Lackawanna Old Road
Encyclopedia
The Lackawanna Old Road was the main
right-of-way
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
(DL&W) in New Jersey
from 1856 until the DL&W opened the Lackawanna Cut-Off in 1911. After it lost mainline status, the Old Road was used mostly as a branch line
for local freight shipments until it was washed out in a 1968 storm.
through Hackettstown
to Washington
, then turned sharply northwest. It ran through the Oxford and Manunka Chunk tunnels, and crossed the Delaware River
at Delaware, New Jersey
, and continued to Portland, Pennsylvania
.
After 1911, it was a backup route and served businesses on the line until 1968 after a section of track was washed out during a heavy rainstorm. In April 1970, the Erie Lackawanna Railway
abandoned the line and removed the tracks between the towns of Delaware and Washington.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Warren County
removed the line's remaining bridges and abutments spanning roads and highways between Delaware and Washington. Still, many vestiges remain: telegraph poles, tunnels, a concrete viaduct spanning the Pequest River
, and the abandoned Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
right-of-way near the intersection of State Route 31 and U.S. Route 46
near Buttzville
. The iron bridge across the Delaware is still used by coal trains serving the PPL
power plant on the river in Portland.
that had washed into a road crossing during a heavy thunderstorm. The wreck killed 47 passengers and three trainmen. The train was initially scheduled to travel via the Lackawanna Cut-Off, but was ahead of schedule when it arrived at Slateford Junction
, Pennsylvania. In order to avoid freight trains on the line, the passenger train and was diverted to the Old Road to Port Morris
. In 1995, on the 70th anniversary of the wreck, a stone and plaque was erected at the Rockport crossing to remember the lives lost.
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
right-of-way
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
(DL&W) in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
from 1856 until the DL&W opened the Lackawanna Cut-Off in 1911. After it lost mainline status, the Old Road was used mostly as a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
for local freight shipments until it was washed out in a 1968 storm.
History
The Old Road ran southwest from BoontonBoonton, New Jersey
Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey that was chartered in 1867. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 8,347. The town was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone....
through Hackettstown
Hackettstown (NJT station)
Hackettstown Station is a New Jersey Transit station in Hackettstown, New Jersey. The station is located at the intersection of Valentine Street and Beatty Street and is the western terminus of the Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Line, which both provide service to Hoboken Terminal or to...
to Washington
Washington, New Jersey
Washington is a borough in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 6,461. The borough is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley....
, then turned sharply northwest. It ran through the Oxford and Manunka Chunk tunnels, and crossed the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
at Delaware, New Jersey
Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 4,478 people, 1,643 households, and 1,302 families residing in the township. The population density was 121.9 people per square mile . There were 1,701 housing units at an average density of 46.3 per square mile...
, and continued to Portland, Pennsylvania
Portland, Pennsylvania
Portland is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Portland is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.The population of Portland was 579 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
After 1911, it was a backup route and served businesses on the line until 1968 after a section of track was washed out during a heavy rainstorm. In April 1970, the Erie Lackawanna Railway
Erie Lackawanna Railway
The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie–Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
abandoned the line and removed the tracks between the towns of Delaware and Washington.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Warren County
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
removed the line's remaining bridges and abutments spanning roads and highways between Delaware and Washington. Still, many vestiges remain: telegraph poles, tunnels, a concrete viaduct spanning the Pequest River
Pequest River
The Pequest River is a tributary of the Delaware River in the Skylands Region in northwestern New Jersey in the United States.The Pequest, Native American for "open land", drains an area of across Sussex and Warren counties, consisting of ten municipalities....
, and the abandoned Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
Lehigh and Hudson River Railway
The Lehigh and Hudson River Railway was the smallest of the six railroads that were merged into Conrail in 1976. It was a bridge line running northeast-southwest across northwestern New Jersey, connecting the line to the Poughkeepsie Bridge at Maybrook, New York with Easton, Pennsylvania, where it...
right-of-way near the intersection of State Route 31 and U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46
U.S. Route 46 is an east–west U.S. Highway, running for , completely within the state of New Jersey. The west end is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and Route 94 in Columbia, Warren County on the Delaware River...
near Buttzville
Buttzville, New Jersey
Buttzville is an unincorporated community in White Township, Warren County, New Jersey, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 46 at the north end of Route 31 ....
. The iron bridge across the Delaware is still used by coal trains serving the PPL
PPL (utility)
PPL, formerly known as PP&L or Pennsylvania Power and Light, is an energy company headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. It currently controls about 19,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity in the United States, primarily in Pennsylvania and Montana, and delivers electricity to...
power plant on the river in Portland.
1925 wreck
On June 16, 1925, a passenger train carrying German and American tourists from Chicago to Hoboken derailed in in Rockport, New Jersey. The train struck debrisRoad debris
Road debris, a form of road hazard, is debris on or off a road. Road debris includes substances, materials, and objects that are foreign to the normal roadway environment...
that had washed into a road crossing during a heavy thunderstorm. The wreck killed 47 passengers and three trainmen. The train was initially scheduled to travel via the Lackawanna Cut-Off, but was ahead of schedule when it arrived at Slateford Junction
Slateford Junction
Slateford Junction was a railway junction created in 1911 with the opening of the Lackawanna Cut-Off. Before that, the old mainline of the Lackawanna Railroad...
, Pennsylvania. In order to avoid freight trains on the line, the passenger train and was diverted to the Old Road to Port Morris
Port Morris, New Jersey
Port Morris is a historic community in Roxbury Township, in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. Despite its name, Port Morris is in the hills of the Skylands Region, on the shores of Lake Musconetcong....
. In 1995, on the 70th anniversary of the wreck, a stone and plaque was erected at the Rockport crossing to remember the lives lost.