| Home | Open Account | Help | 323 users online |
|
Member Login
Discussion
Media SharingHostingLibrarySite Info |
Nostalgia & History > If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley!Date: 09/20/19 03:21 If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: Roadjob No doubt the East was over crowded with railroads in the early 70s. Too many going after too little. Though dominated by Penn Central, EL and Lehigh Valley still competed in the New York market, and specifically NYC to Buffalo. If nothing else, pure survival instinct forced the smaller roads to improvise service, and form stategic alliances, primarily with the N&W at Buffalo, who used the two roads to compete with PC for the New York market. N&W, never one to sit still, also had the strategic partners of the Alphabet Route; Western Maryland, Reading, and Jersey Central to funnel NY and New England freight. Lehigh Valley formed a strong alliance also with the D&H to move traffic to and from New England.
The one railroad that came into my camera range not as much as I would have like was the Lehigh Valley. The tenacious little road fought the great fight to keep itself alive in the land of giants. One fortunate thing for me is the most interesting operation on the Valley centered in Sayre Pa. The moderate sized yard and large shop facility were a beehive of activity, and only less than a mile south of the EL's east/west main through the Southern Tier of New York. It was always worth a diversion off of the EL during their mid day lull, to swing down to Sayre and take in the activity there for a few hours.One thing that drew fans to the Valley was their very active fleet of Alcos. The C628s were the heavy lifters, and the C420s many times pulled the priority trains. In between, you also had RS3s, and RS11s. The Valley was blessed with great scenery, and cursed with grades, the cost of doing business in New York, and government regulations. It was doomed, but while it was alive it was kicking for all its worth to compete. This is a tribute to the Alcos of the Lehigh Valley. top...Eastbound leaving the old Packerton yard, will switch over to former CNJ main to Allentown, 1973 middle...Eastbound out of Allentown on former CNJ main. Bethlehem Steel's massive Bethlehem plant is in the background. bottom...westbound is coming off of the CNJ connector track at Lehighton Pa just south of Packerton Yard. Old CNJ main was on bridge to left.1974 Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/19 03:48 by Roadjob.    Date: 09/20/19 03:26 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: Roadjob top...westbound has just arrived with four RS11s at the western end of the railroad in Buffalo, actually Lackawanna technically. 1972
middle... eastbound nearing Coxton yard in the Dupont/ Wilke Barre area. 1970 bottom...eastbound at Packerton whats left of Packerton Yard. 1973 Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/19 04:14 by Roadjob.    Date: 09/20/19 03:28 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: Roadjob Shot of Sayre from that famous foot bridge.
Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD    Date: 09/20/19 03:31 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: ClubCar As usual, very nice photos.
John in White Marsh, Maryland Date: 09/20/19 03:34 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: Roadjob top...C420 at Sayre looking over a visitor. EL's BC 2, detouring, is backing down the connector track back onto its own mainline due to a washout on its own main. 1975
middle...RS 11s eastbound in Lehigh River Gorge, 1974 botom...east of the Wilkes Barre area, and eastbound is waiting for the helper on the right to push it up the hill to Solomon's Gap. 1974 Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD    Date: 09/20/19 03:38 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: Roadjob top...train is on the old L&NE main heading up the cement belt out of Allentown. These RS11s were former Pennsy units, and the only power on the Valley to have four digit numbers.
middle...westbound is on the Mountain cutoff just moments from its arrival in Coxton yard. 1973. bottom...eastbound on original LV main bypassing Allentown yard across the river.1974 Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD    Date: 09/20/19 03:42 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: Roadjob top...eastbound out of Coxton 1973
middle...Alco action at west end of Allentown yard, 1973 bottom...eastbound Apollo at Easton Pa, 1974 Bill Rettberg Bel Air, MD    Date: 09/20/19 03:49 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: overniteman Absolutely super Valley series. Wow!
Date: 09/20/19 05:07 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: thebluecomet Absolutely awesome photographs. Thank you for sharing.
Date: 09/20/19 05:43 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: santafe199 What a smorgasbord of Alco treats! Here's to the Valley!!! :^)
Lance/199 Date: 09/20/19 05:55 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: King_Coal I love Alcos. Photo three, with three matched RS11s (probably hard to do on the LV with its affinity for painting innovation) is a real gem. This is a railroad that really deserves colour film, but I'll take your excellent black and white photos any day. Thanks for sharing.
Date: 09/20/19 06:24 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: gcm LV Alcos - top of the line images !
Gary Date: 09/20/19 06:41 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: SP8595 Incredible series!
Date: 09/20/19 07:22 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: icancmp193 Really enjoyed my 1969-73 years in Bethlehem with the Valley and other Alco operators CNJ, Reading and L&HR!
TJY Date: 09/20/19 07:26 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: 3rdswitch Don't see enough of the Valley. What an outstanding bunch!
JB Date: 09/20/19 07:43 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: JUTower A great trove of never-before seen shots. The LV man on the L&NE is particular special as that spot was only a few rail-miles from where I grew up. Hiked there a few times as a kid!
Date: 09/20/19 08:57 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: Ritzville Very NICE and intersting series!
Larry Date: 09/20/19 10:09 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: MILW86A Great stuff!
MILW86A Date: 09/20/19 10:12 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: AlcoRSD15 Fantastic!
- Eric B. Date: 09/20/19 10:32 Re: If you like Alcos, you'd have loved the Valley! Author: bradleymckay As usual those photos are top notch Bill.
The LV and the Reading were my favorite eastern railroads with D&H third. How depressing it must have been to see LV, RDG and others (EL) obliterated by the formation of Conrail... Allen |