The
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company (
DL&W or
Lackawanna) was a railroad connecting
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's
Lackawanna ValleyThe Lackawanna River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It flows through a region of the northern Pocono Mountains that was once a center of anthracite coal mining in the United States...
, rich in
anthracite coalAnthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
, to
HobokenHoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, (with rail and ferry service to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
),
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
and
OswegoOswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It merged with the
Erie RailroadThe Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
in 1960, forming the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, and was absorbed into Conrail in 1976.
Pre-DL&W: 1832-1853
The
Liggett's Gap Railroad was incorporated on April 7, 1832, but stayed dormant for many years. It was chartered on March 14, 1849, and organized January 2, 1850. On April 14, 1851, its name was changed to the
Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The line, running north from
ScrantonScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, Pennsylvania, to
Great BendGreat Bend is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, 39 miles north of Scranton. The population was 700 at the 2000 census. Great Bend sits along the Susquehanna River, less than two miles from the New York State border. Located directly off Interstate 81, tourism is a...
, just south of the
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state line, opened on December 20, 1851. From Great Bend the L&W obtained
trackage rightsTrackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
north and west over the New York and Erie Rail Road to
OwegoOwego is a village in and the county seat of Tioga County, New York, USA. The population was 3,911 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, New York, where it leased the Cayuga and Susquehanna Railroad to Ithaca on
Cayuga LakeCayuga Lake is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and second largest in volume. It is just under 40 miles long. Its average width is 1.7 miles , and it is at its widest point near Aurora...
(on April 21, 1855). The C&S was a re-organized and partially re-built Ithaca and Owego Railroad, which had opened on April 1, 1834, and was the oldest part of the DL&W system. The whole system was built to 6 ft 0 in (1829 mm)
broad gaugeBroad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
, the same as the New York and Erie, although the original I&O was built to standard gauge and converted to wide gauge when re-built as the C&S.
The
Delaware and Cobb's Gap Railroad was chartered December 4, 1850, to build a line from Scranton east to the
Delaware RiverThe Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. Before it opened, the Delaware and Cobb's Gap and Lackawanna and Western were consolidated by the
Lackawanna Steel CompanyThe Lackawanna Steel Company was an American steel manufacturing company that existed as an independent company from 1840 to 1922, and as a subsidiary of the Bethlehem Steel company from 1922 to 1983. Founded by the Scranton family, it was once the second-largest steel company in the world ....
into one company, the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, on March 11, 1853. On the
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
side of the Delaware River, the
Warren Railroad was chartered February 12, 1851, to continue from the bridge over the river southeast to
HamptonHampton is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,401.What is now Hampton was originally incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature as Junction Borough on February 20, 1895, from portions of both Lebanon...
on the
Central Railroad of New JerseyThe Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
. That section got its name from Warren County, the county through which it would primarily run.
Expansion: 1853-1960
The rest of the line, now known as the Southern Division, opened on May 27, 1856, including the New Jersey section (the Warren Railroad). A
third railA dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
was added to the
standard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
Central Railroad of New JerseyThe Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
east of Hampton to allow the DL&W to run east to Elizabeth via
trackage rightsTrackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
(the CNJ was extended in 1864 to
Jersey CityJersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
).
On December 10, 1868, the DL&W bought the
Morris and Essex RailroadThe Morris and Essex Railroad was a railroad across northern New Jersey, later part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.-History:...
. This line ran east-west across northern New Jersey, crossing the Warren Railroad at Washington and providing access to Jersey City without depending on the CNJ. The M&E tunnel under
Bergen HillBergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
opened in 1876, also relieving it of its use of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railway in Jersey City. Along with the M&E lease came several branch lines in New Jersey, including the Boonton Line (opened in 1870), which bypassed Newark for through freight.
The DL&W bought the Syracuse, Binghamton and New York Railroad in 1869 and leased the
Oswego and Syracuse RailroadThe Oswego and Syracuse Railroad was formed April 29, 1839, and the route was surveyed during the summer of that year. The Company was fully organized March 25, 1847. The road was opened on May 14, 1848, and ran a total distance of from Syracuse, New York to Oswego, New York...
on February 13, 1869. This gave it a branch from Binghamton north and northwest via Syracuse to Oswego, a port on
Lake OntarioLake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
The Greene Railroad was organized in 1869, opened in 1870, and was immediately leased to the DL&W, providing a short branch off the Oswego line from Chenango Forks to Greene. Also in 1870 the DL&W leased the Utica, Chenango and Susquehanna Valley Railway, continuing this branch north to Utica, with a branch from Richfield Junction to Richfield Springs (fully opened in 1872).
