Help with two US railroads

[fant_autentico]

Good morning, I need to know the track gauge of two U.S. railroads,

Oregon-California RR and Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company (narrow gauge).

Thank you very much in advance for your cooperation.

Regards, Javier

 

[ricomon35]

1.) The Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company Locomotive #14 ''Dewey and the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Co #11 "Seymour" were both 30" gauge.
Link - Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company Locomotive #14 ''Dewey'' - 1888
Link - Lackawanna Iron & Coal Co #11 "Seymour"
2.) The Oregon & California RR was was 4' 8-1/2" gauge = 1435mm - Oregon and California Railroad

Rico

 

[wreeder]

You asked about the railroad operated by the Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company, and here’s what I found:

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Their Railroad Operations​

• The Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company (later Lackawanna Steel) was deeply tied to rail transport because steel production required massive movement of raw materials and finished goods.
• They operated internal rail systems within their plants to move iron ore, coal, limestone, and steel products between storage and production areas.
• In Buffalo, New York, the company even had its own narrow-gauge railroad for moving ingots and structural pieces around the steel complex. [hmdb.org]

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Subsidiary Railroad​

• The company owned the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W) as a subsidiary.
• DL&W was a major U.S. Class 1 railroad, chartered in 1851, primarily to transport anthracite coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to markets in New York City and beyond.
• It eventually stretched 395 miles, connecting Buffalo, NY, to Hoboken, NJ, and by ferry to New York City.
• DL&W was known for engineering feats like the Lackawanna Cut-Off (1911), which improved speed and efficiency. [en.wikipedia.org], [en.wikipedia.org]

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Role in Steel and Coal​

• The railroad was crucial for:
  • Bringing coal and raw materials to the steel plants.
  • Shipping finished steel products nationwide.
• At its peak, Buffalo was the second-largest rail center in North America, with DL&W integrated into a vast network of over two dozen railroads. [hmdb.org]

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Later History​

• DL&W merged with the Erie Railroad in 1960, forming the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, which was later absorbed into Conrail in 1976. [britannica.com]

 

[fant_autentico]

Many thanks for the info Rico and Wreeder

Cheers, Javier