Lehigh and New England Railroad
Encyclopedia
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
towards the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...
across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Originally planned as a continuous line east to Boston, plans were later cut back to a section west of the river.
Due to the decline of mining in Pennsylvania, the LNE was shut down in 1961, and parts in Pennsylvania became part of the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
(later part of Conrail).
South Mountain and Boston and successors: 1873-1882
Around 1868, serious proposals for the crossing of the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at Poughkeepsie began to appear. A charter for the Poughkeepsie Bridge Company was obtained in 1871, and the company was organized before the end of May. The charter was amended to allow placing piers in the river by 1872 (despite fierce opposition from navigation interests), and the company began raising funds. Through the influence of Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
president J. Edgar Thomson was persuaded to personally invest in the project.
This funding led to a surge of activity. The line was to be carried from Harrisburg to the crossing of the Delaware River at Portland by the South Mountain Railroad
South Mountain Railroad
The South Mountain Railroad was an American railroad in Pennsylvania.The railroad was incorporated May 5, 1854 by a group of largely local investors. It was to run from Harrisburg to Jonestown, from thence along the south side of Blue Mountain to Rehrersburg and to Hamburg...
. The South Mountain and Boston Railroad was chartered 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...
on March 13, 1873 and also in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to continue the line via Poughkeepsie and Boston Corners
Boston Corners, New York
Boston Corner is a hamlet of the town of Ancram in Columbia County, New York, United States and the town of Northeast in Dutchess County, New York...
to the Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
state line. At the state line, an extension of the planned Massachusetts Central Railroad would connect, taking traffic to Boston. Grading began on the various lines (known, in the aggregate, as the South Mountain and Boston Railroad), and the cornerstone was laid for a bridge pier at Poughkeepsie. However, the Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
and the death of Thomson in May 1874 and loss of his personal support brought the project to a halt.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Division was incorporated on May 5, 1880. The property of the PP&NE was sold to the P&NE (PA Division) on October 13, 1880. This does not seem to have improved the fortunes of this segment of the line; a third company, the Delaware and Slatington Railroad, was incorporated on September 9, 1881, to run from the P&NE (NJ Division) at Portland to Slatington
Slatington, Pennsylvania
Slatington is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is located 15 miles northwest of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state...
on the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
. The P&NE (NJ Division) merged with the Delaware and Slatington on June 22, 1882 to form the Pennsylvania, Slatington and New England Railroad.
Pennsylvania construction: 1880-1891
In the meantime, the P&NE (PA Division) was successful in laying one and one-sixth mile (2 km) of track to the east of Wind Gap about 1880. However, it was foreclosed on July 25, 1881, and reorganized as the Susquehanna and Delaware River Railroad on August 23, 1881; it was foreclosed again and reorganized on July 13, 1886 as the Harrisburg and New England Railroad. This company was supposedly reorganized as the Harrisburg and Eastern Railroad on November 26, 1886, but it was unclear who actually owned it, and the Harrisburg and New England continued to function as a paper corporation, supposedly buying the charter rights of the South Mountain RailroadSouth Mountain Railroad
The South Mountain Railroad was an American railroad in Pennsylvania.The railroad was incorporated May 5, 1854 by a group of largely local investors. It was to run from Harrisburg to Jonestown, from thence along the south side of Blue Mountain to Rehrersburg and to Hamburg...
at a sheriff's sale on November 30, 1888. In the meantime, the Harrisburg and Eastern underwent a final reorganization on May 31, 1887 to become the Harrisburg and Delaware River Railroad. The piece of track laid by the original company was acquired by the Wind Gap and Delaware Railroad jointly from the Harrisburg and New England and its supposed successor, the Harrisburg and Delaware River, on July 31, 1891.
Pennsylvania, Slatington and New England Railroad: 1882-1887
The Pennsylvania, Slatington and New England Railroad was formed June 22, 1882 as a consolidation of the Pennsylvania and New England Railroad (NJ Division) and Delaware and Slatington Railroad, to build from Slatington, PennsylvaniaSlatington, Pennsylvania
Slatington is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It is located 15 miles northwest of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state...
to Pine Island, New York
Pine Island, New York
Pine Island is a hamlet in the town of Warwick in Orange County, New York, United States. It is the largest community in the Black Dirt Region, which is famous for the "black dirt onions." Pine Island is also home to the annual Onion Festival, celebrating the fact that nearly 30% of all the onions...
. In December of that year, John L. Blair, who controlled the nearby Bangor and Portland Railway
Bangor and Portland Railway
- History :The Bangor and Portland Railway was an American railroad incorporated in 1879. It began operations between Bangor and Portland, Pennsylvania, the following year. A branch opened in 1885 from Bangor, extending along Martins Creek to connect with the Pennsylvania Railroad at the town of...
