HOME - NEPA Railfan Page

Pocono Northeast Timeline - Here is a timeline of events in the History of the Pocono Northeast Railroad, or PNER. As much information as I could find/recall about this shortline is listed. The only locomotive from PNER days that is still running is the #1751.

PNER Favorite Locomotive 1751

PNER at Hudson

Circus Train, Ex PNER Locomotive

Late 90's Views of Complex

Demolition Wilkes-Barre Lace

Winter 07-08 - Parts of Wilkes-Barre Lace hit by massive fire demolished. Parts of complex still remain.

Demolition, Wilkes-Barre Lace

Wilkes-Barre Lace Destroyed by Fire 10.21.07

What city officials feared has happened. The main part of the old Wilkes-Barre Lace has been destroyed by fire.

Residents were awoke to the sounds of fire trucks around 8:30 AM. It looked like a tornado, except it was smoke being thrust into the air.

Wilkes-Barre Lace Destroyed

In-Depth: Wilkes-Barre Lace Company July Fire

Vulcan Restoration Project seeks donations

According to local papers the project has about $8500 already. The Unit is at RMDI in Pittston.

It is possible once restored the unit could pull excursion/dinner trains along the Susquehanna River.

George Spohrer, local railfan is overseeing the project.

Address for Project :

Vulcan Pride Ltd.,

c/o Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority,
16 Delaware Ave.,
West Pittston, PA 18643

(I have no connection with the project other than planning to mail in a donation.)

Historical Markers / Cornerstones, etc.

History is all around us. Historical Markers. Cornerstones, Keystones, Plaques and other architectural features document history. They are on the sides of roads, on the foundations of schools and churches. Many older buildings had a name and date on the keystone at the very top.

It is easy to miss these things as you go about your business in your daily life. Once you become aware of these traces of history you will develop a keen eye and a keen eye for history, of all kinds.

Some New Ones :

Bottle Caps

While cleaning, I found my bottle cap collection. There used to be a lot of different bottling houses and breweries in the Anthracite Region.

On rummaging thru the caps, most of the companies have been long out of business - Ma's, Penn State Beverage, Star, and more. So much history in that little box.

425 at Hamburg, 1993 Well I missed the test runs of the 425 this past weekend. Here are shots I took of it in 1993. MORE

Old Hillcrest Lampshade Factory The Old Hillcrest Lampshade Factory. My Grandmother worked here. It has been vacant for many years. MORE

Olyphant Miner Memorial Recently dedicated statue along the Lackawanna River to remember area miners. MORE

Inspection Train At Taylor Inspection train caught at Taylor at night in November 2007. Video Stills. MORE

Old Rt. 307 Bridge (Was Luna Park Bridge Remains) Remains of the old Rt. 307 Bridge. MORE

Star Of Bethlehem On Culm Dump In the mid to late 80's a star was lit on the culm dumps between Dupont, Avoca and Hughestown. MORE

First Insulator The first insulator I ever found was from along the old D&H. I was lucky to find a whole insulator buried in the cinders. MORE

West Side Horn Blower Again ?Is this a truck ? Is it a Fire Dept. Siren ? It is not a train. MORE

October Black and White Some shots of visting PRR and D-L Equipment at Steamtown. Taken w/ Kodak Tmax fikm MORE

You Never Know What You'll See Dept.On end of train passing through Hudson, PA a Passenger car (No Pics) MORE

Silver Queen Burnt Down Landmark former Silver Queen bar, resturant, hotel in East End of WB burns. Operated as Grapevine Grille for less than a year. MORE

Kowaflex Not Kaput ??? Vintage camera may still be operational. Perhaps I had some settings wrong, or when I tried to use it last winter the selenium photocell that powered the light meter was outside its operational temperature range. MORE

Circus Train At Wilkes-Barre Cars from the Red Unit sit on former Lehigh Valley and Delaware and Hudson industrial trackage. MORE

Mine Subsidence Near Hudson Yard A big whole opened up in the woods in what used to by Hudson Yard. Looks like 25-30 ft deep.. MORE

