The P&WV Hi-Line

[thirteen]

After looking at pictures of traffic along the Hi-Line and on WM's line to Connellsville, I got to wondering about the coal traffic. In the 1940s/1950s, where did the coal mined on-line (and the rest of the coal carried) go? From what I've found in the High & Dry book, some from the west end went to the PRR at Bridgeville. Some coal from Mine #8, which sounds like it was actually on the Montour--though serviced by P&WV crews, went to the WM. Was the rest used by on-line customers? Were other shipments sent east or west besides those mentioned? Was much coal carried as bridge traffic between the NKP and WM or vice-versa?

Also, when (in the day) did these shipments move? It seems that most, though not all, of the pictures I've seen with large numbers of hoppers mention they are iron ore shipments (or returning empties). For that traffic going to the Western Maryland, did it go in exclusive coal trains, or get tacked on to Alphabet Route trains?

Finally, and this may be a dumb question, in whose hoppers did the coal move? That is, many of the color pictures of trains with hoppers seem to include many shades of red instead of long blocks of black (which would be more likely to be P&WV hoppers). Further, according to the High & Dry book, less than half of the 3.8 million tons of coal shipped in 1950 came from on-line mines; where did the rest come from? Finally, the P&WV had slightly less than 2,000 hoppers (again from the High & Dry book). To someone unfamiliar with railroad car usage (me), this seems like a very small number for such an important commodity to the railroad that year.

Thanks for any help,
thirteen

[Longview Station]

On the West End of the railroad, coal loaded on line was routed to destination via the NYC at Hopedale Transfer, after being weighed at Hopedale. If you visit the former scale area around MP 108, there is alot of coal on the ground probably resulting in hard couplings and cars being switched around.

Theree were many small mining operations around Smithfield and in later years the big Betsy Mine.

One of the on-line customers recieving coal for local customers that was mentioned here some time ago, in Pittsburgh almost directly behind the former Tambellini's Restaurant on Route 51, a short spur with a one car unloading pit was built into the hillside. Remnants of this remain on the hillside and along the roadbed where the spur was located. The concrete chutes stand out in winter time after a new snow fall highlights the hillside chutes.

A little further East, where the former silos on Route 51 were located was another customer recieving coal via the P&WV. It was once proposed building a lengthy spur across the Saw Mill Run Valley up towards Carrick to serve local customers. This spur was proposed for the HW Oliver Coal Company if memory serves me correctly.

Going a bit further East into Castle Shannon, another unloading ramp exists today up on the hillside along the right of way, a several car unloading ramp was built. Rail and concrete abutments are there in the trees today.

Down on the West End Branch, across from the Police Station is another example of a on-line customer that recieved car loads via rail as yet another unloading ramp sits up there along the branch roadbed.

Of course, all are abandoned but are examples of some of the on-line customers recieving small shipments of coal via rail.

As for movements of coal going off line, I'm sure small blocks of coal could of been applied to AJ Trains, but remember the AlphaJets were time sensitive trains, so it is possible small blocks of coal could of been picked up by the AJ's...

Out West, mine run crews were based out of Avella Terminal. Crews would work East and West out of Avella, staying out of the way of the AlphaJets, as they worked the mines, not forgetting Bell Branch...

[PWVJer]

Thirteen, look and read over the Aug.54' and Oct 54' Hi-Line issues.
You will be able to piece together the Import/Export traffic that moved over the High & Dry.
On the cover page of Oct 54' look at all the neat R.R. Logos.
These are the type, kind and color of cars you would see in both East & West movements.
In addition to the P&WV hopper cars that carried Coal and Iron Ore in the eairly 1950's.

In a future Hi-Line issue, fans will see and read about some interesting
(but, very common) movements
of Iron Ore picked-up at the Bruceton Inter-change (B&O).
Long blocks of WM/B&O hoppers enroute to the Monessen Works.
The large USS raw mineral storage facility located on the Clariton branch received a fair number of hoppers as well.

[bowestym]

I'm interested in this question because my model railroad includes the P&WV and the WM. I have studies photos and movies taken by Bill Price and others in the early 1950s to identify the car types and railroads. I have not found any photos of P&WV hoppers. On the other hand, there are many photos of Montour hoppers.

On the WM, in the early 1950s, the photos suggest that coal usually moved in solid trains of loaded hoppers trains and that returning empty hoppers often moved in mixed trains. Hopper blocks are often at the end of the train.

Larry Kline
Pittsburgh, PA

[aj-1]

Larry, I've noticed the same thing - P&WV hoppers must have been few and far between on the WM but perhaps its only relative to the sea of WM hoppers. I was thrilled to see P&WV TOFC flats #s 1051 and 1061 in The Blue Mountain Express Fall/Winter '06. The High Line has been my best source of modeling info by far.
Wade