, acquired control of the PS&NE, in order to give the B&P direct access to New England and other points. Additionally the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
's Lehigh and Lackawanna Railroad could no longer access points on the B&P.
Construction was carried out through 1883, with grading finished in Pennsylvania and about 12 miles west from Sussex, New Jersey
Sussex, New Jersey
Sussex is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 2,130.Sussex was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 14, 1891, as Deckertown, from portions of Wantage...
. The bridge over 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 Portland was built, and rails were laid for about half of the length in Pennsylvania. In early 1883 a dispute erupted with the Wind Gap and Delaware Railroad over the tracks between Pen Argyl
Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania
Pen Argyl is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, north of Easton, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.-Population:In 1900, 2,784 people lived in Pen Argyl, and in 1910, 3,967 people lived here...
and Bangor
Bangor, Pennsylvania
Bangor is a borough located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, west of New York City, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt. It had a population of 5,273 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, which the PS&NE wanted to use. Later that year the company went bankrupt and construction stopped.
Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and Boston Railroad: 1887-1895
The Pennsylvania, Slatington and New England Railroad was sold at foreclosureForeclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
to William W. Gibbs, president of the Poughkeepsie Bridge Company, on July 12, 1887, and was reorganized as the Pennsylvania, Poughkeepsie and Boston Railroad. Construction was begun, but the company again went bankrupt, and was sold at foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
December 14, 1894.
Around that time, various other companies were chartered to build the line over the Poughkeepsie Bridge
Poughkeepsie Bridge
The Poughkeepsie Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie, New York on the east bank and Highland, New York on the west bank...
, and in 1889, the Central New England and Western Railroad was completed. That part would be combined with the PS&NE in 1892 by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, but in 1893 the two parts were split. The eastern section later became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
, and the western section stayed independent to the end.
The Campbell Hall Connecting Railroad was chartered April 3, 1889 to obtain the right to operate the section in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was originally planned to extend beyond Pine Island
Pine Island, New York
Pine Island is a hamlet in the town of Warwick in Orange County, New York, United States. It is the largest community in the Black Dirt Region, which is famous for the "black dirt onions." Pine Island is also home to the annual Onion Festival, celebrating the fact that nearly 30% of all the onions...
to Campbell Hall, the west end of the existing Poughkeepsie Bridge line.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railway gained control of the Central New England and Western Railroad in early 1892, and the PP&B soon after, giving it a route from Reading via the Schuylkill and Lehigh Railroad to Slatington, and then to New England along its new acquisitions. The Reading's bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 1893 ended this control, and led to the PP&B's bankruptcy.
Lehigh and New England Railroad: 1895-1961
The Lehigh and New England Railroad was organized April 2, 1895 as the successor to the PP&B. The route was completed from Slatington to Pine Island, but between Swartswood and Hainesburg Junction it used trackage rightsTrackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway
The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna, is a Class II American freight railway operating over 500 miles of track in the northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was formed in 1881 from the merger of several...
. Despite that, a tunnel (40°58′44"N 74°46′1"W) was built under the fill for 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...
's New Jersey Cut-Off
New Jersey Cut-Off
The Lackawanna Cut-Off is a former double-track railroad line, long, built by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad between 1908 and 1911. The last major railroad mainline to be constructed in New Jersey, the Cut-Off operated between 1911 and 1979...
(opened 1911) in case the L&NE ever decided to complete its own line.
Pine Island, New York
Pine Island is a hamlet in the town of Warwick in Orange County, New York, United States. It is the largest community in the Black Dirt Region, which is famous for the "black dirt onions." Pine Island is also home to the annual Onion Festival, celebrating the fact that nearly 30% of all the onions...
to Campbell Hall was cancelled, and trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
were obtained over the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
's Goshen and Deckertown Railroad and Montgomery and Erie Railroad.
The Lehigh and Lackawanna Railroad and its leased Wind Gap and Delaware Railroad were operated by the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
until February 1, 1905, when the two companies were merged into the L&NE. Around the same time the L&NE acquired the Northampton Railroad. This gave the L&NE a branch to Bethlehem, with a branch off that one to Martins Creek
Martins Creek, Pennsylvania
Martins Creek is an unincorporated town in Lower Mt. Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, located along Martins Creek. The zip code is 18063. Its population was 1,200 as of the 1990 Census.-See also:...
