There are some interesting things happening in the Lackawanna Valley of Pennsylvania these days, especially if you are interested in railroading. I had the opportunity over Thanksgiving weekend to savor a public excursion and enjoy a private photo charter of my own.

Suffice it to say, my job is keeping me busy. That is not a complaint in these hard times. What I had planned to be a relaxing four-day weekend turned out to be full of work, but I did manage to make two important events in between the hours at my Mac.

On Friday the 28th, I had the pleasure of taking my wife and son on Steamtown’s annual holiday trip up to the North Pole (known to most of us as Moscow, PA). We had taken the holiday ride two years ago, and it remains (along with the Green Mountain’s Easter train) the best family train ride I have encountered.

The train boarded at 10:30AM amidst the commotion of a busy rail yard. In addition to Canadian National Mikado #3254 steaming in for our sold-out excursion, Canadian Pacific 4-6-2 #2317 was running on Steamtown’s local shuttle train. Car #76 from the Electric City trolley museum idled at the station. The Canadian Pacific Railway’s beautiful holiday train sat waiting its evening departure, and a gaggle of vintage ALCo diesels still earning their keep rumbled through with revenue freight. Not bad for a yard virtually abandoned 25 years ago.

We boarded the train and settled into the coach staffed by Steamtown Ranger Tim O’Malley. Tim and his car host partner regaled us with book readings and lead us in song up and down the mountain railroad. Judging by my son’s reaction and the other kids around us, this was a winner with the younger set… and the adults, too!

At Moscow, there were numerous displays and activities for the kids. The Lackawanna Chapter of the NRHS was out selling food, railroadiana and other goodies and seemed to do a brisk business. A snowfall earlier in the week left a crusty coating of the white stuff that completed the holiday atmosphere.

On the ride home, the little ones were given coloring books, a box of crayons, a fresh baked cookie and wonderful pewter Steamtown Christmas tree ornament. All this for the low prices Steamtown charges truly makes it a bargain.
I understand all the Steamtown holiday trips sold out in short order. It is no wonder why. This late fall tradition is becoming one of the best, most reliable steam outings in the east.

Later that night, the yard was again hopping as the CPR Holiday Train east edition kicked off its tour. Not enough can be said about the CPR starting this tradition 10 years ago, and keeping it on track. And what better place to start than Scranton, a town that has regained its status as a center of railroading.

The next day, after some late hours working, I was pleased to run my first photo charter – ever. I arranged to have car #76 of the Electric City Trolley Museum out for a half-day private run along the county-owned route covering trackage once run by the third-rail electric Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley (Laurel Line) along with some ex Erie rails and even a bit of new construction.

With an invite list that included members of the Garden State Central Model Railroad Club, plus professional preservationists (railroad & industrial), we explored the renewed Laurel Line route, stopping for photo sessions at historic spots like the Roaring Brook bridge and Connell Junction. With a crew that had ridden the Laurel Line in its trolley days, and ran freight on it as part of the EL in later years, we had the best tour guides you could imagine.
This is no daisy picker run. With good rail and appropriate equipment, the museum gives a taste of the trolley as a mover and shaker in all the best ways.

Ironically, a highlight was not tied to the past but shone a bright light on the future: we toured the new shop. I have not seen many tourist railroad operations with a modern shop facility like the trolley museum has up on Montage Mountain.

These two days of events in Scranton are truly stunning if one thinks back to the early 1980’s when the Lackawanna mainline was out of service, the Laurel Line stub was hanging on for scattered freight runs and the former DL&W yard was abandoned. Today, all the DL&W & Laurel Line trackage left is bustling. The county made commitments that have paid off, Steamtown has matured, the trolley museum has grown into the best interurban ride in the US, Canadian Pacific has rejuvenated the DL&W west of the city and the Delaware-Lackawanna has returned big time railroading to the Poconos.

Historians and preservationists have a lot to learn from this complex relationship to local government, federal government and private business. It might not work everywhere, but it is working in Scranton.

Rob Davis

Have you any photos to share from the trolley charter?

Rob, did you tour the roundhouse? Did you see 565 with it parts all around? We are coming up the end of the month to look for more parts and move as much into the bay as possible. I will post some pics when we get back.

Steve

Rob,

If only I knew, I would have had you come up and say hello. It was a busy day. At one point their were 4 trains, a trolley and a ford hi-rail truck within a half mile of each other. Everything went well and it was probably the most fun I've had dispatching trains in a while!

Dave Crosby