Is the Bethlehem steel mill shown in Shaun O'Boyle's "Modern Ruins" website the same one that the Smithsonian plans for its industrial museum?

http://www.railfan.net/cgi-bin/thumb/abprphoto.cgi?/railpix/ABPR/november01/11-23-01/SP4410_00016047.jpg
bobyar2001@yahoo.com

> Is the Bethlehem steel mill shown in Shaun
> O'Boyle's "Modern Ruins" website
> the same one that the Smithsonian plans for
> its industrial museum?

I'm not sure, but according to a book I own the part slated for preservation is the No. 2 Machine Shop. It was 1779 feet in length, and was considered at the time to be the largest machine shop in the world. A picture in the book shows what looks like battleship gun barrels being produced. The book, by the was is "Bethlehem Steel" by Andrew Garn. It's published by Princeton Architectual Press. If you live near a Barnes and Noble, or something like it they can get it for you. I actually found it on the shelf in my local bookstore. Mostly it's pictures, but it's worth it if you are interested in the subject.


bill@newearth.org

My sources said that two of the blast furnaces and the blowing engine house, as well as the Grey wide flange beam mill and engine were to be preserved. But who knows what has changed sinth Beth declared bankruptcy.

Tod Engine Foundation
todengine@woh.rr.com

> My sources said that two of the blast
> furnaces and the blowing engine house, as
> well as the Grey wide flange beam mill and
> engine were to be preserved. But who knows
> what has changed sinth Beth declared
> bankruptcy.

The same book by Garn says that "Other portions of the plant such as the blast furnaces and powerhouse will become part of a Steel Heritage Museum, and such historically important buildings as the original Bessemer steel plant will be adaptively reused for other purposes." I'd say your information sounds good, just that some of the stuff won't be part of the Smithsonian project. The book was published in 1999, and things could have changed. Let's hope not.


bill@newearth.org

Bob,

The mill site has mixed re-use in various stages of development. The far east end, by the coke works is now a GIANT intermodal terminal hosting NS trains (even RoadRailers) and CP traffic. Local switching is provided by the old steel road, the Philadelphia, Bethelehem and New England. Not too much demotlition has taken place out in that area along Saucon Creek, but the bone yard of old rolling stock appears to be gone.

In the mill-proper's east end, various heavy industries are still active and served byt he PB&NE, which has just constructed a new interchange yard infront of the old furnaces.

Oe ore bridge and part of the pit walls are gone, as is the Sintering Plant. Some rolling stock fot he museum remains in the area, thanks to Lance Metz.

In the main part of the mill, smaller buildings and I think 1 or 2 furnaces have been cleared out, but "most" of the major structures still stand. This is the "Works" project that is now held up. In addition to the Smithsonian, skating rinks, restuarants and other activity-based entertainment is planned. Also, Lehigh University will have a presence.

The liquor appplications are in, and access road work is partially completed with a cool gear motif along the curbs. Many historic details and much equpiment (like all the trolley-wire-powered broad gauge ore larries) are still on site.

The project is in a hiccup as a result of the steel banruptcy, but it seems likely to happen.

The bad news is that the city wants the Reading's Bethlehem Branch to Philly removed behind the plant, which means any restoration of direct service to Phiully will have to go round-about the Saucon wye and down through Florence on the PB&NE or on an all-new alignment through the mill land.

Rob Davis

trains@robertjohndavis.com

> The mill site has mixed re-use in various
> stages of development..

It seemed to me that some time ago, there was a discussion thread about various captive/derelict railcars located around the plantsite on bits of track severed from live rail...are we referring to the same place?

hi_plain@yahoo.com

> The bad news is that the city wants the
> Reading's Bethlehem Branch to Philly removed
> behind the plant, which means any
> restoration of direct service to Phiully
> will have to go round-about the Saucon wye
> and down through Florence on the PB&NE
> or on an all-new alignment through the mill
> land.

There's still no clear concensus on what's happening with the ex-Reading Bethlehem Branch in Bethlehem. The mayor of Bethlehem (foolishly) wants to turn it into a walking trail, even though it would have to cross over several busy streets, but I've also heard that PennDOT stepped in and said no, even though NS agreed to remove the tracks. The Beth branch is still connected to the ex-LV main, but the switch leading to the ex-CNJ bridge (past the diamonds) has been removed, leaving no easy access to the ex-CNJ yards across the river. There is a lot of discussion of this line over on the Railfan.net PA forum.

Two other railfans and I walked the ROW from Bethlehem to Center Valley two weekends ago, and it's pretty depressing, especially around Bethlehem itself. The entire Saucon yard is gone, but once you get to Hellertown, the double track main still exists (with lots of brush, small trees and rotted ties though).

Here is a link to a (162k) picture taken around Iron Hill yard. It's a depressing brownfield with 15 quiet smokestacks in the distance.

http://jrevans.fbody.com/beth_branch_1/brownfield.jpg

> Rob Davis

Jim Evans

Bethlehem Branch Discussion
jrevans@accusort.com

> There is a lot of discussion of this line over on the Railfan.net PA forum.

Oops.... Let's try that link again, without the extra http://

http://www.railroad.net/forums/load/par ... 17.html?66

Jim Evans


Bethlehem Branch Discussion
jrevans@accusort.com