The (Delaware) Lackawanna (& Western) Railroad

[Wrenchmensch]

The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company (DL&W or Lackawanna) (reporting mark DLW) was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, NJ (with rail and ferry service to New York City), Buffalo and Oswego, New York. It lasted from 1831 to 1960; Hurricane Diane wiped out much of Lackawanna's trackage in the Pocono Mountains in 1955, hastening the end of this railroad.

The two wrenches shown here represent the power of the railroad's purchasing department vs.the power of the railroad's shop. The commercially made wrench is 12 " long, the shop wrench is 9 1/2" long. Again the bossed opening sizes (1/2 and 5/8) have nothing to do with the commercial wrench's actual opening sizes (15/16" and 1 3/32"). The shop-made wrench's openings are 13/16" and 15/16". Apparently, 15/16" was a common nut size for the Lackawanna.

[Fins/413]

Big Lackawanna fan here my great uncle was an operator in Binghamton NY. A good bit of US 17 in Vestal and west is on the ROW.