Lackawanna Railroad in NJ
A once great railroad, now defunct
The Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western (and later Erie-Lackawanna) was one of the great railroad-era roads. Lines left the New York harbor area and sprawled across north-western New Jersey. There were great engineering feats to cross the hilly terrain, many of which stand testament today to the quality engineering and construction of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
These railroads have since faded into history, as the interstate highway made travel through the area easy and painless. Still, it is fun to explore the ruins and imagine what life was like during the heyday of these great railroads.
Manunka Chunk Tunnels
The Manunka Chunk Tunnels were part of the DL&W "Old Main". Originally built in the 1850s, the dual 900 foot long tunnels connected the DL&W Main Line with John Blair's Warren Railroad. These tunnels were problematic from the start, and were eventually made obsolete in the 1910s by the Lackawanna Cutoff. The line was completely abandoned in the mid twentieth century.
Paulinskill Viaduct
Located in Hainesburg, NJ the Paulinskill Viaduct was the largest concrete viaduct when it was built as part of the Lackawanna Cutoff in the early 1900s. The Viaduct was largely abandoned by the late 1960s, and the tracks were ripped up by the early 1980s. NJ Transit has been talking of reviving this line, and the Paulinskill Viaduct may once again see rail traffic.
Updated: Sunday, October 12, 2008
Manunka Chunk Tunnels, April 2006
My first visit to the tunnels, with Mark and Brian. Brian brought all sorts of gear, including a flare gun, air horn, and machete. Nikon D200.
Paulinskill Viaduct, October 2008
A spectacular autumn afternoon to climb The Viaduct. I had to persuade Maureen to go, as she could not fathom what could possibly be so interesting about a railroad bridge. She gets it now.
