Many of us forget that the automobile didn’t really start gaining a presence until the 1920s, so getting around was either by rail or horse-drawn carriage. So if you were coming from Philadelphia or New York City to get some of that healthy Pocono air and spring fresh water, it would take time and patience.
In the golden era of rail travel, a journey from New York City to the quiet shores of Lake Naomi was both an adventure and a testament to the reach of America’s great railroads. Travelers would begin by ferrying across the Hudson River to Hoboken Terminal, where they boarded a Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad train bound for the Poconos. The line snaked its way west through the scenic countryside, stopping at resort towns and mountain hamlets before arriving in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania—a bustling transfer point nestled in the foothills.
Interactive Map with Photos
The grand lodges and assembly houses, once bustling with visitors arriving in crisp linen and straw hats, began to empty. The Laurel Inn, Pocono Pines, The Millers’ Naomi Pines House, Pocono Pines Assembly & The Assembly Lodge, Pocono Pines Inn, Lutherland – The Biggest of Them All, and finally, the Pocono Crest all came before the Lake Naomi Club and what people recognize in the region today.
Pocono Stops
The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad operated a premier mainline between Hoboken (ferry to NYC) and Scranton/Binghamton, Buffalo. Prominent named trains included the Phoebe Snow (Nos. 3/6) and Pocono Express / Twilight (Nos. 2/5, 5/2), which typically made summer stops at Pocono Mountain (Mount Pocono) station. Then catch a hotel jitney or carriage to your final destination.
. New York, 115 miles. One way, $2.20; round trip, $4.55; Buffalo, 297 miles. One way, $8.80; round trip, $12.90.
Here’s how it would probably work from Philadelphia, then we did Hoboken.
- Philadelphia to Allentown or Bethlehem –
You’d first take a train north from Philadelphia via the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad or the Lehigh Valley Railroad, heading toward the Lehigh Valley region. Bethlehem and Allentown were key interchange points. - Allentown/Bethlehem to Slateford Junction –
From there, you’d continue north through the Lehigh Gap area (possibly via the Lehigh & New England Railroad or the Central Railroad of New Jersey) until reaching a DL&W connection point—most often Slateford Junction near the Delaware Water Gap. - Slateford Junction to Pocono Summit –
From Slateford, you’d join the DL&W mainline heading west into the Pocono Mountains. The route would take you through East Stroudsburg, Stroudsburg, Analomink, Cresco, and finally Pocono Summit.
The whole trip would have been a multi-railroad journey, requiring at least one transfer—possibly two—because Philadelphia wasn’t a direct DL&W terminal city in that period. Travel time would probably have been in the 6–8 hour range depending on connections.
A typical c.1905 run from Hoboken would head west on the Morris & Essex main line through Newark Broad Street and onward via Summit → Morristown → Denville (staying on the main, not the Gladstone split). From there, it continued to Dover and across northwestern New Jersey on the DL&W’s pre-Cut-Off “Old Road,” passing Lake Hopatcong/Port Morris → Netcong → Hackettstown → Port Murray → Washington → Oxford Furnace → Bridgeville → Manunka Chunk → Delaware/Portland to reach the Water Gap. Once in Pennsylvania, it ran the Pocono Mainline through East Stroudsburg → Stroudsburg → Analomink → Henryville → Mount Pocono, finishing at Pocono Summit.
Around 1905, that trip on the DL&W would have:
- Time: roughly 4 to 4½ hours on the pre-Cut-Off “Old Road” route.
- Fare: about $2.35 one-way in coach (around $70 today when adjusted for inflation).
Express trains might shave 15–20 minutes off, but the Old Road had a lot of curves and grades, so it wasn’t a fast dash through the Poconos until the Cut-Off opened in 1911. Another article states that the distance from New York to Pocono Summit, Pa., is 115 miles. One way, $2.20; round trip, $4.55; Buffalo, 297 miles. One way, $8.80; round trip, $12.90.
Later, the grand lodges and assembly houses, once bustling with visitors arriving in crisp linen and straw hats, would be picked up at the train station via motorized horse carriages known as the first buses of their time.
