(erielack) Fwd: Jessup Branch , Winton Branch and the Pa. Coal Gravity

[Njricky2_@_aol.com]

About a month ago there were some questions raised regarding when the Erie's 
trestle that connected Rock Junction with the Jessup Branch in Dunmore was 
constructed. The bridge crossed the Roaring Brook and the DL&W main. The last 
incarnation still stands and can be seen from the 380 freeway bridges. How long 
it will remain is in question as there are reports that it is no longer as 
structurally sound as it was.

My good friend, Tony, who lives in Dunmore, is a Gravity historian. Through 
research and information gained from family members and neighbors who worked 
the Erie years ago, Tony supplied me with the following information, some of 
which I knew but much of which I was uncertain. 

Stands to reason that the first bridge would have been constructed in the 
1800s as through family records, my great grandfather emigrated from eastern 
Europe to Marshwood (Throop, PA) in 1878 to work the mines and the Underwood in 
particular. The mines he worked were served by Erie around that time as my 
grandfather told me. Since my grandfather also worked the Underwood, he as a miner 
was in effect, tied to the Erie, albiet via the paycheck or I should say, pay 
envelope as he told me.

Whatever year my great grandfather began working at the Underwood, we do not 
know but we do know that he lived in the original Village of Underwood 
(Marshwood) and subsequently moved to Throop most likely before the demolition of the 
village in the 1920s. Both my great grandfather and grandfather are interred 
in a cemetery just below the old Underwood road. The area looks very different 
now and signs of the Underwood and the Erie are rapidly disappearing.

As I mentioned, the trestle still stands but for how long, who knows. If 
you're in the Scranton-Dunmore area, it's worth taking a look at a structure that 
was once part of getting the black diamonds to market.

Read on and enjoy.

Rick


Rick ,  You can tell your friends that what I 'm saying is what I know about 
the Gravity and the Erie & Wyoming Valley railroads , the 100 foot bridge as 
we know it that crosses the Roaring Brook gorge from the Greenville Cliffs or 
the Nay-Aug section of Dunmore had to be built sometime between November of 
1884 and December of 1885 this is the last month that the Pa. Coal Co. Gravity 
ran .  ( Dec 1885 )  .

  Both lines ran side by side for a year in competition with each other even 
though both lines were now owned by the Erie .  The Gravity had a few breakers 
they serviced in and around the Sport Hill section of Dunmore , these 
Breakers were the Spencer located at the upper part of Meade St. , the # 1 and its 
mines located just at the end of Reeves St. ( present day Rt. 81 is their now ) 
Gypsey Grove Breaker and I think the Meadowside Breaker which was at the end 
of Gibbons St. . Now if Underwood Breaker was built around 1912 - 1914 and 
people think that the 100 foot bridge was built at the same time , well they are 
wrong , just look at the Panoramic map of Dunmore from 1892 and you can see a 
Erie & Wyoming Valley coal train crossing the upper part of Drinker St. headed 
towards Gypsey Grove , how else was the E&WV going to get coal from the 
Breakers and mines in this area once the Gravity was put to rest for good , the 
tracks were torn up the stationary engines were taken out and remember that the 
DL&W ran to Jessup and beyond way befor the Erie laid tracks in the same 
direction .  The DL&W came through in 1855 , thats five years after the Gravity 
started .  The Jessup line was at first a seperate Railrod from the DL&W , it was 
called Jessups follie , the line came from Jessup and met with the DL&W main 
line in the Nay-Aug section of Dunmore , after a year of trying to make money 
the Jessup follie was sold to the DL&W and they inproved the line and started 
transporting coal for themselves . The Erie had to build a bridge to service the 
Breakers or else the DL&W may have taken away the Breakers and mine for their 
own use , think about it ?. 

  I remember my Uncle Joe Mecca saying many years ago when he worked for the 
Erie , I think it was in the early 1930's  , he was on repair and relaying new 
rail on the 100 foot bridge that the new bridge yes new bridge was only a few 
years old when he was working on it , it seems that the original bridge or 
should I say the second bridge had to be replaced with a heavier steel girder 
bridge because the old steel bridge was not strong enough to handle the weight 
of the bigger locos and heavier coal cars , seems that the original bridge , 
thats the first bridge may have been built of wood , seems this would have been 
so because it would have been faster to build a wooden tressel than a steel 
one , I would guess that a steel bridge may have been built around the turn of 
the century and then again in the 1930's  . So Rick I hope this clears up a few 
things and if anybody doesnt agree with us on this please send them to see me 
and I will show them the track beds and maps to prove what I'm saying is fact 
, so buddy get back to me and give me some input from you friendsa in the 
club .


as always pal keep in touch , 

  your Dunmore Pal ,   Tony 


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End of EL List Daily V3 #1731
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