Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad
| Reporting mark | WB&E |
|---|---|
| Locale | Pennsylvania |
| Dates of operation | 1892–1939 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | New Jersey |
The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad (WB&E) was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania from 1892 to 1939.
The WB&E was a wholly owned subsidiary of the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad (NYS&W). It was chartered in 1892 to provide the NYS&W with a route to bring coal from the mines in northeastern Pennsylvania for delivery to the port of Edgewater, New Jersey.
Previously, the NYS&W was contracting the coal haulage in Pennsylvania to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad (DL&W). The DL&W originally hauled coal to their interchange with the NYS&W at Gravel Place, Pennsylvania. From there, the NYS&W would haul the coal to an interchange with the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey.
With the WB&E and exclusive control of distribution facilities at the port in Edgewater, the NYS&W had a direct way to move the coal from the mine to various markets without having to rely on (and pay) two additional railroads for haulage.
About 15 miles east of Wilkes-Barre, the WB&E crossed the Panther Creek ravine over a spectacular 1,650-foot viaduct which stood 161 feet above the creek bed. It consisted of 20 iron towers and 42 spans, having 30-foot spans atop the towers, and 30- or 65-foot spans between towers. After some initial problems with the concrete tower foundations, the ironwork of the single-tracked bridge was erected in only six weeks and completed on August 3, 1893.
In 1896, the WB&E created the Susquehanna Connecting Railroad to connect its main line with additional coal breakers in Minooka and Old Forge. The connection with the WB&E was at Paddy's Land, later renamed Suscon Junction. The Erie Railroad and the Delaware and Hudson Railway also connected with the line in Moosic, Pennsylvania.
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