Author Archives: Exnavydoc@hotmail.com

The past two “Wordless Wednesdays” ( #104 and #105 ) complement the view of Towanda during abandonment seen in “WW #103”.

In “WW #104″, we can see that the photo in “WW #103” was probably taken from atop MoW coach 210 in the foreground. We have a wider view of the yard, and can see the switch to the ash pit has been removed. To the right is an old boxcar being used as the railroad carpenter’s shed.

“WW #105” gives us a wider ground-level view of the yard area, including a better look at the SNY Towanda Junction station and yard office. To the left middle is what once was Humphrey Manufacturing Co., and in the left distance is Dayton Milling. In the right distance is an old coach, probably serving the MoW department. The engine house, turntable, and water tank remain, but probably not for long. This is a later view than the others, as all of the yard and engine service tracks have been removed.

The S&NY facilities at Towanda are in the process of being abandoned in the view of last week’s “WW #103”.

To the left is the Towanda yard office/depot, windows boarded up. The train order board is out of service; the semaphore blades removed.

In the middle of the scene, some track at the engine facility and yard has already been pulled up. The center tracks will remain for the use of Lehigh Valley trains heading for the LV’s Bowman’s Creek branch at Monroeton.

To the left is a mixed string of S&NY rolling stock, including a caboose and ditcher #6. The ditcher shovel boom is secured to the flatcar in the foreground, along with the frog from the recently-removed switch seen to the right. A PRR GS gondola coupled to the flat stands ready to receive salvaged rails as they are lifted from the r-o-w.

A sad scene, but still a very useful one when the model version takes shape.

A  S&NY freight makes up a train at north Towanda in last week’s “WW #102”. The train is made up of a long string of various gondolas with numerous crates. Wonder if they are all headed for the same destination?

In the background are the old Lehigh Valley enginehouse and water tanks, the LV Towanda station, and the LV mainline coaling tower. To the right is the bridge carrying the LV main over the north branch of the Susquehanna River. To the left, a LV derrick is spotted, along with several empty gons. The piles of track components on the ground suggest the LV may have a major track improvement project underway somewhere nearby. The coaling tower was built circa 1940, and the track project may be related to that. Perhaps some LV expert somewhere has the answer…