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Topic: LNE timeline (Read 1432 times) |
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Charlie_O
Historian
Posts: 5767
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Since I know nearly nothing about the LNE, I decided to use my "snow day" to do a little research. Kulp's 1962 book, "Railroads in the Lehigh River Valley" provides some great background, and is the source for the following notes...
April 2, 1895 Lehigh & New England Railroad Company incorporated by new owners of what had been the Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie & Boston Railroad.
January 1, 1897 LNE commences operation after the LV and NYS&W surrender respective leases acquired during receivership.
April 19, 1897 LNE charters Pochuck RR, a trackage-only system.
1902-1904 LNE expands its Lehigh Valley area trackage to include Wind Gap-Nazareth-Martins Creek, Bath-Christian Springs, and a branch in Johnsonville in Upper Mount Bethel Township.
May 9, 1904 Lehigh Coal & Navigation Co. gains control of the LNE.
1905 LNE abandons trackage between Benders and a point west of Wind Gap and incorporates Lehigh & Lackawanna Benders-Pen Argyl trackage into its main line.
1912 After completion of a yard at Maybrook NY, LNE trains commence and terminate at Maybrook.
July 24, 1912 Main line extension from Danielsville to Tamaqua opens, providing direct service to Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company's breakers.
December 14, 1913 Panther Creek RR acquired, adding trackage from Tamaqua through Coaldale and Lansford to Summit Hill.
1914 Lehigh Gap-Palmerton spur opens a connection between the LNE and Chestnut Ridge Railway Co.
April 1, 1914 Catasauqua branch opens.
1915 Hauto-Nesquehoning extension opens.
1918 LNE abandons trackage to Hower slate quarries.
1926-1928 LNE purchases two Brill gas-electric cars.
1927 Interstate Commerce Commission rejects Reading Company's plan to lease the LNE for 999 years.
1928-1935 Subsequent abandonments include Danielsville-Slatington, Wind Gap-Saylors Lake, Nazareth-Wind Gap, and part of Pochuck RR.
1937 Gas-electric car service discontinued, both cars sold to Southern New York Railway on December 14, 1939.
1940s During and after WW2, LNE abandons trackage at Hauto-Nesquehoning, Lansford-Summit Hill, remainder of Pochuck trackage, Pen Argyl-Wind Gap, Bangor branch, and Bangor-Johnsonville.
February 27, 1947 LNE purchases a 650-hp diesel locomotive from the U.S. Army, inaugurating dieselization.
December 20, 1949 LNE retires its last steam locomotives, completing dieselization.
1961 Declines in anthracite and cement shipments cause LNE to abandon or sell all rail lines and discontinue operations in New Jersey and New York. CNJ purchases Hauto-Tamaqua, Bethlehem-Bath-Nazareth-Martins Creek, and Allentown-Bethlehem trackage. EL purchases Pen Argyl-Wind Gap trackage.
October 31, 1961 LNE ceases operations.
Hope this helps.
-Charlie
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| « Last Edit: Feb 19th, 2003, 6:24pm by Charlie_O » |
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Some days, the most interesting person you meet is a river with a train running beside it.
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Charlie_O
Historian
Posts: 5767
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Adam -
My impression is that the LNE depended heaviy on coal and cement for its business and that post WW2 declines played a big role in its downfall. Also, and this is just a guess, but since the L&HR also connected the Lehigh Valley area with Maybrook (and hence, with New England), there may only have been enough business for one "bridge route." The L&HR managed to hang on until Conrail using its limestone business in North Jersey.
Perhaps someone else can shed more light.
-Charlie
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Some days, the most interesting person you meet is a river with a train running beside it.
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Mr. Horsepower
Historian
Posts: 976
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I always thought that it was October 31st 1961 ??
-John
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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now." - The Blues Brothers
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Charlie_O
Historian
Posts: 5767
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on Feb 19th, 2003, 5:13pm, John_S. wrote: (Click here for original message)| I always thought that it was October 31st 1961?? |
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John -
You're right. 11-1-61 was when purchasing companies assumed ownserhip. I've changed my original post accordingly. Good catch.
-Charlie
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Some days, the most interesting person you meet is a river with a train running beside it.
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Mr. Horsepower
Historian
Posts: 976
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Thanks,
Quote:| 1927 Interstate Commerce Commission rejects Reading Company's plan to lease the LNE for 999 years. |
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why was this rejected?
would anything good come to this if it did work out?
-John
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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now." - The Blues Brothers
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Marty_Feldner
Historian
Posts: 391
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Charlie- you've got the immediate causes right; coal use declined sharply after WWII, and the cement was going to trucks with the development of the dry hopper trailer.
About all that was left was the bridge traffic to Maybrook; studies were done about some form of deal with the L&HR. Nothing came of them.
The biggest reason was that the L&NE was only a part of the larger Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. The parent company saw the handwriting on the wall, and simply shut down the railroad to cut their losses.
From the railfan perspective, the L&NE was a railroad. From a business point of view, it was only one 'division' of a much larger company. It was simply a business decision.
