Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Reporting marks | LWV |
| Locale | Northeastern Pennsylvania |
| Dates of operation | 1903–1976 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Scranton, Pennsylvania |
The Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad, more commonly known as the Laurel Line, was a third rail electric interurban streetcar line which operated commuter train service from 1903 to 1952, and freight service until 1976.
The line was originally owned and built by Westinghouse, Church, Kerr and Company, a subsidiary of The Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. The Westinghouse group also owned the Grand Rapids, Grand Haven and Muskegon Railway, which was under construction in the same time period. Westinghouse interests controlled the railroad until 1914 (Henwood & Muncie, p.71).
Electrification was decommissioned in 1953, as diesel operations began. It was purchased by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1957, but operated as an independent subsidiary under it and the Erie Lackawanna until its inclusion in Conrail in 1976.
The railroad's mainline ran from Scranton, Pennsylvania to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Other cities served included Dunmore, Pennsylvania and Pittston, Pennsylvania.
Original sections of the line out of Scranton to Montage Mountain, Moosic, have been purchased by Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, and placed back in service with overhead electrified wiring and designated-operator Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad overseeing both freight operations and the county's tourist trolley runs, the Electric City Trolley Museum.
The north-south route was duplicated with Interstate 81 in the 1960s and today the four-lane highway is overtaxed with heavy trucks and cars, local traffic between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton and a deteriorating structure, leaving many wishing the L&WV system was retained in its entirety.
The Laurel Line Tunnel (also know as the Crown Avenue Tunnel) in South Scranton, at 4,750-feet, is one of the longest interurban streetcar tunnels ever built (1904) and was recently rehabilitated at a cost of over $3 million.
[edit] Recent activity
For 2006, a new, 2,000-foot extension connects the county's trolley line from the Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton, to a new station and trolley restoration facility, immediately adjacent to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees stadium off Montage Mountain Road, Moosic.
The new tracks and trolley barn are part of a $2 million project financed by capital funds from the county and the state. The barn has space for up to nine trolleys, allowing the county museum to spend more time working to bring defunct cars back to running order. It has a gallery where visitors can observe the process.
[edit] References
- Genesee Valley Transportation Company, Inc.
- The Electric City Trolley Museum Association
- Pennsylvania Heritage River / Railroad Infrastructure Projects
- Henwood, James N. J.; John G. Muncie (2005). Laurel Line: An Anthracite Region Railway. Eynon, Pennsylvania: Tribute Books. ISBN 0-9765072-3-4.
