





Figure 17.—1837 “Hercutes,” Garrett & Eastwick’s first 8-wheel locomotive. The ‘‘Hercules’ quickly replaced the 
“Samuel D. Ingham,” also built by Garrett & Eastwick. (Joseph Harrison, Jr., The Locomotive Engine, 1872, p. 49.) 
burning type, but after experimentation and redesign 
were burning anthracite exclusively (except for the 
first-built fire). 
The railroad extended from the company’s mines 
to Parryville, 6 miles below Mauch Chunk, for a total 
distance of 20 miles. The completed road differed from 
the original layout due to opposition by the Lehigh 
Coal and Navigation Company to the exact location 
of the road and apparent infringements of the Lehigh 
Company’s prior concessions.°° 
By June 1839, the Beaver Meadows had five loco- 
motives in use and was shipping 38,595 tons of anthra- 
cite to the Lehigh Navigation. During 1840, the com- 
pany leased the mining operations to Vancleve and 
Company. The transportation of the coal was accom- 
plished by using the cars and locomotives owned by 
the Beaver Meadows and under contract to the same 
company.‘° 
© Pennsylvania Legislative Acts, 1837-38 (Harrisburg: T. 
Fenn, 1838), p. 393. 
 BeAveR MEADows RAILRoAp AND Coat Company, An- 
nual Report for 1842 (Philadelphia: Elliott’s Printing Office, 
1843), p. 7. 
The Beaver Meadows Railroad was subject to dis- 
ruptions in traffic due to the flooding of the Quakake 
Creek and Lehigh River. After the flood of 1841, the 
company was forced to abandon the tracks extending 
from Mauch Chunk to Parryville. To replace this 
section, a new loading facility was built in East Mauch 
Chunk for loading the boats for the downriver trip. 
The HazLteton Coat Company, incorporated on 
March 18, 1836, was authorized to hold coal lands 
within Sugar Loaf Township in Luzerne County and 
Lausanne Township in Northampton County."? 
Another section of the act authorized the construc- 
tion of a railroad, consisting of one or two tracks, from 
any point on their lands to an intersection with the 
Beaver Meadows Railroad. 
The company started mining operations on their 
property and the construction of the railroad during 
1836. The first shipment of coal over the completed 
road was made on May 14, 1837. Shipments to the 
“Lausanne Township became part of Carbon County 
in 1843. 
112 BULLETIN 252: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 
