Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad | |
|---|---|
| Reporting marks | WB&E |
| Locale | Pennsylvania |
| Dates of operation | 1892–1939 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | New Jersey |
The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad (WB&E) was a historic railroad that operated in Pennsylvania from 1892 to 1939.
[edit] History
The WB&E was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W). It was chartered in 1892 to provide the NYS&W with a route to bring coal from the mines in northeastern Pennsylvania for delivery to the port of Edgewater, New Jersey.
Previously the NYS&W was contracting the coal haulage in Pennsylvania to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The DL&W originally hauled coal to their interchange with the NYS&W at Gravel Place, Pennsylvania. From there, the NYS&W would haul the coal to an interchange with the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey.
With the WB&E and exclusive control of distribution facilities at the port in Edgewater, the NYS&W had a direct way to move the coal from the mine to various markets without having to rely on (and pay) two additional railroads for haulage.
After the Erie Railroad gained control of the NYS&W in 1898 the WB&E became less important as coal traffic was diverted to the Erie's Wyoming Division. Unable to pay the interest on its mortgage bonds, the WB&E filed for both bankruptcy and abandonment in 1937. Local freight train service continued to operate on the line 3 to 4 times per week until abandonment in 1939.
Except for a small stub of track in Suscon, Pennsylvania and the bridge over the Susquehanna River, nothing remains today of the WB&E.
[edit] Historic remnants
While there are no operating sections of the WB&E extant today, buildings from its car and locomotive shops are still standing in East Stroudsburg, near the ShopRite store.
"The Olde Engine Works" now an antique shop, was formerly a WB&E car shop. Tracks still run through the middle of the building and a large crane is still there.
Motorists can trace the WB&E right of way by following Route 940 West and some sections of Route 380 North to the junction with Route 80 in Mount Pocono. Long Pond Road near the village of Little Summit intersects with the right of way and was the location of a grade crossing. Following Route 940 West towards Pocono Pines, the right of way is easily visible along the lake on the right as are remnants from a bridge.
[edit] References
- Robert E. Mohowski (2003). The New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad. The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-7222-8.
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008) |
