Description
The dawn of the 20th century saw a new form of transportation evolve in
the United States: the interurban electric railway. These enterprises
were natural offshoots of the original, short urban trolley lines that
quickly replaced the horse car in the 1890s.
Most trolley lines lived in relative obscurity and enjoyed a
few years of prosperity, followed by decline and abandonment in the
face of bus and automotive competition. A relative handful managed to
survive until the post-World War II years and thus have attracted
greater attention.
Among them was the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad.
The Laurel Line, as it was most commonly known, was unusual in several
respects: It was built to higher-than-normal standards for electric
short line railroads; it operated mostly with a third rail power system;
it ran exclusively on private rights-of-way; and it served a
geographically narrow region whose economy was heavily dependent on one
industry - coal.
The Laurel Line's corporate records survived, and authors
Henwood and Muncie made the most of this historical treasure. In the
book, the railroad emerges in human terms of strife, struggle, victory
and defeat. The reader learns not only what happened, but why, and who
made it happen.
All railroads are interesting if properly researched - the
Laurel Line as portrayed in this work is profoundly fascinating. Life in
Pennsylvania's anthracite region is detailed when the Lackawanna and
Wyoming Valley Railroad was fighting the good fight.