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  • Remains of the old Allentown Railroad grade

  • Discussion of the CNJ (aka the Jersey Central) and predecessors Elizabethtown and Somerville, and Somerville and Easton, for the period 1831 to its inclusion in ConRail in 1976. The historical society site is here: http://www.jcrhs.org/
Discussion of the CNJ (aka the Jersey Central) and predecessors Elizabethtown and Somerville, and Somerville and Easton, for the period 1831 to its inclusion in ConRail in 1976. The historical society site is here: http://www.jcrhs.org/

Moderator: CAR_FLOATER

 #895395  by liltuffy2
 
I understand that the tunnel is on private property. Whenever I am out tooling around I always respect property rights. That being said, the photo appears to have been taken from the road. I use google earth extensively and would love to get a better idea of where on earth (lol) this tunnel photo would be off of Krick Lane. I have it narrowed down to an area but am pulling my hair out trying to determine where the tunnel would have ran.

Any help would be appreciated,

eric
 #895708  by NE2
 
With the help of old aerials and an old plat atlas of Allentown that shows the land they bought I've mapped the portion east of Kutztown: http://www.openstreetmap.org/?relation=1400060
Using http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=40.59831,-75.46620&z=15&t=K you can easily switch to topos and aerials to see what still exists (for example, crossing Grange Road north of Hamilton Boulevard).

West of Kutztown, http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/ ... nsylvania/ (as well as individual town maps in that atlas) shows the general alignment (and that of the South Mountain and Boston Railroad, another unfinished line). A quick check of topos shows a definite grade north and east of Hamburg (along the city limits) and a tunnel here: http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=40.54942,-75.93935&z=16&t=T as well as at least portions of grading all the way to Kutztown.

Here's the grade approaching the tunnel portal: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.55194 ... 25,,0,2.52 and a whole bunch of tractors on the other side of the road :)
 #1274360  by RussNelson
 
Here is where the tunnel was to have run: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/146156452" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - this is from choess's rendering of the railbed in OpenStreetMap / http://openrailwaymap.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;