MP 1.2
On the Lansford side of Hauto Tunnel
the track opened in a wye
whose eastbound leg led to Tamaqua and westbound leg to LC&N Breaker No. 6
(situated east
of Lansford's city limits). The opening on this side of the mountain was blasted rock and had
no fabricated portal. -northward view, circa 1961 -
photographer unknown
The eastbound opening of Hauto tunnel was
on the south side of the mountain. The freight station was a short
distance west.
- northward view, March 28, 1988 - Robert F. Fischer/Warren C.
Gearrick
Prior to discontinuance of passenger service on March
19, 1939; the L&NE operated two Brill motor cars. On this day L&NE No. 91
(seen here) has the Tamaqua/Panther Valley run, while No. 90 is on the
run between Swartswood, New Jersey, and Goshen, New York. The trackside
facade of Lansford Station lacked the fancy raised bronze letters that were on
the street side of the building. The colliery in the distance is LC&N No. 8
Breaker at Coaldale. The bank of No. 8's culm waste extends in
front of the station. - westward view, circa 1930 -
photographer unknown
Although the date of this scene is unknown, it must be
going to market Saturday. The passengers are too well dressed for a work
day and the gentlemen at the rear of the loading line to the front door is
actually holding a woven reed basket. It is interesting to note that all of the
women and children (see photo above) have already boarded the train. Life was
hard in the coal fields. Mining families typically had little wealth but
understood character and respect for each other. -
northwestward view, circa 1930 - photographer unknown
Lansford Station was a substantial brick
combination passenger station/freight house that reflected the general prosperity of the railroad and
its parent
corporation, the LC&N. - northeast view, circa 1961 - photographer
unknown
The Lehigh & New England Railroad
sign in raised bronze letters harked back to an earlier era when coal was
America's dominant source of energy and coal roads could afford such
extravagances. - northeast view, circa
1970 - Robert Mohowski
LC&N mining operations were controlled from
a late nineteenth century office (1872) located west of Hauto Tunnel near the
LC&N company shops. Once this building overlooked terminal tracks and
engine facilities of the Panther Creek Railroad Company. In 1925 the L&NE
relocated this facility westward to Arlington leaving the LC&N
offices overlooking little more than a single track. - northeast view,
circa 1970 - Robert Mohowski
The LC&N's Lansford shops attended to the
maintenance of the mining company's property. The initial machine shop opened in
1872 and eventually grew to employ 350 men at its peak. The mining company operated a 42"
narrow gauge railroad and also owned several standard gauge tank type switching locomotives
and 55-ton Heisler geared locomotives at their Summit Hill stripping.
- northward view, March 28, 1988 - Robert F. Fischer/Warren
C. Gearrick
LC&N #115 was one of several standard gauge
locomotives used at LC&N colleries to shunt coal cars.
- LC&N Breaker No. 14, circa 1940 - Robert Guthlein collection
The LC&N operated several deep shaft mines as well as open pits.
Strip mining was less costly than digging shafts and certainly safer for the
miners but environmentally devastated the land. Forty-Foot and Mammoth
Stripping was dug on the top of Mt. Pisgah in the Coaldale/Tamaqua area. The
name of the pit came from the two coal veins it tapped. -
eastward view, March 28, 1988 - Robert F. Fischer/Warren C. Gearrick
MP 2.0
LC&N Breaker No. 8 at Coaldale (a town west of Lansford) was nicknamed the million dollar
breaker for the obvious reason. It was built of steel in 1922 to replace an
earlier wooden structure that had been consumed by fire on May 22, 1922. It was one
of the last of the large colleries in the Panther Valley area to remain in operation.
It was razed during 1962. An electric
locomotives used in the mines rests on the lead track.
westward views, circa
1961 - photographer unknown