Pennsylvania Gravity
Dunmore, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The Pennsylvania Coal Co. gravity railroad was in operation between lower Pittston and Hawley from 1850 to 1884. It crossed the highway by overhead trestle near this point. This was plane No. 7.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
From 1850 to 1884 the Pennsylvania Coal Company operated a gravity railroad between lower Pittston and Hawley, moving anthracite across the rugged coal country of northeastern Pennsylvania. Near this point the line crossed the highway on an overhead trestle at what was designated Plane No. 7 — one of the inclined planes that let gravity and stationary engines move loaded cars over the hills. It was part of a vast network built to carry coal out of the region.
Why it matters
Gravity railroads like this one were the ingenious backbone of the anthracite trade, engineering that fueled the industrial growth of 19th-century America.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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