Eastbound of Gardners Switch the CNJ
mainline opened into a double-tracked tangent that ran straight into the heart of Wilkes-Barre, PA.
In this scene, CNJ No. 2511 and an unidentified locomotive idle near
the Conyngham Avenue grade crossing westbound of their yard in downtown
Wilkes-Barre. The highway overpass in the distance is the Butler Street viaduct
and the tracks to the right, the D&H. -westward view, November 1967 - A.
W. Kovacs
In the same general location as the preceding photograph, a
northbound D&H freight with No. 601 in the lead of a six-unit
lash-up closes the
distance to Conyngham Avenue on a snowy winter's day. The tracks to the left are
the CNJ mainline into Wilkes-Barre. - westward view,
March 10, 1967 - A.
W. Kovacs
Still at Conyngham Avenue the photographer has
turned around to record D&H No. 601 train's passage over the grade crossing. In
the distance is the PA Route 309 overpass. The tracks at the right are
the CNJ mainline to Scranton. The seventh, or last locomotive in the
lash-up, No. 4089, has earlier thrown a rod through its engine block and
is now being deadheaded as part of the consist for scrapping. -
northeast view,
March 10, 1967 - A.
W. Kovacs
D&H No. 4129 pulling a cut of freight cars is
alongside a whistle-post signaling the engineer to blow two longs, a short, and
another long blast for the grade crossing at Conyngham Avenue. -
westward view, November 1967 - A. W. Kovacs
A westbound CNJ freight rolls through Wilkes-Barre in the vicinity of Kidder
Street. The tracks in the upper right corner are D&H and lead to
their city yard, engine terminal, and connection to the
LV (trackage rights over the LV into South Wilkes-Barre from a
connection in the vicinity of East Market Street. - southwest view, May 10, 1966 - A.
W. Kovacs
MP 173.49
Left The 4:30 PM D&H
freight to
Oneonta, NY,
is about to receive its power as D&H Nos. 614 and
615 back under the Butler Street Viaduct in a reverse move to couple onto
the waiting train. The CNJ tracks are to the right. - northeast view, August 8, 1967 - A.
W. Kovacs Right - When coal was still king, the LV
Mineral Springs Branch between their mainline (out of view to left) and
Mineral Springs Breaker (out of view to right) crossed both the D&H
and CNJ mainlines on diamonds a short distance southwest of Conyngham
Avenue. When this photograph was recorded the Mineral Springs Branch had
already been a distant memory, leaving behind only a scar across the D&H/CNJ
mains as a legacy to its passing. The D&H had trackage rights on the
Mineral
Springs Branch from this point southeastward (right) to Baltimore Breaker
No.5. This view also reveals that the CNJ No. 1 Track
(eastbound main) has been abandoned from the site of the LV Mineral Springs
Branch crossing westward to Hudson, PA. - northeast view, August 8, 1967 - A.
W. Kovacs
- southwest view, August 8, 1967 - A.
W. Kovacs
D&H Nos. 613, 614, and 615 push back their
train to clear a switch in preparation for their run north. In the distance the
cupola of the Stegmaier Brewery can be seen (left), as well as the sand towers
of the D&H engine terminal (right). The CNJ tracks are at the
left (the farthest track to the left is the CNJ mainline while the
adjacent track with the train occupying it is the abandoned eastbound No. 1
Track. - southwest view, July 28, 1967 - A. W. Kovacs
MP 173.00
The D&H ran from Hudson Yard into
Wilkes-Barre on its own right of way, which diverged from the CNJ
mainline south of Hudson Junction and later remerged with it north of
Conyngham Avenue in the vicinity of the PA Route 315 overpass. The D&H
maintained an engine terminal on the south side of the CNJ (near CNJ
MP 173) between Scott
and E. Market Streets. In this view looking west along the CNJ mainline
(tracks at the right) from the vicinity of Jackson Street, the D&H
engine terminal is opposite the CNJ. Although out of view, the LV
is also running parallel to the CNJ farther to the left of the D&H.
The grade crossing in the distance is
Scott Street. - northeast views, May 10
& March 9,
1966 - A. W. Kovacs
The sign at the entrance to the D&H engine
terminal and yard graphically displayed the facilities safety record.
- northeast view, November 1967 - A. W.
Kovacs
- northeast view, November 1967 - A.
W. Kovacs
The D&H turntable and roundhouse were at the
north end of the terminal, backing on Scott Street. - southeast views, 1965
& November 14, 1968 - A.
W. Kovacs
The D&H engine terminal ended at Scott Street and the freight yard began.
In the distance are the D&H freight house and the CNJ passenger
depot, both visible over the CNJ coal train. - southwest view, May
10, 1966 - A.
W. Kovacs
The D&H freight house (tan wooden
structure with second story addition behind the CNJ locomotive and caboose) at
the south end of their yard, across East Market Street from the
CNJ depot, dated to 1886. The LV's Wilkes-Barre Yard is visible behind the D&H
freight station as is the old traction Laurel Line passenger depot on
the corner of Coal and Baltimore Streets.
- westward view, December 13, 1967 - A. W. Kovacs
The Laurel Line depot was north of the LV freight yard. In this
view a LV Baldwin Locomotive Works diesel switching locomotive is working
north of the depot.
- westward view, December 8, 1967 - A. W. Kovacs
MP 172.59
CNJ's East Market Street station was in the
heart of the city. The Stegmaier Brewing Company bottling house is visible
across the tracks at the left rear of the station.
