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Here is a fairly recent thread I am resurrecting for those of us who love Delaware snd Hudson trains.

Below is my favorite model: a Lionel TMCC D&H diesel made in early 2000s. It's a very good puller with great smoke and sounds, but I think the best think about it is its gorgeous livery:

It also runs at a nice slow and smooth prototypical speed at 18 volts while pulling a long train.

Arnold

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Thought you might all enjoy this photo from northeast.railfan.net website.  The line on the bridge was known as the “Laurel Line” that had a route from Wilkes-Barre to Scranton, Pennsylvania and which part of that line now is used for fan excursions at the trolley museum on the property adjacent to Steamtown.  The location for this photo is in on the Dupont side of the border with Avoca.  The two rail lines below the bridge are the Lehigh Valley (foreground) and D&H (background).  Further in the photo, there is an auto bridge on the right side and just past that, out of site, both rail lines cross each other.  Because of flooding damage from tropical storm Agnes, the lines built an interconnection in 1973 or 1974?

I grew up less than a mile from here but never saw the Laurel Line because I was born after it ceased operations.  But many a summer night, I’d hear the whistles and train sounds emanating from both main lines as they traveled back and forth.  The D&H also had a lengthy passing siding through the town just a bit again to the right and out of sight of the photo.  My dad passed a few years back but while I was visiting and he was reminiscing, he discussed his high school years, specifically during WW2.  The school overlooked the D&H line and he said that regularly they would jump from their seats during class and wave to the “troop trains” that would often go by.  The teachers all supported that - certainly times were different!  

The Laurel Line bridge is long gone and as I recall, it was dismantled in the early 1960s.  But the bridge abutment on the left of the picture was removed I’m guessing only a half dozen years ago.  My dad also told me stories about the Laurel line’s 3rd rail.  He chuckled too when he said that the ladies would complain about the cinders flying from the trains on both the LV and D&H as they would land on the clothes that they had just hung on the line to dry!  Again, times were different.

Alas, I was also too young to see or at least remember steam going through the town, but I do relish memories of getting trapped in our car between the LV and D&H lines as sometimes the trains would both pass through the town simultaneously.   It was fun to count the rail cars and bet as to whether there was a pushing engine and additionally, which train would pass by first.  In the summer you could always get the fellow in the DH caboose to wave!  Periodically there was a bonus as the D&H may have had another train on the passing siding, so there would be three trains for enjoyment.  Again based on recollection, I believe the D&H traveled through more frequently than the LV.  I just wish that someone had photos to share of steamers going through the town and especially where the Laurel Line crossed both main lines.

I hope you all enjoy this info.

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Thanks for the history, Bob. Funny you should post it today - this morning, I went to the movies up on Montage Mountain. As we were turning into the Mall, you have to cross the old trolley tracks, and for only the second time in all the years i’ve Been going there, the gates came down for a trolley (it appeared to be a school trip). Unfortunately, my phone wasn’t on, so I couldn’t get any pics. A couple of years ago, Grzyboski’s made a version of a Laurel Line trolley for their 40th anniversary.

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Last edited by Apples55
PAUL ROMANO posted:

IMG_5737                             D&H Challenger #1530- Forest City, PA Circa 1950

I spent every summer from 1949 to 1963 in Forest City, PA. My Grandfather was a coal miner. He had part of his right foot cut off by a D&H train while crossing the tracks going to work in the mine. 

Fabulous picture, Paul. Mr. Muffins was trying to drum up interest in a special run Lionel D&H Challenger, but I was one of the very few takers - your picture makes me very sad  

I grew up in a small town in upstate NY and the D&H was the line that went through town.  As kids we'd yell at the RS3's serving local factories to throw us chalk and they'd usually oblige.  When I had my layout I had the SP Daylight and the Super Chief, but I still maintain that the D&H Alcos in front of either the MTH 5-car aluminum 60ft set or the Williams 6-car fluted set was the prettiest train I ever saw.

Aside from the Alcos and passenger cars I mentioned before, I ran the Railking Challenger which was issued in D&H livery.  It's one of the articulated steamers in that line that really looked great running on 072 curves.  Those of you looking for D&H steam would do well to track one down.  Other than a Camelback and an old Lionel steamer from years ago, I don't know of any other O Gauge steam in that livery.  Was always waiting for an MTH Pacific but it never came.

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