ERIE-LACKAWANNA

This page will cover the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western from the Delaware Water Gap to the Scranton area. 
The Lackawanna operated a network of branch lines south of the Stroudsburg area toward Bangor and into the cement region.
One main customer remaining today is the large power plant just below Portland. 

Once the mainline headed west from East Stroudsburg it faced a stiff climb over the Pocono Mountains and then down into the
Wyoming Valley and Scranton, PA.

Our first stop will be in the Portland and Delaware Water Gap areas.

A view from the Pennsylvania side of the old main line bridge over the Delaware River.  The tracks to the left lead into the power plant.

  Just north (west) of the power plant, I am standing on what once was the original double track mainline of the Lackawanna.  The NS units brought in a
coal train and are waiting out the weekend.  March 22, 2009.

  From about the same location as above only looking the other way, a C424 pulls into the yard on 6-19-74.  Photographer unknown.

  The new main line cutoff across New Jersey ended after crossing into Pennsylvania on this concrete viaduct.  It was longer than the one at Hainesburg but
not as high.  Built for two tracks it has remained unused since 1984.  It's deteriorating condition will require significant work to restore to service.  The tracks at the bottom of
the photo are the old main line through Portland, PA.  March 2009.

  Looking north (railroad west) this is the Portland station on the old main.  If you look carefully, just above the red gas station sign in the distance is where the
old Lehigh and New England crossed over the tracks and the river to NJ.  Their bridge was removed back in the 1960's except for one pier on the Jersey side.

  This GP7 sits at the small terminal at Bangor, PA in 1975.    From just about the same location thirty four years later.

  This is from an original slide I purchased some years ago.  The EL kept their Fairbanks-Morse units in this area for several years. 
Bangor, PA on 4-11-65.  Photographer unknown.

      Images of Bangor from 2009.  Conrail pretty much cleaned out everything that was there. 
Perhaps some environmental issues were the reason.

  Again another purchased original slide.  This train is at Belfast, PA.  This line reached down to Stockerton.  7-2-1972.

Back to the mainline at the Water Gap.

  EL U33C 3322 leads train TC-4 eastbound at Slateford Jct. on July 13, 1975.  The train is on the newer mainline while the old main is to the right.

  Very hard to believe, but this is from the same location.  The mainline was removed in 1984, the bridge I was standing on in 1975 was removed also.
The freight cars are for interchange between the NS and the Delaware-Lackawanna.  They are sitting on some new tracks built for this purpose.

  TC-4 begins its climb up to the viaduct over the Delaware River.

       A few more images of the Slateford Jct. from March 2009.  The concrete construction has allowed the tower to
remain standing all these years.  That small embankment on the left of the first photo is the remains of the mainline.

  From the summer of 1975, we see SD45 3668 heading east.  The short train only required the one unit.

    GP 35 2551 and two F-units bring a coal train toward Portland.  At this time, what was once the westbound main track became the
lead to the Portland secondary while the eastbound main was the single main track.

  GP35 2582 leads a U25B and another EMD east.  1974.

  On or about September 12, 1975, the EL had a pretty bad wreck in the Water Gap.  At this point the railroad makes
 a very sharp curve around the neck of the mountain and train ES-99 hit a weak spot in the roadbed and derailed.  The lead unit fortunately broke
 free of the wreck, however the second unit, SD45 3637 caught fire and burned.  The third unit, CNJ SD40-3069 also caught fire.

    The two units were pushed down to Portland to await scrapping.  The CNJ 3069 eventually became a slug unit
 for the Norfolk and Western being assigned to their Roanoke, VA yard.  To the best of my knowledge, it is still in use today.

    Train SC-8 with a pair of SD45's and a pair of C424's take the switch onto the Portland secondary.  June 30, 1974.

  U33C 3314 leads a westbound on the main awaiting a signal.

  Another westbound passes the remains of the Delaware Water Gap station on the morning of September 14, 1975.

