the Ironton Railroad

A while ago this was a very important and busy part of the northeastern rail network, with many railroads converging in one place. You have done an amazing job in recreating this region, plus, imo winter is the most beautiful time of year and complements railroads very well. Something interesting that you might want to thin about doing is finding modern day shots of the areas where you take screenies for comparison. This region lost so much with the creation of Conrail, because duplicate lines were eliminated: mostly the CNJ, RDG, LV, and EL mainlines. I love that last picture in post 38, great job!
 
Thanks guys. :)

jacksonbarno said:
Something interesting that you might want to thin about doing is finding modern day shots of the areas where you take screenies for comparison.
Click to expand...
I have a few pictures i've taken myself while walking the Rail Trail. Next time it warms up outside and i go down i'll have to remember to take some more (its a 4 minute drive to get there :D); and when i have time, post them. Until then, just do a picture search for "Ironton Rail Trail" or check out this shaky Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwkZJKv9SO8

~Roon
 
Top notch, Josh!
:)

(on a sidenote: when I was watching this video, I waited for the Benny Hill theme to start. :p )
 
I was just looking at the screenshots and admiring the AWESOME! :D
Your work is one-of-a-kind, Rooneth! :D

Cheers
Stevo
 
Busy weekend...

A couple new, and a couple "now versus then-in-Trainz" shots and pictures to post before i crash for the night...


The five track CNJ interchange yard in Hockendauqua.


The "Summit" in Coplay, as of last week. That is an original RGD/Ironton caboose that has been restored. The original railroad cut through here has been filled in, and the trail raised up to cross the road at level. Below is roughly what it looked like in 1940 (with the old abandoned Lehigh Valley Transit trolley bridge now in correctly too)




A rather unassuming shot...
...until you look below at what it used to be.



















The old concrete foundation of the engine-house is still in, besides that nothing else remains.


Hopefully more this week. :)
 
Wow.... So much history lost in such a short time. How many of the original alignments are left? I think the CNJ was abandoned, the LV was brought down to two tracks in most areas, abandoned in others, same with the Reading. The L&HR and L&NE are almost gone... That area is a shell of its former self. How busy was the Ironton at the time that your route portrays it?
 
jacksonbarno said:
Wow.... So much history lost in such a short time. How many of the original alignments are left? I think the CNJ was abandoned, the LV was brought down to two tracks in most areas, abandoned in others, same with the Reading. The L&HR and L&NE are almost gone... That area is a shell of its former self. How busy was the Ironton at the time that your route portrays it?
Click to expand...

Not much is left. The CNJ and Lehigh Valley combined operations (well the CNJ actually abandoned all operations in PA in the 70's), so along the Lehigh River there are parts where the Lehigh Valley main survived and the CNJ did not, and vise versa.
At this location along the Ironton railroad, the once four track Lehigh Valley mainline is gone. The CNJ across the river is down to one track, and hosts a couple of NS trains a day. The L&NE is also gone in this area, as is the eastern most end of the Reading's C&F Branch which connected with the Ironton/Lehigh Valley/L&NE at West Catasauqua.

Here's another now-and-then picture set to illustrate the situation.

The CNJ connecting bridge crossing over the Lehigh Valley four-track main and the Ironton single track around 1940...










Standing on the old Ironton right-of-way today. The Lehigh Valley main was reduced down to 2 tracks in 1961.

 
Last edited:
Wow.... It's all just gone. It's so funny, that kind of stuff seems like it will be there forever... until it's gone. Nice shots!
 
jacksonbarno said:
Wow.... It's all just gone. It's so funny, that kind of stuff seems like it will be there forever... until it's gone. Nice shots!
Click to expand...
More of what's gone...West Catasauqua, interchange point for four railroads, the Ironton, Lehigh Valley, Reading, and Lehigh & New England.


LV main in the foreground. The 0-6-0 is on one of the wye tracks into the eastern throat of Lehigh Valley's Biery Yard.


East end of the yard. The train is behind the trees.


A Reading Co. freight has just arrived on their C&F Branch. Most of the coal for the cement kilns on the Ironton arrived via this branch. A small, older Lehigh Valley yard is on the right.

And please note this area isn't done. I just finished a lot of scenery here and felt i had to show it off. It will get better. ;) (and the switch stands all fixed)

~Roon
 
These screenshots are like works of art. I can see them being framed and hanging on my wall! Lots of small details to look at. Great work!
 
Roon, thanks for these wonderful screenshots.

I grew up in SE Pennsylvania (Chester County not Lehigh) and those scenes just look so real. I know I'll spend a lot of time studying this route when it's released.

Great work,

Bob Pearson
 
Still working on it. Been spending a lot of time fine tuning areas and working on the railroads endpoints.


CNJ Coplay Branch bridge over the Lehigh Valley 4-track mainline and Ironton single track main.


Other side, looking south.


Some of the LV/RDG/L&NE trackwork and stations at West Catasauqua. (road bridge is still a work-in-progress, as is the other side of the river)


The last operating iron mine on the Ironton. Records indicate production ceased around 1916. Photos show the pit filled with water in 1938.


Tracks are still in place to the old mines at this point, but expect trees and vegetation growing up through them. Today this just looks like a normal lake, and no one would even suspect it was totally man made and a giant iron ore pit.

All for now!...
~Roon
 
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