The
Valley Railroad was organized March 3, 1869, to connect the end of the original line at
Great BendGreat Bend is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, 39 miles north of Scranton. The population was 700 at the 2000 census. Great Bend sits along the Susquehanna River, less than two miles from the New York State border. Located directly off Interstate 81, tourism is a...
, Pennsylvania to
BinghamtonBinghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
, New York, avoiding reliance on the Erie. The new line opened October 1, 1871.
By 1873, the DL&W controlled the
Lackawanna and Bloomsburg RailroadThe Lackawanna and Bloomsburg Railroad was an 80 mile long 19th century railroad that ran between Scranton and Northumberland in Pennsylvania in the United States. Incorporated in 1852, the railroad began operation in 1856 and was taken over by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad...
, a branch from Scranton southwest to Northumberland (with
trackage rightsTrackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the
Pennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
's
Northern Central RailwayThe Northern Central Railway was a Class I Railroad connecting Baltimore, Maryland with Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the...
to Sunbury).
On March 15, 1876, the whole system was re-gauged to
standard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in one day.
The
New York, Lackawanna and Western Railroad was chartered August 26, 1880, and opened September 17, 1882, to continue the DL&W from Binghamton west and northwest to
BuffaloBuffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. The main line ran to the International Bridge to
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and a branch served downtown Buffalo.
On December 1, 1903, the DL&W began operating the
Erie and Central New York RailroadThe Erie and Central New York Railroad was first graded in 1870 and was abandoned and the bridges rotted. Reconstruction was started in 1895, opened May 1, 1898, and sold to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1903. The railroad ran from Cortland Junction to Cincinnatus, and an...
, a branch of the Oswego line from Cortland Junction east to Cincinnatus.
By 1909, the DL&W controlled the
Bangor and Portland Railway- History :The Bangor and Portland Railway was an American railroad incorporated in 1879. It began operations between Bangor and Portland, Pennsylvania, the following year. A branch opened in 1885 from Bangor, extending along Martins Creek to connect with the Pennsylvania Railroad at the town of...
. This line branched from the main line at
PortlandPortland is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Portland is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.The population of Portland was 579 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Pennsylvania southwest to Nazareth, with a branch to
Martins CreekMartins Creek is an unincorporated town in Lower Mt. Bethel Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, located along Martins Creek. The zip code is 18063. Its population was 1,200 as of the 1990 Census.-See also:...
.
New terminals and realignments
The DL&W built a Beaux Arts
terminalHoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
in
HobokenHoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, New Jersey, in 1907, followed by another Beaux Arts passenger station in
ScrantonScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, Pennsylvania, in 1908. This is now a Radisson Hotel.
The
Lackawanna Railroad of New Jersey, chartered on February 7, 1908, to build the Lackawanna Cut-Off (a.k.a. New Jersey Cutoff or Hopatcong-Slateford Cutoff), opened on December 24, 1911. This provided a low-grade cutoff in northwestern New Jersey. The cutoff included the
Delaware River ViaductThe Delaware River Viaduct is the sister bridge of the Paulinskill Viaduct on the Lackawanna Cut-Off rail line between eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey. Built in 1908-10, this reinforced concrete bridge crosses the Delaware River about two miles south of the Delaware Water Gap...
and the
Paulinskill ViaductThe Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a railroad bridge which crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey....
, as well as three concrete towers at Port Morris and Greendell in New Jersey and Slateford Junction in Pennsylvania.
From 1912 to 1915, the Summit-Hallstead Cutoff (a.k.a. Pennsylvania Cutoff or Nicholson Cutoff) was built to revamp a winding and hilly system between
Clarks Summit, PennsylvaniaClarks Summit is a borough in Lackawanna County northwest of Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 5,116 at the 2010 census. It is also the northern terminus of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, I-476.-History:...
