not a big fan of RS3's and such but i love that first pic

Ed K -

Very nice pix of some great diesels. I find it hard to believe that you were able to get three different photos all with vintage depots in them! Are there that many historic depots out that way?

Les

The former Lackawanna mainline is blessed with many of the original stations and towers. Here is a quick rundown working east from Scranton:

Scranton - the magnificent station is now a Radisson Hotel - the lobby/waiting room retains all of its original glory.

Moscow - station is where half of the Steamtown excursions go, the station and freight house are maintained by the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Chapter, NRHS.

Gouldsboro - the station just completed a multi-year restoration and is maintained by a local historical society. Outside of town the remains of a classic Lackawanna concrete tower remain.

Tobyhanna - this is where most of the Steamtown excursions go that don't terminate in Moscow. The station is maintained by the Pocono Mountain Chapter, NRHS. Another concrete tower stands here. While unused (and secured), the windows and roof are intact as are the stairs and second floor.

Pocono Summit - this concrete station was "restored" for use by the Steamtown Foundation which ran its excursions to here in the final year it operated. It is now fenced off and unused. The owners have had several lawsuits over supposed contacts they had for its use with the Foundation.

Mt. Pocono - the station has been long gone, but a small platform, building, and shelter were build adjacent to the bus station - build it and they (the trains) will come?

Cresco - this station is a favorite with many photographers and was a key stop for many of the better Pocono resorts right up until the end of passenger service in 1970. Restored and maintained by the local historical society, they have a really nice museum inside with a lot of neat stuff about the resorts in the area. The have recently rebuilt the original platform roof as well as the crossing watchman's shanty.

Gravel Place - concrete tower remains unused.

East Stroudsburg - converted into Dansbury's Depot Restaurant - a lot of good photos throughout. In the Conrail days they used to give a free drink if a train passed with your meal. Now that the DL operates the line more frequently they have quietly dropped that offer! The wood tower that operated into the Conrail years survives complete with the Armstrongs and board. It is being restored by the East Stroundsburg Tower Society.

Delaware Water Gap - sadly this station is in really rough shape. When I-80 was build the station was essentially cut off from the town it served - but the era of the great Delaware Water Gap Resorts ended before the depression. The Lackawanna Chapter of the R&LHS has put a temporary roof on it to stop the decay but the building needs serious work.

Slateford Jct. - the concrete tower remains that controlled movements on and off the New Jersey Cutoff and the "Old Road". This control was moved in the 1950's to the tower in East Stroudsburg where the board remains to this day.

Aside from the Steamtown excursions, the trips that ELDCPS has run, and the Alco freights of the DL, the line and its stations really give the line the look and feel of its past.