Rail Lines crossed on I-81 Scranton to Harrisburg

[train2]

I have had the opportunity to drive from Harrisburg to Scranton on I-81 a few times over the last year. There are a number of rail lines that are crossed along the drive, a number of lines in particular along the section were I-81 seems to run on a mountain top for a long period of time. Having looked a few maps I still an not certain who is who. To-date I have not had the time to get off and explore. I would like to change that on a future trip. I get the impression most of these are coal lines, likely R&N.

Is anyone familiar enough you could give me some idea of what the lines are as you move from south to north? (and any possible landmarks?. At one exit, where I stopped for gas, there is rail overpass, looks abandoned now, that is parallel to 81.

Any help appreciated.

T2

[pumpers]

well, here goes, heading south on 81 from the 380 interchange in Scranton: I am going by maps, so I am not sure what you can actually see from the road.

About a mile south of 380, the old Delaware Lackawanna and Western (DLW) mainline, is first on your left and then passes under, on its way to Scranton. Operated by shortline "Delaware Lackawanna", and also used for occasional excursions by the Steamtown museum in Scranton

Between exists 182 and 185, crossing under from R (coming from Scranton where it connects to the DLW mainline) to L is the old "Laurel Line" from Scranton to Wilkes Barre, now operated by Delaware Lackawanna. Just past 182 the line crosses back under again from R to L, to serve a few industries there. That's rest of the line to W.B. is gone I think.

Just south of exit 180, a branch of the old Erie RR crosses under. Now served by Luzerene Susquhehanna (LS) for freight, a local shortline contracted by county governments to run old lines in those counties

South of 175, the old Lehigh Valley RR "Cutoff" passes under, used to be part of their freight mainline from NJ to Allentown up to Buffalo. Now part of the mainline of Reading and Northern. Perhaps 6 trains a day or more. Most active in this I think.

In the Ashley area (164) the mainlines of the Central RR of NJ and Lehigh Valley (passenger main, which was split from the freight main in the W.B. area) crossed under. They are both long gone, not sure anything is left to see. There is also a tunnel under I-81 somewhere in the area of a streetcar line from Wilkes Barre to Hazelton that also handled freight - part of the tunnel still exists and you see posts on the web about it now and then.

A miles south of Exit 145, in the Hazelton area, a branch of the LV crosses under, now operated by Reading and Northern. Just south of there, west of Hazelton, the R&N tracks run close to I81 on the east (left) side for maybe 1/2 mile. Again, not sure what you can see

A mile south of Exit 143, another branch of LVRR (now R&N) passes under going from Hazleton to an industrial park. Very active, trains almost every day.

a mile south, exit 138, another LV branch (now R&N) from Hazelton passes under, then runs next to the highway on the NW side for a mile or two, then passes under again. (Also near here there is an abandoned tunnel under I-81 and the rest of the top of mountain, of an abandoned Reading RR branch.) Just before exit 134, this LV branch passes under yet again . It then skirts the right (NW) side of the highway a mile or so , and it eventually ends
not much farther at a coal mine south of Mahanoy City .

At Frackville (124), branches of the Reading RR and the Pennsylvania RR used to cross South to North. Nothing is operated there anymore - I am not sure if anything was still operated when I-81 was built, and there were bridges for the RR, or if everything was obliterated by I81.

A mile north of Exit 107, a R&N line for coal crosses under (used to be part of Reading RR)

In the milepost 106-104 stretch, I think there used to be Reading RR branches through the valley, but may have been long gone before I81. Also a few others like this down to the I-78 junction.

Well, that's enough for now. Someone please correct all the errors and omissions I made, and fill in the rest of the way.

JS

[EMDSD40-2]

A miles south of Exit 145, in the Hazelton area, a branch of the LV crosses under, now operated by Reading and Northern. Just south of there, west of Hazelton, the R&N tracks run close to I81 on the east (left) side for maybe 1/2 mile. Again, not sure what you can see

A mile south of Exit 143, another branch of LVRR (now R&N) passes under going from Hazleton to an industrial park. Very active, trains almost every day.

Both of these branches are actually owned and operated by NS out of their Hazleton Yard.

a mile south, exit 138, another LV branch (now R&N) from Hazelton passes under, then runs next to the highway on the NW side for a mile or two, then passes under again. (Also near here there is an abandoned tunnel under I-81 and the rest of the top of mountain, of an abandoned Reading RR branch.) Just before exit 134, this LV branch passes under yet again . It then skirts the right (NW) side of the highway a mile or so , and it eventually ends
not much farther at a coal mine south of Mahanoy City .

When you're in the area of the Tamaqua exit, you'll see the R&N cross underneath twice. Just south of there is Delano Jsc. where the Delano Branch splits off and heads for Delano. That would be the branch that crosses underneath a few miles (highway) south of the Tamaqua exit. There it becomes the Morea running track and heads for Skytop Coal. Those are the tracks you see paralleling 81 and crossing route 54 at the Mahanoy City exit.

[pumpers]

A miles south of Exit 145, in the Hazelton area, a branch of the LV crosses under, now operated by Reading and Northern. Just south of there, west of Hazelton, the R&N tracks run close to I81 on the east (left) side for maybe 1/2 mile. Again, not sure what you can see

A mile south of Exit 143, another branch of LVRR (now R&N) passes under going from Hazleton to an industrial park. Very active, trains almost every day.

Both of these branches are actually owned and operated by NS out of their Hazleton Yard.

EMD, you are right of course. Thanks for the correction. R&N would love to get all that industrial park traffic, but it is too good for NS to let go of it I imagine. I'm sure Andy Muller must have tried. Don't know what I was thinking, must be getting old. That stub line going out to Tomhicken, I can't imagine there is much traffic on it - someone spent some $$ upgrading some kind of loading or transloading site at the end of the line, though. But being such quiet line I somehow though R&N had it - but they don't . Thanks also for filling me in on the name of the Skytop coal mine.
JS
PS. Nothing to see from I81, but for completeness, right at Exit 131 (highway 54), there is a tunnel about a mile long that goes way under I-81 (and under the Morea running track), carrying an old Reading RR line from Tamaqua out to Mahanoy City and then Mt. Carmel (now operated by R&N)

[train2]

Many thanks guys,

On my next trip I will be sure to load the R&N fregs and a lot a little time for exploring.

T2

[GP30 5513]

The RBMN line near I81 MP107 is the Tremont Running Track, ex RDG Lebanon & Tremont Branch.

Around the bottom of the curve at I81 MP 104 (Ravine) was Lorberry Junction, where the RDG's L&TB turned towards Tremont and the Lorberry Branch switched in the opposite direction to serve the Lincoln Colliery and the Kalmia Branch. The billboards along I81 on the straight stretch paralleling Route 125 are resting on the old RDG ROW.

Somewhere in the 102MP vicinity, the RDG Susquehanna Branch (ex-Schuylkill & Susquehanna RR) came through. It's very close to the emergency turn around area the PSP/PennDOT uses.

After the MP 100 (Pine Grove) exit and before the Swatara Creek bridge, the RDG L&TB would've passed through.

Near MP 93(?) over the tall bridge at Swatara Gap I81 passes over the RDG L&TB ROW again, now used as a recreation trail.

That should help up to the 81/78 split.

[GP30 5513]

I had forgotten to mention that at Exit 107 (Tremont, Tower City) the tail end on the RDG's Mount Eagle Branch would've gone across Route 209 at that spot.