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  • Stourbridge Railroad (Honesdale-Lackawaxen) and Proposals

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in Pennsylvania
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in Pennsylvania

Moderator: bwparker1

 #787826  by blockline4180
 
bvesbc wrote:Sat. March 27th the Easter Excursions will be pulled by the M & E 19 (Alco) as the BL2 (SBR 54) is still in the shop @ Morristown, NJ. The BL2 (SBR 54) may be seen on the M & E Easter Excursions if it's repairs are completed in time.

I believe M&E 19 is now up in Honesdale or was enroute... Perhaps you mean the 18??
 #787834  by ns3010
 
I think he's saying that since 54 is in here, 19 is up there for their trains.

If I had to guess, I'd say 18 and 54 on the WRM's trains.
 #788288  by bvesbc
 
Lets change the name of this thread to the offical name of the line, Stourbridge Railway
 #789819  by cjvrr
 
Perhaps the M&E unit was in the enginehouse while you where there?
Hauspiper wrote:Is the locomotive still in Lacawaxen? I was in Honesdale this weekend and saw no other locomotives besides the Maine Central GP7.
Mike Arnold
http://www.twinforksnrhs.org
 #792317  by Hauspiper
 
Ok there were two "new" passenger cars in Honedale they said "copper express" or something of that nature they were black and gold I think they were brought in on Friday because my father took pictures of the "new" locomotive turning over. They both have ac.
Michael Arnold
US Merchant Marine
 #793697  by bvesbc
 
oibu wrote:Just an addendum to the above, Lackawaxen-Hawley was indeed part of the Wyoming Div. The Hawley-Honesdale segment was the Honesdale Branch which connected with the Wyoming at Hawley. The current Stourbridge line is a combination of the old Hoensdale BR. and a portion of the Wyoming (and if you want to get technical, some of the terminal trackage at the end of the line in Honesdale is actually remnants of teh D&H line from Carbondale which replaced the D&H gravity rr and was added to the Erie terminal trackage when the D&H pulled out.)
You only beat me to the necessary correction by about a year thank you.
 #794182  by Max Power
 
Honesdale, Pa. -
Stourbridge Line train excursions are getting a new look. You may have seen the black and yellow passenger rail coaches on the tracks behind the Post Office. Al Siebold, manager of the Stourbridge Railway Company, said they are here to stay.
The excursions, which were started by the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce in 1979, has five vintage coaches, dating to the 1920’s. They are still in use, but Siebold said that they are planning for the day they would need to be replaced. Meanwhile, the two added coaches offer distinct advantages for the excursion passengers.
The “new” coaches are still classics of yesteryear- from the 1950’s, still a lot newer than the others. The new coaches have air conditioning, something the old ones never had. Siebold said they were also glad that the coach windows can open, for days that are not as hot and the a/c isn’t necessary. Passengers can then still enjoy the breeze, scent of the woods as they go by and the sounds of the train.
They also have handicapped accessible rest rooms, compared to the narrow facilities available on the old. There are also tables and counters aboard the new versions, where snacks and beverages can be served.
Siebold stated that the older coaches are safe to use, but are prone to rust and corrosion. It also gets harder to find replacement parts. Each year, parts need to be replaced. He expects that two of the old coaches can be restored, keeping the original car bodies. They would likely see if a railroad museum would want the other three for static display, before deciding to sell them for scrap.
Morristown and Erie Railroad (M&E), which manages the Stourbridge Railway, did a nationwide search for passenger coaches, and Siebold said he believed they found a good deal. The two coaches originally were for regular passenger use on the Canadian National Railway in the Montreal/Toronto area, till the mid-80’s. Later they were used for a tourist excursion line in Montana, where M&E found them. A third car was also purchased, which is still at the M&E yard in Morristown, NJ, being outfitted with a 50 KW generator. This will enable powering of the whole train. The third coach is expected to be brought to Honesdale in three or four months.
They will all be repainted to match the BL2 locomotive which pulls the Stourbridge Line, and will be bestowed with names commemorating historic figures from Wayne and Pike counties.
The BL2 is also at Morristown for maintenance. Another locomotive was brought up for the Easter run.
In other railroad-related business, Siebold said that Ideal Steel & Supply Corporation is still planning to build their facility in White Mills, and make use of the rail line. Warehouse cranes were recently brought here for storage. Siebold said that Ideal Steel is waiting for the economy to improve, rather than build too early. CEO of Ideal Steel, Paul Brancato, bought the local railroad in May 2008 and hired M&E to manage it.
Railroad crossings at Brown St., Honesdale, and Church Street and Welwood Avenue in Hawley, are currently being refurbished, Siebold stated.
For information on the 2010 schedule of Stourbridge Line excursions, call the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce at (570)253-1960 or visit http://www.waynecountycc.com.
 #794351  by blockline4180
 
I'm sorry, but it is very troubling to read that the M&E plans on scrapping 3 out of the 5 DL&W ex-MU cars that date back to 1930... I am trying to figure out what they are thinking, because last time i rode 2 years ago, I was told the cars were in pretty good shape, and I could see that with my own eyes!! Will someone please explain to me how this is possible???

Thank you!
 #794531  by SemperFidelis
 
Yeah, I just rode the old MUs on Easter, there's rust holes in the bodies. I'm not sure what the frames look like but the exteriors are horrendous.

I hope they don't scrap them. Some of my earliest memories are watching the MUs leave Dover in the early 80s with my dad. I always loved the faded brown color and the fact that the little cowcatcher sort of thing beneath the coupler was painted either blue, yellow, or red (if my memory serves me correctly).

Steel scrap isn't worth all that much these days. If you want to save one or all of them maybe you could raise the few thousand they're worth in scrap. I'm sure the M&E would be receptive to that.
 #794593  by pumpers
 
SemperFidelis wrote:. Some of my earliest memories are watching the MUs leave Dover in the early 80s with my dad.
Well I remember my Dad taking the MU's in Berkeley Heights in the early-mid 60's. JS
If this were the NJ board, it would be fun to see how far back the first-hand recollections would go...
 #794671  by Hauspiper
 
I must say this, they need an upgrade on these trains. The MU's are nice but are not good on a 4 hour trip. Now the two CRRofNJ cars is a differnt story. I think it is great they are expanding their operations. Just would like to see the exLIRR cars back in service.
Mike Arnold
www.twinforksnrhs.org
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