LIBERTY: The Jersey Central Lines Today

   After the CNJ abandoned its main line in Pennsylvania as a cost cutting move, the Lehigh Valley Railroad retained a small portion of the main and identified it as the Odenwelder Industrial Track effective 2/1/73, mainly to serve a small cluster of customers at West Easton. The Odenwelder ends at undergrade bridge 74/12 over Main Street in West Easton. From this point west to Bethlehem the line was taken out of service and the tracks later removed.

2/1/73: Eastward and Westward main tracks of former CNJ designated as
Oldenwelder Industrial tracks from westward limit of PU (Phillipsburg) to a point 500 feet west of the Oldenwelder crossover.  Operation on this track is 10MPH and
crew must be prepared to stop short of other movements and obstructions

2/1/73: Eastward and westward tracks from west end of Oldenwelder
Industrial track (see above) to a point 100 feet east of Main Street
Freemansburg undergrade bridge is out of service except for M of W trains

As mentioned on the previous page, the CNJ main from Easton to West Easton is now the Belvidere & Delaware River Railroad's Odenwelder Branch. Today the line sees very sporadic service only as needed. In this photo at the site of the Odenwelder crossover, the CNJ main is at left and the switchback to the industries is to the right. The tracks have been slightly reconfigured.

After the switch, the track is intact for about five railcar lengths, then is ripped out of the ground from this point to Bethlehem, as seen in this view atop the Main Street overpass. The rails are cut right where you see the vegetation take over.

Street level view of bridge 74/12 in West Easton.

This is the spur crossing Adamson Street into Alstom in West Easton. This spur is part of the switchback that came off the main (see above photos). Alstom manufactured industrial heat exchange equipment and this line would see sporadic service by the Belvidere & Delaware River Railroad, who would pick up the heat exchangers on flatcars and deliver them to the Norfolk Southern at Easton. Alstom has since moved its facilities elsewhere.

BDRV 1850 on the industrial trackage inside the former Alstom facility.

Look close and you will see remains of the spur that came off the main and into Reda.

Please continue to the next page, CNJ Glendon