Oh, dear gents, I come to say
My LNE is fading away.
Where once black diamonds rode the rails,
Yuppies on ATVÂ’s now doth flail.

OK, whatÂ’s in that wine the Mrs. bought?

As noted on other lists, I was lax in reporting the destruction of the Lehigh & New England yard office in MartinÂ’s Creek, PA. A drunk driver took a chunk out of it in January (and died), and a fire in October sealed its fate.

My dear LNE is fading fast.

I believe we are left with the following:

Pen Argyle Shops: Under attack from local interests, the elements and railfan groups wanting to gut the place, the most-complete unpreserved steam-era shop complex in the east is endangered for good.

Arlington Roundhouse stands as part of an industrial complex.

Stations: Danielsville, Portland, Andreas, Lansford and East Allentown still sport LNE depots of some sort (F, P or C)

Locomotives:
0-6-0 at Union, IL
S-2 at a grain elevator in IL
None others known

Cabooses:
Many, actually. At least 7. Most of which are wood.

Freight Cars:
Boxcars at New Hope, PA
Gonnies at Kempton, PA
A covered hopper on the Adirondack
A hopper at the RR Museum of PA
Any others?

Passenger Cars:
Business car located in central PA is only known survivor

Can anyone else relieve my gloom and tell me of other LNE relics?

Rob Davis


Inlinebob@aol.com

I have been out to the Arlington Yard by rail before, and it is pretty well intact. That industrial company that owns the roundhouse (Hearts Metals) has it as part of their building. Another company loads and unloads cars off the top of the "hump" of the classification yard located their. It is used at least 2 times a month by the Reading & Northern Railroad Company. The cars that are brought to the "hump" are tank cars filled with amonia. This is what I know about the LNE.

norfolk_western_611@hotmail.com

> As noted on other lists, I was lax in
> reporting the destruction of the Lehigh
> & New England yard office in MartinÂ’s
> Creek, PA. A drunk driver took a chunk out
> of it in January (and died), and a fire in
> October sealed its fate.

Yes, but when the Alpha Cement silos came down several years ago, the whole area changed. The yard office was on thin ice for years and the fire just finished what man was slowly doing.

> I believe we are left with the following:

> Pen Argyle Shops: Under attack from local
> interests, the elements and railfan groups
> wanting to gut the place, the most-complete
> unpreserved steam-era shop complex in the
> east is endangered for good.

Surprised to hear this about Pen Argyl (no E) I spoke with the owner several years ago about another project. He took me on a tour, both inside and out. He spoke of plans for dividing out the main shop for small business and even asked about putting a steam locomotive on display. The table was still in as were several yard buildings.

> Stations: and East Allentown still sport LNE
> depots of some sort (F, P or C)

East Allentown will become the terminus if New England Avenue, a new connector street from just north of Union Boulevard to Hanover Avenue. The City Engineering Dept. asked for name suggestions and a couple of railfans made the New England Avenue idea a reality.

> Locomotives:
> 0-6-0 at Union, IL
> S-2 at a grain elevator in IL
> None others known

Yes, real LNE engines. But how about the 70 tonner that is painted and running at the WK&S. It even has real LNE gondolas, a flat car and the only LNE bobber (512) that is still usable for service. And the 512 can be rented for $75 during the off season for a caboose hop. The Whitcomb won't be used for power but that neat little GE is used and makes for a fun trip. Besides, split $75 bucks between a couple of railfans, maybe bribe the crew for some photo spots, and a nice afternoon can be spent RIDING LNE equipment.

> Any others?

How about the LNE caboose at Bushkill Center Elementary School? Along with a RDG covered sand hopper no less?

> Can anyone else relieve my gloom and tell me
> of other LNE relics?

The LNE main offices, the Dodson Building in Bethlehem, now hosts a local AM radio station and on the floor of the lobby is a BIG terrazo Old Compnay's Lehigh bulleye logo. Really neat. And the Andreas Station still has MOW rails in it. How's the LNE shed at Hainsburg these days? Last I was there, LNE firebrick was still found laying on the floor along with some bullseye hydrostatic lubricator glasses. The Nazareth station is left and the cement plant there still gets rail service. And you can hike parts of the Martins Creek branch.

All in all, not bad for a railroad that departed 40 years ago this past October 31st.



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