Stretch, believe it or not, at times they were. There was a pretty little girl that lived next to the tracks and to show my six year old affection I remember throwing her jump rope across the tracks as the train passed slowly by and dividing her jump rope into three sections. Also used to press pennies on the track. Up where we used to jump the train, they switched, and the conductor (or signalman) would leave a "torpedo" on the track to signal the next train that they were clear. The torpedo was attached to the track with lead straps bent around the rail and we used to collect the straps for fishing sinkers. Also at times we enjoyed blowing off the torpedoes with rocks which would cause the train to stop and back up to replace the detonated torpedo. My Mom never had a clue where I was once the screen door was locked in the morning!!

Snub Nose can probably give us exact dates but I believe steam locomotives were still used into the late 50's or about 1960. I can vaugely remember seeing a steam locomotive working along side PA 309 near Leighton to Wilkes Barre during this period.

During the late 40s early 50s I used to walk to the Cayuga Street crossing in Homer to watch the Steam engines switch out at the milk plant and other stops. They'd cross Cayuga street, stop and hook up them recross Cayuga to flatten my pennies and divide the little girls jump rope!! It was a daily exercise for me at a very young age (pre-school)

Emery,
Interpretation on this web site is often misplaced or misconstrued. So, which side of the tracks did you come from ?

Living well being the best revenge, it only matters which side you end up on!!