One of Pennsylvania’s earliest railroad, The Mauch Chunk Railroad, commenced operations on May 5, 1827, hauling anthracite a distance of 9 miles from Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company mines at Summit Hill to their coal chutes above the Lehigh River at Mauch Chunk. The trip took loaded cars approximately one half-hour rolling downhill by gravity. Mules rode with the loaded cars and returned with the empty cars by the same route. The uphill trip required three to four hours. The novelty of the switchback railroad attracted tourists to Mauch Chunk and passengers were, subsequently, accommodated on a limited basis. As the coal mine became depleted, the railroad saw little use and in 1872 it was converted to a popular tourist attraction (second only to Niagara Falls!)—a sight-seeing natural roller coaster. After 60 years of service the attraction was sold for scrap, and all that remained was the coal-cinder pathway.
Additional Information
- Features:
-
Mt. Pisgah
Five Mile Tree
Mt. Jefferson and it's crossing
Home Stretch
