I removed these from the book because there is no clear copyright for some of them. As they came from the web I didn't see a problem putting them here. But I am going to verify that as time permits.
The Big Culm Dump Slide
Across the street from my house at 843 N. Main Street is a path to Powderly …
The Strange Mind of an 11 Year Old
The Nay Aug Gorge in Scranton PA
From WiKiPedia:The gorgeThe Nay Aug Gorge was created at the end of the most recent ice age and is a popular (though dangerous and illegal) swimming spot. In 2007 the David Wenzel Tree House opened with views overlooking the gorge and surrounding area. The tree house is designed to be fully handicapped accessible, and is the first of its kind in the area.[1] A footbridge with views of Roaring Brook also opened in 2007.
Train Hopping
Sep 6, 2011
LONGMONT, Colo. — A 17-year-old girl whose legs were severed while trying to hop a freight train was trying to get back to Fort Collins, Colo., where she attends Colorado State University, after a trip to Denver, police said Tuesday.
The teen’s legs were detached at the knee when she fell under the train on Monday in Longmont, Colo., about 30 miles north of Denver and 30 miles south of Fort Collins.
Her parents identified the girl as Anna Beninati in a statement released through Denver Health, which lists her in serious condition. Beninati’s parents live in Sandy, Utah, Longmont Police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said Tuesday.
Beninati repeatedly asked if she was going to die, said Kathy Poiry, a nurse who happened to be nearby and rushed to the girl’s aid.
(The above makes me wonder if I should include this story)
This is a tragic story and unusual for several reasons. I’m surprised a girl would do this. I’m surprised a college student would do this. Obviously hopping trains is very dangerous and no one should do it. I decided to keep this story in because it illustrates the mind of a 11 year old and parents should be very aware of this. It is often stated that young boys don’t fear death. I think that’s not quite right. I don’t think young boys have a concept of death, it’s not in their mind and when they see the death of a friend or something like this it just doesn’t compute. I don’t remember ever thinking anything I did would end my life. I didn’t even consider my life ending for any reason.
Perhaps in keeping this story in it will help someone. Despite everything I do not recommend hopping trains at all, for any reason.
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The Nay Aug Tunnel
This is the Nay Aug Tunnel. The trestle in the foreground is the one depicted in this book. It goes over Roaring Brook. The George is to the left out of sight. Before the hurricane this was a four track main. The flooding of Roaring Brook took out two of the tracks and they were never rebuilt. That’s why the tunnel on the right does not have any tracks in it. Our swimming hole with the rope swing is or was on the other side of this tunnel to the right.
The Step Falls
Just up Roaring Brook from the Harrison Avenue bridge are the Step Falls. You can …
The tunnel and the short bridge over Roaring Brook are visible from satellite pictures of the area.
Here is a link to Google Maps of the area.
This view is from Google Maps of Scranton. Harrison Ave bridge is to the left. The white line across the brook a little bit to the right of that is the Step Falls. The area between the gorge and the step falls had many swimming holes. Check the next picture for a closeup of the right side of this one.
This view is from Google Maps of Scranton. Harrison Ave bridge is to the left. The white line across the brook a little bit to the right of that is the Step Falls. The area between the gorge and the step falls had many swimming holes. Check the next picture for a closeup of the right side of this one.
The left bottom corner is the trestle that leads to the tunnel. The right side shows the tunnel exit and our swimming hole would have been just to the right of the tunnel exit. It is not visible in this view and may not be there anymore. The gorge in right above the trestle. That whole area above the gorge is rapids and is where we did a lot of swimming.
To help you get your bearings I left the Step Falls in the lower right hand corner. The train shops are to the left and above the tennis courts just above the middle of the picture. Just to the left of the Harrison Avenue bridge you can see the single track line going across the brook and into the tunnel. In 1955 the flood washed out the train shops and all that was left was empty buildings. The tennis courts weren’t there back then either. I lived on N. Irving Ave at the time. It’s in the upper right quadrant near a label in green, “Denaples Fields.” We would walk between the row houses on Linden Street to the railroad tracks. I don’t think the black roofed buildings were there at the time.
This is about what it looked like when I was a kid. It had tracks then of course and maybe not quite this bad. But it looked as foreboding then as it does in this picture.
From Eastern Rail News - www.eastrailnews.com
SCRANTON, PA'S ELECTRIC CITY TOLLEY SEES LIGHT AT END OF TUNNEL...After a decade of planning and grant writing, and two years of construction and restoration, there is a trolley light at the end of the historic 1905 Laurel Line Tunnel in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Thursday at noon, Lackawanna County Commissioners Joe Corcoran, Randy Castellani and Bob Cordaro lead a VIP delegation that includes The Lackawanna County Railroad Authority, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania & PENNDOT, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority and the Electric City Trolley Museum Association on a ceremonial excursion that celebrates the introduction of regular trolley excursions beneath the City of Scranton via the 1-mile-long century-old and almost forgotten tunnel.Completed in 1905, the tunnel is one of the longest interurban trolley tunnels in use in the United States today. Construction of the tunnel began in 1904. Scores of laborers worked for just over a year to complete the tunnel. The structure was built at a cost of $500,000 and was widely considered to be one of the best illustrations of tunnel engineering in the nation. From 1905 until the 1950s the tunnel serviced the Laurel Line, a 19.2-mile stretch of track that ferried trolley passengers between Scranton and Wilkes- Barre, with a popular stop at Rocky Glen Amusement Park. When freight traffic along the track ceased in the 1970s the line lay silent.Restoration of the tunnel began in 2001. Workers undertook an extensive track rehabilitation that included replacement of bridges and repairs to the tunnel. The second phase of rehabilitation focused on electrification of the tunnel and was just completed in August. In all, nearly $6 million in grants and funding were secured to revitalize the historic Laurel Line excursion and freight route including the tunnel. In addition to trolley excursions, the Lackawanna County Railroad Authority has commenced service to Compression Polymers Corporation and future freight customers via shipments through the tunnel.The reopening of the tunnel further demonstrates the vital link transportation played in the development of Northeast PA. In combination with the Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour and Steamtown National Historic Site, visitors to the Electric City Trolley Station and Museum can experience a dynamic story of the region's industrialization and immigration. The addition of the 1905 Laurel Line Tunnel in the museum's regular excursion extends the trolley excursion experience to one-hour in length.Passengers board a vintage trolley at Steamtown National Historic Site's platform. Along the route interpretive guides detail points of interest including the Central Railroad of New Jersey freight house, Lackawanna and Western railroad yard, Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, University of Scranton, Roaring Brook and the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces. The Electric City Trolley Station and Museum is located on the grounds of Steamtown National Historic Site off Cliff Street in downtown Scranton.
Building the Wild Mouse
A Wild Mouse ride. Not the one I helped build but very similar. This one is steel and the one I worked on was wood which made it more massive looking.
The Last Fight
The Last Fight
For those of you who may not remember or have never seem them, rabbit ears or an antenna on the roof was the only way to get TV then. Our rabbit ears consisted of a round brown plastic ball the size of a billiard ball on a base with two telescoping aluminum antenna that you could move up and down. Pretty simple really.
Towing the Cushman
This is just like mine except mine was green and had an attached blue vinyl seat.
