The Lehigh Valley Railroad - A Photo Album
by Ken Kraemer
In its last
decades of operation during the 1960s and ‘70s, the Lehigh Valley
Railroad had a dedicated following of fans who were attracted by its
underdog status among northeastern railroads, and its fascinating
variety of locomotives with their kaleidoscopic variety of paint
schemes. One such fan was Ken Kraemer from the Buffalo, New York,
area. Ken spent much time documenting the LV’s operations with his
camera from the mid-1950s to the railroad’s demise in April of 1976.
With emphasis on the often overlooked west end of the route, this
book contains over 250 of Ken’s photos in both color and black and
white. Take a look at the era of LV's diesels known as "White Elephants"
and "Yellow Jackets" in such locations as Depew, P&L Junction, Rochester
Junction, and Sayre. The last few days of operation in the Buffalo area
are uniquely covered, and there are follow-up sections on former LV
locomotives operated under Conrail and Delaware & Hudson, and photos of
traces of the Lehigh Valley that survive to the present day. With an
accent on the aesthetic side of the railroad’s operations, Ken’s photos
personally capture the essence of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and will
take you back to one of the most interesting times in northeastern
railroading.