- westward view, April 15, 1967 - A. W. Kovacs
CNJ yard switcher, No. 1093, rests in
front of Wilkes-Barre station on an almost postcard picture perfect, blustery,
winter's day - actually the first day of the new year 1968.
- westward view, January 1, 1968 - A. W. Kovacs
The Stegmaier Brewing Company occupied a variety of
architecturally diverse buildings that reflected the tastes and standards of
over 100 years (1863-1972) of industrial design. The complex fronted along East
Northampton Street and spanned the entire length of the city block north to East
Market Street. It was across the tracks from the CNJ's
Wilkes-Barre depot. In the two views at the left, a Pennsylvania Power & Light
crew is setting a new power pole along East Market Street. The north end
of the Stegmaier complex is across the tracks from the CNJ crossing
tower.
Although anthracite coal had been discovered in several
locations in the Wyoming Valley as well as on the banks of the Susquehanna
River, Wilkes-Barre gained early notice as a coal town through the efforts of
Obadiah Gore and Judge Jesse Fell, both of whom independently established the
rational and technique of utilizing hard coal. Wilkes-Barre derived its name
from two pre-revolutionary advocates of colonist rights and liberties: the
Honorable John Wilkes and Colonel Isaac Barre. Wilkes-Barre's prominence as an
industrial center grew to the extent that it was eventually served by six steam
railroads1 and three electric lines2.
Eastbound CNJ No. 2510 with a freight in tow
nears Northampton Street grade crossing one block southwest of E. Market Street.
Western Feed, which now occupies the CNJ freight house, is visible
to the left of the locomotive. -
northeast view, April 12, 1966 - A. W. Kovacs
MP 172.22 Looking westbound along the CNJ from the
advantage of the South Street overpass, the CNJ depot is visible in the distance
at the left of the tracks and the Stegmaier complex to the right. -
northeast view, April 12, 1966 - A. W. Kovacs
Looking
southwest along the CNJ, still from the South Street highway overpass, the
CNJ mainline to Ashley, PA - via Franklin Junction - is at the far
left; the tracks of the LV from right toward center and through the cut
in the buildings; and the tracks of the PRR at far right, adjacent with the
LV, for interchange with the LV and for switching into the PRR
Wilkes-Barre freight station or into American Chain & Cable (on a switchback).
- southwest view, April 12, 1966 - A. W.
Kovacs
The Lehigh Valley Railroad in Wilkes-Barre:
The Pennsylvania Railroad in Wilkes-Barre:
View 1 - PRR No. 2323 is making its turn-around back to Buttonwood, PA, on LV tracks after having delivered the morning coal train to the LV yard in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The train will return to its company yard at Buttonwood over the Wilkes-Barre Connecting Railroad. Although the train at this point is traveling northeastward, the LV will shortly swing northwestward and cross the Wilkes-Barre Connection Railroad. In this view taken from N. Pennsylvania Avenue, the PRR locomotive is on the D&H Conyngham Branch diamond. - eastward view, January 1968 - A. W. Kovacs View 2 - Another PRR coal train arriving at South Wilkes-Barre from Buttonwood, also destined for the LV, picks its way through several switches near Carey Avenue. - northwest view, May 1967- A. W. Kovacs Views 3 & 4 -PRR No. 2415 has spread the gauge of the 85 pound rail servicing the freight house platform and derailed. The distinctive cupola of Stegmaier Brewery is visible in the distance above the rear of the locomotive. - generally northeast views, May 16, 1967 - A. W. Kovacs View 5 - Disaster stuck the PRR's Northampton Street freight house when a heavy, wet, snowfall collapsed part of the shed roof over the loading dock. - northward view, January 17, 1968 - A. W. Kovacs View 6 - This overall northeastward view from the South Street Bridge puts the relationship of the PRR and LV freight stations on Northampton Street to each other in perspective. The PRR freight house is the substantial brick building to the left with the long, covered, loading platform. The LV wood frame freight station is partially visible at the right. That's LV No. 235 working the yard. - northeast view, June 1967 - A. W. Kovacs View 7 - The PRR city freight yard in Wilkes-Barre was southwest of South Street. The tracks to the left of the PRR are LV yard tracks and mainline to Franklin Junction. - southwest view, June 1967 - A. W. Kovacs
Returning to the CNJ mainline and proceeding eastward beyond South
Street, the CNJ tracks through downtown Wilkes-Barre converged at South
Wilkes-Barre into a two-track mainline that
immediately curved westward passing Hazel Street Station (MP
171.87) and South Wilkes-Barre Station
(MP 171.26).
-
southwest view, June 1967 - A. W. Kovacs
MP 171.26
Left -
The Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal Co.'s South Wilkes-Barre Breaker No. 5 was
westbound of the CNJ's South Wilkes-Barre passenger depot (partially in
view to right). The CNJ and LV mainlines remained in close
proximity to each other through this area. In this scene the LV tracks
are to the left of the CNJ. - southeast view, Circa
1910 - Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission Right
- During the early 1930s the L&WB No. 5 Breaker became the Glen
Alden Coal Company's South Wilkes-Breaker after the latter company purchased
the assets of the old L&WB from its successor, the Lehigh &
Wilkes-Barre Coal Corporation. The No. 5 Breaker was fed by shaft
mines and was serviced by a 3-foot gauge railroad. - eastward
view, Circa 1910 - courtesy Greg Buchala
1Central Railroad of New Jersey; Lehigh Valley Railroad; Delaware & Hudson Railroad; Pennsylvania Railroad; and the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad (New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad and ERIE Railroad).
2Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad, Wilkes-Barre Traction Company, and the Wilkes-Barre & Hazleton Railway