RDG Co. Bethlehem Branch

[Franklin Gowen]

John Pawson, circa 1979:
"As viewed on a Conrail map, the ex-RDG Bethlehem Branch would seem to be a useful north-south connection route. However, the line crosses the region's northeast-southwest topography with the benefit of few stream valleys. As a result, the branch has a saw-tooth profile with grades up to 1.2%. It also has many passenger trains. Major freight traffic was iron ore pellets to Bethlehem Steel Company's home-town mills and returning steel products. During the time required to unload an ore boat at Port Richmond, ore trains ran every few hours via Fairhill Jct., Tabor Jct., and Jenkintown. More than once, a broken coupler on the difficult route made a shambles of the commuter rush hour. The railroad seemed to prefer the longer but easier route via NICE, FALLS, Pottstown, Reading and Allentown; the steel company, the shorter and cheaper route. After the merger, Conrail cut back its Abrams-Bethlehem thru freight to Lansdale and routed all ore trains via the longer route. Part of the branch north of Quakertown was passenger-only. Now a nightly Bethlehem-Tabor Jct.-Belmont-South Philadelphia round trip as well as ore trains are operated."

How the mighty have fallen. That excerpt from Mr. Pawson's book has been so thoroughly overtaken by events that it feels rather alien to modern audiences. I'm amazed that the pace of change in just a bit more than three decades can generate such a stark contrast.

[MikeMusiowski]

I went to explore the branch this past week above Quakertown to see what's going on with the rail trail as of latly. The clearing from Coopersburg area to DeSales has no progress for it now looks like how it was minus the tracks. From the northern portion of DeSales to Hellertown it looks half decent for it's just weeds just above your ankles but no sight of an actual trail and still posted off limits. Correct me if i'm wrong but wouldn't it be beneficial for a connection freight point even if it's just one track with a simular purpose as the Stony Creek branch is for B738 and C746? If Norfolk Southern is going to take over Lansdale in the near future, might as well give them another alternate railway bypass whether for shortlines or whatever. It would also make East Penns Perkiomen branch and Bethlehem branch closer neighbors.

[pistolpete66]

Correct me if i'm wrong but wouldn't it be beneficial for a connection freight point even if it's just one track with a simular purpose as the Stony Creek branch is for B738 and C746? If Norfolk Southern is going to take over Lansdale in the near future, might as well give them another alternate railway bypass whether for shortlines or whatever. It would also make East Penns Perkiomen branch and Bethlehem branch closer neighbors.

Mike - of course it makes sense, but SEPTA owns the ROW up to Hellertown and they have been trying to make $$$ off of their dead commuter lines for years. And they are not allowed to abandon any lines they own if the line has the potential to be beneficial in the future. So by ripping out all traces of railway infrastructure, letting the counties do what they please, SEPTA makes some cash to fund their Philadelphia city projects, while never having to worry about their dead lines ever seeing the light of day, and simultaneously pleasing the wealthy folks along the line.

Plus, NS has not expressed any interest in using the line. If they did, then they would probably have inked a deal similar to that between SEPTA/CSX/East Penn and the usage of the line between Lansdale and Quakertown.

The real fault lies with Harrisburg and PennDOT. As long as the overpaid politicians do not raise a stink about the destruction of railway infrastructure, SEPTA will do what they please. It speaks volumes about Pennsy politics and PennDOTs absolute disdain for SEPTA.

[jrevans]

Financially strapped Bethlehem decided to waste more money after kicking out an active railroad line, and is now doing some work on their "greenway".

Yes, I am bitter.

Here's a link to the article, followed by the text:
http://www.wfmz.com/lehighvalleynews/24 ... etail.html

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The rails to trails project on Bethlehem's Southside is moving along full speed.

Thursday the city broke ground on a new stretch of the greenway, bringing the major undertaking one step closer to fruition.

The new Greenway path down with look similar to the skatepark at the Sands Casino, with the touch of a younger group of engineers.

I've done models and models in my free time but I haven't done anything this big, said Lehigh University senior Evans Cirill. I'm excited to start though.

Cirilli is an engineering senior at Lehigh University. He'll be heading up the design of South Bethlehem's newest portion of the Greenway

It's real life, said Professor Rick Wiesman.

