This might be a little off topic, but Beth Steel surely was dependent on the RR's, so here I go..

There was quite a hulabaloo a few years ago whem Bethlehem Steel shut down that the Smithsonian was going to engage in some sort of preservation effort. Has that been dropped?

Superheater@rrmail.com

> There was quite a hulabaloo a few years ago
> whem Bethlehem Steel shut down that the
> Smithsonian was going to engage in some sort
> of preservation effort. Has that been
> dropped?

Nope. Here's the National Museum of Industrial History Web site. WARNING: You have to sit through a lot of needlessly flashy graphics to get the information.


Nat. Mus. of Industrial History
eledbetter@rypn.org

Nice site.

Great plans.

Can't help feeling a bit depressed in thinking that this will end up being a shrine to things that were and will never be again.

It's amazing just how strong the industrial might of this country once was.

We've lost so much of our manufacturing capabilities with the closure of numerous plants and the transfer of many jobs overseas and south of the border.

The actual closing of Bethlehem Steel itself is sad reminder of just how far things have deteriorated.

I do hope the museum a success, it would be a huge shot in the arm for an up and coming region.

Now if we can only start making more stuff here than we import...


http://www.readingrailroad.org

Super,

Check the Briefs from a couple of months ago, I put up an update shortly after Bethlehem Steel was sold to International Steel Group.

In a nut shell, there was a lot of forward progress, but then Bethlehem (the company) tanked. The impending sale put many operations and projects up in the air. The fallout of the acquisition by ISG had an immediate impact upon pensions and other typical "screw the workers" issues. However, the forward progress of the museum has been kept on the front burner.

The city of Bethlehem is anxious to change the river-facing portion of the south side. While there is every sign that the museum is going forward, much of Bethlehem's industrial and railroad infrastructure is either going to be removed.

Union Station is under rehab, but the old Lehigh Valley frieght station is a recent casualty. If the city succeeds in acquiring the ex Reading from Saucon to Union Station, it along with associated bridges will be removed.

Of course, some of The Steel is still an active industrial site and a tremendous intermodal yard served by the PB&NE has sprung up out by the coke works in Saucon Valley. Other industries are also operating on-site.

As a side note, I took a spin down to ISG-Bethlehem's Sparrow's Point facility outside of Baltimore last month. The plant railroad, Patapsco & Black Rivers, has some modern ex RF&P switchers in service, leaving a stored/dead line full of Alco S-classes. Baldwins and what appears to be at least one BLH. There are also 8 or more Alco slugs. All in all, there appeared to be a minium of 10 Alco and Baldwin switchers, as well as the slugs.

If anyone is seeking parts or one of the units as a whole, it might be a good time to contact the new company. Remember, many of the Beth Steel family of switchers began life on class ones, so who knows what is hiding there?

Rob




rdavis@rypn.org

> Union Station is under rehab, but the old
> Lehigh Valley frieght station is a recent
> casualty.

I would consider the station done now. And speaking of casualties, I now know what those markings were on the passenger platform on my web page. That's there they cut the rails and put a road in to the newly redone station. :-( It was too dark for me to get pictures when I was there, but what a sad sight. NS turned off the signal protecting the interchange and the rail was removed to install a road. I guess that part of the branch is done for now.

> If the city succeeds in acquiring
> the ex Reading from Saucon to Union Station,
> it along with associated bridges will be
> removed.

Well, as long as NS/PB&NE needs access to the intermodal yard via Iron Hill yard, the bridges should be safe.

What a mess that they want to make that end of the Bethlehem Branch a "greenway". Grrrrr.

> Of course, some of The Steel is still an
> active industrial site and a tremendous
> intermodal yard served by the PB&NE has
> sprung up out by the coke works in Saucon
> Valley. Other industries are also operating
> on-site.

Amen to the intermodal yard!

JimE

The redone Bethlehem Union Station
jrevans@accusort.REMOVE.com

Jim,

My bad... you are right about the rail bridges, I should have specified that it is the road bridge (the skewed one, 3rd Street?) that the city wants out.

Rob