Mountain Railroads – Take the DL&W Railroad to the WB&E
Then, finally, in 1893, a short rail spur, not part of the DL&W system, operated by the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad (WB&E), avoided Mt. Pocono to serve local stops including Naomi Pines (Lake Naomi), Pocono Lake, Crescent Lake, and Stroudsburg.
The Wilkes‑Barre & Eastern Railroad operated from 1892 to 1939 as a subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna & Western (NYS&W). It served as a shorter single-track route carrying anthracite coal, ice, timber, and tourists from northeastern Pennsylvania to New Jersey ports. Freight service over the whole length of the WB&E began on January 22, 1894, and through passenger service between Jersey City and Wilkes-Barre started on June 4, 1894. According to financial records from the NYS&W and its subsidiaries, Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad raised $3,000,000 via 50,000 shares signed by the President and countersigned by the Treasurer.
The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern was essentially a “paper” subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna & Western, built and run as part of that system. Its locomotives, cars, and stations all carried NYS&W lettering, so to the public and shippers it was simply “the railroad,” with no separate WB&E branding.
The Pocono Mountain short rail spur operated by the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad served local stops to Scranton, including Naomi Pines (Lake Naomi), Pocono Lake, Crescent Lake, and Stroudsburg. Lake Naomi (Pocono Pines), however, was not directly on the DL&W line but was accessible via a short connecting transport, such as horse-drawn carriages, early automobiles, or hotel-run jitneys.
Guests coming to Lake Naomi from New York City or Philadelphia would:
Take the DL&W straight to Mt. Pocono or Pocono Summit and Transfer to local transport bound for Pocono Pines Inn / Lutherland / or any number of Inns and hotels,
or
Take the DL&W to Strousburg, PA, and transfer to the WB&E for travel to Naomi Pines. Transfer to local transport bound for Naomi Pines / Lutherland / Pocono Pines
If you took the second option, from Stroudsburg, the final leg of the journey carried passengers aboard the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad, a more modest line that wound through dense forest and farmland. This train made its way past tiny stops like Bartonsville, Reeders, and Tannersville before pulling into the Naomi Pines station, situated just off what is now Route 940. For those seeking the cool mountain air and quiet waters of Lake Naomi, this trip offered a direct path from city grit to pine-scented retreat, a journey measured not just in miles, but in transformation.
Still digging for actual timetables.
Train Stations & Stops on the Wilkes-Barre Eastern Railroad Line
Local stations along the route included: Stroudsburg, Bartonsville, Reeders, Tannersville, Crescent Lake, Naomi Pines (Pocono Pines), Pocono Lake, Wagners, and more going West. The Naomi Pines station was a combination depot built in 1893, later expanded in 1913 using modified boxcars to handle growing seasonal traffic.
Remember, you were in the mountains and there were some beautiful views. But the locals often referred to the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern as the ‘‘Turkey Line,” ‘‘Cow Path” or the ‘‘Scenic Route to Stroudsburg.”
Founded in 1888 by George E. Wagner, Wagner’s Tree Farm spanned 1,700 acres and became a model of forestry, conservation, and community development in Tobyhanna Township. Working alongside his son, Sterling R. Wagner, the family gained recognition for sustainable land management while contributing to the local economy through forest products, coal, blueberries, and the annual sale of 1,500 Christmas trees. A dedicated WB&E rail spur, served by a flag stop station that operated with just one morning train and one return trip in the evening, connected the farm to wider markets. George Wagner’s civic involvement and forward-thinking planning also helped shape the township’s growth.
A freight house at Pocono Lake still stands unused just off Route 940 in the defunct Frisbie Lumber Company yard and is visible from the road. Just to the north of Pocono Lake and Wagner stops was a modern marvel we had to share. The structure was called the Panther Creek Viaduct, with a Length of 1680 feet and a height of 160 feet. Water to Rail and a 154 ft. length of Iron
Panther Creek Viaduct – No. 7
Station 279770 to 263420 Section 21
Length 1680 feet – Height 160 ft. Water to Rail
154 ft. of Iron – Style – Plate Girder
Contractor – Edgemoor Bridge Co. Wilmington, Del.
