Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad
marks=WB&E
locale=Pennsylvania
start_year=1892
end_year=1939
hq_city=New JerseyThe Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad (WB&E) was a historic railroad that operated in Pennsylvania from 1892 to 1939.

History

The WB&E was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway (NYS&W). It was chartered in 1892 to provide the NYS&W with a route to bring coal from the mines in northeastern Pennsylvania for delivery to the port of Edgewater, New Jersey.

Previously the NYS&W was contracting the coal haulage in Pennsylvania to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. The DL&W originally hauled coal to their interchange with the NYS&W at Gravel Place, Pennsylvania. From there, the NYS&W would haul the coal to an interchange with the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey.

With the WB&E and exclusive control of distribution facilities at the port in Edgewater, the NYS&W had a direct way to move the coal from the mine to various markets without having to rely on (and pay) two additional railroads for haulage.

After the Erie Railroad gained control of the NYS&W in 1898 the WB&E became less important as coal traffic was diverted to the Erie's Wyoming Division. Unable to pay the interest on its mortgage bonds, the WB&E filed for both bankruptcy and abandonment in 1937. Local freight train service continued to operate on the line 3 to 4 times per week until abandonment in 1939.

Except for a small stub of track in Suscon, Pennsylvania and the bridge over the Susquehanna River, nothing remains today of the WB&E.

Historic remnants

While there are no operating sections of the WB&E extant today, one building from its car and locomotive shops (actually the NYS&W shops) is still standing at Stroudsburg in the former Katz Scrap Yard just adjacent to the south side of Route 80. The Stroudsburg freight station, originally located at the present site of the Shop-Rite Supermarket, was moved to Ann Street, set up on the site of the former Stroudsburg Traction Company carbarn, restored, and converted into the Driebe Museum. In addition, the freight house at Pocono Lake still stands unused just off Route 940 in the defunct Frisbee Lumber Company yard and is visible from the road. Contrary to other reports, the present "Olde Engine Works" building had nothing to do with either the NYS&W or the WB&E, as it was simply a factory that manufactured electric motors.

Motorists can trace the WB&E right of way by following Route 940 West and some sections of Route 380 North to the junction with Route 80 in Mount Pocono. Long Pond Road near the village of Little Summit intersects with the right of way and was the location of a grade crossing. Following Route 940 West towards Pocono Pines, the right of way is easily visible along the lake on the right as are remnants from a bridge. Much of the right-of-way is preserved on Pennsylvania State Game Lands and is easily hiked.

References

*cite book| title=The New York Susquehanna & Western Railroad| author=Robert E. Mohowski| year=2003| publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press| isbn=978-0-8018-7222-8