The Conrail engine backs across Walnut Street in 1979, as it delivers a flatcar of large granite slaps and blocks to the Wentz Memorial Company, by 20th and Hamilton Streets. The Union Terrace track was next to the former ice skating pond, behind the WPA Amphitheater Stage Mound. The train locomotive, and it's boxcar of granite, weighing untold tons, passed over a simple trestle with 8" inch beams. The pedestrian bridge which Cunningham and Solt claim is inadequate, has 24 inch steel beams. The industrial era of Union Terrace has passed. Even the Wentz property is now for sale. Please join me tomorrow evening, Wednesday March 14th, and help save the Stone Arch Bridge at Union Terrace. The Commissioner Meeting is at 7:30pm. For those unable to attend at that hour, your presence would be appreciated at the committee meeting on destroying the bridge at 5:45. Ice Skating is no longer permitted on the pond. The Amphitheater is falling apart. Let us assert ourselves, and save something of Allentown's history.
Train photograph was taken by Dave Latshaw in the 1979, and is part of the Mark Rabenold collection. Rabenold is a local train historian, specializing in Allentown's former branch lines.
click train photo to enlarge
Definitely remember playing ice hockey at Union Terrace pond growing up in the City Without Limits (before the days of a magnificent, PA taxpayer-funded Palace of Sport).
ReplyDeleteGood times, to be certain.
I hope you and Mr. Rabenold are not too upset when this photo appears at my ice hockey blog someday (with proper credit, of course) ...
http://www.goironpigs.com
No to pick, but that looks like a flatcar with the granite. Regardless, there is something missing with the loss of short-haul trains in the city. I still get a kick out of seeing the RJ Corman deisel work near the America on Wheels Museum. I think they take newsprint to the Morning Call. My guess is they'll be doing that with a mini cooper pretty soon.
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