Lehigh Valley Transit

The Lehigh Valley Transit (LVT) was a previous interurban and freight operator with services between Allentown and the Philadelphia area in Pennsylvania. Services operated between 1905-1972. Its interurban services ended in December, 1951, however freight services continued after.

Services were known for the "Liberty Bell Limited", a high-speed interurban service between Philadelphia and Allentown.

History

Timeline

• June 13, 1905: A reorganization committee successfully bid $1M for the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Traction Company.
• June 20, 1905: The same reorganization committee successfully bid for the Allentown and Slatington Street Railway, Lehigh Valley Traction Company and the Coplay, Egypt and Ironton Street Railway.
• July 20, 1905: Lehigh Valley Transit (LVT) was created from a merger of the four above-mentioned carriers.
• 1913: Lehigh Valley Transit acquires control of the Easton Consolidated Electric Company, and with it, the Easton Transit Company.
• November 13, 1913: Lehigh Valley Transit subsidiary Allentown Bridge Company opens a new toll bridge on Eighth Street, between Union and Lehigh Streets.
• May 18, 1914: The new Fairview car house opens in South Allentown.
• 1951: Interurban service ends between Allentown and Philadelphia (Liberty Bell Limited)
• 1952: Allentown local streetcar service ends.
• 1972: Lehigh Valley Transit surrenders to the public agency Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority.

Bus lines

• Gordon-12th Street

Streetcar lines

• Allentown-Bethlehem via Minsi Trail
• Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Limited Service
• Allentown-Catasauqua
• Allentown-Northampton
• Allentown-South Bethlehem
• Bethlehem-Hellertown
• Fairview
• Greenawalds-Fullerton Junction
• Tenth Street Loop

Interurban lines

• Allentown-Lansdale (1903-1951)
• Lansdale-Chestnut Hill (1903-1926)
• Lansdale-Norristown (1912-1951)
• Philadelphia-Quakertown-Allentown-Bethlehem (c. 1951) (aka Liberty Bell Route)
• Allentown-Shamokin via Tamaqua, Mahanoy City, Shenandoah and Mt. Carmel (c. 1951)

Roster

Bus

Fleet numbers	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Transmission	Notes
315-322		1947	Mack	C-41-GT	Mack END-672 or END-673
351-365		1948	Mack	C-33-GT	Mack END-510A
369-384		1950	Mack	C-37-DT	Mack END-510
385-392		1950	GMC	TDH-3612
4500-4514		1953	GMC	TDH-4509	Detroit Diesel 6-71

