• LNE trackage

  • Discussion of the L&NR railroad for the period 1868-1961 at its inclusion in the Central of New Jersey. Also includes predecessors South Mountain and Boston Railroad, Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and New England Railroad, and others.
Discussion of the L&NR railroad for the period 1868-1961 at its inclusion in the Central of New Jersey. Also includes predecessors South Mountain and Boston Railroad, Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and New England Railroad, and others.

Moderator: David

  by walterconklin
 
Hello,

Working on a virtual railroad route project for the Microsoft Train Simulator platform has piqued my interest in the Lehigh and New England Railroad. Looking online at images of the LNE, it looks to me that the railroad was predominantly a single track mainline. Was the railroad always predominantly single track? What sections were double track? I think I may have the Carstens' Lehigh and New England book somewhere in my personal library. I just need to find it.

Sincerely,
Walter Conklin
  by jmchitvt
 
Hi Walter -

Greetings from stormy Vermont. We are having major flooding here right now. The worst in my lifetime.

Anyhow, I followed the L&NE until the end. The only double track was out in the coal region. It was either Tamaqua or Arlington.

There was an employee timetable online - check out Gingerbread, or George Elwood (? spelling) sites. It should show you where.

Recall spending time at Hainesburg Junction on Saturday mornings, late 50's until the shutdown, with the NYS&W agent/operator.

He was a WHIZ with the passing reports and stamping all those waybills!! Never knew anyone better. The L&NE made two trips over the Delaware often - first for interchange which they backed into the NYS&W line to Gravel Place and filled it right down to the road crossing at the end. Then, back for the Maybrooks. They worked the FA's and FB's to death on that road freight.

Never understood why they folded - the tonnage WAS there!!

Wish you well

Joseph
  by walterconklin
 
Thank you Joseph for the helpful information you gave me about the LNE.

I immensely enjoy reading your Andover LHR recollections.

Sincerely,
Walter C
  by Railjourner
 
walterconklin wrote:Thank you Joseph for the helpful information you gave me about the LNE.

I immensely enjoy reading your Andover LHR recollections.

Sincerely,
Walter C
I second that! Thanks Joseph for those great stories and Walter its good to see your still working on your virtual layout. Good luck with that.
  by LNE655
 
Walter

I grew up in Tamaqua and lived close to the LNE. There really was no double track per se, but the appearance of it through the eastern section of town towards Arlington. The track from Pen Argyl turned east from following Rt 309 and was joined by the track that was used for Reading RR interchange, as well as a couple house and team tracks that existed between Greenwood Av and Hazle St crossing and Broad St crossing. The Pen Argyl turns operated specifically on the one track, and the interchange local job operated specifically on the other, between the years of 1956 to 1961.

Just past the Broad St crossing [which had 3 tracks due to a siding] the right of way split into 4 tracks, with a siding off each of the previous 2 tracks I mentioned. Of interest in that location was a spring switch with a red/green indicator. The lone RS2 would come west to that point and cut off the outgoing consist for the PAT, usually a hundred or so loaded hoppers around 2p. As soon as uncoupling they would attach an air hose connected to a long pipe which ran along the right of way to keep the train charged.

The inbound PAT, mostly 4 FA's would roll through between 4p and 430p with the empties. They would cut off the train in Arlington Yard and run back light to the siding [on that single track main] and couple to their train, removing the standing air connection and replacing it with the engine consist air. More often than not they would roll by 5p-515p in a whirl of Alco Smoke. By the time the caboose went by they were really going fast. I use to watch and wait for the spring switch, now indicating red, to flip back and indicate green.

The LNE was frugal but kept well maintained track and in most places did 50 mph. An interesting operational move they did, as an example of their frugality, was to deadhead the RS2's they exchanged for those due their 92 day inspection, on the rear of the train ahead of the caboose. It was a few years until I was old enough to be able to go Arlington and observe why this was done. When the PAT stopped in Arlington yard, the RS2 now due its 92 day inspection was coupled to the rear of the arriving empty train. The crew then pulled off the caboose and inspected RS2 and coupled that [RS2 - caboose - RS2] to the outgoing loaded coal train. They climbed off the RS2 due inspection, walked back to the newly inspected one and uncoupled from the caboose, all in a very quick move. The RS2 crew then went about their local mine business with their new RS2, while the FA's quickly uncoupled form their empty consist and ran back to their loaded consist to get out of town.