The Philadelphia & Erie Railroad
What Remains in Williamsport, PA
Bill Bigler writes ...
"James Kelling said in an off list post to me: "But there's not much left to
see in Williamsport today, right?"
------------------------
A lot more than you'd think. Starting on the east end:
-Allens Jcn. is still pretty flat, open, cindered - probably a parking
area.
-Piers for that truss bridge on east end of town still there in river.
-One of the main e-w streets (3rd or 4th) that parallels the 4 lane dips
substantially where the Pennsy came off that bridge and went past a red
warehouse type building and started through town. Can see this clearly.
Can still see some of the old right-of-way.
-Little League Blvd. is the old passenger main through town.
-One station building (REA Office?) is still there next to old Park Hotel
(now 2 stories instead of 4) which has been rebuilt/restored for office
space.
-Walnut St. yard area is now Apts/kids play area.
-Right of way/passenger main through town is surprisingly intact from
station west.
-Truss bridge between Wmspt. & Newberry still there, now part of walking
trail.
-Can still see where Newberry Jcn was - right of way and cinders. Takes a
bit of looking. Careful, venomous serpents abound in summer.
-Just west of Newberry Jcn. right-of-way is surprisingly intact starting at
Arch St. (I think that's the name of it)
-Do visit the Kast Hotel, two doors north on Arch. St. Old railroad hotel
where PRR crews used to lay over. Still a hotel with a few long term
residents, they do rent rooms for next to nothing (cash over the bar late in
the evening only), bar is not bad at all - some real characters appear/live
there (perfectly safe). Ask to see the rooms or see upstairs - it's a hoot.
Transoms above the doors, sink in room (thick brown sludge came out of
mine), bathroom down the hall. Recommend tour only - not staying. In
basement is Peterson Train Display - a ton of old and very valuable Lionel
semi-displayed on shelves. Dank, dark, and musty, but definately worth
seeing. Have to arrange train tour ahead of time.
-From Arch St right-of-way goes into Newberry Yard - surprisingly intact.
Still used by Lycoming Valley RR which switches what is left of yard, old
RDG, and old PRR Industrial Area.
-West of Newberry Yard is a wye, and old PRR crosses bridge at Linden to
Nisbet. Old truss bridge still there and used three times/week by Lycoming
Valley.
-Nisbet Jcn is a real find (across the bridge). Be really careful -
venomous serpents are everywhere over there, but worth a careful look - just
keep out of weeds and tall grass, and carry a long walking stick and lead
with it - tap the ground ahead of you.
-The wye at Nisbet is still intact and still in use. NS Buffalo Line (now
closed except for local rail traffic) and Lycoming Valley interchange there.
-Concrete bases for two steel water towers are still there.
-Concrete footers (8 each) for two coal towers are still there and quite
obvious.
-Signal bridge with position light signals still there (although single
track).
-Not much sign of sand storage tower and drying plant but location fairly
obvious if you know where it was.
-Concrete footer for at least one water column (plug) still there
-Can see where Nisbet Tower was, but barely (just west of west leg of wye)
GOING BACK TO TOWN AND THE LUMBER & INDUSTRIAL BRANCHES:
-Several industries/businesses served by Lycoming Valley RR just west of
college (that's the college on the west end of town). Don't miss the
mini-draw bridge for the RR by the wire rope factory. Can see it clearly
from behind the fast food restaurant.
-Not much left from these factories/businesses back to town. No sign of RR
running down Hepburn St. Wegmans Grocery and Hampton Inn have wiped
everything out.
-East of Market St (route 15 bridge) you can see Canal St (an alley in most
spots). Pennsy Canal branch ran right down the middle of it.
-In Faxon (just east of downtown Williamsport) you can see Faxon Lumber
Co. -
one of their lumber yards was east end of Lower Canal Branch.
-Don't miss Montoursville and English's Model Railroad Shop - retail home of
Bowser.
So, yeah, there's not much left, but there's a whole lot left. Fascinating,
combining PRR, history, and modeling.
"
John Caples adds ...
"
Funny thing you should mention it. I just got back from vacation. One of
my visits was the Williamsport/ Newberry Yard. There are 2 other things
that I would like to add.
1- There is a PRR mailcar sitting in the middle of the yard with out
trucks.
2 - I found a PRR m.o.w. 40' flatcar # 491451 in very good paint. (to
answer a post from last month. This flatcar was "assigned to crawler
crane CC0995")"
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Jerry Shickler
(This page last updated July 23, 2008)
