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 Post subject: Tunnel in Mt. Top
PostPosted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:41 am 
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Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:09 pm
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Location: Forty Fort, Pa
Hey banks remember that tunnel we found while in mt top? did you ever find out anything about it? has anybody else ever seen this? if your comming from wilkes barre its on the left hand side just as you enter Mt. top it goes under the RR tracks


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:05 am 
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Location: Hard coal region, PA
Yeah, no I never found anything about that tunnel or why it was filled.... I remember it was in an odd location up there on the hillside, but it had some pavement in it didn't it? I actually forgot about that thing. it was a pretty big opening...

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:23 am 
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Location: Forty Fort, Pa
yeah i look everywere online for it and didnt find anything...anybody else no what we are talking about?


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:31 pm 
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Location: From Schuylkill County, PA living in Phoenix, AZ
It could be the reamins of the Ashley Planes.

Then:
http://www.gingerb.com/cnj%20ashley_planes.htm

Now:
http://pic4.piczo.com/nepaview/?g=36213434

M.T.

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:08 pm 
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Location: NJ
The gap carved out by Solomon's Creek has had an incredible amount of man-made rights of way built in it the past 250 years.

From top to bottom, you have the Lehigh Valley Railroad (abandoned), the Jersey Central Railroad (active), at least two alignments of what is now Route 309 plus the newer divided lanes, and the multiple alignments of the Ashley Planes.

It gets a little confusing tracking the abandoned grades in the area.

If you stand at the top of the gap just off Route 309 by the firehouse, what looks like a sleepy corner was once a hub of railroad activity all aimed at getting coal in and out of the valley.

Did I say in and out? Yes, when the Lehigh Valley was first built one of the goals was to get middle field coal to the canals on the Susquehanna.

Anyway, back to the firehouse. If you stand there facing northwest in their parking lot, to your left and down is the old Jersey Central grade going through the deep rock cut, This had two CNJ lines from Ashley in it - the track from the top of the planes to the yard and the "Backtrack" mainline through Laurel Run and Georgetown to Ashley. Today, one track goes from here to Laurel Run where the Lehigh Valley grade is used.

Now, standing at the firehouse, your toes are on the Lehigh Valley's main route to downtown Wilkes-Barre which went over the CNJ in the cut, then over Route 309 and down through Sugar Notch and into Wilkes-Barre. On your right was the Lehigh Valley Mountain Cut-Off which went to Pittston bypassing Wilkes-Barre. This line is abandoned from above White Haven all the way down to Laurel Run, where it is in use to Pittston.


Pretty busy place for a sleepy intersection!

Rob Davis

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:14 pm 
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Location: NJ
Even though this picture is named Chunk, it shows Solomon's Gap way way back. You can see a water tank for the CNJ railroad on the left, and a power house for the planes on the right. Note the old road location.

Rob



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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:57 pm 
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Location: Forty Fort, Pa
What line runs through mountian top? because it goes under it. It6 also looks big enough for a train to go through and it looks like it goes back far


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 7:15 pm 
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It goes under the currently active tracks? Those are what was the Jersey Central. Hmmm...

Rob

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PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 11:01 pm 
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Location: Forty Fort, Pa
Yeah Directly under...as soon as i can im gonna go get some pics of it.


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