The Lackawanna Cutoff
Presented by Chuck Walsh and Keith Smollin
At its peak, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad described itself as “mile for mile, the most highly developed in the world.” The Lackawanna had entered the 20th century with the goal of becoming a super railroad, giving its president, William H. Truesdale, a mandate to make it so. The crowning achievement of this period of incredible period of capital improvement was the Lackawanna Cutoff, a 28-mile section of 70 MPH railroad of monumental viaducts, cuts, and fills.
For the October meeting, we are joined by Chuck Walsh and Keith Smollin who will give an overview of the Cutoff’s history, including its construction between 1908 and 1911. They will also discuss the current efforts and developments in reactivating the Cutoff for commuter service.
Chuck Walsh first became fascinated with the Lackawanna as a kid growing up next to the Morris & Essex in South Orange, NJ, being able to watch trains like the Phoebe Snow.. Chuck joined the North Jersey Rail Commuter Association in 1985, a group which helped spearhead the effort for the State of New Jersey to acquire the Cutoff in 2001. Chuck was a founding member of the Penn-Jersey Rail Coalition and, later, the Lackawanna Cutoff Historical Committee. Chuck and his daughter, Larissa, who is a videographer (who has made a couple of very brief cameo appearances), started the Lackawanna Cutoff channel on YouTube in 2016 and have thus far produced over 50 videos related to the Cutoff.
Keith Smollin has been a lifelong railfan and has been associated with the Maywood Station Museum along the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad since its inception in 2001. Keith holds a BA in History from William Paterson University and teaches History and English in Union City, NJ. Keith is a founding member of the Lackawanna Cutoff Historical Committee, founded in 2013 to preserve the Greendell station.
The membership portion of the meeting begins on Zoom at 7:00 PM. Click here to register in advance for this webinar. Attendees will need to register in advance for the webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. The presentation will continue on Zoom and be simulcast on our Facebook page after. All are welcome to attend!