The wife and I used the Columbus Day three-day weekend to visit Scranton, PA. We rode an autumn leaf excursion out to Tobyhanna behind steam, saw the former waiting room of the former Lackawanna station/headquarters, and stopped by Tunkhannock Viaduct.
The excursion was behind Steamtown’s former CN 2-8-2 and used former DL&W and Jersey Central coaches. Our coach was built in the 1920’s according to the docent, and the others looked like they were similar vintage. Tobyhanna is apparently at a higher elevation than Scranton, and as luck would have it the leaves out that way were gorgeous. If you can hit the leaves at their prime I highly recommend taking such a trip.
The track belongs to the Delaware-Lackawanna and is in reasonable condition. They have recently replaced quite a few crossties; the old ones and a few new ones were piled at Tobyhanna. The one rail I checked at Tobyhanna was 132-lb. rolled in 1955, and to me appeared to be in good condition, although the joints within eyesight did appear to be slightly low. The Delaware-Lackawanna interchanges with NS at Slateford Junction and with another RR (having a senior moment here) at the other end.
For several miles out of Scranton we crossed and recrossed the old Erie right-of-way. If the lines were that close from New York City to Buffalo, E-L must have been able to abandon a substantial amount of duplicate trackage after the two roads combined. We passed a large building that according to the docent was a former Erie carshop, which is now used by an automobile recycling concern. In Scranton, the former DL&W erecting shop has been purchased by the Tobyhanna Army Depot and is used to do something with electronics. Apparently the erecting shop is leased to or managed by General Dynamics, because their name is plastered across the clerestory of the building.
I was there with my girlfriend for my birthday in August. No steam operating at Steamtown at that time; they were down for repairs. A D&L diesel Alco pulled us to Moscow then brought us back. The trip through Nay Aug tunnel and past Elmhurst resovoir was very exciting for both of us.
We stayed at Caesar’s Brookdale Pocono Resort in Scotrun which is very close to Tobyhanna. While we were there, my girlfriend and her family hung out at the resort while I ventured out for photo ops. Here are some photos I took in Tobyhanna:
I also drove up to Nicholson and saw the Tunkhannock viaduct but I have no photos to show of it right now. My girlfriend (whose name is Toby) kept the camera that I used to take these photos and left me with only my camcorder which to this day I cannot transfer video or still
OK, you’re one reason there were so many Form D’s issued that day…
Steamtown excursions are dispatched by the same GVT dispatcher that handles our Adirondack Scenic Trains. Normally our last run for the day might be up around #7 by the DS. We were up around 12 or so, highly unusual.
I haven’t done an excursion at Steamtown, and last time I visited there was snow on the ground and very few visitors. It is, indeed, a fine facility and well worth the visit.
If you went all the way up to the NY state line, you weren’t very far from Starucca Viaduct (take a right at Great Bend). I stopped back in there this past summer.
Thanks for the tip about Starucca Viaduct. Didn’t know where it was, and frankly had forgotten it was in that neck of the woods. We ended up just outside Binghamton, I think north of town.
Couple of questions: Where was D&H’s Ararat grade? Didn’t D&H buy part of the former Lackawanna so they could get off the line over Ararat? Thanks.