. Part of the main line between Benders Junction (the crossing of the original L&NE and the L&L) and Pen Argyl
Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania
Pen Argyl is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, north of Easton, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.-Population:In 1900, 2,784 people lived in Pen Argyl, and in 1910, 3,967 people lived here...
was abandoned in 1905, with the new route using the L&L and WG&D.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company is an anthracite coal mining company headquartered in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., with operations in the areas of Tamaqua, Coaldale, and Lansford...
(LC&N) gained control of the L&NE on May 9, 1904.
A yard at Maybrook, New York
Maybrook, New York
Maybrook is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,084 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
opened in 1912, with L&NE trains terminating there via a section of the Central New England Railway
Central New England Railway
The Central New England Railway was a railroad from Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts west across northern Connecticut and across the Hudson River on the Poughkeepsie Bridge to Maybrook, New York...
.
On July 24, 1912 a new extension opened, splitting from the main line at Danielsville, Pennsylvania
Danielsville, Pennsylvania
Danielsville is a village northeast of Northampton in Northampton County, Pennsylvania along PA 946. The U.S. postal code for Danielsville, PA is 18038....
and running west to Tamaqua
Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
Tamaqua is a borough in eastern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The borough, located in Northeastern Pennsylvania's Coal Region, had a population of 7,107 as of the 2010 U.S...
to directly serve the LC&N. On December 14, 1913 the L&NE acquired the Panther Creek Railroad, running east from Tamaqua to Summit Hill
Summit Hill, Pennsylvania
Summit Hill is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,974 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Summit Hill is located at ....
, and with a connection to the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
's Hauto Tunnel for access to Nesquehoning obtained in 1915.
On June 4, 1926 the Reading Company
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
leased the L&NE, but other railroads objected, and the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
rejected the lease, preferring a lease by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
(which was never done).
While a never particularly profitable system because it paralleled the Lehigh & Hudson River Railway and did not serve any large markets the L&NE did have a profitable cement business from its lines around Bath, Pennsylvania. To railfans, the L&NE is best remembered for its diesel motive power, which consisted entirely of models built by the American Locomotive Company or Alco.
Lehigh and New England Railway: 1961-
The Lehigh and New England Railway was chartered by the Central Railroad of New JerseyCentral Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
to take over some of the lines in Pennsylvania. Included in that sale was the main line east from Tamaqua
Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
Tamaqua is a borough in eastern Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The borough, located in Northeastern Pennsylvania's Coal Region, had a population of 7,107 as of the 2010 U.S...
, the old Lehigh and Lackawanna Railroad and Northampton Railroad from Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
to Martins Creek
Martins Creek, Pennsylvania
Martins Creek is an unincorporated town in Lower Mt. Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, located along Martins Creek. The zip code is 18063. Its population was 1,200 as of the 1990 Census.-See also:...
, and the branch from Bethlehem west to Allentown
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
. A short section from Pen Argyl
Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania
Pen Argyl is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, north of Easton, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.-Population:In 1900, 2,784 people lived in Pen Argyl, and in 1910, 3,967 people lived here...
to Wind Gap
Wind Gap, Pennsylvania
Wind Gap is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Wind Gap is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt .The population of Wind Gap was 2,720 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
was taken over by 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...
, connecting to the DL&W's Bangor and Portland Railway
Bangor and Portland Railway
- History :The Bangor and Portland Railway was an American railroad incorporated in 1879. It began operations between Bangor and Portland, Pennsylvania, the following year. A branch opened in 1885 from Bangor, extending along Martins Creek to connect with the Pennsylvania Railroad at the town of...
at Pen Argyl.
Branches
GlenwoodPochuck Railroad
Sussex
Bangor
Saylorsburg
Bethlehem
Martins Creek
Catasauqua
The branch from Crane Junction on the Lehigh and Lackawanna Railroad (the Bethlehem Branch) southwest to Catasauqua opened on April 1, 1914.
Allentown
Slatington
The branch to Slatington from Danielsville
Danielsville, Pennsylvania
Danielsville is a village northeast of Northampton in Northampton County, Pennsylvania along PA 946. The U.S. postal code for Danielsville, PA is 18038....
, originally part of the main line, was abandoned between 1928 and 1935.
Palmerton
The short connection from Lehigh Gap
Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania
The Lehigh Gap, located in Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, is a water gap formed by the Lehigh River where it cuts through Blue Mountain in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. The gap allows easy travel between Carbon County to the north and Lehigh and...
to Palmerton
Palmerton, Pennsylvania
Palmerton is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the coal region of the state. It is a part of lower Carbon County, which is considered part of the Lehigh Valley and the greater Allentown Metropolitan Area....
opened in 1914, providing a connection to the Chestnut Ridge Railway.
Nesquehoning