Derek Fenton asked how ConRail got from P'burg to the power plant at
Portland. Conrail uses a route put togother from trackage once
operated by several railroads. CR leaves Allentown yard on the former
LV to Easton. Here they cross over to the former L&HR bridge that
forms a curve and go across the Delaware River. Once across the
Delaware they get on the former PRR/PC Bel-Del Branch and take it to
Brainards. Here the PRR had constructed a bridge to connect with the
Bangor and Portland Rwy in 1885. The coal trains then take the former
Martins Creek Branch of the Lackawanna to Martins Creek Jct then the
mainline of the Bangor and Portland Branch of the Lackawanna to
Portland. On arrival at Portland trains come down what is called the
east leg of the wye and then go into the power plant.
I still have memories of 2400 class EL C-424 units pulling
trains up the 3% grade out of Portland to Bangor. When operating a
unit train on the branch it was normal to have a second set on the
rear pushing to Steir, if it was a grain train, and to Pen Argyl Jct
if it was a coal train for the cement mills.
Bob Stafford
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