He came to the United States in 1900 as an immigrant from Ireland. Within a short time, he was operating a section of one of the nationâs most historical railroads.
Brian Curry ran one of the lift stations on the Ashley Planes, an engineering marvel that allowed the transport of anthracite coal mined in the Wyoming Valley to cross mountains for shipment south to the canal system that pre-dated railroads.
Curryâs powerhouse was at the top of the second of three planes that rose out of Ashley, ending in Fairview Twp. where the Penobscot Yard of the Central Railroad of New Jersey would emerge as a major cog in the local coal shipping industry.