UPDATED: ELRRHS/ARHS Cement Region Symposium

The Erie Lackawanna Railroad Historical Society, in conjunction with the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society, will host a “Cement Region Symposium” on the weekend of October 5-6, 2024. The event will feature presentations on the Railroads and History of the Region. It will be held at the NOVA EMS Auxiliary Hall, 2375 Levans Road, Coplay, PA on Saturday the 5th. Registration is $60 and includes a continental-style breakfast and hot buffet lunch.

• Bob Bahrs will cover the DL&W’s 32-mile Bangor & Portland and discuss the DL&W’s cement car fleet. His presentation will include an 8-minute audio of a retired DL&W employee discussing heavy summer operations.
• Sam Calciotti will present a potpourri of materials on the Cement Region
• Doug Lily will host a program on L&NE operations in the Cement Region, including photographs by himself and renowned photographer Dave Augsburger
• Olev Taramae will provide a two-part presentation covering railroads that operated in the Cement Region, including the Northampton & Bath, Dragon Cement, and the L&NE from Bath to Martins Creek as well as Bath to Allentown & Bethlehem. CNJ, LV Conrail and NS will be covered, along with Whitehall Cement
• Bill Sosnowski's program will feature the last trip of the Phoebe Snow and an assortment of the other railroads which served the area.

Sunday will offer a tour of the Atlas Cement Company Memorial Museum in Northampton., PA. This is the only operating Portland Cement Museum in the USA and relates the story of the “Atlas” through the eyes of the men and women who worked there. At its peak, more the 5000 worked at Atlas Cement, which was a one time the largest cement plant in the world. This Museum tour is free, but you must let us know if you will be attending so we can coordinate with the Museum. We anticipate the tour will start at 9:30 am and all activities will be completed by 11:30. If you will attend the tour, you must send an e-mail to president@anthraciterailroads.org, with "ATLAS Museum Tour" in the subject line, telling us you will attend.

Register for the Symposium will be via the ELRRHS web site at ELRRHS/ARHS Cement Region Symposium – Erie Lackawanna Railroad Historical Society (erielackhs.org)

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