Our main focus is to integrate South Bethlehem with Lehigh University and kind of have a real world experience and learn from it with the community, said Cirill.

And that's exactly what the city wants to see

It's an effort on our part in the city to build a neighborhood where people can live work play and the Greenway's going to be a big part of that, said Mayor John Callahan.

The city broke ground this afternoon on the 34 acre property that was once owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad. The vision now is to turn the 6.3 million dollar project into a unifying space.

Their first chore is to talk to all the stake holders involved, said Wiesman. Our students are talking to people about what they'd like to see in these 3 blocks.

From New to Hay Streets construction on the asphalt path begins this week but the Lehigh Students are responsible for the design of everything surrounding it.

I think it's a great project, said Weisman. It's a great project for Bethlehem and it's a great project for the students.

The Greenway will connect to the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor which in addition to connecting Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton travels as far south as Morrisville and as far north as Wilkes-Barre.

[glennk419]

$6.3 for three blocks!!?? What a steal. No need to look any further for PORK!

[Trails to Rails]

Jeez, college students are so naive tucked away safely in their guarded dorms, living on mommy & daddy's dime.

I'm bettin' this will be called the Bethlehem Crackway from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am. Better bring a gun with you on your "real world experience' walk from campus to the casino.

Yes I'm bitter too!

[lvrr325]

$6.3 million would build a full mile of track, from scratch, good for Amtrak 79 MPH service.

[SemperFidelis]

The "crackway"? That might be a touch of an overstatement. South Side isn't all that bad. Mind you, I'm bitter too. I brought the issue up to SEPTA and the Mayor of Bethlehem personally, but my concerns were not important enough... So, because of this, my company loses money every day because that section of track is gone. I'm bitter to the point where I told our real estate agent that we will not purchase any home where the taxes go to Hellertown or Bethlehem.

[rwk]

Where do the tracks exactly end now, north of Springfield overpass or south? In the one picture looking north of the overpass, both sets of rails are in and it appears they end near the top of the picture. Was that taken before or after the track removal? So, all of the main line track is gone in Lehigh/Northampton Counties, (except for the wye and yard in Bethlehem) but the Bucks section is intact from the county line south? What caused that awful looking sinkhole just south of the wye and yard and above the double stone arch bridge? The switches are all in north of that but there's not enough track south of the switches for even one locomotive so I assume they don't use any of those switches because of the danger of the sinkhole being so close imagine if a loco fell into that. NS or whoever must have moved all those freight cars, covered hopper into the yard from the other end of the yard and came in from the connector track from NS at that end since the main is gone through town. From the aerial views, there's a lot of railcars sitting in that yard north of the sinkhole. How about if EPRY reopens the line north of Calif. Rd. up past Mine Hill Rd. and use it for car storage? Or, convince some business to locate along the tracks north of Calif. Rd. that would use rail service and reopen the tracks. Then, the commuter rail project could happen.

[bigpistol]

The tracks end at Springfield street, just south of Coopersburg. Most if not all the road crossing are cover up, from Calif. rd to the north.

[rwk]

Where is the cut off point for the rails? Do they end just south of the Springfield St. bridge, directly under the bridge, or north of the bridge closer to the county line? What are all those truck trailers by the tracks there opposite side of the tracks from 309? Just south of Springfield St? Also, there's 2 truck places opposite side of 309 straddling Springfield St. What is the purpose of leaving the Bucks County tracks in place from Calif. Rd. to Springfield St. if they're not being used? In case the commuter project to Shelly actually happens?

[glennk419]

Springfield Street roughly marks the point where the Lehigh County / Upper Saucon Township line crosses the ROW. Since the lease agreement for the trail is with Upper and Lower Saucon Townships, there was no need to pull the rails south of the county line.

[frank754]

Even so, Coopersburg or a bit further north could be a good spot within easy driving distance from Bethlehem for a good park and ride terminal for commuters. For 15-20 miles on electrification, even if a single track, they could get a good bunch of new commuter traffic.

[glennk419]

The most recent plan had a park and ride at Shelly which is immediately adjacent to 309 and has adequate space for a station and parking. This would make access much easier than having to go through Quakertown. The tracks beyond that point would be perfect for layover storage.

[MikeMusiowski]

Just having a lil fun.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2460691 ... 9363XtNUah