ALCOS OVER THE POCONO MAINLINE Vol 1

See below for DVD purchase options.

Watch Centuries and Road Switchers built by the American Locomotive Company haul freight in active service over the Pocono Mountain route. The Delaware-Lackawanna railroad runs on ex-DL&W trackage with beautifully maintained Alco diesels, some over fifty years old. The Poconos are often thought of as a vacation spot but these engines are definitely not on vacation and often have to fight their way up the mountain twice in one run.

The Pocono Mainline was originally built in the 1850's by the what was to become the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad. Originally built to connect the anthracite coal mines in Lackawanna valley to the Central Jersey and then to a port in Jersey City to feed the growing demand for industrial and home heating coal, the railroad diversified and became a general freight hauler as the 1900's progressed. As with many railroads in the eastern United States, dimininishing coal demand as well as competitiion from other transportation modes brought this profitable company to it's financial knees. The 1960 merger with the Erie Railroad was not successful in the long run and Conrail took over in the 1970's. At that time the Pocono route was deemed redundant and remained dormant for years. Local initiative revitalized the rails in the late 1980's and the current railroad, the Delaware-Lackawanna runs a thriving general freight hauling business over this section from Scranton,Pa to Slateford,Pa. They are an all Alco diesel railroad and since the American Locomotive company is long out of business, these are rare and historical locomotives that are still in everyday freight service.

For purchase of the 74 minute DVD and more info:
http://americanrailvideo.com/index.html

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Alco
• american
• locomotive
• railroad
• video
• DVD
• Pocono
• Pennsylvania
• diesel
• train
• freight
• grain
• plastic
• wood
• Scranton
• Stroudsburg

[trainman1995]

are they going to continue to run these alco and are they rebuilt with a emd engine

[rollinswitch]

The railroad is running fine and should continue for a long time. The Alcos are 100 percent alco, no emd engines so far.

[798389]

The Pocono Mainline goes through Tobyhanna, correct?

[rollinswitch]

Yes it does.

[toolengnh]

Did the conductor flag the crossing because the warning gates failed?

[rollinswitch]

That's right. Seems to happen occasionally with this crossing.

[ljones121]

intresting note on that red and grey alco, it used to be a resident engine at the GE Plant in Erie,Pa. I believed it was used for some kind of testing.

[Jared1452]

The pocano's is a great place to find rare alco's in action! Some of them have came down into the lehigh valley (where I live)!