The P&WV Hi-Line

[Fanatic5]

There seems to be very little detailed information on Bowest. Are there any maps or specific information explaining the Western Maryland and Pittsburgh & West Virginia connection at Bowest? The P&WV came across a large bridge over the Youghiogheny River into Connellsville, then passed over Route 119 and the elevated P&LE station toward Bowest, about another 2 miles east. Did the P&WV motive power cut off at the P&LE station, or continue east on mainline, clearing the second Western Maryland bridge, to cut-off and drift down the Bowest siding into the yards? Then, did Western Maryland power hook up with the train (left on the mainline) for the ride east to Cumberland? Was Bowest Jct. actually on the B&O "FM&P" branch at the yard, rather than on the Western Maryland mainline heading to Connellsville? Did the P&LE ever venture to Bowest? After walking the trail today, this junction and the remains of the yard are very hard to imagine.

[bowestym]

There is a very good map of the Connellsville area on page 89 of "Western Maryland in the Diesel Era." Additional info on ops can be found in the WM Society employee interview book "Working on the WM." There are also maps and traffic info in an article I wrote for the WM Society magazine The Blue Mountain Express. Its in the Summer-Fall 2002 issue. I believe that the article and the book are still available from the WM Scoiety.

Bowest Jct. was the connection to the B&O "FM&P" branch at the end of Bowest yard. You can follow the path of the connection into Bowest from the east end of the truss bridge over the FM&P line. Until about 1955 eastbound P&WV trains backed into Bowest. Westbound P&WV trains backed out of Bowest to leave. After about 1955 P&WV and WM power were pooled and crews, but not locos, changed on the mainline. P&LE crews occasionally went to Bowest but the usual practice was for WM crews to run to Dickerson Run to interchange with the P&LE (until it closed).

Larry Kline

[HB]

Did the WM ever run any steam power to Rook? And do you know what the WM symbols were during the steam era?
Thanks , HB

[bowestym]

As far as I know WM steam didn't run to Rook. Steam to Rook is not mentioned in the WM Society employee interview book.

The WM symbol freights during the steam era were WM-2, WM-4 from Connellsville to Lurgan and WM-6 from Connellsville to Port Covington, and WM-1 and WM-3 from Post Covington to Connellsville. (From a nice article on the WM in the May 1941 issue of Trains.) PCS-1 from Lurgan to Connellsville is mentioned in the May 52 WM special issue of Modern Railroad.I believe that there was also a steam era BT-1 that ran from PC to Dickerson Run but I can't find the reference.

Larry Kline

[Longview Station]

Just a tid bit of info regarding the P&WV and Western Maryland in Connellsville. When the "Connellsville Extension" was being planned by the P&WV, there were 3 routes engineers had proposed to the Western Maryland. The goal was finding a direct route to the WM that bypassed congestion with the B&O, P&LE and PRR. The P&WV wanted that direct link to the WM, but finding that route proved difficult as the B&O, P&LE and PRR were at different elevations, not including a crossing of the Youghiogheny River.
VW