I just got from my local bookstore a great little book about the Lackawanna cutoff or also known as the NJ cutoff. It is supposed to be an engineering marvel. Most of this cutoff was done within a half hour drive from me. The book is called A Penny a View, an album of post card views. There is a series of these that focuse on local history form county. This one deals with the cutoff and their is another that deals with the RR of my county. I especially liked the NJ cutoff because in order to build it they used porter engines and ore cars. For some reason I cant find the books on the internet but my local book store has them.
Today NJ and PA have plans to reopen the line for passenger service from Scranton to hoboken NJ. Also parts of the line are now rail trails. Here is a link about the cutoff. And ANOTHHER NEAT LITTLE FACT WAS THE OPENING SCENE FOR THE FIRST FRIDAY THE 13TH MOVIE WERE THE CAMPERS ARE WAITING FOR A RIDE BY THE TUNNEL. THAT WAS THE ANDOVER/RT206 TUNNEL
http://history.gsmrrclub.org/history5.html
Shawn,
Very interesting. Also timely. Is the bike trail active? Are there plans for the bike trail to continue or be abandoned? We’ve had a little of the same thing here, where old row has been used for a light rail system, but a bike trail was included along the row.
Ric we actually have two ggreat rail trails in that area. The Paulinskill rail tr. that is 27 miles long and crosses over the cutoff and the sussex branch tr. that is 20 miles. They are all State Park lands now. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/kittval.html
Shawn,
Thanks for the link on the Cutoff. I enjoyed going through the pictures.
Ralph
Good tidbit Shawn