, and
Hallstead, PennsylvaniaHallstead is a borough in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,216 at the 2000 census. Hallstead was founded in 1787 and was named in honor of William F...
. This rerouting provided another quicker low-grade line between
Scranton, PennsylvaniaScranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, and
Binghamton, New YorkBinghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
. The Summit Cut-Off included the massive
Tunkhannock ViaductTunkhannock Viaduct is a concrete deck arch bridge that spans the Tunkhannock Creek in Nicholson, Wyoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was the largest concrete bridge in the U.S. when it opened, and remained so even 50 years later.The bridge contains about of concrete and of steel...
and Martins Creek Viaduct.
The Lackawanna's cutoffs had no at-grade crossings with roads or highways, allowing high-speed service.
Downfall
In August 1955,
Hurricane DianeHurricane Diane was one of three hurricanes to hit North Carolina during the 1955 Atlantic hurricane season, striking an area that had been hit by Hurricane Connie five days earlier...
washed out much of the Lackawanna's mainline in the Poconos, causing the railway to suspend operations for nearly a month. The resulting debts and operational constraints placed upon the DL&W contributed to its ultimate merger with the Erie Railroad in 1960.
Aftermath: 1960–present
Erie Lackawanna
On October 17, 1960, the DL&W merged with its former rival and virtual partner, the
Erie RailroadThe Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
, to form the Erie Lackawanna Railroad (EL).
With the merger into the EL, much of the DL&W trackage was redundant. The main line of the DL&W from
BinghamtonBinghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
west to near
CorningCorning is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States, on the Chemung River. The population was 10,842 at the 2000 census. It is named for Erastus Corning, an Albany financier and railroad executive who was an investor in the company that developed the community.- Overview :The city of...
closely paralleled the Erie's main line, and had already been abandoned in 1958 in favor of joint operations. On the other hand, the Erie's Buffalo, New York and Erie Railroad was dropped from Corning to
LivoniaLivonia, New York refers to two locations in Livingston County, New York:*Livonia , New York*Livonia , New York, within the Town of Livonia...
in favor of the DL&W's main line. The New Jersey Cutoff had already been downgraded to a single track with passing sidings by the DL&W in 1958. Most passenger service was routed onto the DL&W east of Binghamton, with the DL&W's
Hoboken TerminalHoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
serving passenger trains. With the arrival of Interstate 80, the Boonton Branch was torn up through Paterson to make way for the new superhighway. The west end of the Boonton Line was combined with the Erie's Greenwood Lake Line, while the eastern end was combined with the Erie's
Main LineThe Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit running from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
, which was abandoned through
Passaic, New JerseyPassaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
.
Conrail
Conrail absorbed the EL in 1976.
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
has taken over most of the former DL&W (
Morris and Essex RailroadThe Morris and Essex Railroad was a railroad across northern New Jersey, later part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.-History:...
) lines in New Jersey, including the main line east of
HackettstownHackettstown is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 9,724. The town is located in the eastern most region of the Lehigh Valley....
(operated by Conrail under
trackage rightsTrackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
). The New Jersey Cutoff was abandoned in 1979 and its rails were removed in 1984, but the right of way was purchased by the state of New Jersey with a $40 million bond issue in 1998, and remains intact. New Jersey Transit has estimated it would cost $551 million to restore service to Scranton over the Cutoff. This price includes the cost of new trainsets.
Delaware and Hudson (Canadian Pacific)
In 1979, Conrail sold most of the DL&W in Pennsylvania, with the portion between Scranton and Binghamton bought by the
Delaware and Hudson RailwayThe Delaware and Hudson Railway is a railroad that operates in the northeastern United States. Since 1991 it has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although CPR has assumed all operations and the D&H does not maintain any locomotives or rolling stock.It was formerly an important...
. The D&H was absorbed into the
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in 1991. To this day, CPR continues to run over the line.
New York, Susquehanna and Western
The Syracuse and Utica branches north of Binghamton have been retained, sold by Conrail to the DO Corp., which operates them as the northern division of the
New York, Susquehanna and Western RailwayThe New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna, is a Class II American freight railway operating over 500 miles of track in the northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was formed in 1881 from the merger of several...
