Conrail symbol CGAL (Corning - Allentown) enters the Lehigh Gap as it is on the last leg of its journey to Allentown, travelling here on the former Jersey Central main line. There's quite a bit of interesting history surrounding this vantage point just off of the former Lehigh and New England Railroad's main line right of way. In the foreground is an abutment from the LNE's iconic bridge that crossed the Lehigh River at the Gap. Behind this vantage point was the small Gap Junction yard, which allowed LNE crews to leave part of their train by the main line while descending to serve the Palmerton Branch and the interchange with the Chestnut Ridge Railway. The Palmerton branch and the mail line parted ways immediately behind where we are standing via a gauntlet swich that measured almost 200 feet from switchpoint to frog, presumably to try to minimize the possibility of a derailment on this precarious ledge. The Palmerton branch right of way is visible descending the hillside to the right. Across the river, the remaining track of the soon-to-be-removed Lehigh Valley main line, long unused, can be seen. The huge "haunted house" on top of the hill in the center always intrigued me.
