LV - The Forks of the Delaware

[Kree8tiviT]

Lehigh Valley : The Forks of the Delaware

"Phase one" of the my route is finally getting to point where I thought it might be presentable.....so starting this thread to showcase the updates.

The route is centered around Easton, Pennsylvania and Phillipsburg, New Jersey........at the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware rivers.
Besides the the two major rivers, there is also the convergence of the Lehigh, the Delaware, and the Morris canals.
Area residents refer to this hub of activity as the "Forks of the Delaware".

The period I am trying to depict in the route is from the late 1940's thru the 1950's and into the early 1960's.
During this time, 7 major railroads operated in the region...plus several other smaller lines.......pretty impressive for a small town!
In fact, in real life, if you stood on the tracks over the Delaware, you would be visually in eyesight of 5 stations! How many places can you do that?

So, with all this activity.....makes it a great place to create a layout..........that, and the added fact that it is the area I was born and raised so there is the personal connection factor too.

On to the photos :_____________________________________

Starting (logically) with the Lehigh Valley..........

The Lehigh Valley's "Black Diamond".......westbound thru Phillipsburg, NJ......behind Mercer Street

Approaching the diamond crossing of the Bel-Del cutoff

Crossing over the Pennsy's Bel-Del branch mainline

Crossing the Delaware River. The other bridge was used by the CNJ

Entering Pennsylvania over the Delaware Canal and Rt.611

Thru the cut at Mt. Ida. This was the only place to get across the river in the area.....so the Mt. Ida cut was used by every railroad in the area...making it a very busy and congested location.

Approach to LV Easton Station:

 

[Kree8tiviT]

Continuing........LV

Easton, Pa.

Station stop....LV Easton

Departing the station.......
pass the tower, then the old passenger car repair shops along Canal St.

 

[Kree8tiviT]

LV finish

Continuing thru the lower yard area

Passing beneath the Lehigh Valley's North Branch...another busy division we'll look at later.

Approach to the Southside Easton Yard & Shops

The Southside Easton Shops

Exiting yard area...along the Lehigh Canal and River...the Lehigh Foundry looms in background

The mainline towards Bethlehem......tucked between the waterways and the bluffs beneath Berwick St.

Approaching Borough of Glendon

Reaching the (old) Glendon Bridge.......which connected to West Easton and Avona Heights.

 

[LVman]

Oh My God Kree8tiviT.
I.. I am Speechless. That is just amazing. At least someone is doing something Lehigh Valley. Only if there were better Lehigh Valley Motive power. Only if.
Amazing Representation of Easton. I am just in pure Awe.
Although, Might want to replace those Geep 38s. Those weren't quite around in the 60's. I'm a Valley Junkie, So i Know this stuff.

Oh, By the way: Common Power in Easton: RS3s, RS2s, SW8ms, PAs, FAs, Baldwin DS44-10s, S2s, S4s, RS11s, F7A-F7B, Geep 9s (sometimes) the C420s, in the time era your modeling. Just for giggles, I'll be skinning a SW1500 to play with.
Sean

 

[Dylanviey]

that's pretty damn awesome. i'm doing the same area (but the PRR line from PRR line from Trenton to belvidere with a branch to Flemington.) i don't have much to show for it only track laid. but I'm making a crap load of custom content for it.

Maybe we could join forces and extend the length of the line.

 

[Kree8tiviT]

Meanwhile, across the river........

Having left-off with the LV Black Diamond at the Glendon bridge: meanwhile, across the river............

A Reading mixed-freight heads east on the Jersey Central mainline

Lead by sw1500 #2752

With assist by RS3 #512

eastbound along Lehigh Drive, below the Avona Heights section of town

Approaching Lehigh Foundry

At the bridge crossing Main St in West Easton.......

behind the foundry is the Delightform Bra Company

above the foundry's engineering offices

 

[evan123]

The is incredible. I will absolutely whip this track out when its released. You have a real talent! 2 thumbs up!

