The Lehigh Valley Railroad across New Jersey (Images of Rail)

Constructed as the Easton and Amboy Railroad and opened by 1875,the Lehigh Valley Railroad was instrumental in developing thecommerce and communities of central New Jersey through which itonce ran. Originally built to haul unending trains of "blackdiamonds" from Pennsylvania to Perth Amboy, the Lehigh ValleyRailroad became so much more than a conduit for shipping coal. Inbuilding across the state, it became instrumental in not onlyhauling produce to New York City markets but also for providingservice to companies like Johns-Manville and Lionel Trains. FromPhillipsburg to Jersey City and all points in between, the LehighValley Railroad hauled freight and passengers, while at the sametime contributing to the social fabric of the area. The LehighValley Railroad across New Jersey paints a picture of a railroadthat provided over 100 years of quality service to the GardenState.A resident of South Plainfield, Ralph A. Heiss has had aninterest in railroads since childhood. He has lectured and authorednumerous articles on various railroad topics.