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(erielack) SEPTEMBER
<color><param>0100,0100,0100</param>Back in 1980 I was teaching at the Northern Virginia Community
College. At that time we operated on a schedule similar to most
colleges in those days. Classes didn't begin until about the last
week of September. So vacation times were always in that month.
Well, my wife and I were going to celebrate out 2nd wedding
anniversary with a trip to the Poconos. It seemed like a good idea,
but my wife, who is from the Toledo, Ohio area, has always had a
problem with the New Jersey/New York accents. I got rid of mine a
long time ago. I grew up in Wayne. The Pocono resort was full of
people from the New York and Philadelphia area. This place
catered to honeymooners and newly married couples, but it was
strange. It was the only resort I ever visited where newlyweds had
the opportunity to go to the rifle range. Some people had brought
their own "pieces" with them. I thought that odd.
Driving up from Virginia we travelled through Eastern Pennsylvania
winding up on Route 611 going through The Gap into Stroudsburg. I
had been reading the old <underline>Block Line</underline> and knew that Conrail had little
use for the EL route through Pennsylvania and across the cut-off to
the meadowlands but I wasn't ready to accept what I say. This was
at least 4 years before the cut-off tracks were removed. All of the
communications wires for telephone and signalling were cut along
the line. This wasn't any vandal's attack. This was a move to make
sure the signal system would never be used again. Conrail had put
into motion, actions that would insure this line would never be used
for high-volume freight activity. The <underline>Block Line</underline> was reporting that
there were several people interested in restoring the line as an
independent operator. It was a sad sight and something that
predicted the future for the line. It was that action by Conrail that
has made the mess of rail transportation prospects on the cut-off
that we face today. I hope those managers realized the
consequences of their actions. Well, maybe they do, because they
crushed any competition that might have developed.
Later during that trip we drove up to Nicholson to see Tunkhannock
Viaduct. We drove up the road to the remains of the burned out
station and walked out on the bridge. It still had two tracks but one
was well-rusted over. The other appeared to have maybe a couple
trains a week using it a probably low speeds.
It was disappointing to see what had happened to the EL under CR.
The trip to the resort? Well that wasn't exactly what we expected
either. I guess the whole trip rated a grade of a C+ or a B.
Ed Montgomery
<nofill>
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