Turning Out The Light

The train tower on Union Street was demolished in 1971. It survived years beyond need because the gates were never automated, and the remaining track was used for switching freight cars. The junction yard behind the State Hospital property, near the border with Bethlehem, is still active. The freight trains travel south Allentown toward Emmaus several times a day. In the quiet of early morning, you can still hear that whistle almost everywhere in the city.

photograph by Dave Latshaw is part of the Mark Rabenold Collection

reprinted from July 2011

De Beams, De Beams

Allentown's all a twitter about the beams arriving for the 15th Street Bridge. Allentown Director of Public Works, Richard Young, appeared on local TV saying that the project is on schedule. He forgot to mention that it's a snail pace schedule, stranding south Allentown for years. He forgot to mention that the two Tilghman Street bridges, west of Allentown, were removed and replaced in a matter of months. He forgot to mention that more is done in a few weeks at the Arena, than has been done on the bridge project since it began. He forgot to mention that his department allowed the previous bridge to rust away from neglect. He forgot to mention that he didn't intercede with his counter point on the state level, also named Young, to postpone construction on the 24th/Oxford Street bridge. He forgot to mention...

UPDATE: Although this post is critical of Allentown Public Works, the real blame lies with the Administration.  Although Allentown's share of the project is only 5%,  it occurs to me that the relaxed schedule seems to be built into a cut rate bid on the project.  If Allentown's priorities were geared toward citizen convenience, instead of the mayor's Big Arena Razzle Dazzle, I'm sure that Young would have just as soon payed more for an accelerated schedule on the bridge.

Union Street Slowdown

By the early 1960's, things had slowed for Allentown's manufacturing base and the rail freight cars that served them. Train lines had consolidated, and tracks and spurs had been removed. Remaining plants were supplied by trucks, and people traveled by bus and car. The remaining train station would soon close, but the term rustbelt had not yet entered the vocabulary. Western Electric (AT&T) on Union Blvd. was now making transistors, and there was still confidence in the new economy. Allentown was the All American City.

reprinted from July 2011

Friends In The Park

This morning, Friends Of The Allentown Parks, sponsored an Accessible Discovery Nature Walk in Cedar Park. Leading the well attended event, with his back to the camera, was Phil McGrath, retired naturalist with the Pa. Dept. of Conservation and National Resources.

The Union Street Train Tower

The Union Street crossing was a busy place. It was located between the Jordan Creek and south 3th Street. Virtually all the train lines serving Allentown converged here. The Lehigh Valley Railroad's old main line also crossed Union Street further east, toward the Lehigh River. Allentown was at this time served by two train stations, the Lehigh Valley Railroad Station which was built over the Jordan Creek, and the New Jersey Central, which still stands as a closed restaurant and bar. This photograph, from 1930, is first in a series which will chronicle both the demise of our railroad era, and manufacturing base. Today, the tower is long gone and only one track survives. It is used by a private short line operator.


reprinted from July 2011

The Trains of Union Street

Up to the late 1960's, Union Street, between the Jordan Creek and Lehigh River, was crossed by numerous train tracks. In addition to the main tracks for the New Jersey Central and Lehigh Valley Railroads, the area hosted many sidings for the industries that once huddled along this historic river front area. There was a small rail yard with five sidings between the UGI gas storage tank, which dominated Allentown's skyline, and Allentown Meat Packing Company.  The photo above dates from the late 1940's.  The map below from the early 1930's.



Small rail yard on bottom left of map. Allentown Meat Packing was the former H.H. Steinmetz Co. in 1932.