Welcome to the Lehigh Valley Landmarks with Leon podcast series, celebrating 250 years of independence. I'm your host, Rachel Leon. Since being elected in 2022 and serving as Vice President of Bethlehem City Council, I'm humbled by the opportunity to serve the diverse communities that make up our great city. But to understand where we're going, we need to understand our past. Each week, I'll share a short feature with a big story about the 250 years that made the Lehigh Valley and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, known as the Christmas City, as we explore historic landmarks.
By the mid-1800s, Asa Packer, the most prominent businessman in the Lehigh Valley, had begun to amass great wealth in hauling coal by way of canals. However, canals had limitations. Predicting the upcoming trend in industrialization, Packer set out to establish a more efficient way of transporting anthracite coal out of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania to Philadelphia and New York City. Asa Packer chartered a new railroad in 1846 and officially named it the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1853. As the demand for coal grew, the railroad expanded to include routes through the state of New York to the Great Lakes region.
While first built for the transportation of coal, the Lehigh Valley Railroad grew to include passenger trains and became well known for its exceptional passenger service. Its premier passenger train was the Black Diamond Express, which was over 300 feet long and the fastest in the LVRR fleet. The Black Diamond featured chefs on board, exquisite day coaches, and a popular observation platform. The train, dubbed “The Handsomest Train in the World,” was also often called the “Honeymoon Express” due to its popularity among newlyweds traveling to Niagara Falls.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad developed many facilities in the New York Harbor and most of the city’s boroughs. Passenger trains began operating out of Penn Station in 1918. Lehigh Valley Railroad’s facility on Black Tom Island in the New York Harbor was the target of German sabotage during World War I. On July 30, 1916, explosives destroyed stored supplies that were meant to be sent as aid to Britain and France.
After World War II, railroads reduced in popularity. Passenger service on the Lehigh Valley Railroad dwindled throughout the 1940s and 50s, and its final passenger train, the Maple Leaf, made its last run in February 1961. Despite its acquisition of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1962, the Lehigh Valley Railroad went bankrupt in 1970. Operation of the Lehigh Valley Railroad was taken over by Conrail in 1976.
Residents and visitors of Bethlehem are familiar with the picturesque train tracks parallel to the Lehigh River. These tracks once belonged to the Lehigh Valley Railroad, with trains stopping at Bethlehem Union Station. The station was built in 1857 on the site of the Crown Inn, Bethlehem’s first public house serving stagecoach travelers. Bethlehem Union Station is now owned by St. Luke’s Hospital and used for medical clinics. The tracks alongside it are a part of Norfolk Southern’s Lehigh Line.
While the Lehigh Valley Railroad no longer transports anthracite coal or newlyweds, some of its most prominent stations have been preserved and are open to visitors. The Lehigh Valley Railroad Passenger Station in Sayre, Pennsylvania is now home to the Sayre Historical Society Museum. If you are looking for the Black Diamond Express experience, visit the Lehigh Valley Railroad Station in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania for a sightseeing ride on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.
Information for this episode was sourced from the Lehigh Valley Railroad Historical Society, the Sayre Historical Society, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, and the Pennsylvania National Park Service department.
We want to give a special thanks to Jordan Knox, an undergraduate student studying English and Environmental Studies at Lehigh University for her writing contribution for this episode.
