The Lake Line Trolley

Editor's Note: The following material is adapted from Chapter 7 of Harold E. Cox's Wyoming Valley Trolleys: Street Railways of Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke and Pittston, Pennsylvania (Forty-Fort, PA 1988).  Copyright © Harold E. Cox 1988.  Used By Permission.  The Preface and Afterword, plus material in brackets throughout the text, has been added to enhance the article. – F. Charles Petrillo, February 2002.

Chapter 3 -- John Graham: The Wilkes-Barre, Dallas and Harvey’s Lake Railway Company (1898)

Graham predicted that the line would be electrified by 15 June, thereby proving himself t be no better a prophet than Reynolds.  The electric cars did not run by 15 June, nor did they run at all that summer.  The delay was apparently caused by the financial condition of the road.  In July, the interest on the bonds not having been paid, the line was foreclosed and sold on 20 August to the bondholders.  The property was immediately reorganized as the Wilkes-Barre, Dallas and Harvey’s Lake Railway (W-BD&HL).  All service was suspended from 4 through 16 December 1898, reportedly to allow for car repairs.  This probably involved the installation of the electric brakes which were put on the cars in an effort to avoid more disastrous accidents.  Service was restored on 17 December but through electric cars apparently did not run until the 19^th.  It required a few days to adjust schedules and the first all-electric schedule was dated 22 December 1898.

Despite the fact that the Harvey’s Lake line would keep separate books until 1910, it now became an integral part of the Wilkes-Barre system, sharing equipment and coordinating its operations with the main system.  Although Harvey’s Lake now had both a steam railroad and a trolley line, other schemes appeared.  A third-rail line to the lake was proposed in August 1903 which would have mile-long tunnel at Idetown directly to the Lake front.  Another line was proposed which would run up 8^th Street, Wyoming and through the Wyoming Gap.  Rumors surfaced that the Lackawanna and Wyoming Railroad would build a line to the lake, but nothing ever came of any of the proposals.

Copyright 2006-2008 F. Charles Petrillo