Fish Island Telephoto Telephoto views of the Fish Island bridge, taken with digital camera. Serveral people fell off this bridge and died. MORE

MOW Equipment, Hudson Equipement, Pettibones, Payloaders and all sorts of supplies are massed at Hudson, for a spring track work project. MORE

3 trains at Hudson One night from 5:45 to 7:20 three trains rolled thru Hudson. What a great catch as most of the stuff runs at night. MORE

Rock Island Trailer Caught this relic from this Fallen Flag parked in Kingston, by McCarthy's Tires. Same place I caught a Penn Central Trailer a year or two before. MORE

Mr.Dickover Looks For His Grandfather's Bricks Relative of Dickover Brick Co, sees page on Dickover Bricks, gathers namesake heirloom MORE

Lehighton Interlocking / Packerton Yard 35mm shots of Conrail's Lehghton Interlocking and what was left of Packeton Yard.MORE

Vulcan 1984 Here are some photos and descriptions of the Vulcan in 1984. This proves that it was in running order when it came to Wilkes-Barre. A L&WV NHRS handed this to me at the October Meeting. MORE

Ellen Webster Palmer Memorial This memorial is on the River Commons in Wilkes-Barre, across from King's College. Ellen founded the Boy's Industrial Association in Wilkes-Barre. MORE (Currently whole area is all ripped up and under construction as they build a new riverfront park)

Scranton Railway Carbarns Pictures from the mid-90's of the old Scranton Railway Carbarns on Providence Road in Scranton. Today, the buildings are gone, with retail development near the site. MORE

Streetcar Rail ??? In a dirt parking lot off of Scott Street is a small section of rail. Maybe from a streetcar line or mine operation. MORE

Remains of Roller Coaster at Hanson's Just the one segment still remains. This was the entrance to the park and at one time the LV Bowmans Creek Branch ran thru it. MORE

Remains of Woodward Outbuildings This is what is left at the Woodward Colliery SIte. Not much. MORE

Kowaflex Test Roll B&W After about two weeks, got my film back from Sam's Club. Not bad for the first time shooting Black and White. I like the old time look of the shots MORE

Remains of "The Station" Just the Vulcan and a few cars remain at the site of "The Station" in Wilkes-Barre. Once a bar, hotel and eatery, it is mostly vacant. If rail service is ever restored to NYC, this site may be used as as terminal. MORE

Kowaflex Test Roll Here are some shots from my test roll. Not bad for a camera that is about 45 years old. MORE

Kowaflex E Camera Got a vintage 35mm camera from an Estate Sale. Amazingly I got it to work. MORE

Water Tank, Dorrance Colliery Fan House No leaves on the trees shows an old wooden and metal water tank. It was part of the Dorrance Colliery and is behind the Fan House MORE

Hampton Yard Super's House This building may be the last remaining building from Hampton Yard. It was the Superintendent's house. MORE

Death on the D&H, a short story of people picking coal on the D&H only to get killed by a train MORE

PRR Shark B Unit that was formerly at the Sullivan Trail Breaker. MORE

Random Rail Photos

Some rail pictures from around region. View all pictures

Retro Sightings

Sightings recovered from tape, zipdisk, and old computer, Sharp Wizard, etc. Never thought I accumulated this much stuff. An ongoing project.

Misc. Photo Sets

Misc Photo Set 1

D&H Photos

More Conrail Photos

Railroad Facts :

From 1991 CONRAIL Timetable : 

Ashmore Secondary Track 

0.0  CP-M & H JCT. (Lehigh Line) 
1.3  HINKLES 
4.3  BLACK CREEK JCT
5.2  WEATHERLY
6.8  HAZLE CREEK JCT.
10.3 BLS ASHMORE (Hazleton Running Track)

Misc. Locomotive Photos

Web Album - Railroad Pictures

Misc. Huber Photos

Web Album - Huber Breaker

Mine Disasters :

