One of my fave lines was the E&N. I remember how devastated I was in 1995 when driving over the tracks on Rt 22 and seeing them recentely torn up. I have a few questions if anyone cares to answer...
1. The LV moved lots of interchange coal over the bridge in Easton, but CR abandoned the lower end of the line in 1983 due to them saying the bridge over the Lehigh River was unsafe. How was it that the LV handled all that tonnage for 100 years but CR made that claim about the bridge in 5 years? Was it just an excuse to abandon the line? Did anything actually happen to the bridge? An old time railroader who worked that area once told me "the bridges were no good". Can anyone elaborate?
2. Was the south end of the line from Easton to Dixie Cups siding 'abandoned' or just 'oos'?
3. When was trackage removed from Easton to Dixie Cups?
4. Did CR ever run anything over the bridge from Easton northward from 1976-1983 or was the line served from the north only?
5. If the bridge is so unsafe how has it managed to stay up from 1983-present day. That's a lot of years!
6. I know the final coffin for the branch was in 1984 when Dixie Cups and Crayola moved to the new factory in Forks (still rail customers today). I'm told there was still one customer on the line who got a boxcar of paper rolls once a week. Does anyone know where this boxcar was spotted?
7. Is it true that CR gave up on the line after the bushkill creek flooded out parts of the track?
8. Why was no effort made to restore service to the Pfizer plant by 13th St Jct? They are still active today and could use tank car service.
9. I know CR sold the row to the municipalities it went thru for $1. Why were they in such a hurry to get rid of the branch? Almost give it away?
10. Does NS still own the bridge over the Lehigh River?
I say the line still has potential and I can't beleive CR threw it all away.
Former LVRR customers that still exist: Schaible's Bakery (would be end of line), Mack Printing, Times-Express newspaper, Pfizer/CK Williams, NorthamptonFarm Bureau, Equipto. They could all use rail service. You're going to tell me that a short line wouldn't be able to lure these shippers back to rail vs. Conrail who chased them away?
1. The LV moved lots of interchange coal over the bridge in Easton, but CR abandoned the lower end of the line in 1983 due to them saying the bridge over the Lehigh River was unsafe. How was it that the LV handled all that tonnage for 100 years but CR made that claim about the bridge in 5 years? Was it just an excuse to abandon the line? Did anything actually happen to the bridge? An old time railroader who worked that area once told me "the bridges were no good". Can anyone elaborate?
2. Was the south end of the line from Easton to Dixie Cups siding 'abandoned' or just 'oos'?
3. When was trackage removed from Easton to Dixie Cups?
4. Did CR ever run anything over the bridge from Easton northward from 1976-1983 or was the line served from the north only?
5. If the bridge is so unsafe how has it managed to stay up from 1983-present day. That's a lot of years!
6. I know the final coffin for the branch was in 1984 when Dixie Cups and Crayola moved to the new factory in Forks (still rail customers today). I'm told there was still one customer on the line who got a boxcar of paper rolls once a week. Does anyone know where this boxcar was spotted?
7. Is it true that CR gave up on the line after the bushkill creek flooded out parts of the track?
8. Why was no effort made to restore service to the Pfizer plant by 13th St Jct? They are still active today and could use tank car service.
9. I know CR sold the row to the municipalities it went thru for $1. Why were they in such a hurry to get rid of the branch? Almost give it away?
10. Does NS still own the bridge over the Lehigh River?
I say the line still has potential and I can't beleive CR threw it all away.
Former LVRR customers that still exist: Schaible's Bakery (would be end of line), Mack Printing, Times-Express newspaper, Pfizer/CK Williams, NorthamptonFarm Bureau, Equipto. They could all use rail service. You're going to tell me that a short line wouldn't be able to lure these shippers back to rail vs. Conrail who chased them away?