Moving Materials
The Hoover-Mason Trestle
The walkway you're standing on
is the Hoover-Mason Trestle, an elevated rail line built to transport raw materials to the blast furnaces. Named after the engineering firm that designed and built it, the Trestle was in use from 1907 until 1995.
Trolley Cars
Electric-powered transfer (trolley) cars delivered iron ore and limestone to the blast furnaces from a storage area about a half-mile to the east. Recently-produced coke was transported in hopper cars from the Coke Works near Hellertown, PA. Each car could carry about 150 tons of material. The cars ran back and forth along the Trestle 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, fueling the constant production of iron in the blast furnaces.
The Philadelphia, Bethlehem, and New England Railroad carried molten iron from the blast furnaces to steelmaking furnaces and foundry operations and molten slag to a cooling area. Railroad cars and trucks were used to bring in materials from outside sources, move materials throughout the plant, and ship out products.
[Aerial line drawing diagram showing key locations along the Trestle]
Erected by SteelStacks. (Marker Number 3.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce
this page online
Location. 40° 36.898′ N, 75° 22.115′ W. Marker is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in Northampton County. Marker is on the Hoover-Mason Trestle at SteelStacks, next to the Blast Furnaces. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 711 East 1st Street, Bethlehem PA 18015, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Blast Furnace (within shouting distance of this marker); The Beginnings of Bethlehem Steel (within shouting distance of this marker); Immigration & Industry (within shouting distance of this marker); Iron and Steel: A History (within shouting distance of this marker); Making Iron (within shouting distance of this marker); Hot, Loud, & Dangerous (within shouting distance of this marker); A Community of Workers (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Air Products (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bethlehem.
More about this marker. Marker is on the grounds of the former Bethlehem Steel plant.
Also see . . .
1. Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Britannica website entry (Submitted on December 24, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. What is SteelStacks?. Website homepage (Submitted on December 24, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 24, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 287 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 24, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