    As viewed from the shoulder of Interstate 80, the Water Gap station has seen better days.  November 1987.

  OK, so its not the most scenic shot, but we got caught in the wrong spot when this westbound started pulling.  9-14-75.

    SD45 3609 has yet to get its Conrail number as it leads a lite power move at East Stroudsburg on 5-31-76.  Even
at this early date, Conrail had little interest in retaining the old Lackawanna main.  With several other New York to Buffalo lines, the steep grades
over the Poconos, the deteriorating condition of the once grand Lackawanna concrete viaducts and the awkward entrance into Croxton Yard in
Secaucus, NJ this route had little going for it.  By mid-1984 the main was pulled up east of the Water Gap.

  A quick visit in 1982, yielded a very quiet right-of-way.  The signals are still active, but the rusty rail is a sign of things to come.

  The old freight station has just about lost its roof and is in sad shape.  September 26, 1982.

     Ten years later the tower has been restored, but the rails are even rustier.  October 22, 1992.

    Another visit in March of 2009 shows the tower now starting to need some attention again.  The station housed
a restaurant until October 26, 2009 when a fire destroyed much of the building.  The building dated back to the 1880's.  Hopefully it will be rebuilt.
The tracks have seen a new lease on life as the Delaware-Lackawanna operates through here about twice per week.  There is still much talk
regarding the restoration of passenger service between Hoboken and Scranton so things may again change.  The recession of 2009 has put a
damper on such things.

  About two miles west of East Stroudsburg is the area known as Analomink.  This signal bridge no doubt held the approach signals. 11-1-87.

Another few miles west, at a point where Route 191 goes under the railroad I got several trains descending the steep grade during 1973 and 1974.

    A very clean SD45 3639 with what looks like silver trucks is heading eastbound.  November 1973.

  A poor grubby day photo with something of interest.  The EL was apparently leasing a pair of Milwaukee Road GP-40's.
I can only guess that they were evaluating the GP40 for possible purchase.  It never happened.  October 1973.

  SD45 2653 leads a GP35 heading down the hill.  My notes indicate the SD was dead.  Dropping down this grade with just the one active unit
doesn't seem to me to be good thing, but apparently no disaster occurred.  April 28, 1974.

    One of the more famous landmarks in the Pocono's was the classic Lackawanna depot at Cresco.  By the time of this photo,
the tracks were inactive and the station simply sat there boarded up.  It has been restored and the tracks are active again.  Photo taken on November 1, 1987.

  This is the site of the Mt. Pocono station.  Note that the track in the distance swings over from what was once the eastbound main to the westbound 
main.  Also November 1, 1987.

      Pocono Summit Station in 1987.  The CN steam engine is part of the Steamtown display in Scranton.

  Back in 1984, the Tobyhanna station sat forlorn and boarded up.

  Again thanks to its sturdy concrete construction this Lackawanna tower remains.

  A view looking east at the Tobyhanna station area.  With the station, the tower and the signals I have to wonder why I never spent more time
on this section of railroad back in the good old days.  May 12, 1984.

  Speaking of the good old days, this is an eastbound train climbing the grade passing through Moscow. PA.  March 31, 1974.

    A short distance up further passing through Elmhurst.  Veteran F7 7094 is working hard along with its younger cousins.

  A view just east of Scranton.  Train SF-100 is passing under the former Erie branch from Honesdale.

    SD45 3630 leads a New Jersey DOT owned U34CH borrowed for the weekend.  Moscow, PA, 1-24-76.

  Near Elmhurst.  The snow covered roads limited photo opportunities to spots near the highway.

    Gouldsboro, PA.

  On December 22, 1974, train SE-98 with the CNJ "Red Baron" SD40 3067 leading is ready to depart Scranton.

  Similar view from above only with a normal lens.

    Gouldsboro in 1987 was a quiet place.  The tracks across NJ were pulled out in 1984 and not much was happening.

    Moscow also in 1987.  The Steamtown trains were not far in the future.  December 6, 1987.

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