LEHIGH RIVER AREA

First a brief history:

This page will cover the area north of Allentown, PA.  The railroads in this area consisted of the Lehigh Valley and the Central Railroad of
New Jersey.  Both were built for the purpose of moving anthracite coal to the Philadelphia and New York City markets back in the 1800's.
After World War Two, coal declined significantly as a source of home heating fuel and the railroads declined as well.  In 1972, the Jersey
Central pulled out of Pennsylvania altogether leaving the Lehigh Valley to last until Conrail began in 1976.  After Conrail, most of the original
Lehigh Valley was removed from Allentown north to Lehighton.  The yard in Lehighton had been closed after 1972 and the Jersey Central
tracks north of Jim Thorpe were largely removed when the LV and CNJ consolidated their trackage back in the 1960's.

Today, the mainline belongs to the Norfolk Southern.  NS runs only one through train here daily with the Canadian Pacific having an occasional
through train to Philadelphia as well.  Also involved in the area is the Reading and Northern.  In a somewhat unusual arrangement, the R & N
uses one of the two tracks between Jim Thorpe and the Wilkes-Barre area with NS still owning the other.  Until fairly recently the track through
the Lehigh Gorge north of Jim Thorpe was inaccessible except by rail or foot.  Today, the State of Pennsylvania uses the former CNJ right-of-way
as a rail-trail.  It is accessed above Jim Thorpe at a location known as Glen Onoko or from the north end near White Haven.  Suitable for biking
or walking, the trail opens up numerous photo opportunities very few rail photographers were previously unable to get.  The bad thing though, there
are very few trains running anymore.  Except for the winter months, the R & N operates weekend excursion trips out of the old CNJ depot in
Jim Thorpe up into the Gorge.  The trips run hourly and last about 45 minutes.  I highly recommend a visit and a ride !  For info, see below.

Here are a few samples of the fantastic scenery the train passes through:

At a spot just above Glen Onoko, you can see the trail directly adjacent to the tracks.  At this particular location the train is on a track that was relocated slightly from its original alignment.  The trail is on the CNJ right-of-way and is in excellent condition.  Bring provisions with you !!

  A short distance up, the train is now on what once was the Lehigh Valley's westbound track.  The stone wall is a common sight along
here as the CNJ was built after the LV and had to squeeze between the LV and the river.  Unfortunately, this meant any flooding or washouts
affected the CNJ to a greater degree.

One more note on visiting the Lehigh Gorge.  Bring food and drink with you. Beware of the wildlife.  Bears and rattlesnakes are common here.
Because the Gorge is narrow and twisting, the time of day and sun angle will make planning your photos a necessity.

Links to sites related to this area:

http://www.gingerb.com/central_railroad_of_new_jersey.htm  Interactive map with numerous historical photos 

http://www.lgsry.com/  Complete information on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway

http://www.traillink.com/ViewTrail.aspx?AcctID=6016997  Information on the trails

The one train that NS operates here usually runs during the night.  If the southbound (railroad direction is eastbound) is running a bit late, you
may be able catch it below Lehighton.  Such was the case on October 25, 2009.  Train 13T had stopped to pick up interchange cars off the R & N
in what was once the Packerton Yards. 

  From this angle it is difficult to imagine that this was the middle of a large freight yard not all that long ago.  The small trees
on the right disguise the openness of this spot.  SD60M 9666 leads 13T this day. 

  After leaving Lehighton. the tracks cross the Lehigh River to the town of Weissport.  These are former CNJ tracks and if
you look closely you can see the old CNJ milepost marker near the telephone poles.  Once a double track main, only one remains to Allentown.

  Pennsylvania Highway 248 parallels the track from Weissport to the Lehigh Gap.  This is Bowmanstown and that market shows
up in many photos taken here over the years.

  After passing through the remains of the New Jersey Zinc complex and the town of Hazards, the track curves around to pass
through the natural opening in Blue Mountain known as Lehigh Gap.  Route 248 and 145 join here and the bridge over to the other side of the
river makes a nice photo angle.  Some concrete bridge piers remain in the river here and used to carry carry the old Lehigh and New England track
across the river.  The L&NE ran along the mountain heading west toward the coalfields near Tamaqua.

  South of the Lehigh Gap Route 145 parallels the track down.  Walnutport used to be a small town along the river but has grown
substantially in recent years.  Below there several photo opportunities can be had.  About one mile north (west) of Treichlers, this grade crossing
is a good spot for a quick grab shot.  The CNJ once had three tracks here, so the right-of-way is fairly wide.

  While all you can see here today is a single track with a switch leading into a siding, things were more complex years ago.
The switch leads to the old Mausers Mill plant.  Still a rail customer !  From here the CNJ went from two tracks to three.  When the LV
took over they reduced it down to a single track.  Conrail revised some track alignments and together with the new tree growth very little
remains of what once was once a busy location.

  South of Treichlers, the track stays on the east side of the river while Route 145 crosses over to the west side.  The former
Lehigh Valley main was on the west side and as of late 2009 it appears the State of Pennsylvania is converting the LV right-of-way into another
rail-trail.  In this photo the train is passing the former CNJ station called Siegfried.  The town of Northampton is so long that the CNJ built
this station to serve the north end of town.  It was restored some years ago and remains well kept.

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