When did Pfizer in Easton stop rail service?

[carajul]

Along Rt 22 in Easton (Wilson), PA is the Pfizer factory at Rt 22 & 13th St. As far as I know it's still operating. It's all full of red dust. When did they stop rail service? They were located along the E&N branch. The 1988 arials show all the track still in place. The E&N went right thru the plant... in fact the plant buildings were shaped around the rail line. Just north of the plant along the creek was a 5 track yard. All track in place in 1988. But I don't see any cars spotted anywhere. I read in one of Bednar's books that in the 70s that place got tons of tank cars. I guess CR wasn't interested in providing service. I think they abandoned the E&N in 2001 when the creek flooded. Now we have the "Palmer Bike Trail" thru Palmer Twp. CR ripped that rail out and left no trace - ties, rails, plates, spikes everything wiped out. Kinda like they didn't want a short line starting up.

[charlie6017]

CR ripped that rail out and left no trace - ties, rails, plates, spikes everything wiped out. Kinda like they didn't want a short line starting up.

Oh, Conrail was great for that. They wouldn't want the trackage, and would make sure no one else got 'em either!

Charlie

[BuddCarToBethlehem]

If you check out these two links, you can get two conflicting answwers.

http://www.traillink.com/trail/palmer-t ... rail).aspx

http://jerseycentrallines.webs.com/cnjp ... istory.htm

Now, I don't trust the accuracy of the township website since they say it stopped in '72. As for Bryan Monek's site, I'm not too sure he's correct either with his '76 date; although, he is correct about the Minsi-Trail Branch.

I could be wrong, but I want to say that I saw cars on the tracks near Northampton Street as late as 1990, give or take a few years.

[obsessed railfan]

I just want to point out that the information on the Jersey Central Lines web site link is correct inasmuch as the CNJ's Easton & Western (E&W) Branch was removed in 1976 and was already out of service prior to that. Pfizer was located on the Lehigh Valley's Easton & Northern (E&N) Branch.

[carajul]

Ive always wondered about the E&W branch. What was the purpose? There were no online customers. Was it just interchnage for the E&N of the LVRR??? That CNJ site and topo map show a yard but the arials back to 1955 show no yard just a single track. Anyone know when the E&W was taken OOS?

I'm surprised how much the CNJ has been built upon. Parks, fields, roads, buildings all over it now.

Also across the river the old LVRR Richards Yard and the farm nearby have been oblitereated by a new sand/rock quarry.

NS seems to be on one hell of a land selling spree!

[Statkowski]

CR ripped that rail out and left no trace - ties, rails, plates, spikes everything wiped out.

There's a rail line like that behind my house, but it's not abandoned - merely inactive. The railroad still owns the right-of-way, but with all the hardware gone, pays far less in property taxes. When they repaved the highway at the grade crossing, they left the rails in place in order to retain the easement. Gone is not necessarily gone.

[carajul]

Not exactly the case of the E&N. After CR obliterated the trackage they sold the land the row was built on to the municipalities for $1. Then they sold the land where the E&N connects to the currently active ex-LNE line in Forks to a developer who built a large warehouse directly ontop of the E&N row, severing it forever. Believe me, that was all done on purpose.

What they should have done was sell it off to a short line. The Tatamy Farm Dept, Pfizer, and the printing company in Wilson (who was still using rail service) would be good customers. Although I doubt 3 customers would be worth rehabbing the line. The two biggest customers (Crayola and Dixie Cups) moved to the new industrial park in Forks in 1984 and they are to this day rail customers.

[obsessed railfan]

Speaking of that, I believe there was some talk of forming a short line on the E&N. And then after that is when CR sold it for the whopping $1. Coincidence?

[charlie6017]

Speaking of that, I believe there was some talk of forming a short line on the E&N. And then after that is when CR sold it for the whopping $1. Coincidence?

Definitely not coincidence..........Conrail didn't want competition of any kind.