About the Lackawanna Chapter R&LHS

The Lackawanna Chapter held its organizational meeting on January 29, 1997 in the board room of the Avanti Cigar Co. in Scranton, PA. Nine members were in attendance, and eight members were absent. Board members elected that day were Ross Rowland, Chairman; Domenic Keating, Vice President of Operations; Mike Del Vecchio, Vice President of Governmental Affairs; Raymond Baxter, Treasurer; and John Willever, Secretary. Mr. Baxter had previously filed for and received IRS documentation. It was decided that the main goals of the Chapter were to foster awareness of the importance of the Lackawanna Railroad in the northeastern region of our country and to take ownership and custody of Lackawanna steam locomotive #952 (displayed at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO).

On September 27, 1997, the Chapter was admitted into the National Membership of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. The new Chapter was then asked to host the National Convention to be held in Scranton, PA the following May (1998), and Chapter member Ann Jennings was appointed as the Convention Chairperson. The Convention went very smoothly, with a well-received presentation of the importance of the Lackawanna Railroad in the northeast. The Chapter then entered its next phase, discussing the return of engine #952 to its former operating territory, and a discussion of the Chapter’s role in trying to save the Delaware Water Gap station, the “Gateway to the Poconos.”

Today, the Chapter owns the Lackawanna #952 (still displayed in St. Louis) and is actively working to move it back to the Lackawanna Railroad’s operating territory in the northeast. The Chapter has also been successful in saving the Delaware Water Gap station. The Chapter’s membership meets every quarter in Phillipsburg, NJ, and and members attend several local train shows throughout the year to sell hats and shirts in support of the Chapter’s mission. The group continues its efforts to revive the Lackawanna Cutoff and create awareness of the importance of the Lackawanna Railroad.