Streetcar and interurban

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Ends	Motors	Trucks	Notes
Unknown		1902	St. Louis					Fifty total suburban cars placed into service in 1902.
(see note)		1906	Kuhlman		DE		BR 27G	Order number 311. Cars numbered 23, 31-35 (odd), 39-59 (odd), 63, 67, 69, 93, 99.
124-125		1907	Brill		DE			Order number 15920.
126-129		1907	Brill		DE			Order number 16206.
135-136								Smaller double-truck cars.
137-171		1901 (Jan)	St. Louis					Originally to be numbered 135-169. Standard guage-4'8.5" cars. 139, 141, 148, 152, 155, 157, 160, 163 to Oakland Transit Consolidated 251-254 in April, 1904. 139 to Bay Area Electric Railroad in October, 1946. 142 to Pottsville Union Traction Company 56 in May 1913. 145, 167-168, 171 to Easton, Palmer, and Bethehem Street Railway, then to Toronto and York Radial Railway, then Toronto Transportation Commission (numbers unknown).
172-211		1901 (Jan)	St. Louis					Originally to be numbered 170-209. Wide (Pennsylvania Gauge-5'2.5") cars. 187 to Trenton, Lawrenceville, and Princeton Railway in December, 1902. 188, 195-196 and 200 to Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad 79-82 in 1902. 189, 194 to Danville Street Railway and Light Company 138-139 in 1903. 190-193, 197, 199, 201-204 to Oakland Transit Consolidated 257-266 in March, 1904. 198 to Citizen's Electric and Gas Company, then Centerville, Albia and Southern Railway 10. 205-208 to Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad 75-78 in 1902. 209-211 to Trenton, Lawrenceville and Princeton Railroad in November, 1901
213		1891	Briggs					Ex-Allentown and Bethlehem Rapid Transit Company 1. To Lehigh Valley Transit in 1905, and scrapped in 1918.
214-223		1916	Brill					Order 19897.
219 (1)		1891						Ex-Allentown and Bethlehem Rapid Transit Company 4. To Lehigh Valley Transit in 1905, and scrapped in 1918.
301-304		1908	Brill		DE			Order number 16304.
400-401		1926	St. Louis					400-401 Ex-Wisconsin Public Service Company 57-58. To Lehigh Valley Transit 400-401 in 1938.
406-409		1909	Brill		DE			Order number 16814.
410-423		1923	Kuhlmann		DE		BR 77E1	Order number 812. Ex-Ohio Valley Electric Railway 234-235, 237-238. To Lehigh Valley Transit 418-419, 421-422 in 1938.
430-435		1926	Kuhlmann		DE		BR 77E2X	Order number 898. Ex-Stuebenville, East Liverpool and Beaver Valley Traction Company “Beaver”, “Stratton”, East Liverpool”, “Toronto” and “Steubenville”. Purchased in 1939. Recieved in 1938.
440-445		1916	St. Louis					Order 1088, received in 1938. Ex-Jamestown Street Railway 81-82, 85. To Lehigh Valley Transit 81-82 in 1938.
600-609		1910	Brill		DE		BR 27MBC1	Order number 17230. Rebuilt in 1939.
610-619		1911	Brill		DE		BR 27MBC1	Order number 17885. Rebuilt in 1939. 613, 614 burned and scrapped.
620-623		1912	Brill		DE			Order number 18180. Rebuilt in 1939.
7##		1916	Southern					All-steel cars. Unknown number of cars. Numbers include 701-711? Converted to one-man cars.
800-805 806-811		1912 1913	Jewett					“Liberty Bell Limited” cars. Later converted to freight cars. Steel and truss-bar supported wood frame interurban cars. Twelve cars featuring separate baggage and passenger sections and arched "stained-glass" windows. 801 has been restored, and is part of a collection at Electric City Trolley Museum. Rebuildings and disposition: 800 rebuilt to one-man operation in 1936, and rebuilt to freight trolley C16 in 1940. 802 rebuilt to freight trolley C14 in 1934/1935, then to freight trolley C19 in 1942. Body was scrapped in 1951, with trucks to Philadelphia Transit Company. 803-805, 807 scrapped (not rebuilt) at Fairview car barn in 1940. Body of 805 sold for use as a home, and 807 sold for use as a utility trailer. 806 rebuilt to freight trolley C17 in 1940. Body was scrapped in 1951, with trucks to Philadelphia Transit Company. 808 became freight trolley C15 in 1935, and then outlived LVT as rubbish car #T-18 on Philadelphia’s Broad St. subway. 809 converted/rebuilt to an all-coach configuration in 1936, and rebuilt as a freight trolley C18 in 1940. 810 retired from service in 1932, and body sold for use as a diner in Hellertown, PA in 1938. 811 on September 1, 1929, car gutted by fire in use on P&W portion of the service. Car later scrapped entirely at Fairview car barn in 1935. 812 featured classic arch windows, and was used as a private car. Later converted to passenger car.
900-923		1917	Brill					Order number 20206. Many rebuilt in 1930. Used on city services.
924-938		1919	Brill					Order number 20706. Many rebuilt in 1930. Used on city services.
940		1905	Kuhlmann					Rebuilt in 1930. Used on city services.
950-959		1930	Brill				Brill 177E1X	Order 22869. Last new car purchases by LVT.
960-964		1926	Brill				BR 177E1	Order number 22442. Received in 1935. Ex-Williamsport Passenger Railway 60-64.
1000-1008		1929	Cincinnati	Balanced Lightweight Car "Red Devil"				Order number 3050. Purchased in 1939. Ex-Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad 125, 128, 126, 121, 127, 123, 129, 120, 122. Dubbed “Liberty Bell Limited” cars after being extensively modified. 1001 and 1030 (not "Red Devil") involved in a minor collision when 1030 stalled after losing its connection to the trolley line. The accident was found preventable, if the motorman had flagged behind his car, instead of attempting to re-catch the wire in the dark. 1003 involved in a multiple fatal head-on collision with LVT freight motor C14 in 1942. Twelve passengers on 1003 perished, as well as the motorman. In addition, 20 others injured. 1004 destroyed in fire due to faulty electric car heater. “Square rear-end” cars.
1020-1023		1929	Cincinnati	Balanced Lightweight Car "Red Devil"				Order number 3055. Purchased in 1939. Ex-Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad 113-114, 112, 115. Dubbed “Liberty Bell Limited” cars after being extensively modified.
1030		1931	Pullman					Ex-Indiana Railroad (IRR) interurban parlor car 55. Intended to replace burned 1004. “Rounded rear-end” car. Arrived in IRR’s “traction orange” paint scheme, nicknamed the “Golden Calf” Car preserved and operating at Seashore Trolley Museum.
1100-1103		1929	Cincinnati	Curveside				Order number 3025. Purchased in 1939. Ex-Dayton and Troy Railroad 201-204. 1100, 1102 to Milwaukee Speedrail 66, 1102 in 1949.

Legend:

• Ends: (DE) Double-end, (SE) Single-end
• Motors: (GE) General Electric, (WH) Westinghouse
• Trucks:

• Manufacturers: (BR) Brill, (CI) Cincinnati, (STN) Standard
• Number of trucks: (DT) Double-truck, (ST) Single-truck