Price $73,990
Payable $53,497.50 upon delivery at the site.
Balance on Completion (written on back of photo). Source: Facebook
The Maiden Passenger Voyage a Big Hit
On June 4, 1894, the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad inaugurated its first passenger service with little fanfare but much significance, offering a scenic and efficient new route through Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. The journey featured engineering marvels like the towering Panther Creek Viaduct—then the highest and one of the longest railroad bridges in the country—constructed with remarkable speed and precision. Designed to be a “Short Line” to New York City, the route offered passengers breathtaking views, gentle grades, and a safer, more direct connection compared to older, more circuitous paths. The article praised both the natural beauty and technical achievement of the railway, highlighting its nineteen stations and promising a new era of travel between Wilkes-Barre and the metropolitan east.
Traveling the Huckleberry Flyer
Here’s a great recollection of traveling the railroad to find the best huckleberry in the Poconos. Funny, no reference to Huckleberry Island on Lake Naomi.
Bye Bye Railroad
The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad officially came to an end on March 21, 1939, when a federal judge approved the abandonment of its 54-mile right-of-way stretching from Suscon in Luzerne County to Stroudsburg in Monroe County. The decision marked the final chapter in a line that had served northeastern Pennsylvania since 1892, initially built to transport anthracite coal, ice, lumber, and passengers across the Pocono Plateau. By the late 1930s, however, the railroad had become a financial burden. Passenger service had already been discontinued in May of 1935 due to declining ridership, and the remaining freight operations—just three trains per week—could no longer justify the cost of keeping the line active.
Between May and December of 1938, the railroad incurred a deficit of $5,088 solely from freight operations, not including mounting interest on outstanding bonds. With losses mounting and industries shifting toward trucks and highways, the court ruled that abandoning the line was in the best interest of the company’s reorganization efforts. The arrival and growing popularity of the automobile gave travelers new freedom and convenience, reducing the demand for rural passenger rail service. The WB&E, once a vital link for rural communities and resort travelers, faded into history not with a sudden crash, but with a quiet legal order—a casualty of changing times and transportation needs.
Motorists can trace the WB&E roadbed by following Route 940 west and some sections of I-380 north to the junction with I-80 in Mount Pocono. Long Pond Road near the village of Little Summit intersects with the right-of-way and was the location of a grade crossing. Following Route 940 west towards Pocono Pines, the single railroad bed is easily visible along the lake on the right, as are remnants from a bridge. Much of the line is preserved on Pennsylvania State Game Lands and is easily hiked.
The Bigger Railroad Discussion Map
There is a group of people who study railroads exclusively, so instead of creating, why not share their knowledge? Now, if you’re looking to find details of the DL&R or the WB&E to the Poconos, check this out.
Mr. Local History Project Series of the Lake Naomi / Pocono Pines Region
What are Others Reading This Week? Top 5 MLH Posts Right Now
Wilkes-Barre Times.
Monday Evening, June 4, 1894.
OVER THE NEW LINE.
Wilkes-Barre & Eastern Railroad Inaugurates Passenger Traffic Today.
ROMANTIC ROUTE THROUGH POCONO
The Big Panther Creek Viaduct Described—A Triumph of Mechanical Skill—The First Train Cheered.
It was with no blast of trumpets, no brass band, that the first passenger train over the new Wilkes-Barre & Eastern R. R. was sent out of its elegant new station at 7:05 this morning, the train containing a fair number of passengers, among whom was President Ryman. The train was made up of one passenger coach, one combination—mail and smoker—and a Delaware & Hudson express car, the latter being in charge of Mr. Chase, a representative of the National Express company.
There are two trains, and each crew will run daily to Stroudsburg and return over this city. The engineers are W. M. Cotter and John Sullivan; firemen, Walter Eike, formerly of the Central Railroad, and Fred Staples. The conductors are H. J. Couch, S. Jones, and one brakeman, T. Azer.
A Glimpse at the Route.
