# The Stourbridge Line



## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

*First A Bit of History*

In the 1820s, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company built a gravity railroad to transport coal from Carbondale, PA to Honesdale, PA and a canal to transport it from Honesdale to the Hudson River. The gravity railroad used stationary steam engines to pull coal cars up inclines and gravity to descend them. The canal followed the Lackawaxen river from Honesdale to the Delaware River. In 1829, the first locomotive to operate in North America (the Stourbridge Lion) had trial runs on the railroad. It was too heavy for the rails and only ran twice. A replica of the Stourbridge Lion is housed in Honesdale by the Wayne County Historical Society in the former D&H Canal Office Building. The canal ceased operation in the 1890s. The Erie Railroad built tracks along the same route as the canal between Honesdale and Lackawaxen (some on the opposite side of the river and some over the old canal basin in Honesdale). The Stourbridge Line travels along the former Erie tracks. Here are a few good paperbacks on the gravity railroad and the canal.

https://www.amazon.com/pulleys-rope...sr=8-2&keywords=of+pulleys+and+ropes+and+gear

https://www.amazon.com/Delaware-Hud...the+delaware+and+hudson+canal+and+the+gravity

*The Area*

This is some nice country. The Upper Delaware, Lake Wallenpaupack, twisty roads along the Delaware or in the mountains where you are the only car around. About 45 minutes east of Scranton/Steamtown and 45 minutes west of Bethel, NY (site of the Woodstock Festival). 

*The Ride*

The Stourbridge Line has been up and running again for a few years. Last year they had a BL2 and this year they added an FP7. I took a ride on it with my wife a few weeks ago. We took the 3 ½ hour ride from Honesdale, PA 25 miles to Lackawaxen,PA and 25 mile return. The FP7 pulled on the way out and the BL2 pulled on the way back. Two of the cars had air conditioning and the other few did not. There is nice scenery of the Lackawaxen River, but after 3 ½ hours, it all looks pretty much the same. They offer a variety of rides and I think one of the shorter ones might be better. Here is a link to the RR site and a few photos I took.

https://www.thestourbridgeline.net/home.html


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## traindriverjd (Dec 8, 2011)

Nice write up. A friend of mine owns it. Before he owned a railroad in Wellsboro, PA. I know he's excited to make a go of it.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

I hope it does well. I like to see locos that are even older than me still polishing the rails. I’m not too optimistic though. When we rode, in the middle of summer and despite being featured in “Pocono Mountains Magazine” TV adds, the train was hardly crowded. That’s one of the reasons I gave it a plug here. 

BTW, we also rode your friend’s Tioga Central 10 years ago.


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## JoeSaggese (Aug 17, 2018)

Great pictures. I have to plan a trip there.


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I like those BL2 locomotives.


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

Nice pics, thanks for posting.

Back in 1988, while on the engineers' extra board for Conrail in Port Jervis, I made some qualifying trips west on the Southern Tier line.

I remember stopping at Lackawaxen to set out/pick up cars from the freight line that was running up the Honesdale branch.

At the Lackawaxen end, there's also the Zane Gray museum and the Roebling Bridge that carried the D&H canal over the Delaware River.

I remember working the Campbell Hall local job (Conrail) in the late 80's, and an old brakeman named Cliff telling me that the place to buy work clothes in Honesdale was at Sullum's. They were right on the main street in town, but gone now...


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

It's always so great for my soul to see those old locos still working. There's something magical about still-operating old machinery. Thanks for the pics and the history.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

J.Albert1949 said:


> I remember stopping at Lackawaxen to set out/pick up cars from the freight line that was running up the Honesdale branch.
> 
> At the Lackawaxen end, there's also the Zane Gray museum and the Roebling Bridge that carried the D&H canal over the Delaware River.


Here’s a few more shots that you might like. We have stayed at the Roebling Inn B&B a few times. The D&H built it as a paymaster’s house. Very nice place. The freight line doesn’t seem too busy, but there were a few trains going thru when we were there. The D&H Canal bridge is the oldest suspension bridge still in service in the US.


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