On October 31, 1961 the L&NE Railroad Company
officially ceased business. On the following day, November 1, 1961, all
foreign rolling stock remaining on-line was delivered to interchange points,
the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad acquired ownership of the Pen Argyl
to Wind Gap right-of-way, and the CNJ - through its newly formed
Lehigh & New England Railway Company - ownership of the Bethlehem
Junction to Bath, Bath to Martins Creek, Allen Junction to Allentown, and
Hauto to Tamaqua trackage. The following January 1962 the L&NE RY
purchased industrial trackage in Catasauqua and approximately 4.4 miles of
the ex-L&NE Catasauqua Branch from Crane Junction to the Penn
Perlite Co. plant west of Schoenersville.
When the CNJ formed the Lehigh & New
England Railway Company in 1961 it had assigned three diesel locomotives
from its fleet to the new L&NE RY roster, including Nos. 1531,
1532, and 1601. Two of the three had participated in tragic CNJ
history. Nos. 1531 and 1532 were the passenger GP-7s (as Nos. 1526
and 1532 respectively) that had taken the
fatal plunge
off of the Newark
Bay drawbridge during 1958. Subsequent to the wreck they had been rebuilt by
Electro Motive Division of General Motors into freight GP-9m's. No.
1532 had also been distinguished by having been the final and longest
CNJ road power to wear the distinctive toothpaste stripe
decorations of the Jersey Central Lines. In this view No. 1531
rests alongside the wreck of a less dramatic accident. CNJ Nos. 1091
was wrecked when it ran through an open switch and rammed the side of
a freight train. This wreck had been unfortunate, but not tragic.
Ashley, PA, March 26, 1967 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
(Note: The Photo of CNJ No. 1532 being
raised from the depths of Newark Bay Channel is from the Tom Ernst collection,
courtesy of Jack DeRosset.)
CNJ No. 1601 stops traffic as it rolls over
a grade crossing on PA Route 512 south of Bath (Beth-Bath Pike).
- northwestward view, October 19, 1965 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
Another ALCO RSD-4, CNJ No. 1608, drilling
the ex-L&NE Dexter Spur backs a cut of cement cars into Penn-Dixie
Cement Company No. 4 Plant at Nazareth. Assigning three locomotives to
the L&NE RY had been purely an accounting move. Over the years
several different CNJ engines worked the cement region. The
photographer had stood on PA Route 248 to record this scene. - northward
view, October 11, 1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
Leaving the Penn-Dixie Cement Company No. 4
Plant, CNJ No. 1608 crosses over PA Route 248 under flag
protection. The E-L and the L&NE RY both serviced Penn-Dixie
No. 4 and shared this stretch of track into the plant. In the distance,
to the right of the locomotive, is the searchlight signal and tower (just a
shanty) of Dexter Spur Interlocking. This interlocker regulated
traffic on the spur crossing the Martins Creek Branch diamond (which
is hidden in the weeds in front of the tower. - southward
view, October 11, 1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
The L&NE RY served six primary customers in
Nazareth, Penn-Dixie Cement, Lone Star Cement, Nazareth Cement, Nazareth
Steel Fabricators, St. Regis Paper, and Trumbower Co. (building
supplies). In this view taken in Nazareth, CNJ No. 1702 has backed
across PA Route 191, which ran north-south through the center of
town, into Nazareth Steel Fabricators. - September 25,
1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
Another day found CNJ No. 1540 with L&NE
RY No. 584 drilling freight in Nazareth. The precise location of this
scene and date are unknown. Reverend A. W. Kovacs
During 1974 the L&NE RY Company acquired
three (L&NE RY Nos. 1533 to 1535) ex-RDG ALCO RS-3 diesel road
switchers from the CNJ. The original RDG Pullman green paint
was retained with all markings painted out and a small
LNE identification and road number substituted on
the sides of the cab. The locomotive in this view, spotted in Cranford, NJ,
used to be RDG No. 461. - June 1974 - Walter A. Appel
L&NE RY No. 20, an ancient flatbed
Chevrolet truck of an unknown vintage with large crew cab on the bed, is
parked at the CNJ's Bethlehem Engine Terminal. The door of the truck
bears the amply punctuated identification "L. N. E. RY. Co. - 20 - BETH. -
PA." - September 23, 1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
When the CNJ formed the Lehigh & New
England Railway Company in 1961 it had assigned three diesel locomotives
from its fleet to the new L&NE RY roster, including Nos. 1531,
1532, and 1601. Two of the three had participated in tragic CNJ
history. Nos. 1531 and 1532 were the passenger GP-7s (as Nos. 1526
and 1532 respectively) that had taken the
fatal plunge
off of the Newark
Bay drawbridge during 1958. Subsequent to the wreck they had been rebuilt by
Electro Motive Division of General Motors into freight GP-9m's. No.
1532 had also been distinguished by having been the final and longest
CNJ road power to wear the distinctive toothpaste stripe
decorations of the Jersey Central Lines. In this view No. 1531
rests alongside the wreck of a less dramatic accident. CNJ Nos. 1091
was wrecked when it ran through an open switch and rammed the side of
a freight train. This wreck had been unfortunate, but not tragic.
Ashley, PA, March 26, 1967 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
CNJ No. 1601 stops traffic as it rolls over
a grade crossing on PA Route 512 south of Bath (Beth-Bath Pike).
- northwestward view, October 19, 1965 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
Another ALCO RSD-4, CNJ No. 1608, drilling
the ex-L&NE Dexter Spur backs a cut of cement cars into Penn-Dixie
Cement Company No. 4 Plant at Nazareth. Assigning three locomotives to
the L&NE RY had been purely an accounting move. Over the years
several different CNJ engines worked the cement region. The
photographer had stood on PA Route 248 to record this scene. - northward
view, October 11, 1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
Leaving the Penn-Dixie Cement Company No. 4
Plant, CNJ No. 1608 crosses over PA Route 248 under flag
protection. The E-L and the L&NE RY both serviced Penn-Dixie
No. 4 and shared this stretch of track into the plant. In the distance,
to the right of the locomotive, is the searchlight signal and tower (just a
shanty) of Dexter Spur Interlocking. This interlocker regulated
traffic on the spur crossing the Martins Creek Branch diamond (which
is hidden in the weeds in front of the tower. - southward
view, October 11, 1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
The L&NE RY served six primary customers in
Nazareth, Penn-Dixie Cement, Lone Star Cement, Nazareth Cement, Nazareth
Steel Fabricators, St. Regis Paper, and Trumbower Co. (building
supplies). In this view taken in Nazareth, CNJ No. 1702 has backed
across PA Route 191, which ran north-south through the center of
town, into Nazareth Steel Fabricators. - September 25,
1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs
Another day found CNJ No. 1540 with L&NE
RY No. 584 drilling freight in Nazareth. The precise location of this
scene and date are unknown. Reverend A. W. Kovacs
During 1974 the L&NE RY Company acquired
three (L&NE RY Nos. 1533 to 1535) ex-RDG ALCO RS-3 diesel road
switchers from the CNJ. The original RDG Pullman green paint
was retained with all markings painted out and a small
LNE identification and road number substituted on
the sides of the cab. The locomotive in this view, spotted in Cranford, NJ,
used to be RDG No. 461. - June 1974 - Walter A. Appel
L&NE RY No. 20, an ancient flatbed
Chevrolet truck of an unknown vintage with large crew cab on the bed, is
parked at the CNJ's Bethlehem Engine Terminal. The door of the truck
bears the amply punctuated identification "L. N. E. RY. Co. - 20 - BETH. -
PA." - September 23, 1968 - Reverend A. W. Kovacs