(rshsdepot) 1905 Laurel Line Tunnel Under Scranton, PA Open to Trolley Tourists

[Bernie Wagenblast <brwagenblast_@_comcast.net>]

1905 Laurel Line Tunnel Under Scranton, PA Open to Trolley Tourists



SCRANTON, Pa., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- After a decade of planning and grant
writing, and two years of construction and restoration, there is a trolley
light at the end of the historic 1905 Laurel Line Tunnel in Scranton,
Pennsylvania.

      Thursday at noon, Lackawanna County Commissioners Joe Corcoran, Randy
Castellani and Bob Cordaro lead a VIP delegation that includes The
Lackawanna County Railroad Authority, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania &
PENNDOT, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and the Electric City
Trolley Museum Association on a ceremonial excursion that celebrates the
introduction of regular trolley excursions beneath the City of Scranton via
the 1-mile-long century-old and almost forgotten tunnel.

      "Residents and visitors can record yet another authentic, historic and
emotional memory here in Scranton," says Commissioner Joe Corcoran, the
public official behind this project for more than a decade.

      "This is a giant step toward the physical connection of our historic
attractions, Electric City Trolley Museum, Steamtown National Park, the
Lackawanna Station Hotel, and downtown Scranton itself, with the
contemporary attractions and resources on Montage Mountain.

      "The possibilities are exciting! Lackawanna County puts our
hospitality industry in a position to be creative and competitive while
packaging unique resources.

      "For example - we will be able to escort business travelers staying at
the Marriott or Hampton to the new Hilton Conference Center and Radisson
Lackawanna Station Hotel via trolley service from the Visitor Center.

      "In reverse, we can shuttle downtown hotel guests to business meetings
and receptions at the Governor Casey Room at the Visitor Center or
Lackawanna Stadium."

      Completed in 1905, the tunnel is one of the longest interurban trolley
tunnels in use in the United States today. Construction of the tunnel began
in 1904. Scores of laborers worked for just over a year to complete the
tunnel. The structure was built at a cost of $500,000 and was widely
considered to be one of the best illustrations of tunnel engineering in the
nation.

      From 1905 until the 1950s the tunnel serviced the Laurel Line, a
19.2-mile stretch of track that ferried trolley passengers between Scranton
and Wilkes- Barre, with a populat stop at Rocky Glen Amusement Park. When
freight traffic along the track ceased in the 1970s the line lay silent.

      Restoration of the tunnel began in 2001. Workers undertook an
extensive track rehabilitation that included replacement of bridges and
repairs to the tunnel. The second phase of rehabilitation focused on
electrification of the tunnel and was just completed in August.

      In all, nearly $6 million in grants and funding were secured to
revitalize the historic Laurel Line excursion and freight route including
the tunnel.

      In addition to trolley excursions, the Lackawanna County Railroad
Authority has commenced service to Compression Polymers Corporation and
future freight customers via shipments through the tunnel.

      The reopening of the tunnel further demonstrates the vital link
transportation played in the development of Northeast PA. In combination
with the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour and Steamtown National Historic Site,
visitors to the Electric City Trolley Station and Museum can experience a
dynamic story of the region's industrialization and immigration.

      The addition of the 1905 Laurel Line Tunnel in the museum's regular
excursion extends the trolley excursion experience to one-hour in length.

      Passengers board a vintage trolley at Steamtown National Historic
Site's platform. Along the route interpretive guides detail points of
interest including the Central Railroad of New Jersey freight house,
Lackawanna and Western railroad yard, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel,
University of Scranton, Roaring Brook and the historic Scranton Iron
Furnaces.

      Trolley excursions depart from the main boarding platform at Steamtown
National Historic Site Tuesday through Sunday throughout October at 10:30
a.m., noon, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Trolley rides will also be available
during special events scheduled for November and December.

      The Electric City Trolley Station and Museum is open daily 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. A combination museum and trolley ride admission costs $8 for adults and
$5.75 for children. Group rates are available upon request.

      The Electric City Trolley Station and Museum is located on the grounds
of Steamtown National Historic Site off Cliff Street in downtown Scranton.
For more information contact the Electric City Trolley Museum (570)
963-6590, or the NE PA CVB at 1-800-22WELCOME; www.180022welcome.com.



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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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