Delaware & Hudson Gravity Railroad Coal Wagon
This coal wagon is a full sized replica of the wagon used on the D&H Gravity Railroad to transport anthracite coal from Carbondale to Honesdale from 1828 until 1898. The loaded wagons traveled a distance of 15.5 miles. The empty wagons travelled a distance of 21 miles returning to Carbondale. The wagons were linked together in groups of three to five. They were hooked or unhooked to the cables by men called "Trippers." The wagons were 12 feet long, 4 feet wide and stood eight feet high; they each carried between two to three tons of coal.
After the Gravity [Railroad] and Canal closed, 4012 wagons were destroyed by fire to reclaim the metal fittings in 1899 and 605 wagons in 1900 - not one remained. During the early years up to 100,000 tons of coal was moved over the mountain each year - in later years over one million tons were transported annually.
Erected by Concerned Citizens and Organizations.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1828.
Location. 41° 34.278′ N, 75° 15.361′ W. Marker is in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, in Wayne County. It can be reached from Commercial Street
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Delaware & Hudson Canal (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Stourbridge Lion (about 400 feet away); General Lyman L. Lemnitzer (about 400 feet away); Zenas Russell House (about 700 feet away); Historic Honesdale (about 700 feet away); Lincoln Nomination (about 800 feet away); Ruth McGinnis (about 800 feet away); Wilbur W. Pohle 5th Street Bridge (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Honesdale.
Also see . . .
1. The Delaware and Hudson (D&H) Canal & Gravity Railroad. Minisink Valley Historical Society website entry (Submitted on February 27, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
2. Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 27, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 441 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 27, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
