The Mauch Chunk Depot on this site served as a typical transit station of its day, with a ticket office, a place to relax, a souvenir shop, and an adjoining restaurant overlooking the river. For many years it welcomed thousands of tourists each year, eager to begin a scenic 18-mile round trip on the Switch Back Railroad. As empty coaches arrived, passengers swarmed aboard, and with the brakes released and a gentle push from the conductor, the loaded coach coasted slowly to the foot of the Mt. Pisgah Plane about 200 yards ahead. The Switch Back Railroad opened in 1873, gave delighted tourists a thrilling ride, closed in 1933, lay dormant for four years, and was razed in 1937 along with the depot.
