Re: (erielack) Sterling Mine

["R CHAPIN" <rwc27q_@_verizon.net>]

Paul,

Iron was mined at Sterling. Actually, iron was mined at MANY locations in 
the Ramapo Mountains. "Vanishing Ironworks of the Ramopos" has a 1952 map of 
the Streling area mines with the following notation for a dashed line that 
ends at the Lake Mine at Sterling Lake "Abandoned railroad joins Erie 
railroad at Sterlington, 1.25 miles south of Sloatsburg".

The map for the Lake Mine (showing iron was mined from under Sterling Lake) 
labels the rail line into the site as the Sterling Mountain R.R. Lake Mine 
ceased operations circa 1921. This wasn't because the mine played out, it 
was just too costly to mine the iron. In general, the iron mines of the area 
just couldn't compete with the iron mines of the Missabi Range.

Hopes this helps.

Rich Chapin


- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>
To: "EL Mailing List" <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 3:09 AM
Subject: (erielack) Sterling Mine


>I was looking at my atlas and noticed that at one time Erie had a short 
>(4-5
> mile) branch to Sterling Mine NY, just N of the NJ state line and coming 
> off
> the main just W of Ramapo. Does anyone know what was mined there and when
> the branch was abandoned (presumably when the mine played out)? In the 
> same
> general vicinity, it's interesting that Moodna viaduct is only 5 miles (as
> the crow flies) from the Hudson R and the West Shore line. Erie followed a
> north-south alignment to that point, then the Graham line made a 90 deg 
> turn
> to the west.
>
> Paul B
>
>
> The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
> Sponsored by the ELH&TS
> http://www.elhts.org 


	The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
	Sponsored by the ELH&TS
	http://www.elhts.org

------------------------------