfer (not too far from Seacaucus) in 1910 in conjunction with the opening of Pennsylvania Station in New York. This was third-rail(as opposed to the New Haven's overhead wires). In 1933, the Pennsylvania extended the electrification to Philadelphia using overhead wires, Washington in 1935, and Harrisburgh in 1938. The Penn Station electrification was changed to overhead wires in 1933 (although the third rail wasn't removed). The Pennsylvania acctually electrified out to the RF&P's Potomac Yard in 1938, but that was freight only, the passenger engine change was at Washington.