 

[Kree8tiviT]

Continuing......RDG

The Reading freight continues east on the CNJ mainline........Reading equipment was common on the CNJ, in fact, from a financial and administrative point of view, towards the end, the Reading practically ran the CNJ.

leaving the Lehigh Foundry area

junction at industrial siding which leads to the foundry and neighboring businesses

continues along Lehigh Drive, passing under the Lehigh Valley North Branch's bridge

pass the Jersey Central freight siding at Easton, Pa

Approach to CNJ station, Easton, Pa

Sadly, both this passenger station and the adjoing freight station burned down

Leaving the station.....onto the bridge across the Lehigh River below So.3rd St and the dam at Scott park

 

[Gandalf0444]

I am absolutely speechless Absolutely amazing work! You certainly have talent.

 

[Kree8tiviT]

continue......RDG

Having cleared the CNJ station at Easton......the reading contiues east......

Crossing the Lehigh River.......the LV station in background below the bluffs of Lachenour Heights section of Southside Easton

Bridge over So. 3rd St, Easton leading into the Mt. Ida cut. with a view up 3rd St to Center Square Easton

exiting Mt. Ida.....curved track in foreground comes from the "connector bridge" joining the PRR mainline

over Rt.611 and the Delaware Canal

Onto the CNJ bridge over the Delaware River. You'll notice, the CNJ bridge had handrails, the LV did not........

perhaps this is one reason why the CNJ bridge was a favorite "perch" from which to get an unobstructed view of the fireworks displays during holidays
It is from this location, that I mention in my opening remarks at start of the tread, that you could be within eyesight of 5 stations.

Over the Pennsy's Bel-Del mainline.......the "Connector Bridge", the dam at the confluence of the two rivers, and the Easton "Free Bridge" all in background

Making landfall into New Jersey..................

 

[Kree8tiviT]

A short distance further east...........

With the Reading freight reaching Jersey soil.............we jump a short distance further east in the town of Phillipsburg, NJ

where we catch the Central Railroad of New Jersey passenger service......running westbound from New York and points in NJ

At the head, is GP7 1530

passing behind the Atlantic States Pipe and Foundry......

which I believe in earlier times was Shamoon Industries

Approach to bridge over Stockton St.

Stockton & Sitgreaves St.

 

[cascaderailroad]

BRAVO !!!!! Five Stars !!!!!

Super routebuilding techniques !:mop: :udrool: :mop: Almost like being there !

Is this Trainz 2009 ?

 

[Kree8tiviT]

continuing......CNJ

Having cleared the bridge at Stockton St......the CNJ continues westward in Phillipsburg........

Behind the neighborhoods at Pine Alley & Sitgreaves St

off Jersey St

and below the bluffs of Washington St.

reaching the intersection of South Main & Sitgreaves St......where we approach the CNJ Phillipsburg Station.

 

[gisa]

Fantastic work! Very great screenshots and amazing detail.

I'm really looking forward to seeing more pictures. Keep up the great work!

:wave:

Gisa ^^

 

[Kree8tiviT]

continue........CNJ

Approach into Phillipsburg.........

passing the freight operations of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western......

and to the "PU" tower. Locals refer to the bridge carrying So. Main St. traffic as the "Black Bridge"

CNJ's Phillipsburg, NJ station..............

This station was actually shared with the CNJ using the south side of buuilding, and Lackawanna using the north side.

Departing the station, on approach to the junction with the Lackawanana and the Bel-Del cutoff junctions

at the foot of Market St

and to the bridge over the Delaware.

To be continued tomorrow................Mark

 

[Tanvaras]

Wow,

That is amazing detail. You should be very proud of your roue, its a masterpiece. I look forward to seeing more screen shots in the future.

Very well done.

Cheers

Trent

 

[gfisher]

I'm impressed. Well done.

 

[lsstaten]

nice. is that a DEM route too?

 

[cascaderailroad]

By carefully studying your many, many screenshots I have taken notice of much of all your superb tracklaying skills and texturing techniques. I especially am interested in the trees, bushs, grass, and I am asking, is this a Trainz 2009 route ?

I think we all can learn alot from careful examination of all your wonderful screenshots. This route looks alive with realism !

 

[yoderscoot]

I'm impressed. Well done.

If George is impressed, then your route ROCKS.