The new railroad crosses the Susquehanna River about one mile above the Market Street station. The bridge is very high and is reached from the west side by a long trestle extending from near the foot of North Street to the river. On the east side, the railroad continues nearly level through the Wyoming Plains and then begins its climb up through the Lackawanna Mountains. The grade is comparatively light. The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern is intended as a short line to New York, and a portion of it will be required hereafter by the New York & Erie and the Lehigh Valley.
Between the Lackawanna and Lehigh-Carbondale Valleys, the mountains are very steep and could only have been crossed by a loop or a long incline. Instead of doing either, the engineers have carried the road around the mountains so as to avoid the steep grade and give a delightful trip through the mountains. The Lackawanna valley can be had, and all along the route, the panorama of shifting scenery as the train circles about the mountains is grand.
From what is known as the summit, the road appears to wind about the mountain tops with very little grade. The line was built with a view to avoiding tunnels and high bridges. The route is as solid as anything could be, though a railroad is nothing more nor less than a series of rock cuts and fills. The mountains are very rough and have been difficult to cross. The cuts have been through solid rock and in many places from deep embankments. Finally as the train emerges from a deep rocky gorge, and the next view is a deep gorge is the Panther Creek valley.
Panther Creek Viaduct.
Under the original survey, a circuitous route had been laid out for the new line, which would have skirted the Panther Creek ravine as the descent began.
It was decided after careful judgment that a bridge over the ravine would be better. This plan involved the erection of a bridge 1,004 feet in length and 158 feet in height, making it the longest (1,500 feet) and highest railroad bridge in the country. It is known as the Panther Creek Viaduct. It is the second-highest bridge in the world. There are only two or three viaducts in Europe that equal it. It is located near Summit Hill and forms the only break in the otherwise perfect route. The total cost of construction, including grading and masonry, is $583,000, and the work was done in 353 consecutive days. The iron phase began April 11, and was in place August 3, year.
The erection of the viaduct was begun without the use of falsework on June 28 and completed without the loss of life on August 3. The difference of the grades on either side of the ravine gives direct force to what the sketch of the line shows. The engineers’ marks and their work will be the admiration of the country for years to come. For the erection of the piers, 600 tons of iron, ten million bricks, and 4,000 barrels of cement were used.
With the finest and most difficult viaducts in the country, this one ranks near the top. The cost was estimated at $130,000.
The limited passenger looks out and down, and the train glides easily across the tremendous height. It is with a degree of awe that he cannot refrain from looking over the banks and down. There are but few such scenic sights on any route, and it is as much an excursion as a business trip through this section of the Erie Railroad as from here to Texas.
Short Line to the Metropolis.
The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern is very properly known as “The Short Line.” By this road, Wilkes-Barre is the same distance to New York City as Seashore points of N.J. Every mile is a saving of time, expense, and distance. The passenger is on board the train within five minutes after leaving the hotel and is soon far away on the road. A close watch showed that the D. L. & W. and the W. B. & E. run on the same grade through Stroudsburg and Easton. The shortest distance from Wilkes-Barre to Stroudsburg over the new line is sixty miles. By the old way, the road is ninety-three miles. From New York, Seashore points, and the city itself, the new road is the best.
It connects with the Erie & Wyoming and the New York City and Stroudsburg.
There are nineteen stations between this city and the point of connection with the parent road as follows: Wilkes-Barre, Ashley, Georgetown, Laurel Run, Miners’ Protection, Langon Switch, Summit Switch, Viaduct, Ash Gap Switch, Lehigh, Stoddart, Pocono Summit, Half Moon Switch, Bearersville, Kinders, Dreher, Keeler, Battysville Shops, Stroudsburg and Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Junction.
Although the apparent route is long, the actual trip to Stroudsburg will take the same amount of time as the ordinary short trip. A few changes had to stop at a few sections, so the run to Stroudsburg will be about the same as by other lines, which have been running for a century. The schedule which went into effect today, being the first, is necessarily experimental, and those who try to follow the time will doubtless be quickened.
A Very Attractive Route.
