Laurel Line An Anthracite Region Railway Trolley Service

Laurel Line: An Anthracite Region Railway
JAMES N.J. HENWOOD & JOHN G. MUNCIE

The dawn of the 20th Century saw a new form of transportation evolve in the United States: the interurban electric railway. These enterprises were natural offshoots of the original, short urban trolley lines that quickly replaced the horse car in the 1890s.

Most trolley lines lived in relative obscurity and enjoyed a few years of prosperity, followed by decline and abandonment in the face of bus and automotive competition. A relative handful managed to survive until the post-World War II years and thus have attracted greater attention.

Among them was the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad. The Laurel Line, as it was most commonly known, was unusual in several respects: It was built to higher-than-normal standards for electric short line railroads; it operated mostly with a third rail power system; it ran exclusively on private rights-of-way; and it served a geographically narrow region whose economy was heavily dependent on one industry - coal.

The Laurel Line's corporate records survived, and authors Henwood and Muncie made the most of this historical treasure. In the book, the railroad emerges in human terms of strife, struggle, victory and defeat. The reader learns not only what happened, but why, and who made it happen.

All railroads are interesting if properly researched - the Laurel Line as portrayed in this work is profoundly fascinating. Life in Pennsylvania's anthracite region is detailed when the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad was fighting the good fight.

$39.95
ISBN:0976507234
8.5" x 11", paperback
214 pp
2005

Have a question or a comment for James Henwood or John Muncie?
Email them at laurelline@tribute-books.com

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• laurel
• line
• trolley
• railway
• railroad
• anthracite
• pennsylvania
• northeast
• scranton
• transportation
• history

[ferlenarab]

You can ride a portion of this line today in an electric trolley at the Electric City Trolley Museum near Steamtown in Scranton, Pa..

[intercityrailpal]

Just think this line went right by the Scranton-Wilkes Barre airport. But it's ripped up! Other countries are building lines to the airports. But not when the air and bus and highway lobby control government transportation policys.

[jeffcool78]

i also have a video called peckville circa 1937 hear on you tube some where.

[jeffcool78]

yes there was it is at the valley libary in peckvile. i am making a copy to dvd.

[deckerjr]

One of the fun parts of riding the Laurel Line was watchng the conductor raise the trolley as the car entered Wilkes Barre and the third rail ended. Some conductors could hit the trolley wire on the first try, others took a few attempts, producing blinking lights and pulsating power to the motors.

Of course, the most fun was riding the Laurel Line to Rocky Glen!

[RRYankfan]

love the video

hey if you have any more old photos of wilkes-barre let me know because i live there

particularly Hudson,miners mills,plains,parsons,laflin,ya­tesvill,and pittston or of up on the mountain

[grvolans]

very nice. got the book.