Susquehanna No. 7, Oct 30, 1926 Gas Explosion 9 Men Killed

- Plymouth Miner's Memorial

Plymouth Miners Memorial

Car Tags from Scranton Shops :

E-L BAD ORDER TAG :  

INTIAL :  EL
CAR NO: 12683
STATION : TAYLOR
DATE:  2/12/76 
SENT TO : SCRANTON

DEFECTS : BROKEN KNUKLE BOSTER A-END

View All

Coal Breaker Facts :

Truesdale Colliery - Hanover Section of Nanticoke - On DL&W Hanover and Nanticoke Branch

Favorite Breakers :

Huber (Still Standing)
Sullivan Trail (Demolished)
Harry E (Demolished)

List of Coal Breakers

List of Breakers Erie Map 1939

Tidbit :

Amusement Parks w/ trains -

Nay Aug Park
Angela Park
Hansons
San Souci
Knobel's Grove

Tidbit :

Old Area Roller Coasters -

Hanson's -Speed Hound
Angela Park - Valley Volcano
San Souci - The Wild Mouse
Rocky Glen - The Million Dollar Coaster
Rocky Glen - Comet, Jet Star

Tidbit :

Rail To Trails -

Back Mountain Rail To Trail LV (Luzerne)

Pittston Rail With Trail - LV
Passenger Main,LS (Pittston)

CNJ Trail , Scranton CNJ

O&W Trail, Midvalley, O&W

Tidbit :

Route Names -.

DL&W - Route of the Phoebe Snow
D&H - The Bridge Line
LV - Route of the Black Diamond
L&WV -The Laurel Line
D-L - The Pocono Mountain Route
R&N - The Road of Anthracite
NYC - The Water Level Route
WB & Hazleton - The Cannonball

Top | Middle | In-Depth | Bottom | Site Map

Webmaster Approved Places to Eat :

Gonda's Hoagies, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Andy's River Road Diner Plains, PA

Gingerelli's Old Forge, PA

Coney Island Scranton, PA

Glider Diner Scranton, PA

Arcaro & Genell's Old Forge, PA

Summerdale Diner, Enloa, PA

Harrison House Diner , Mullica Hiils, NJ

Lieby's South Tamaqua, PA

Abe's Deli, Scranton, PA

Top | Middle | In-Depth | Bottom | Site Map

Revised : 04.13.08 (Designed for 1024 X 768) (View it any way you like)

Cabooses

View All

NEPA News Portal :

Tidbit :

Junctions in NEPA Duryea Jct - LV,CR,LS,RN
Minooka Jct - DH,RN,CP
Virgnia - LWV,ER,DL,LS
Dupont Jct - LV,DH,CR,CP,RN
Slateford Jct - EL,CR,NS
Pittston Jct - LV,EL, CR,PNER,RN
Forest Castle Jct - LV,CR,PNER
Penn Haven Jct - LV,CR,RN,NS
Langcliffe Jct - DH,ER,LS
Jefferson Jct - DH,ER
Plymouth Jct - DH,DLW
Hillside Jct - ER,LS

Tidbit :

Attractions in Scranton :

Steamtown NHS
Nay Aug Park
The Everhart Museum
Lackawanna County Trolley Museum
McDade Park
Anthracite Museum
Iron Furnaces
Lackawanna Mine Tour

Lineside Poles :

pole17 pole11 pole0 pole10 pole13 pole5 pole6 pole10

Graffiti cars: View All

GraffitiCars14 GraffitiCars19 GraffitiCars16 GraffitiCars8 GraffitiCars3 GraffitiCars14

Railroad Facts :

Famous Trains:

Phoebe Snow (DL&W)

Apollo (LV)

The Black Diamond (LV)

The John Wikes (LV)

Adirondack (D&H)

The Pocono Express (DL&W)

View All

Laurel Line Stations

Scranton Dunmore Brc So Scanton Connell Jct. Rocky Glen Moosic Avoca So Avoca Dupont No Pittston Pittston So Pittston Inkerman Hilldale No. 14 Plains Midvale River Street Wilkes-Barre

Famous Trains:

Phoebe Snow (DL&W)

Apollo (LV)

The Black Diamond (LV)

The John Wikes (LV)

Adirondack (D&H)

The Pocono Express (DL&W)

View All

NEPA.Railfan.net

Remember the Butler Street Bridge ??? The best place to watch the LV and the D&H in the 70s was on its steps.

