ERIE-LACKAWANNA

This page will cover the Scranton, PA area of the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western.  Scranton was the heart of the D,L&W
being the largest city in the anthracite coal region.  The main shops for the railroad were there and many coal trains came out of
here destined to the New York City market.  After the merger with the Erie in 1960, things began to decline sharply.  The anthracite
market had already dropped significantly after World War Two and most passenger trains were quickly being discontinued due to the
improved highways.  By the late 1960's and early 1970's most through freights began to be routed via the old Erie main.  The former
Lackawanna main had several disadvantages over the Erie, including the steep grades in and out of Scranton.  However. politics played
a role in things when the political bosses in Scranton discovered that the E-L was not using the old Lackawanna side as much and demanded
that several freights be returned to "their" side.  Thus, in the last few years of the E-L's existence freight activity increased slightly.
After April 1, 1976, Conrail assumed operations and things changed dramatically.  By the early 1980's the Lackawanna side was downgraded
substantially and the final blow was the removal of the mainline track in 1984 across New Jersey. 

  Scranton's passenger station is a very impressive building.  Today it houses a hotel.  This photo taken May 5, 1974.

  Although it was officially closed, the station continued to house railroad offices.  This shot is a bit dark, but the interior remained beautiful.

  This view is from 1987 and as you can see things looked pretty grim.  The passenger line is on the left with the freight yard leads down to the right.

  Another classic Lackawanna concrete tower is at the east end of the freight yard.  December 1987.

  This view looks west and you can see the mountains that are on either side of town.  Steamtown now inhabits the old roundhouse area and the new
Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad operates out of the old freight yard.  Things have improved since this photo was taken.

  An overall view of the diesel service area in Scranton from May 1974.

  GP7 1262 sits next to the concrete footings of the old coal dumper used for the old steam engines.  May 5, 1974.

  GP35 2553 and numerous other units are at the service pits.

  From an earlier visit in 1973, GP7 1200 is under the sand towers.  1200 retained its unusual single beam headlight. October 1973.

  GP7 1260 is coupled up to CNJ SD40 3067.  After 1972, the CNJ and E-L instituted a run-through train following the CNJ pull out from the
state of Pennsylvania.  The trains were ES-99 westbound and SE-98 eastbound. The "S" is Scranton and the "E" is Elizabethport.

  The 3604 is at the other end of the four units.  3604 was one of the earliest SD45's purchased by the E-L.

  Another find on this October 1973 day was this former Baldwin AS-616 converted into a slug unit.

    The E-L Alco units were usually kept out in Ohio, but they did get east occasionally.  On this rather drab day
also in October of 1973, there are two C-424's and a RS-3. 

  GP35 in the snow on March 31, 1974.

  This plow was also there on March 31, 1974.  I will check on its ancestry.

  For whatever reason, this Boston and Maine RS-3 was on the E-L for a few months in late 1973 and into 1974.

  In the summer of 1975, there are a several interesting things to be found.  The CNJ units are in town and the F-units are still in service.

  F7A 7111 is on an all cab unit lash-up on September 7, 1975.  That smoke was from a woods fire on the mountain.

    Two views of F7A 7121 at the service pits also on 9-7-75.

  Another grubby day shot from 1974.  Should have stayed home.

My last visit to the E-L in Scranton was on February 15, 1976.  The dark day was appropriate as the E-L was in its last days.

  A winter time visit on January 24, 1976 found things not so good.  The F's are stored with their exhaust stacks covered.

  In February 1976, things have changed little.  A slump in the economy has put these units out of service.  They would remain so until the
beginning of Conrail in April of 1976.

  During Conrail's early days, they needed everything they could get to keep things running.  Thus, the elderly cab units got a short reprieve.
This set of units is ready on September 12, 1976.

  Another visit in 1977 found these former E-L switchers sitting.  They had yet to get any Conrail markings. 3-14-77.

     On my first visit to Scranton, I lucked out big time with this lash-up pulling a
cut of interchange cars off the D & H.  With the discontinuance of through passenger service the E-L used their E-8's in freight service until the end.  The pair
of Milwaukee Road GP-40's may have been borrowed to evaluate them for purchase.  Anyway, the train swung off the interchange track and stalled on the 
hill blocking traffic on the main street in town.  I didn't hang around to see what the railroad did with this predicament.  October 1973.
  3639 and U33C at the west end of the yard.  October 1973.

  3653 is arriving from Binghamton on December 22, 1974.  

  A view from the Bridge 60 tower on December 22, 1974.  There is much to see in this shot.  Note the Reading truck trailer near the middle.

  By the time this photo was taken in 1982 things had gotten pretty bad.  Conrail pulled out almost entirely.  Only the D & H, which inherited the
E-L main from here to Binghamton, remained active.  The track in the right foreground was originally the connection to the Bloomsburg Branch but now serves
as the main track for D & H, now owned by the CP.  

      Another visit in the summer of 1983 found things just as weedgrown.  The prospect of Steamtown moving
in inched ever closer.  Whatever happened to the two baggage cars?

  Still four more years have passed and things have yet to come together.  There are now a few pieces of equipment sitting for the new
Steamtown site.  The tower was known as Bridge 60.  One thing I always remember about coming here was the bakery on the entrance road. 
These photos from December 1987.  Compare the view from the tower to the one above from 1974.

Here is a link to a page devoted to the Steamtown site as of 2010.  Some big changes!  Click here............

Before continuing on to Binghamton, a few quick images from the Bloomsburg Branch.  The branch headed down the length of the Wyoming Valley and then along
the north bank of the Susquehanna River to Bloomsburg, PA.  

  Taylor, PA 5-16-1982.  The D & H, now CP is currently based here.    Old Forge, PA    Bloomsburg from 1995.

To the next page, Scranton to Binghamton, Click here......

Back to the E-L main page, Click here........