November 21, 2006

Some early shots of the Back Mountain Rail-To-Trail, which was part of the Lehigh Valley Bowmans Creek Branch.

The shots with the yellow lettering are from circa 1997, taken with a 35mm camera and scanned into the computer. That was when the train was relativley unimproved and still a little rough.

First as you go up the trail out of Luzerne, you see some stone retaining walls.

From what I gather, they wanted the trail to go all the way to Noxen, but they are never going to be able to get an easement, because the land was sold off and developed. It looks like it might end up as a bike route ending at the Main Gate of College Misericordia.

Currently it ends at Carverton Road.

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There is a concrete signal base along the trail too :

This section is very senic, high above the Rt 309.

There is still a standpile on the side of the trail :

Unsure what this was, maybe a coal bin, for the steam engines to top off before heading up the steep grade.