THE LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD
RUNNING FROM JERSEY CITY, NJ TO BUFFALO, NY THE LEHIGH VALLEY WAS ONCE A DOMINANT ANTHRACITE COAL CARRIER IN THE NORTHEAST U.S.
PICTURES HERE ARE FROM THE FINAL THREE YEARS OF THE 'VALLEY' AND SHOW HOW COLORFUL THEIR TRAINS WERE AT THE TIME.
This page has now been broken up, follow the links.
First we will begin in Newark, NJ, site of the Oak Island yard.
ALCO
C-420 #404 still in the original yellow and gray paint.
GP9's 301 and 302 and GP 18 303
A trio of GP38's duck out the house lead. Note that trailer on the right.
401 is an Alco RS32.
508 was one of 12 GE U23B's delivered in December of 1974. LV's last new
power.
An old coach assigned to the work train.
ALCO
C-628 #627 on a snowy November 1975 evening.
The light of the city cast a strange blue glow off the low clouds.
Also
in the yard that night were this set of GP-38's.
The GP-38'S #314 TO 325 were later sold to the Delaware and Hudson after April 1, 1976 and ten remain in service today for the Candaian Pacific.
407 on the yard lead. 
A few days into Conrail and LV pups are in Waverly yard. Paul Carpenito photos.
282 at Oak Island yard. Again by Paul Carpenito.
Newark Interlocking or more commonly known as 'NK' tower.
On a westbound CNJ local to Raritan passing a lite switcher near NK.
This small depot was at Hillsdie, NJ. Gary Madden photo.
405 is eastbound near Aldene. Photo courtesy Paul Carpentino.
This was the station and yardmasters office at South Plainfield. The
mainline is in the front while the caboose and freight cars are on the Perth
Amboy Branch. Perth Amboy was the original end of the line when the LV
first built east from Easton, PA. It didn't stay that way for very long.
C420 406 is swinging over onto the branch to set off some cars. Gary
Madden photo.
Three switchers sit out the weekend in Perth Amboy. That's the Outerbridge
to Staten Island, NY in the distance.
GP38
310 leads a westbound through Bound Brook, NJ, 1974.
Units 310 TO 313 were GP-38AC'S and were transferred to Conrail on April 1, 1976.
C420 404 leads an eastbound by the CNJ Bound Brook station. Bound Brook
remains a great train watching spot today with NS and CSX using the LV track and
NJ Transit commuter trains on the CNJ main.
A
freshly painted caboose brings up the rear of this train.
RS3 212 and trio of 'pups' zip through Bound Brook.
This section includes several excellent photos courtesy of Mr. Paul Carpentino
These three images are of trains on the CNJ side of the station and appear to be detour
moves.
These photos were all taken in the Bound Brook area.
RS 32 400 and three other similar units roll west lite at Manville. The
buildings to the left are part of the huge Johns-Manville manufacturing
plant. After the discovery of the dangers of asbestos, the plant was
closed and most it torn down. Ironically the few buildings in this photo
do remain today. This track is now owned by Norfolk Southern.
312
heads an eastbound at Pattenberg, NJ in 1974.
GP38AC 313 and two others roar west toward the tunnel on a nice summer day in
1974.
GP38
314 on another eastbound exiting the Pattenberg tunnel.
323
heads the Apollo 2 east out of the tunnel. The Apollo's were the hottest
trains on the Valley.
RS-11
7640 and three others make a drop off in the Penn Central yard in Phillipsburg,
NJ. 7640 was a former PRR unit and is one of four sold to the LV.
To see the Penn Central page for the Phillipsburg area, including PC trains on
the LV, click here.
Ah, to be young and foolish. I got caught out on the bridge over the
Delaware River as this westbound came up. 1973.
Not the best shot, but from a different angle. 312 eastbound entering
Phillipsburg, NJ
GP-18
303 leads a westbound over the Delaware River Bridge into
Pennsylvania.
324 on a westbound. The remains of the CNJ are on the left.
Ironically, Conrail had to move the main over to the CNJ bridge in the later
1980's owing to a defect in the older LV bridge.
A pair of RS11's head over to the Penn Central yard while a green signal
means a westbound is coming.
C628 639 in the snowbird paint scheme coming off the bridge at mornings first
light. Gary Madden photo.
GP-38
324 also heads a westbound over the bridge in 1974. ( new pic !! )
Big
ALCO C-628 #639 passes the old passenger station in Easton, PA. ( new pic
!! )
Rolling past the remains of the passenger station at Easton, PA.
The
lead unit died right here in front of the Easton tower.
314 is eastbound while another train is on the main going through the old
station.
322 leads the eastbound 'Apollo' 2 by the tower.
323 does likewise on another day. That little green foreign car belonged
to the long time operator at Easton, Charlie Bealer. I spent many hours
talking to him about the railroad and other things while watching the
board. One day he executed a running meet at the siding at Pattenburg with
great satisfaction at keeping the few trains the Valley ran on the move.
Despite all the time spent there, I never took a picture inside.
301
in new red paint with 304, 305 and 302. The Valley liked to keep similar
units together in consists.
GP-18
#305 leads train NE-1 past the tower and the former dining car department
building in Easton. The track on the right is the Easton and Northern
branch.
About two miles west of Easton, NE-1 passes the area known for the chain
bridge. An old canal lock is here.
The railroads general office building in Bethlehem. It looks the same
today !
NE-1 has crossed over to the old CNJ side and will stop for work at
Allentown. The train is passing 'JU' tower, long closed. The old
L&NE interchange yard was on the left. In the distance of the third
picture is 'STEEL' tower. A modern building built in the 1950's, it housed
the CNJ dispatchers for most of the Pennsylvania trackage.
Due to many additional photos now on this page, a new Bethlehem-Allentown Terminal area page has been created.
Sign posted at the entrance to the Bethlehem
engine terminal. Click on the sign to accesss the Bethlehem are page.
To continue from Allentown west to Lehighton,
Updated February 7, 2006 !
