30 years gone.

[scottychaos]

March 31, 1976

Everyone go and get your "LV in Color Volume 3" book,
flip to the last few pages, and ponder 30 years ago today..



I lived 1/4 mile from the LV and EL mains, was 7 years old, and had no idea it was happening..




Wish I had a chance to go for a walk down on the LV main today..
perhaps Rochester Junction.
alas I did not.
It wont be the same tomorrow.
maybe in another 10 years.

Scot

[RS112556]

Yep I know just what you mean. Two friends, my brother and myself hunting just outside Victor not far from the tracks. Waved at the passing switcher heading west with about four cars in tow. 'twas the autumn of 1975 and little did we know (or care?) that the end was just around the corner

[TB Diamond]

Was one of the fortunate ones in that I took a lot of photos of the LV the last 120 days it operated in upstate NY and even prior to that. Going back now it is difficult to even find some of the locations that were photographed thirty and more years ago. A lot was lost.

[dj_paige]

I grew up in Brooklyn and on Long Island fascinated by trains -- the Long Island Railroad, the New York City subway system, and when we visited my aunt in New Jersey, I was fascinated by the "Hudson Tubes" and whatever railroads I saw in NJ.

I went to college in Buffalo in 1973. I took Amtrak from NYC to Buffalo. Seemed like a mile walk from the platforms at Buffalo Central Terminal to the taxicabs. I was fascinated by the railroads in Buffalo and by BCT. But in those pre-internet days, I really had no way of learning much about the railroads nor was there any way I could figure out where all those tracks went. One summer I lived on Flower Street in Buffalo, a couple of houses down from what used to be Erie and DLW trackage, and probably 1/2 mile south of International Junction, and we saw large volumes of trains going by, often carryng new cars.

I probably had never heard of Erie, DLW or Lehigh Valley back then. And yet just the other day, not realizing we were approaching the LV demise's 30th anniversary, I drove along the thruway where the LV Rochester branch passed under and I thought how I had ridden over this LV trackage in 1973 thru 1976, and other I thought of other places where the LV crossed roads I had travelled.

How sad that my first knowledge of the LV was nearly 25 years later, living in Rochester, and only when I finally started reading about the history or Rochester railroads.

I am very pleased that the LV main through Monroe Country has been turned into a useful and generally pleasing trail. Today, I find one of my favorite things to do is to hop on my bicycle and ride the LV Main over to Wadsworth Junction. A calm and pleasant place to be.

By the way, you folks should also open up the book Trackside around Buffalo 1953-1976, and re-live the events on pages 65 through 68. "Without a doubt the most somber doy on the Lehigh Valley was its last day..." The book then goes on to describe the last train movements in a very touching manner.

[Matt Langworthy]

I spent the evening of the 31st with several LV and EL books in hand. Page 68 of Trackside Around Buffalo was the most poignant of all-with the upper picture of several railfans saluting the final LV local at Niagara Junction with their headlights and the lower picture featuring a clock showing the final seconds of LV's existence.

[charlie6017]

I wish I could have been there to see the LV and EL and the others.......all I remember was seeing black PC locos, and since 4/1/76 was the day after my 5th birthday...........ya know? I guess books and video have to do. (Off topic) BTW..........just bought Erie Lackawanna in color: NY State--LOVE IT!! Now I just gotta get Bednar's books on the LV!

[Matt Langworthy]

Charlie, I was just 7 when the LV flag fell so my memories are scant-some TOFC and general merch freights between Townada and Odessa, as well as local activity in Elmira. Glad you like the EL book- the Lehigh Valley In Color series is also worth a read, if a bit scant on NY info. Better yet, go for Trackside Around Buffalo or Bednar's Lehigh Valley RR: The Wyoming And Buffalo Divisions for a really good look at LV operations in upstate NY. I have both of those books and love 'em to death.