; although, since 2007, the Utica Branch is out-of-service between Chenango Forks and Oxford, New York, due to washouts and little traffic.
Norfolk Southern
In 1997, Conrail was bought by
CSX TransportationCSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
and the
Norfolk Southern RailwayThe Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
. On June 1, 1999, Norfolk Southern took over many of the Conrail lines in New Jersey, including most of the former DL&W. Norfolk Southern continues to operate local freights on the lines.
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey TransitThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
took over passenger operations in 1983, having previously subsidized the routes operated by the EL, and later Conrail, under contract. NJ Transit operates over former DL&W trackage on much of the former
Morris & EssexThe Morris & Essex Lines are a group of former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad railroad lines in New Jersey now owned and operated by New Jersey Transit...
Railroad to Gladstone and Hackettstown. In 2002, the transit agency consolidated the Montclair Branch and Boonton Line to create the
Montclair-Boonton LineThe Montclair-Boonton Line is a commuter rail line of New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. It is part of the Hoboken Division. The line is a consolidation of three individual lines: the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad's Montclair Branch, which ran from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Street,...
. NJ Transit also operates on the original eastern portion of the Boonton Line known as the
Main LineThe Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by New Jersey Transit running from Suffern, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. It runs daily commuter service and was once the north-south main line of the Erie Lackawanna Railroad...
. NJ Transit's hub is located at Hoboken Terminal.
In 1998, the states of
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and
PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
purchased their respective portions of the abandoned New Jersey Cutoff for a total of $21 million, with hopes of restoring passenger service between Hoboken and Scranton. Ironically, they could have purchased the single-track former DL&W main line all the way from Scranton,Pennsylvania, to Port Morris, New Jersey, for just $6.5 million, in 1983, but shortsightedly declined this CONRAIL offer. Pennsylvania spent an additional large sum of money to purchase the former DL&W main line trackage in Lackawanna and Monroe counties, between Slateford Junction and Scranton, Pennsylvania, about 1992.
Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority
With the 1998 breakup of Conrail, what remains of the DL&W main line from Scranton east into Monroe County is owned by the
Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail AuthorityPennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority is a bi-county creation of both Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania and Monroe County, Pennsylvania to oversee the use of common rail freight lines in Northeastern Pennsylvania....
and trains are run by designated-operator
Delaware-Lackawanna RailroadThe Delaware–Lackawanna Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in Pennsylvania.The DL began service in August 1993 and is the designated operator for 85 miles of trackage in Lackawanna and Monroe Counties. It is a subsidiary of holding company Genesee Valley Transportation Company, Inc...
. In 2006, the Monroe County and Lackawanna County Railroad Authorities joined together to form the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Rail Authority to help speed up the resumption of New York City-Scranton commuter trains. It is on the Pocono Mainline into
MoscowMoscow is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,026 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Moscow is located at ....
and
TobyhannaTobyhanna Township is a township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,152 at the 2000 census. Tobyhanna Township has Tobyhanna Elementary Center and Locust Lake Village.-Geography:...
that the steam trains of the
Steamtown National Historic SiteSteamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad . The museum is built around a working replica turntable and a roundhouse that is...
operate out of Scranton. Since the summer of 1998, the D-L, under a haulage agreement with the
Canadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, has been running unit Canadian grain trains between Scranton and the Harvest States Grain Mill at Pocono Summit, Pennsylvania. Original sections of the
Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley RailroadThe Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad, more commonly known as the Laurel Line, was a Pennsylvania third rail electric interurban streetcar line which operated commuter train service from 1903 to 1952, and freight service until 1976.-History:...
and Erie Railroad's Wyoming Division between Scranton and Montage Mountain,
MoosicMoosic is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania six miles south of Scranton and northeast of Wilkes-Barre on the Lackawanna River....
have been purchased by
Lackawanna CountyAs of the census of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile . There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania, and placed back in service with overhead electrified wiring and designated-operator
Delaware-Lackawanna RailroadThe Delaware–Lackawanna Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in Pennsylvania.The DL began service in August 1993 and is the designated operator for 85 miles of trackage in Lackawanna and Monroe Counties. It is a subsidiary of holding company Genesee Valley Transportation Company, Inc...
overseeing both freight operations and the county's tourist trolley runs, the
Electric City Trolley MuseumThe Electric City Trolley Museum is located in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, next to the Steamtown National Historic Site.The museum displays and operates restored trolleys and interurbans on former lines of the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad, now owned by the government of Lackawanna...
