Whitehall Cement

What industry is currentley using the WC plant in the Cementon area of Whitehall? I was looking at old photos from the 1960s and was surprised at the size of the LVRR yard in the complex. Wow the LV had one hell of an operation there. Do they still make cement there? I know CR tore out the track in 1984 was the company still shipping by rail? Did CR chase them away? There seem to be 8000000 truck trailers parked at the site now. I wonder why NS doesnt extend the existing LV track from Race St a few miles north and start service. I cant understand why CR didnt leave the rail in!!!

carajul wrote:I wonder why NS doesnt extend the existing LV track from Race St a few miles north and start service. I cant understand why CR didnt leave the rail in!!!

Actually, there is some musings of doing just that down the road. They will be replacing the Lehigh street bridges over both the Lehigh River and over the old LV right of way and they wanted to lower the bridge over the LV row. NS is requiring the replacement bridge over the row to be tall enough for double stacks should the musings become a reality.

The LV from East Penn Jct. up to Race St. is R.J. Corman. If they would rebuild the line, who would serve the plant? Years ago before the bridge in Darktown was removed there was an interest in rebuilding the line then too. Although an interesting proposal, unless they would plan on some really big business there like receiving unit coal trains, I doubt the line would be rebuilt just to ship out a few cement cars per week. And currently I believe they burn old tires in their kilns for power, that's what's in those old trailers sitting towards the back of the plant.

Do they still make cement at that plant? I was under the impression that it was no longer cement but rather some type of recylcing business. The live maps show the quarry completely flooded. I'm really surprised CR ripped out the yard and rail to the plant in '84. It was a huge customer back in the 50s-60s and had a large yard. Unless they stopped all rail service completely.

The plant which is operated by Lafarge still uses rail service but uses it across the river at the old Martin Marietta plant in Northampton. I heard that Conrail took out the line because Lafarge couldn't make up their minds as to keep the track in or not up to Cementon. Though track no longer goes up that far it is nice they still use rail service right across the river. The old plant (Martin) probably still has a trackmobile being used but last I seen it was in 2004 or 2005. I'd have to check the back of my photos for a exact year. Seen it during winter from a parking lot behind the Redners through the trees.

Speaking of the bridges at Darktown that were removed in 1994 or 1995, does anyone know where I may find a picture or two? i understand they were very narrow. I only moved to the area a few years ago and lost my chance to see them.