Between South Easton, PA, and Phillipsburg, New Jersey -
for a distance of 1,300 feet consisting primarily of bridge structure - the
L&HR traveled on its own rails. On the east side of the Delaware
River the L&HR connected with the Belvidere Branch of the PRR
and rode P-Company rails through
trackage rights 13 miles northward (timetable east) to Belvidere, New Jersey. At
Belvidere the L&HR regained its own rails at a location identified as
G TOWER Belvidere
(formerly identified by the L&HR as L&H Junction).
- northeastward view, March 31, 1972 - Wayne M. Daniels
In this scene the water gap north of Easton, where the
Delaware River cut through Marble Mountain, looms in the distance. The
L&HR bridge across the Delaware River was the northernmost railroad
crossing between Phillipsburg and Easton. The two bridges in the distance
are for vehicular traffic. -
northeastward view, April 29, 1962 - William T. Greenberg, Jr.
A westbound L&HR freight,
having just departed
Hudson Yard (click for track diagram), approaches US Route 22 on
the secondary main that paralleled the Bel-Del between Phillipsburg,
New Jersey,
and a point north of Hudson Yard. This track was
installed during 1894 to keep L&HR Hudson Yard traffic to and from
their Delaware River bridge from fouling the PRR. North of Hudson
Yard the long tail of the secondary track was used for westbound
arrivals and eastbound departures. In this view the
turnout for the L&HR Delaware River bridge is a short distance beyond the highway
overpass in the vicinity of Phillipsburg's Union Square.
- southward view, March 31, 1972 - Wayne M. Daniels
The Phillipsburg PRR engine terminal was
along the Delaware River south of the L&HR, LV, and CNJ
bridges. Although convenient to the L&HR, this Bel-Del
facility was not used by them.
- southwest view, August 20, 1967 - A. T. Organek
MP 83.8
Although physically isolated from its own tracks,
Hudson Yard was owned by the L&HR. It was a small facility
consisting of four tracks and a tail track all having a combine storage capacity of 290 cars. Prior to Tropical Storm
Diane in August 1955, there had been a fifth yard track nearest the
river that had disappeared along with the edge of the riverbank in the
ensuing erosion caused by flooding (Diane raised the river level
to 43.7 feet which had inundated the lower areas of Phillipsburg with
approximately 8 feet of water). Until 1941 the north end of the yard hosted
a small engine terminal that included water station, coaling station,
turntable, and engine house. It had been removed in favor of increased
freight car capacity. After 1941 L&HR
engines were serviced and turned at the CNJ's
engine terminal in Phillipsburg. - northward view, March 31, 1972 - Wayne
M. Daniels
After the CNJ ceased operations in the state
of Pennsylvania during 1972, Hudson Yard became the western terminus of
the L&HR. In this view taken at the west end of Hudson
Yard, L&HR Nos. 21, 22, and 23 are making a reverse move to couple
onto a cut of cars. This was the final
interchange job with the CNJ, and someone at the L&HR - perhaps out of
sentimentality or pride - has positioned the locomotives in sequential
order. The operating function of the unusual signal marked "PG" at the right
is not known other than the PRR's PG Interlocking protected traffic
at this connection to the L&HR. - northward view, March 31, 1972 - Wayne
M. Daniels
Although it appears that eastbound L&HR Nos. 27
and 10 are operating against the flow of traffic, they are actually
proceeding on the tail track north of Hudson Yard. This track will soon rejoin the Bel-Del
mainline. - northwest view, January 27, 1969 - Reverend A.
W. Kovacs
In spots the narrow edge of the river bank could
not accommodate two tracks and the NJ Route 621. In this view the
highway has left the river valley to climbed a steep hill. The secondary
main is about to rejoin the Bel-Del main running track. Ahead is the
ridge of Marble Mountain that the river cut its way through eons ago.
- northwestward view, January 29, 1969 - Reverend A. W.
Kovacs
The Delaware River cut through two mountain ranges
along the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border on its journey to the Atlantic
Ocean. The larger, more impressive, water gap is farther north of this
location between Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, and Dunnfield, New Jersey.
- southwestward view, January 29, 1969 - Reverend A. W.
Kovacs
At Marble Mountain the Bel-Del and NJ Route 621 squeezed together through
the narrow water gap. In this scene the now single track of the Bel-Del
is to the left on the bank of the river, and the highway is out of view
being a little farther to the left. In the
distance the twin bluffs of Marble Mountain (once called Weygadt
Mountain) loom high above the gap. - southward view, circa 1945 -
Robert Guthlein collection
North of the gap the edge of the railroad literally butted up against
the roadway in several places. The sign behind the neat 1960s convertible warns NARROW
ROAD. You bet. - northwest view, April 3, 1961 - William
T. Greenberg, Jr.