In this second column, I'm down in Darktown, Hokendauqua, Whitehall Township, speaking to Mike Bednar on the roots of the hamlet. His grandfather immigrated to Darktown and was employed by the Thomas Iron Company in Hokendauqua in the year 1900.

A vital artery supplying the plant with limestone, coal and ore was the Ironton Railroad. Many of my readers enjoy walking the popular Ironton Rail-Trail in the township. The trail is the former bed of Ironton Railroad.

Mr. Bednar, author of 10 railroad books, has graciously allowed me to share his research with you. The Ironton Railroad Company was charted in 1859. The line was originally intended to haul iron ore from Ironton to the Thomas Iron Works in Hokendauqua, a distance of 5-1/2 miles. In addition to iron ore, it tapped several limestone quarries. In 1862 the Ironton built a branch to Orefield and Siegersville, increasing mileage by 3-1/2 miles.

Erection of the Coplay Cement Company in 1871 by David Saylor provided the first revenue from the cement industry. When the iron ore beds closed gradually between 1891 and 1906, the new cement industry replaced iron ore as the major cargo hauled by the new railroad.

The Thomas Iron Company acquired the railroad in 1882 and built an engine house in Hokendauqua along with an interchange to the Jersey Central Railroad.

Passenger service ran out of Hokendauqua to the cement mills from 1891 until it ended in 1921. The Ironton just couldn't compete with the Lehigh Valley Transit system.

The railroad was extended to West Catasauqua and northwest to Egypt. This allowed the Thomas Iron Company to bring iron ore to Hokendauqua from the ore beds located on the Catasauqua-Fogelsville Railroad.

The Thomas slag dump and the Biery family farm became the West Catasauqua Biery Railroad Yard. With this final acquisition, the total mileage was almost 14 miles, serving 14 cement mills.

"In 1923, the Reading Company and Lehigh Valley purchased the Ironton from the Thomas Iron Company, after an attempt to revitalize the ailing iron industry at Hokendauqua failed," Mr. Bednar says. "The railroad was jointly owned by the Reading and Conrail until 1976."

Steam locomotives ran until 1948 when a Baldwin diesel was acquired.

"The railroad stops along the route take us on a nostalgic journey to our past," Mr. Bednar says. "As you walk the IRT you are passing stops where iron ore, cement workers and cement brought prosperity to the railroad. The route started in Catasauqua to Hokendauqua, Lower Coplay, Coplay, Saylor (Coplay Cement), Egypt, West Coplay, Kohler's, Steckel's, Lesley's and Ormrod."

Cement came from Coplay, American, Giant and Lehigh Portland plants.

"The railroad also hauled seed potatoes and chemical sprays for farmers. Many cars were delivered to the Agway plant in Ironton," he says. "The best year for the Ironton was 1955. Ironically 1955 would start retrenchment. The Northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike caused the abandonment of the Ironton-Orefield branch. The line didn't lose anymore track until floodwaters caused the abandonment of the Ormrod to Ironton segment."

With the advent of truck competition, revenues fell.

"The dispatcher's office in Hokendauqua closed in 1971. The Reading Co. and Lehigh Valley handled the Ironton crew dispatching. Two of the last plants – Essroc, the new owner of the Coplay Cement, and Giant Cement – continued to receive coal trains at Saylor. This coal was then distributed by truck to other mills in the area.

"By 1982 a local out of Allentown served the Ironton once a week with an occasional load of cement bags for cement loading. The Ironton was finally abandoned in 1984 and the track torn up in 1990. It survives today as the Ironton Rail-Trail with only a few remnants of what it once was."

The memory of the local railroad has been preserved with colored photograph in Mr. Bednar and Ken Bealer's book, "Trackside Around the Pennsylvania Cement District." Thank you, Mike and Ken, for preserving memories for future generations.

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In two weeks, we'll be attending church services in Hokendauqua!