.
Other remnants
The majority of the main line west of Binghamton is also abandoned, in favor of the Erie's Buffalo and New York Central Railroad. The longest remaining main line sector is Painted Post-Wayland, with shortline service provided by B&H Railroad (
BathBath is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 5,641 at the 2000 census. Bath is the county seat of Steuben County. The community was named either for the English city or for Lady Bath, daughter of William Pulteney, one of the original landowners.The Village of...
&
HammondsportHammondsport is a village in Steuben County, New York, United States. The population was 731 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founding father.The Village of Hammondsport is in the Town of Urbana and is northeast of Bath, New York....
, a division of the
LivoniaLivonia is a village located in the Town of Livonia, Livingston County, New York, at the intersection of US Route 20 and Route 15. The population was 1,373 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Livonia is located at ....
,
AvonAvon is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the River Avon. ....
& Lakeville Railroad). Shorter main line remnants are
GrovelandGroveland is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 3,853 at the 2000 census.The Town of Groveland is centrally located in the county, south of Geneseo.- History :...
-Greigsville (Genesee & Wyoming) and
LancasterLancaster is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 11,188. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
-
DepewDepew is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 16,629 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
(Depew, Lancaster & Western). The
Richfield SpringsRichfield Springs is a village located in the Town of Richfield, on the north-central border of Otsego County, New York. The population was 1,255 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from some local sulfur springs....
branch was scrapped in 1998 after being out of service for years, and the
CincinnatusCincinnatus is a town in Cortland County, New York, U.S. The population was 1,051 at the 2000 census. The town is named after an important Roman general, Cincinnatus....
Branch, abandoned by Erie Lackawanna in 1960, was partially rebuilt for an industrial spur about 1999.
See also
- Phoebe Snow
- Lackawanna Cutoff
- The former station in Buffalo
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York now houses the NFTA Rail Maintenance Yard of Buffalo Metro RailThe NFTA has a fleet of 26 rigid-bodied LRVs for the Metro Rail system, numbered sequentially from 101 to 127. They were built by Tokyu Car Corporation of Japan. One car was damaged in transit and later purchased by a restaurateur, Bertrand H. Hoak, of Hamburg, as an addition to Hoak's Armor Inn...
Notable employees
- Abraham Burton Cohen
Abraham Burton Cohen was an American civil engineer notable for his role in designing innovative and record-breaking concrete bridges such as the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's Tunkhannock Viaduct, the world's largest concrete structure when completed...
Short branches
- Boonton Branch
The Boonton Branch refers to the railroad line that was completed in 1870 and ran 34 miles from Hoboken, NJ to Denville, NJ as part of the Morris & Essex Railroad, which in turn was part of the Lackawanna Railroad...
- Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad
The Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad, more commonly known as the Laurel Line, was a Pennsylvania third rail electric interurban streetcar line which operated commuter train service from 1903 to 1952, and freight service until 1976.-History:...
- Greigsville and Pearl Creek Railroad
The Greigsville and Pearl Creek Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. state of New York. Despite its name, it only existed in the immediate vicinity of Greigsville, a small community in the town of York, and did not reach Pearl Creek, a hamlet in Covington....
- Syracuse and Baldwinsville Railway
Locomotives
- Delaware, Lackawanna and Western 1151 class
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's 1151 class comprised five 4-6-4 steam locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company in 1937. They were the last steam locomotives ordered by the railroad....
Further reading
- King, Shelden S. The Route of Phoebe Snow: A Story of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad (Flanders, NJ (P.O. Box 114, Flanders 07836): Railroad Avenue Enterprises, 1986 (2nd printing 1991).
- McCabe, Wayne T. and Kate Gordon. A Penny A View...An Album of Postcard Views...Building the Lackawanna Cut-off in Sussex and Warren Counties, N.J. (Newton, NJ: Historic Preservation Alternatives, 2003).
External links