NS to rebuild LV in New York?

Hey All,
No, this isnt another LETS RESTORE THIS!! thread, as i have been all to common to post.
This one is about a thing that has been bugging me about the Lehigh.
I remember reading a while back, that NS had a plan to rebuild the Lehigh Freight Main to use as their westernly NY connection, and that they even had Welded-rail-trains, (or WRT's if you preferre..) lined up in Buffalo for the project. but something happened, and the project was canceled.
Firstly, was this ever true?! Sounds like a big bluff to me.
secondly, would NS even be daring enough to take on such a daunting project? It seems to me their more interested in ripping lines up than putting them back in.
and Thirdly, i am just overall curious about this.
Thanks,
Sean

Sean,
this is the first time I have ever heard of this potential project..
its a myth, it was never true..probably just some railfans dream that was posted somewhere as a "wouldnt it be cool if THIS happened!" and somehow it morphed to where others believed it was true..

the "truthfullness test" (or the "plausibility test") is this: what would NS have to gain by doing this, that they dont already have?

If they rebuilt the LV freight main, that would give them a line from Sayre PA to Buffalo..

they already have a line from Sayre PA to Buffalo!
its called the Southern Tier Main..
why would they possibly need a second totally redundant dulpicate route?
answer--they dont.

the story is total bunk..sorry..

Scot

The LV freight main was ripped up because it was an un-needed duplicate route between NY City and Buffalo..(so was the DL&W mainline through NY state)
There were once four seperate mainlines between New York City and Buffalo..

NYC
Erie
DL&W
LV

today two of those 4 survive..
EL ripped up the DL&W, because they didnt need it.
and Conrail never even had the LV main between VanEtten and Buffalo..they didnt want or need it.
The LV main was SO redundant and un-needed that it was never even considered to become a part of Conrail. it was never included in any plans for Conrail.

today, no one wants or needs it still..
the story was simply someones pipe dream..

Scot

Back in the early 1970s there was a rumor going around that the N&W was going to purchase the LVRR MT and totally rebuild it with CWR. Like so many rumors, this one simply turned out to be false.

ah, so it is Fake.
Thanks guys.
It would've been cool though to see a NS freight making its way up through those small hamlets along the line.
Cheers.
Sean

To be technical, it could not have been NS because the LV operations ended with the start of Conrail 4-1-76, while N&W did not merge with SOU until 1982 if I have that date correct. So if it had been true, it would have been N&W (or conceivably NKP).

Sean, perhaps you were already aware that NKP power was sometimes run through on the LV - I forget which train, TB Diamond can remind me. The ONCT Alco RS36, now LA&L 418, was originally NKP 865 and it's almost certain it ran those same rails in LV days.

In fairness to Sean, I seem to recall reading here about a year or so ago about the NS rehabbing the LV from Sayre to Wilkes-Barre or where ever it ends in that area, including a class yard or something at Sayre.

The logic at the time was to utilize their own tracks and bypass the payments to CP as well as any congestion in Binghamton.

I also thought the line from WB to Mehoopany had been sold to RBMN but I am too lazy this morning to look that up.

I see now. You'd think they would remove the EL line since it was very small, and very damaged after Agnus in 72' when the LV line saw no damage.
-Scotty,
The Lehigh Line was included in the plan for Conrail... One of the first to be torn out..
Cheers.
Sean

How do you figure the EL line to be "very small"? Although Agnes tore up the Tier, the LV main wasn't exactly up to track speed standards at that time either. Also, I'm not too familiar with the LV main, from what I've read, I'd assume the EL line had more industries on it between Buffalo and Binghamton than the Buffalo-Sayre stretch for the LV.

Does anyone know why they took out all the rail cars that were in storage in the Sayre yard ? And where did they put them ? My cousin works for GE rail car and even they had to find another storage site for some of there cars they had there for repairs.Rumor has it that NS was going to put in an intermodel yard at the Sayre facility,Ive talked to my uncle and cousin who live in Sayre ( both retired from the LV ) and that was the buzz around Sayre awhile back,Hey why not they have the storage and the space...How cool would it be to have Sayre back on the Map...

thanks guys.........jim

Lehighton_Man wrote:I see now. You'd think they would remove the EL line since it was very small, and very damaged after Agnus in 72' when the LV line saw no damage.

I seem to recall a bridge with a washed out abutment, that to this day still has a 5 mph speed restriction on it. I also recall flooding in the lower valley flooding much railroad, and creating many washouts. Saying the Valley saw no damage, is just plain foolish. That very small EL sure looked pretty big on the maps, and the 2 track main sure looked pretty big, in person. Were you even around to see these things, Lehighton man? Since the EL was originally not included in the bail-out, due to it's being more sound, I would question where you are getting your "facts" from........

Good Point Golden Arm.
I was basing the facts off of personal thought, silly of me to not think before typing. I just thought that the LV main would've been up to par for freight opperation, but then Anchorman reminded me that the LV wasnt that much up to par itself. Both saw their fair damage to them from Agnus.
Cheers.
Sean

BR&P, I know that N&W power made regular appearances on the LV "Apollo" - Dick Pearson shared some pics of that era with me a long while back. Quite a sight to see!

-otto-

Otto:

The Apollo 1 & 2 utilized N&W run trough power from April, 1972 until April, 1973 if memory serves.

BR&P:

There was a train on the LV that utilized NKP run through power power in the mid-1960s, but I do not know the symbol. Can recall seeing this train once as it crossed NYS Rt. 15A in Rush one evening.

G-A:

The bridge you refer to is the Chemung River bridge just east of Athens, PA.

TB Diamond wrote: The bridge you refer to is the Chemung River bridge just east of Athens, PA.

The bridge is actually on the WEST side of athens!
compass West from Athens, railroad East from Athens.

Scot