Reading Ashland Upper Route

When was this line built/abandoned? What traffic would have used this instead of going through Gordon?

This line fascinates me - especially the bridge over the former LV Ashland Branch and the Mahanoy Creek just east of Ashland.

Thanks,
Frank

Is there any trace of that bridge still left?

Regarding why, I'm just guessing, but perhaps the "Ashland upper route" was built to take coal to customers to the west, towards Sunbury or WIlliamsport, for example, rather than up the Gordon planes and then through Minersville and eventually south and east towards Philadelphia. In any case, I don't know it was originally built by the Reading , or someone else and then acquired by the Reading.

Yes, the bridge is still there and very visible right off Route 54 on the left hand side as you head west. The approaches are gone on both ends, but it is still very impressive.

I looked on Google Street view from Rte 54, and the concrete support for the bridge over 54 ( on the westbound side side of the road )is still there. YOu can see the tracks weren't very high over the road, so I'm not surprised that overpass is gone. But there were too many leaves to look into the woods on the other side to see the bridge over the LV ROW and Mahanoy Creek.

I did find a 1958 photo from Penn PIlot on line that shows both Reading overpasses still there.

ALso, I had a senior moment in my earlier comment. Gordon was at the bottom of the planes, not up at the top on Broad Mountain.
I found an 1854 map of the Mine Hll & Schuylkill Haven RR, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_Hill ... 688719.jpg ,which was taken over by the Reading (not sure before or earlier than 1854). In any case, you can see "U' from the east side of Ashland, heading south, following the creeks, and back up to the Locustdale area was there from the start.

I'm not sure when the Reading built west from Locustdale (to Shamokin and Mt. Carmel), but perhaps it was another road that did that, and they had mines on the northside of Ashland. Perhaps after it was taken over by the Reading the Reading made the connection to send coal the other way (such as through the East Mahanoy tunnel. )

I found an interesting link: https://shamokinhistory.org/facilities- ... portation/ See the Reading & Philadelphia section - especially the predecessor named the Enterprise RR, which went from Shamokin to Locust Gap, which gets you close to Ashland. (Although the 1808 date must be a typing error).

JS

I tried up upload the 1958 aerial photo, but it says "Imgur is temporarily over capacity." So'll try it as an attachment.

The white stripe from lower left (towards Ashland) to upper right (toward Girardville) is Route 54. To the right of it is Mahanoy Creek. It is hard to make out the LV ROW ; it is just to the left of the creek and 54 - you can see it coming south from the Reading overpass.