"In Depth"

The following articles, recollections and stories are more in depth and longer then the weblog format pages that the sightings and most other things are done in. Most "disappeared" last year with the updated format of the web site :

Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway This train ride from Jim Thorpe thru the Gorge is run by the Reading and Northern and is a real nice trip. .

Sightings - Marysville 12.28.06 Some good trains on a warm December day, almost like springtime. A slow coal train, and then a stack train blasts by.

Harry E Coal Breaker II Recently discovered photos showing the old Harry E breaker. This batch shows the part of the breaker that went over the back road with all its girders, pipes and trusses.

Back Mountain Rail To Trail Some shots of the Back Mountain Rail to Trail, which is the part of the old Lehigh Valley Bowmans Creek Branch

Lackawanna County Heritage Trail : O&W Railroad Some scenes from the train in the Upvalley area - Jessup and Archbald it looks like from the map. The trail has marker showing some key features of the railroad. In runs along the river and is very senic.

Scranton Railway Carbarns Pictures from the mid-90's of the old Scranton Railway Carbarns on Providence Road in Scranton. Today, the buildings are gone, with retail development near the site. Shots like this are important, after the buildings are long gone.

Dorrance Fan House Here are shots of the Dorrance Colliery Fan house from the early 1990's before the dirt around it was bulldozed up to the roof line.

Peach Orchard Colliery Pictures of the Peach Orchard buildings that Dave S. sent me. Mostly brick buildings left over from the mining operations, we used to play there in grade school.

The Concrete City Shots of the Concrete City taken in the mid 1990's. More recently a State Historical Marker has been erected down the street from it.

Plymouth Miners Memorial Photographs of the memorial, some descriptions of it and some text of mine disasters, from the memorial, of course.

Market Street Square Recollections of Market Street Square, The Choo Choo Inn, Rocky Glen Park, Top Dog (Same guy owned them), Scrapping of cars on MSS site, Photographs of cars and Vulcan.

Glen Alden Shops Some shots of the former Glen Alden Coal Company Machine Shops in West Pittston, PA. Much of these buildings have been removed.

Harry E Coal Breaker Photographs of the breaker in Swoyersville about two years before it was demolished. It was amazing that they left the thing up as long they did because it went over the "Back Road".

Sullivan Trail Breaker Shots of the old Sullivan Trail Breaker with the Drag Line buckets in front of it. Nothing remains of the site. New homes and townhomes are on the site of the Breaker and colliery grounds.

Vulcan Iron Works This set of buildings in South Wilkes-Barre is were the Vulcan locomotives were build in years past.

Bowmans Creek Branch Stuff :

		
BOWMANS CREEK BRANCH (Lehigh Valey RR)
 

178.9  PORT BOWKLEY (JTC)
180.0  KINGSTON-FORTY FORT
180.7  HARVEY JTC
181.2  LUZERNE 
184.0  TRUCKSVILLE
185.9  LEONARDS
187.1  DALLAS 
187.2  KIRKDALE
189.8  CHESTNUT RIDGE
193.0  RINGALD
193.2  ALDERSON
192.4  HARVEY'S LAKE 
199.1  NOXEN
201.5  STULL 
202.9  BAKERS
206.5  DOTTER 
206.8  BETH RUN
209.2  SPLASH DAM
210.1  MOUNTAIN SPRINGS
212.3  MEADOW
212.3  RICKETTS 
222.6  LOPEZ
226.3  BERNICE JCT
226.7  BERNICE


Distance from New York 
via Bowmans Creek Branch

Back Mountain Rail To Trail

Dallas Station

Entrance to Rollercoaster, Hansons

Noxen Station

If Firwood caught on fire, would Laurel Run ? Buttonwood, Askam.