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Charlie_O
Historian
Posts: 5767
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Marty -
Thanks for the info. Would you know why the Reading bid failed?
-Charlie
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Some days, the most interesting person you meet is a river with a train running beside it.
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Marty_Feldner
Historian
Posts: 391
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on Feb 19th, 2003, 10:12pm, Charlie_O wrote: (Click here for original message)Marty -
Thanks for the info. Would you know why the Reading bid failed?
-Charlie |
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I think it had something to with the shenanegans going on 'behind the scenes' at the time among the railroads in the northeast- and the Reading was a major player.
Pretty sure the answer is in Kulp's L&NE tome.
Trouble is, I can't find it. I know it's in one of these piles, somewhere. The trick is finding the right pile, and the right depth in that pile.
When it surfaces, I'll check for details.
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wlal21
Railfan
Posts: 200
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My Dad said it was the only railroad to go out of business while it was making money. But that could be the observations of a bitter ex employee.
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Working Local ALlentown 21 to the Bethlehem Dispatcher...
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andy_anthracite
Chaser
Posts: 94
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From all that I have read, the Lehigh & New England RR Co. posted a profit every year of its operations while under the control of the L.C.& N. Co. It is assumed that during the coal mining company's lean years, the profits of the railroad where used to maintain it's operations. IMHO, it was an efficiently run operation. (although, I may be biased  )
If you read the book "Death of the Great Company" by Julian Parton, it gives great insight to the rise and fall of the LC&N. In the end, it was worth more sold off than the held together.
Andy
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hummel1237
Historian
Posts: 4871
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Now this is the good stuff! I love that first post of the timeline! I think we need more of this kind of thing! Great job Charlie! The Johnsonville branch is most interesting. LNE serviced what locals call "Hidden Quarry" with a dead end service line to the quarry itself from that North Bangor/Johnsonville line. They also were able to compete with the DL&W in the East Bangor area this way. Quite ingenious! I want to hike it! I'm currently retracing the row through Roseta PA. I'm in touch with a long time resident of the Bangor - Roseta area. He walked part of the tracks/row as a child! It's safe to say that at least the first leg of the row is where Rt. 191 is today! Coal bins are still in the yard area! Neat! Gotta go to work...  Jim... P.S. I gotta talk to you about hiking... 
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| « Last Edit: Nov 27th, 2003, 6:37am by hummel1237 » |
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hummel1237
Historian
Posts: 4871
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Upper right (PPBR?)-Future LNE yard...Lower middle foreground-Bangor&Portland RR, future DL&W...
Click Image to Resize
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| « Last Edit: Nov 27th, 2003, 6:27am by hummel1237 » |
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Mr. Horsepower
Historian
Posts: 976
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At least the former EL is still in service today
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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now." - The Blues Brothers
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wlal21
Railfan
Posts: 200
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As long as the power plant iin Portland is still running. The EL B&P will never die. 2 things that lead to the death of the LNE. Heating oil to keep your house warm, and pneumatic tank trailers to haul cement. Those 2 things were what the old girl was all about. Hmmmm, wonder what a LNE B23-7 would look like?
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Working Local ALlentown 21 to the Bethlehem Dispatcher...
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Mr. Horsepower
Historian
Posts: 976
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Not to get off topic here but it just shockes me that long unit coal trians go down the 3% grade on the portland wye.
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| « Last Edit: Nov 27th, 2003, 2:55pm by Mr. Horsepower » |
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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now." - The Blues Brothers
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hummel1237
Historian
Posts: 4871
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on Nov 27th, 2003, 2:54pm, John_S. wrote: (Click here for original message)| Not to get off topic here but it just shockes me that long unit coal trians go down the 3% grade on the portland wye. |
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NS and past RRs use or haved used 3 or 4 engines depending on the load. They crawl (and I mean crawl) down the wye. Here's 71 Gons with a 4 engine header going to Portland Power Plant (old Met Ed).
Click Image to Resize
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hummel1237
Historian
Posts: 4871
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on Nov 27th, 2003, 2:43pm, wlal21 wrote: (Click here for original message)| As long as the power plant iin Portland is still running. The EL B&P will never die. 2 things that lead to the death of the LNE. Heating oil to keep your house warm, and pneumatic tank trailers to haul cement. Those 2 things were what the old girl was all about. Hmmmm, wonder what a LNE B23-7 would look like? |
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Coal demands declined too with the end of steam and alternative home heating choices (ie gas, electric, etc). Coal, cement and slate hauling made Bangor (and surrouding areas) a Boom Town! It also was its downfall when taken away. Happy Thanksgiving from back home! Jim... 
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| « Last Edit: Dec 14th, 2003, 4:12pm by hummel1237 » |
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wlal21
Railfan
Posts: 200
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Thanks Jim, Right back at ya. You now, the one thing you hear very little about is the how slate was transported by rail. And John, the wye in Portland is a sight to see. Not to mention that the coal train is traveling pretty much upgrade from Martins Creek to Johnsonville. We would watch them grind up through Bangor heavy, then fly back down under the viaduct empty.
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Working Local ALlentown 21 to the Bethlehem Dispatcher...
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