Tag: fun things to do for free

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A fun Day watching Trains in Bethlehem at “The Hump”

Today was a busy Tuesday at “The Hump” …..Free and Fascinating..…could describe this adventure just around the corner on the west side of Bethlehem, PA.
Trains coming into the train yard
Central Avenue is a little secondary road that connects West Bethlehem to Allentown. You may not have been on it for a long time or perhaps you never knew it existed.
Approaching the Hump
Approaching the Split
Separation of the cars
Separation of the Cars
Freewheeling to a New Train and  a New Location
A Full Train Yard
Lots of Train Cars In
 
 
 
 
 
 
Put the kids in the car and take a drive.  Once on Central Avenue you will feel like you are in another world. It is very lush & green with vegetation and shaded by trees. 
 
 
 
 
It follows the Lehigh River and the Norfolk Southern train tracks.  Along the route sits the train yard for the Norfolk Southern railroad…..
 
 
 
 
 
 
…affectionately called “The Hump” by Lehigh Valley natives.  
 
If you didn’t grow up in the Lehigh Valley you may not know that The
Hump exists. This is the spot where all trains pull into the yard to be separated and rearranged.  
 
 
 
 
The cars are separated to form new trains which eventually will be headed for another part of
the country.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It is fascinating to watch
the cars being separated by hand on The Hump and to watch each car being sent to a specific track
to form another train.
 
 
 
Throughout the week the newly formed trains will pull out of the yard headed for their new destinations.  By Saturday night the yard is completely empty ready to start the new week making new trains.   Take a short ride and learn something new.  I love to watch the process in motion.  Be careful of Central Avenue (it can be busy during certain times of the day) but there are spots where you can pull over to watch.