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| News Flashes... |
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| Selected 2002 News Items... |
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November 1, 2002, DL Update... |
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2002 Has been a banner year for the D-L. The Pocono Main extention to Portland is performing well, as well as the revived service on the Laurel Line begun in 2001. Traffic to the Pocono Summit grain mill as well as local traffic remains brisk as well.
In September, D-L crews re-installed the long-gone Strawberry Hill Connector, a quarter mile track that links the Carbondale Main Track with Bridge 60 and the Pocono Main. This past summer, electrical contractors also finished installing overhead wire through the near-mile-long Crown Avenue Tunnel. Trolleys now operate through the tunnel to Stafford Avenue for a round trip of about 5 miles.
A great deal of work also took place on the Pocono Main. Thousands of new ties were installed and the line looks better than ever. Construction on a new interchange yard at Delaware Water Gap should wrap up around the middle of the month. This will greatly improve the interchange conditions with the NS.
Beginning Nov 3 the D-L will operate a Sunday crew in addition to its regular weekday service. Crews will also begin making the Portland run three times a week, on a Mon-Wed-Fri schedule.
Motive power on the DL has been colorful as well. With both of the DL's ex EL C-425's down for generator work, substute engines have been brough in from other GVT owned roads as well as outside sources. |
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A work train with leased Reading 5204 is the first movement over the Strawberry Hill Connector in Sept. |
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Trolley 76 emerges from the south end of the Crown Avenue Tunnel. Public runs through the tunnel began in October of 2002. |
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November 1, 2002, Steamtown Update... |
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Steamtown capped off another excursion season in October with both mainline engines seeing service this year. The site will be open throughout the winter with holiday events planned for December.
The last of the equipment was moved from the Tobyhanna Army Depot on October 28th. The lineup included:
-Former ST J & LC wooden caboose on Trailer Train Flat.
-Former B&M red wooden coach on Trailer Train Flat.
-3 unit former Rutland pile driver (includes spacer flat, pile driver and tender).
-Former B&M wooden combine painted red white and blue.
-Former Rutland wooden combine painted red on one side and yellow on the other.
-Additionally a former B&M wooden box car with rare fox trucks was move directly from Tobyhanna to the recreated ice house at Tobyhanna Lake.
-Two former Erie stillwell coaches were moved to RMDI at Pittston by the DL on 11/1/02. |
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August 1, 2002, More Equipment Moved from Tobyhanna. |
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On July 31st, another in a series of "Hospital Trains" was run from the Tobyhanna Army Depot to Steamtown in Scranton. The move consisted of...
-Former Milwaukee Road F-Unit in Western Maryland style paint.
-3 Former DL&W MU cars (two green, one red).
-1 Former Great Western (of Great Britan) passenger coach.
-Former B&M combine on TTX Flat Car.
-Components of former East Branch and Lincoln log loader on TTX flat car.
-Red Brill trolley on TTX flat car.
-Former Central Vermont (I think) wooden caboose.
For more photographs of this equipment take a look at the Tobyhanna Equipment section of this site. |
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August 1, 2002, NYC Relic Arrives in Scranton |
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The largest existing remnant of a New York Central hudson type locomotive arrived in Scranton this week. SNHX 5313 is a steam generator car constructed from the tender components of NYC 5313, a J1-D hudson. The Hudson was aquired second-hand by the Toronto Hamilton and Buffalo RR in 1948, to become their #502. The steam generator car was constructed by that railroad at the close of its steam program in 1955. Passing through several hands, the generator car was quired by Steamtown through a donation process last year. After replacing the boiler inside, Steamtown intends to continue the car's use as a steam generator. |
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Photo by Joshua Blay |
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July 6, 2002, Steamtown Shop & Power Update. |
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While it wasn't the doubleheader that many had been hoping for, but Steamtown's CP 2317 did return from a three year sojourn in the Steamtown Shop. Since a minor derailment removed it from service, the 2317 had been recieving numerous inspections and upgrades to comply with new steam regulations. Hopes were high for a series of doubleheaders over the July 4 weekend, however this was not to be. The engineer's side injector water supply hose began to leak badly during test runs on July 3. Attempts were made to have a replacement flown in, but with no luck. The hose was patched well enough for the locomotive to operate safely in the Steamtown yard, but no one wanted to risk a failure on the main line. Still the old girl put on quite a show with numerous runbys light, with a caboose and with CN 3254 in the yard over the four day weekend. Kudos to Steamtown for putting on a good show! |
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Steamtown shop personnel inspect a troublesome hose on the July 3rd test run. |
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Here is the latest from the shop... The two "outside contract" locomotives continue to pregress. Former B&M pacific #3713 is being restored via a fundraising effort by the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Chapter of the NRHS. Visit their site, www.laurellines.org for a progress report. Right now work is temporily suspended while funding is being replenished. Update! The 3713 project has been selected as the recipient of a TEA-21 grant worth 200,000 dollars!
Work on former Pennsylvania Railroad K4 pacific class #1361 also continues. Its actually amazing to see parts being put back on the engine after six years. The smokebox, railings, hardwireing tubes, running board braces are being applied. Work on permanently attaching the new backhead has begun and many new staybolts are in place. Tender components were recently unloaded from flatcars and work has begun on them as well. Visit www.steamcentral.com for a detailed work report.
Work continues on Steamtown's third "operational" locomotive as well. Former Baldwin Locomotive Works 0-6-0 #26 is still down for major work, including crown sheet replacement. Curently in kit form, a ground-up overhaul is taking place. A steam up is still many months if not years away. |
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Steamtown Shop Photographs from March 2002... |
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3 Pacifics in for various amounts of work |
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BLW 26 sans cab, smokebox |
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CP 2317 in for Part 230 Compliance work |
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K4 showing newly installed smokebox |
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K4 Showing boiler & steamdome repairs |
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K4 firebox with replacement backhead |
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January 1, 2002, The Latest |
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Former Erie Lackawanna Railway (nee Erie) dining car #741 was spotted enroute the D-L/NS interchange at Portland, PA on December 26. Owned by the Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society , this historic car being moved to the D-L South Scranton for restoration and operation. Click this link for more information. Update!!! Diner #741 arrived in Scranton at 7:30 PM on 12/31/01!!!
The same train that delivered the former EL dining car also picked up former VIA Rail FPA4 #6763, from the defunct Northern Central dinner train in New Freedom PA. The passenger unit (still in VIA colors) is privately owned and will be stored on the DL for the time being. |
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DL 741, the former EL Diner, is seen in Scranton the day after its arrival. As you can see much work remains to be done on the car, however this project has gained much momentum in the past few months. Hopefully we'll see this car back in EL livery sometime soon! |
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Former VIA Rail Canada FPA4 #6763 is seen on January 1st 2002 behind the mall at Steamtown. While in fair condition, the DL has no immediate plans for this locomotive, which is privately owned. |
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