LHR-DLW connection at Huntsville

With all the recent talk and news of restoring the Lackawanna Cutoff service back to Andover, I was reminded of some paperwork I came across while reboxing the Warwick Archives last year. There was documentation regarding an L.H.R. connection with the D.L.W.'s Cutoff in Huntsville. I believe it was from sometime in the 1960's-probably a result of the mergers going down and the fading out of the Port Morris facilities on the Sussex Branch. Considering the Cutoff is significantly elevated above the L.H.R. at Huntsville, a pretty lengthy ramp/spur would be required to merge the lines. Needless to say it never came to fruition, but would have been interesting to see how they would have handled the grade difference and how things would have played out. If I recall, the Warren R.R. merged with the Bel Del at Manunka Chunk with a pretty large difference in altitudes. Having never rode on the Cutoff, I'm hoping things go through. I've seen it from a motorcylce's view from Port Morris to Slatesford, PA. it's truly amazing.

In further reviewing this folder over the weekend I discovered that talks of connecting the L.&H.R.Ry with the Lackawanna's Cutoff was being discussed as early as 1954. Two proposals were brought forth, one with a connection east of the tunnel, one with a connection west of the tunnel .The connection to the west was the favored one, consisting of a 4000 foot spur to join up right near the Lackawanna's Greendell Station. At this time there was also talk of abandoning the Sussex Branch from Netcong to Andover and subsequently routing Sussex trains over the Cutoff as a consoildation.Talks resumed again around 1972 of the Cutoff/L.H.R. connection, but both sides seemed to agree it wouldn't result in any savings.