|
Steam Era of Lehigh Valley by Chuck Yungkurth Soft Cover 1991
Steam Era of Lehigh Valley by Chuck Yungkurth
Soft Cover
Copyright 1991 Reflection from lights on some photos, notice the minor damage to the bottom binding edge - see photos
112 Pages
By Chuck Yungkurth
Contents:
Preface5
1 /Lehigh Valley genesis6
2/20th Century LV steam12
3/Valley varnish26
4/Mainline freight40
5/Anthracite and the LV54
6/Branchline Lehigh64
7/Motorcars and railcars76
8/The diesel invasion82
9/Lehigh's shop facilities90
10/Lehigh life and people 98
Epilogue109
I NEVER DREAMED I would put together a book on the Lehigh Valley. For the first twenty five years of my life, I considered the "Lehigh" to be the saddest excuse for a railroad I had ever seen! Naturally my early years were colored by the narrow viewpoint that the most interesting and best railroad is the local one.
As a teenage railroad enthusiast in Scranton, it was only natural to compare the Lehigh Valley to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western. The Lackawanna was Scranton's pride while only fifteen miles away the Lehigh was rival city Wilkes-Barre's premier railroad. Since I lived only a short distance from the DL&W shops, yards and station, there was no question in my young eyes that the Valley was a poor second. Lackawanna's 4-6-4's clearly outclassed Valley's Pacifics in my youthful analysis.
As I grew older and my understanding of railroads and their related technology grew deeper, I came to appreciate the uniqueness of the Lehigh Valley. This awareness was heightened by living a short distance from Sayre during the last twenty years of the company's existence; which also meant witnessing its end.
From founding to absorption, the Lehigh Valley has been well documented in Robert F. Archer's authoritative LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD published in 1977. A complete roster of all locomotives owned by the company was compiled by William D. Edson and published in Bulletin No. 126 of the Railway & Locomotive Society in 1972. Other books have concentrated on LV's named passenger trains or the spectacular scenery of the main line. The purpose of this book is, of course, to expand upon what has already been published.
I remember the Lehigh in terms of its distinctive Steam locomotives, long coal trains, its network of branches in the inaccessible regions of the Middle Anthracite Field of Pennsylvania, and its meanderings Cobucolic Upstate New York. The large amount of Ply-built and rebuilt locomotives and cars made LV
equipment notable and interesting.
In talking with railroad historians, model railroaders, former LV employees and people who simply lived near or traveled on the railroad, I could not help but be impressed by the high degree of interest and fond memories of the Lehigh Valley. There has been an amazing up-swelling of interest in what was surely one of the lesser known of the large Northeastern railroads.
The germinating point of this book was the collection of Lehigh Valley photographs taken by Rod Dirkes, whom I have never met. His photograph skills and dedication to recording the railroad are impressive. I wish to thank the many people and organizations who have allowed the use of photographs, provided historic information and reviewed the text and captions. Foremost among these are Herb Trice, Bill Caloroso and Jim Lathrop. Herb and Bill opened their extensive collections of photographic materials, and, as a long-time LV employee, Jim provided the detailed insight that comes from working for the company for many years.
All pictures are of the actual item. There may be reflection from the lights in some photos. We try to take photos of any damage. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
US Shipments: Ebay will add $1.25 each additional items, there are a few exceptions.
Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and forwarded to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. Refunds may be issued if you add multiple items to your cart and pay with one payment. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping varies by weight.
Payment options
Payment must be received within 7 days. Paypal is accepted.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