As the new line pierces the beautiful and romantic Pocono mountains, families familiar with that locality will realize the new line means national scenic enhancement. The trains roll through cuts 25 feet high, bridges, and over ravines that look 200 feet down. The ride is a pleasure and the scenery is magnificent. The traveler is soon among the clouds and within view of the broad valley of the Pocono mountains. The winding curves give access to beautiful woodland, rock formations, and wide vistas of scenery. Here and there, one sees summer cottages nestled among the pine and hemlock trees, but the train glides steadily along. Not one accident has occurred to mar the beauty of the route. The distance from the station to the gorge is short and very beautiful. The route is safer and much shorter.
Dispatches from Stroudsburg and Jersey City say the first trains reached both.
Pocono Trains History
Pocono Record – Feb 13, 2010
1856: After four years of construction, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad from Scranton to Slateford Junction is completed.
1883: Passenger service between New York City and Buffalo, N.Y, by way of the Poconos, begins operation.
1884: The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad begin service between Wilkes-Barre and Stroudsburg.
1890: The Jersey Central rail service connects Saylorsburg to Wind Gap.
1901: The Delaware Valley Railroad begins service between East Stroudsburg and Bushkill.
1911: Completion of the Lackawanna Cutoff, a 28.05-mile cutoff from Slateford Junction to Port Morris, N.J., shortens the trip from Buffalo, N.Y., to Hoboken, N.J., by more than 11 miles.
1929: The demise of passenger service begins as rail travel on the Delaware Valley ends.
1935: Passenger service on Chestnut Ridge and on the Wilkes-Barre and Astern railroad is discontinued.
1940: New York, Susquehanna and Western discontinues service to Stroudsburg.
1947: Pennsylvania Railroad trains stop using the tracks of the DL&W in Monroe County.
1960: The DL&W merges with Erie Railroad, forming the Erie Lackawanna Railroad, which assumes ownership of the rail right of way between Hoboken, N.J., and Buffalo, N.Y.
1970: Passenger train service in the Poconos ends with the last trip made by a deluxe train operating between Chicago and New York City.
1976: The government-formed Conrail takes over the rail right of way of the bankrupt Erie-Lackawanna and several other bankrupt railroads.
1979: Conrail places the Lackawanna Cutoff out of service, but is forbidden by Congress to dismantle the cutoff.
1980: New Jersey Department of Transportation refuses to help in passenger service restoration, fearing that if casinos open in the Poconos, gambling in Atlantic City would be hampered.
1980s: Conrail abandons the rail line between Portland and Analomink, effectively cutting rail service to the International Boiler Works. IBW, a 106-year-old business that employed up to 100 workers, eventually closes.
1981: A private entrepreneur announces that he will purchase the Lackawanna Cutoff and restore freight and passenger service, but the project fails.
1980s: The Monroe County Railroad Authority is formed.
1982: Freight service from Gravel Place to Mount Pocono is discontinued. Also, the abandonment of track from Slateford Junction to New Jersey, which included the bridge spanning the Delaware River, is approved by the Interstate Commerce Commission. In addition, ICC authorized Conrail to officially abandon the Lackawanna Cutoff.
1984: Conrail begins removing the tracks from the Lackawanna Cutoff.
1989: The Lackawanna Cutoff Study is completed. The preservation and restoration of rail service is recommended.
1993: Lackawanna and Monroe counties obtain a grant to determine the feasibility of improving passenger and commuter transportation via the Lackawanna Cutoff.
1994: The Monroe County Rail Authority purchases from Conrail the former DL&W main line, 17 miles from Mount Pocono to just east of Analomink.
1994: Morris, Sussex and Warren counties in New Jersey apply for grant to update the 1989 Lackawanna Cutoff study with hopes of combining findings with the Lackawanna and Monroe counties studies in a effort to restore rail service.
1995: The Lackawanna and Monroe counties study is completed and recommends rail passenger service as a means of transportation.
1995: “Five years.” Those words fall from the lips of advocates starting in the mid-1980s in response to queries from commuters asking when train service might return to the Poconos. It’s said again in the 1990s — but still no train.
1997: And yet another passenger rail study is conducted with hopes of making rail service a reality.
—Compiled by Janis Dalhman and Nicci Siegfried
