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Well, I took a motorcycle ride up to Bethlehem on Satuday, October 5th, 2002 and
took a look around the Bethlehem Union Station. Construction progress is moving along
nicely, but it hurts to see the railroad aspect removed. The City of Bethlehem wants
to buy the ROW and convert it into a walking path. NS is going along with the plans,
and if SEPTA passes on their first right of refusal, the tracks will be gone. NS
has already removed a section of rail directly in front of the station, and another
piece up the hill by the HEM signal. I don't think a walking path would be very
safe here, since it crosses over nine (I think) busy road crossings, but what do
I know. The construction crew has filled the undertrack stairwell in with concrete,
so the possibilities of using that again are gone. It's ironic that the stairway
survived all those years, only to be filled in with concrete. Pretty soon, NS will
probably remove the diamond over the ex-LV main, since it's no longer in use.
After spending some time at Bethlehem, I headed down the road to the old
Saucon Yard facility. I had heard that the old backshop/powerhouse was gone, and
sure enough, it was. There's a clear view of the coaling tower now, but even that
structure's days are probably numbered.
 concrete_filled_stairs.jpg The stairway once used to cross under the tracks was recently filled with concrete. Full size image is 77 kB  missing_rail_by_station.jpg A piece of rail recently removed from in front of the Bethlehem Union Station. Full size image is 189 kB  beth_station_1.jpg A front view of the station. Full size image is 74 kB  beth_station_2.jpg Another front angle of the station. Full size image is 79 kB  beth_station_3.jpg Left front view. Full size image is 104 kB  beth_station_4.jpg Far left side of the station. Full size image is 111 kB  beth_tracks_1.jpg Looking across the ex-LV main. Someday this diamond will also be removed, since the tracks no longer connect by the bridge. Full size image is 102 kB  beth_station_5.jpg The left side of the station. Full size image is 53 kB  beth_tracks_2.jpg Another shot of the diamond across the ex-LV main. Full size image is 111 kB  beth_station_6.jpg Left side of the station, looking towards the defunct Bethlehem Steel facilities. Full size image is 42 kB  beth_station_7.jpg Another angle of the station front. Full size image is 70 kB  beth_station_8.jpg The front of the station and the remains of the Northern track side concrete retaining walls. Full size image is 127 kB  beth_tracks_3.jpg A signal (still with the top aspect burned out) guarding nothing. Full size image is 99 kB  beth_tracks_4.jpg Looking off the new East 3rd street bridge down towards the old Beth Steel facilities. Full size image is 101 kB  beth_tracks_5.jpg Looking South at Iron Hill yard. That string of hoppers were previously stored down on the Bethlehem Branch, right by HEM. Full size image is 117 kB  beth_hem_1.jpg Looking Southbound at HEM and the removed rail. Full size image is 134 kB  beth_hem_2.jpg Looking Northbound at the HEM signal, the derail and the removed rail. Full size image is 146 kB  beth_hem_3.jpg Another shot of the removed rail at HEM. Full size image is 153 kB  saucon_coaling_1.jpg A clear shot (besides those pesky wires) of the coaling tower. Full size image is 112 kB  saucon_coaling_2.jpg Another view of the coaling tower. How soon until this is also torn down? Full size image is 54 kB  saucon_no_powerhouse_1.jpg A clear shot (into the sun) of the Saucon Valley coaling tower, now that the backshop/powerhouse is gone. Full size image is 130 kB  saucon_no_powerhouse_2.jpg Looking down the stairs by the back of the Roundhouse. Full size image is 166 kB  saucon_no_powerhouse_3.jpg Empty lot where the backshop/powerhouse was. Full size image is 140 kB  saucon_roundhouse_1.jpg Back of the roundhouse. Full size image is 48 kB  saucon_roundhouse_2.jpg Back of the roundhouse again. Full size image is 53 kB  saucon_roundhouse_3.jpg Other side, back of the roundhouse. Full size image is 93 kB  saucon_roundhouse_4.jpg Back of the roundhouse again. Full size image is 137 kB |
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