Also, anyone know where I could get that book? Eric doesn’t list it on his web site.
–Randy
Hi, Randy -
The full title is:
LOCK RIDGE FURNACE
Catasauqua and Fogelsville R.R.
Jean C. Stoneback - Eric A. Neubauer
Maybe try E-Bay ?
I got mine in Nov. 2003 at the Allentown Train Meet Associates ‘First Frost’ Train Show at the Allentown Fairgrounds ‘Agricultural Hall’ - but I didn’t write down whom from. (The most recent show was 2 weeks ago - I didn’t notice it then, but I wasn’t looking for it, either.) A couple guesses would be the Hawk Mountain Chapter of the NRHS; Rails ‘n’ Shafts out of Laurys Station, PA; or maybe from the Anthracite R
Thanks. I checked Ron’s Books but not Rails ‘n’ Shafts - alas they also have none. All I’ve found so far is that North Whitehall Library has a copy, and no one has checked it out ever. I’ll check out some of those other sources, and just keep looking at the train shows.
–Randy
Randy -
The ACCESS Pennsylvania Library database says that only 2 libraries in the entire state have it - Parkand, which includes North Whitehall Twp., and Allentown. See: http://205.247.101.11/search/t?SEARCH=lock+ridge+furnace
Here’re the listing details:
| Bib util # | zaccp2 b13862363 |
|---|---|
| Author | Stoneback, Jean C. |
| Title | Lock Ridge Furnace : Catasa |
sorry, but that is yet another area where the Reading was not at all unique! 
back in the day (mid 19th to mid 20th century) ALL the major railroads had double track mainlines…
very very common…
All the Readings North East contemporaries, LV, Erie, DL&W, PRR, NYC, CNJ…all had double track mainlines…that was the norm…at least in the North East…and I presume lots of othert places too…
sure, today single track lines are more common, but not back when the Reading was operating…
Scot
The Anthracite Railroad Historical Society covers the Reading and some neighboring railroads. BTW I like the idea of a historical society covering several railroads like that. A while back when the Missabe RR Hist Soc was having some troubles due to a lack of items for their newsletter and such, I advocated making an Iron Ore Railroad Hist. Soc. covering the DMIR, GN, NP, Soo, CNW, Milwaukee and others but no one seemed terribly interested.
Also note there is a slight cultural / geographical bias between the “big two” railroad magazine families. Carstens is located in New Jersey, and so RMC and Railfan and Railroad seem to have more articles on eastern railroads than Kalmbach’s MR and Trains, which come out of Milwaukee WI and tend to be a little more Midwestern in content.
Hi, Scot - good to see you here as well.
Yep, I know what you mean . . . but a few months ago that assumption got me into a bit of a tiff with one of the more western-oriented members here. As you know, those double-track northeastern lines were also often 130 lb. or heavier rail sections. Since then, we’ve become accustomed to seeing them downgraded to single track branch-line status with only a couple trains a day, etc., though keeping the heavy rail. Out there a single track with 115 lb. rail can be a main line - other than the principal TransCon routes. So we understandably had quite different perceptions as to what a main line would look like.
What I think is amusing is that nowadays the various northeastern commuter/ transit agencies often ‘upgrade’ the rail by replacing the 130 lb. with 115 lb. - OK, the former was usually jointed, and the latter is usually CWR - but you know what I mean. Those were heavy-duty lines.
- Paul North.