News From The Parkway

With the departure of former park director Greg Weitzel, responsibility for repairing the WPA entrance wall into Lehigh Parkway has been transfered to the City's Department of Engineering and it's street division. The one way traffic barricades are scheduled to be removed. Richard Young, department head, indicates that a hybrid wall of cement with a stone facade will probably be utilized. As the founder of the only group in Allentown concerned with the WPA, I can accept that remedy. Two years ago, rather than repair the stone steps on Jerome Street by Irving Park, the Park Department had them removed. The constructions at Irving Park were not WPA, but of that era and style. Elsewhere along the Little Lehigh, things are not too encouraging. Schreibers Bridge was probably recently hit by a tractor trailer. The 15th Street Bridge closure is resulting in a tremendous amount of traffic over the little stone arch, built in 1828. Although posted with a weight restriction, it is being used by both trucks and buses. The 15th Street replacement is scheduled for 15 months; Let us hope that our historic Schreibers Bridge survives that long.

The photograph above shows a freight run on the former Quarry Barber Branch Line, just west of Schreibers Bridge. Although the track has been removed, the trestle still stands.

Photograph taken in 1976 by Dave Latshaw, The Mark Rabenold Collection

Allentown's Misguided Train Plans

Up through the 1960's, Allentown's train system remained much in tack. In it's heyday, there were two passenger stations, and three commercial branch lines with dozens of individual business sidings. The WestEnd Branch ran along Sumner Ave, crossed Tilghman Street, headed west till 17th Street, and then looped back east  to 12 St. The Quarry Barber Branch ran along the Little Lehigh Creek, crossing Lehigh Street and running under the 8th Street Bridge. After crossing S. 10th Street, it proceeded west till it reached Hawk Flour Mill, where it turned north heading to Union Terrace. It crossed Hamilton Street by the current Hamilton Family Diner, and ended at the park department building, across from Birney Crum Stadium. Both these branches have been totally removed, not a track nor railroad tie remain. The third branch, which was the Old LVRR main, as opposed to the New Main, ran along the Lehigh River and crossed Front Street on a diagonal at Linden St. This branch line, although unused, still exists. One of it's main customers was Lehigh Structural Steel, under the Tilghman Street Bridge. Lehigh Structural had it's own engine to shuttle material on it's own tracks within their complex.  Although the steel fabricator closed, the parcel still has industrial tenants. Currently in Allentown there are two simultaneous plans which would misuse our railroad assets. The AEDC, headed by Scott Unger, wants to use a government grant to restore the Quarry Barber Branch to an empty building on S. 10th Street. The former plant operator never cited lack of train service as a factor in it's closing. To restore the line would cost untold millions of dollars, and require miles of track.  This is a folly which only seasoned bureaucrats could entertain. On the other hand, there is another plan by another group, to abandon the potential of the last remaining intact former branch line. The NIZ now controls the riverfront and the former Structural Steel property. Their plan is to vacate the industrial tenants, including Air Products, and convert the property into residential and light commercial, such as restaurants and gift shops. All these plans are driven by federal and state grants and tax incentives, which do not factor in Allentown's particular existing assets and long term interests. In a short sighted grab for some quick tax dollars, we would build one track to nothing, while ignoring another track and vacating an existing viable industrial site.

The photograph is from the Mark Rabenold Collection, and shows the Union Street crossing. 

The Baseball Trolley

Its been over fifty years since the Dodgers left Brooklyn. Ebbets Field opened in 1913, and was home of the Dodgers for 45 seasons. It was there that  Jackie Robinson withstood the tension of being the first black player. He was encouraged by another minority player in Detroit, Hank Greenberg. The stadium was demolished in 1960 and replaced by a cluster of apartment buildings.

Spinning Biden-Ryan

Last night handed the pundits whatever material their preordained point of view wanted. Victory was declared by both sides. Style and Substance is the new lexicon of debate. Was Biden's prolonged smile a positive sign of engagement, or a distracting overcompensation for his boss's previous performance? Did Biden sell the administration as skillfully navigating world events, or did Ryan's contention of dropping the ball ring true? Equally defensible counterpoints were presented regarding the economy and Medicare. The spin doctors were certainly given a full bag of ingredients to make their case. I would think that last night's performance didn't move the needle, but heightens the anticipation for next week's debate.

UPDATE: Scientific Poll: The gentlemen at the diner counter every morning are an economically diverse bunch. Ryan won the debate 8 to 0 because of Biden's smirking.  Scientific enough for me.

AEDC Junior Achievement

The Morning Call today is featuring a story and video about a young man opening a scrap wire business in east Allentown. I wish him all the success in the world, but have an issue with Pawlowski and Scott Unger loaning him our tax dollars. Unger, director of AEDC should do some research, I suggest a trip to Sumner Ave. Allentown has a half dozen existing scrap yards which buy scrap copper wire. I can assure him none of them were ever granted six figure loans by a city agency. As a matter of fact, many years ago Mr. Aronsky, from Valley Iron and Steel, donated the land which today comprises most of Trout Creek Park. If Unger's Junior Achievement mentality isn't absurd enough, the paper allows this young man to use the video as an virtual advertisement to buy scrap wire.

Junkyard Train

Today, once again we ride a freight train of Allentown's great industrial past. In the early 1970's, the Redevelopment Authority tore down the neighborhood on either side of the Lehigh Street hill. At that time they had persuaded Conrail to move the the Barber's Quarry Branch line exclusively to the southern side of the Little Lehigh. The branch had crossed over and back to service the great Wire Mill. After crossing Lehigh Street, the train would proceed along the creek passing under the 8th Street Bridge. At the 10th Street crossing it would service another great industrial giant, Traylor Engineering.
In 2009 President Obama visited a successor, Allentown Manufacturing, which has since closed. The line would continue along the creek until it turned north along Cedar Creek to Union Terrace. After crossing Hamilton Street by the current Hamilton Family Diner, it would end at the current park department building. Nothing remains of the line, the tracks were removed. The Allentown Economic Development Corporation recently received a grant to rebuild the line to 10th Street, even though the plant Obama visited has closed. The neighboring former Mack Plant now houses a go cart track. How the money will be squandered remains to be seen. The top photograph was taken by local train historian Mark Rabenold in 1989. It shows the later relocated section of the track that was just east of the Lehigh Street crossing.
reprinted from March 2011

UPDATE: The County Commissioners recently denied a request by AEDC to grant KOZ status to the closed Metal Manufacturing building. Although the company never cited lack of rail service or property taxes as the reason for closing, the rail grant is still on the table. $Millions of $Dollars would be needed to lay bed and track from 3th and Union to S. 10th Street, to service an empty building; Truly, The Track To Nothing.