LNE Catty branch question

After the LNE ceased operation on Halloween 1961, was the Catty branch abandoned or did the CNJ/LNERwy ever operate it? If so how far south into Caty was it operated and when was it abandoned? Was the tunnel trackage immediatly abandoned and filled in after the LNE died?

There are lots of industrial buildings and warehouses just south of the airport rd xing that could use rail service. It looks like there are several buildings on Weaversville Rd that had covered loading docks that faced the track.

Also is the row in tact to this day or is it severed? It looks pretty much intact however about 1/8 mile NE of Airport road crossing it appears as though a farm field has been built ontop of the row and the row is completley obliterated. Did CR sell this part of the row? A large square wheat or corn field or something.

Does NS still own the whole row all the way into Caty?

THis link http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProjec ... .htm#LNERR says the CNJ took over 4.4 miles from Crane junction (the line along Monocacy Creekk) to just west of Schoenersville, along with some industrial track in Catasaqua. And the rest of the branch was ripped up in 1962. When that 4.4 miles went inactive, or if it made it into Conrail, I don't know. JS

EDIT: looking at the Conrail final plan, I see where the LNE Allentown Branch made it into Conrail, and the LNE line from Bath to Martin's creek (was the missing section near M.C. still in service then??), but I don't see anything about the Catasauqua Br. The report is a bit disorganized so I could have missed something, and there were amendments later to the plan, so this not the final word however.

carajul wrote:After the LNE ceased operation on Halloween 1961, was the Catty branch abandoned or did the CNJ/LNERwy ever operate it? If so how far south into Caty was it operated and when was it abandoned? Was the tunnel trackage immediatly abandoned and filled in after the LNE died?

There are lots of industrial buildings and warehouses just south of the airport rd xing that could use rail service. It looks like there are several buildings on Weaversville Rd that had covered loading docks that faced the track.

Also is the row in tact to this day or is it severed? It looks pretty much intact however about 1/8 mile NE of Airport road crossing it appears as though a farm field has been built ontop of the row and the row is completley obliterated. Did CR sell this part of the row? A large square wheat or corn field or something.

Does NS still own the whole row all the way into Caty?

In 1994, Conrail sold the Schoenersville Industrial Track property (whatever CR held title-wise) to UGI to allow a gas line to be installed. Sevice ended pre-1992 based on the paperwork I've seen. UGI did install the gas pipeline after the rails were removed.

2 bridges were removed following the 1994 sale, the one over the original Airport Road and the one over Schoenersville Road which was a bypass constructed to eliminate a grade crossing (near the present Sharkan Supply).

The "industrial buildings" you speak of are the reason why the CNJ/LNE Rwy bought that piece of the trackage. The Schoenersville Industrial Park was just starting construction around the time of the LNE service ending on 10/31/61 and the new LNE Rwy didn't buy the section from Crane Jct to Schoenersville until January, 1962. There were several sidings into various buildings along with the customer at Schoenersville proper.

The trackage in Catasauqua within the Fuller Company plant was taken over by the CNJ as they across the remains of the canal from the plant. CR served the plant as well. The rest of the trackage was removed in 1962. I don't know when the tunnel was covered up.

M

PS The section of the Martins Creek branch was removed after the cement plant (ConAgra) at Sandt's Eddy closed. The track running to ConAgra was put back in several years after the original LNE trackage was removed and serviced from the EL/Conrail end.

pumpers wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:04 am THis link http://himedo.net/TheHopkinThomasProjec ... .htm#LNERR says the CNJ took over 4.4 miles from Crane junction (the line along Monocacy Creekk) to just west of Schoenersville, along with some industrial track in Catasaqua. And the rest of the branch was ripped up in 1962. When that 4.4 miles went inactive, or if it made it into Conrail, I don't know. JS

EDIT: looking at the Conrail final plan, I see where the LNE Allentown Branch made it into Conrail, and the LNE line from Bath to Martin's creek (was the missing section near M.C. still in service then??), but I don't see anything about the Catasauqua Br. The report is a bit disorganized so I could have missed something, and there were amendments later to the plan, so this not the final word however.

The Catasauqua Branch was accidentally omitted in the Final System Plan but it's included in the Official Errata Supplement.