PENN CENTRAL

This page will cover the former Pennsylvania Railroad line from Trenton, New Jersey north along the Delaware River to Belvedere, New Jersey.  Commonly known as the Bel-Del, it was very scenic route and featured some interesting operations.  In the mid-1970's, Penn Central began to move solid ore trains from the South Philadelphia docks to Bethlehem Steel in Bethlehem, PA.  This traffic was formerly moved by the Reading.  One of the most interesting yards on the line was at Phillipsburg, NJ.  Hugging the river, it was a staging point for interchange traffic for the Lehigh Valley, Erie-Lackawanna, Lehigh and Hudson River and the Jersey Central. 

We will begin on the north end of the line in Belvedere, NJ.   At one time the PRR ran a through passenger train from Philadelphia to Stroudsburg, PA over this route.  The train crossed over the Delaware River at Portland, PA via the Lackawanna main line bridge. 

  In a photo from an original slide taken in 1965, "G" tower controls the junction of the PRR and the L&HR.  The L&HR heads straight, while the PRR track to Manuka Chunk, NJ and the DL&W connection swing off to the left.  Photographer unknown.

  By 1986, the tracks remained, but the tower is long gone.  The L&HR was abandoned by Conrail from here to Sparta, NJ.

  Sorry it is a dark picture, but here is a train heading through downtown Phillipsburg en route to the L&HR's Hudson Yard.

  Another really dark pic, but what luck.  A PC ore train en route to Bethlehem Steel is being passed by a Lehigh Valley westbound crossing the Delaware River on LV track at Easton, PA.

  Heading back to Phillipsburg, a light set of power drifts through Easton, PA on the LV main.

    A line up at the P'burg engine terminal on April 28, 1974.

If you liked GP-30's, P'burg was the place to be.  A common power set here were two GP-30's and a cabless GP-9 in the middle.

  This what the engine terminal area looked like in 1991.  Some day there may be a railroad museum here.  Some day.

Small Alco switchers worked the yard, including the rare T-6 model as in 9844.  The last pic is at the very south end of the yard.

    Two original slides from 1964 and 1965 respectively, show two PRR trains with RS-11's ready to head south. The RS-11's were originally numbered in the 8600 series until PC renumbered them to the 7600 series.  Photographer unknown.

  Milford, NJ station from 1986.  This portion of the line remains in service.  The track below here to Trenton has been removed.

  Frenchtown,NJ in 1986.     Frenchtown in 1969.  Photographer unknown.

  Stockton, NJ in 1986.

  The largest town between Phillipsburg and Trenton is Lambertville.  Now a well known tourist town, the station is a popular retaurant.  The town of New Hope, PA is directly across the river.  Visit the Reading page for that line.

  Back in 1969, a RSD-12 heads south through Lambertville.  Photographer unknown.

  GP30, 2243  leads an empty hopper train south through West Trenton, NJ.  The bridge in the background is the Reading main.

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