Re: (erielack) Coal trains to Portland cement

["Jim Rowland" <century430_@_hotmail.com>]

>Now, for a silly question. Has the cement industry left eastern 

>Pennsylvania? Are the companies that were served by the LNE and other 

>railroads still around? Are they using trucks now? 





 

 I spent many afternoons during my 2 year stint at Allentown College in the "Cement Belt". If I recall correctly, the following are the reminaing active cement plants.

 

1.Lafarge Corp. (former Whitehall Cement)  Whitehall, PA  no rail service, but it is remotely possible.

 

2. Keystone Cement  Bath, PA  served via NS (former L&NE)

 

3. Essroc  Nazareth, PA (former Lone Star Cement) served via NS (former L&NE and DL&W)

 

4. Essroc  Nazareth, PA (former Giant/Nazareth Cement) served via NS (former L&NE and possibly some ex-DL&W trackage)

 

5. Hercules Cement  Stockertown, PA  served via NS (former L&NE, DL&W, and LV)

 

Just a few notes on other plants:

 

1. Martin Marietta (Dragon Portland)  Northampton, PA  served via NS (Former CNJ/LV). This plant is used to package cement from Lafarge across the river in Whitehall. Most of the plant is out of service since 1983. Kilns were removed and shipped to Mexico in winter 1992/93.

 

2. Atlas Portland Cement  (owned by US Steel)  Northampton, PA  cars delivered by NS, switched by NDC. Plant closed since 1982. A cogeneration plant was built in mid-1990s and also a cardboard recycling plant. I also think there is a grain company that uses the old cement silos. 

 

3. Giant Portland  Egypt, PA  formerly served by CR/Ironton.  Cement manufacturing ceased in mid 1970s I believe but cement was packaged there until mid-1990s. Some plant trackage exists but former Ironton mainline is gone.

 

4. Alpha Portland  Martins Creek, PA  formerly served by L&NE, possibly PRR and DL&W too. Cement production ceased in late 1960s (1968/69?). Plant sat idle until ConAgra used the cement silos beginning in 1978 to present. Remainder of plant was levelled in June,1994. Grain delivered by NS.

 

5. Penn-Dixie Cement. Most plants I believe are gone. The only plants I have seen some buildings from in my lifetime were from the plant adjacent to Lone Star Cement in Nazareth, PA, served by L&NE and DL&W and a single silo close to the old L&NE Tadmor yard.

 

6. Coplay Cement   Coplay, PA  formerly served exclusively by Ironton. Cement production ceased in 1969 or 1970. Coal was delivered there until the late 1970s/early 1980s. Most of the plant was demolished shortly thereafter but a few silos and buildings remain. There has been further demolition in the late 1990s but there are still a few buildings there as of January, 2002.I'm not sure why bituminous coal was delivered to a defunct cement plant. I was told it was taken by truck to other plants but I'm not sure if this is true. Allegedly, there was some talk of delivering coal to this plant again around 1989/1990. Conrail tore out the former Ironton mainline in the spring of 1990.

 

There are also some remains of other plants in the area but these plants were long gone  by the time I was born in 1978. Hope this helps. If anyone has anything to add to this, I'd be glad to hear any input.

 

Regards,

Jim Rowland
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