The P&WV Hi-Line

[PWVJer]

48 (GPS) images are now up on the current era page,
our story line somewhat follows the MP markers from Rook to C-ville, with a few documents and branch info placed-in.
I'm sure some would like to see more. A few items have been omitted, but 50 or so images is a BIG JOB up-date for now.
Two (2) Hi-Lines... Sept. and Oct. 1954 are also up! Some nice CTC history,
and info on P&WV interchange railroads are also included in these.

A nice pic and story for " Camp Car Bill " on page 2 of the Sept. issue. Hey Bill...
can you add any more to the Wiskey Run Bridge Story?

Enjoy!
JR/JZ.

[Yough river pirate]

I really enjoyed the East End CTC pictures. I live out near Connellsville so I was really excited to see these pictures. I am also looking for information on the Yough river bridge in Connells ville and I am also trying to find out when it was abandoned and the bridge to P&LE station and Bowest junction was dismantled. Thanks.

[camp car bill]

Sept. and Oct. 54 Hi-LINES

JZ,I cannot add much to work being done on the Whiskey Run Bridge,other than was told to me.I was in the Army between Sept.54and Sept.56 in Ettlingen,Germany. B&B Gang also worked on the Hope Hollow Road Bridge during the two years they were cut out with Camp Cars located at the west end of Whiskey Run Bridge. JZ you should have walked these bridges many times while living at Charles Drive.
Concerning the men in the picture and working at the bottom of the bridge.This the first time my sister and I have saw this picture of our father,B&B Foreman William Mcwreath who was 64 years old at the time who continued to work until he was 74 when forced into reitirement account of sickness. Two of the men Bernabei and DeBaker left the Railroad to work some were else. Joe Lange was killed in a Railroad accident while working as a Welder Helper. All the rest retired from the Railroad.Two are still living,Ray Stripp who is in his ninetys and living with daughter in Carnegie PA and George Whitaker who lives in the Windgap Road area near McRocks PA.
After coming back from the service in late Sept. 56 I worked on these two bridges for about 1 month when the Camp Cars moved West.

Camp Car Bill
_________________
wmmjr

[PWVJer]

Yes sir Bill, hiked across these two bridges and ROW many, times
while growing-up in Scott Twp. When I was in grade school and on my way home from St Lukes School
I hiked-up Corother's Ave, cut
over at Glendale Firemans Club, a short walk up the PRR (some neat old shop cars were stored there)
to the Old Scott High(Later John Dewey) cross the road and thru the O'Hummel Plant parking lot. Then down the track to the Hope's Hollow Bridge.
Always had a paper airplane, when tips were good delivering the "Sun Telegraph"
I would buy a 10 cent balsa-wood glider to sail off the bridge. I was only able to recover a few, most are still fly'n on!


I remember the 1st time I was given permission to cross the Wiskey Run Bridge. About 1962, freshman at Canevin H.S.
(just off Morange Rd). I was staying after school to work on the Senior Class Play backdrops. Back then if you missed your bus, you had to hitch-a-ride or walk.
Well, I finished-up my project about 6pm or so, then walked over to the Rook Yard Office to see if the
Ole' Man would give me the OK to hike down to Carnegie Park. This is were my older brother lived. From there I could get a ride home.
I remember walking right into the smoke-filled yard office and seeing Paul Strang(Pipe smoking Clerk)
and asking if my Dad was around. Most of the other men in the office knew me from visits with the Ole' man to pick-up his pay check.
The yardmaster was not in!
Seems he was down at the far East-end of the yard, a phone call was made. And soon I was out the door and headed for the Bridge.
"Go quick and don't horse-around". came the orders, "stay clear of the main on the other side of the bridge, an eastbound man was enroute".
When I got to the bridge, I saw two yard men who were working the west-end watching me. I told them my dad said it was OK for me to cross the bridge.
Got to the other side. I thought this was great, doing the bridge walk by myself! Not to far down the track I was stopped by another guy. He stepped out of his car,
about were the GM wrse. parking lot was located.
"Hey! were you headed boy? this is R.R. property" I told him it was OK for me to walk the bridge and track , my Dad's the yardmaster.
His reply," Tell your Ole' Man he don't own this G.D. railroad, I do!" Get mov'n boy, stay off my tracks and watch your step!
Years later I found out it was... Fender! The P&WV policeman and others were all watching me on my bridge trip!

[camp car bill]

JZ,You got to meet Mr. Sam Fender,Chief of PWV Police Force.

When Carnegie Park opened in the first half of the 1940's,all the kids from Rook including myself used the Whisky Run bridge to go there.
if you got caught on the bridge with a train,you hugged the railing of the walk way,there was room for the train to go by.In those days it was all steam engines and you could hear a east bound pulling the hill to Rook.A west bound ready to leave Rook would give a whistle and you had plenty of time to get to the west end of the bridge.

Camp Car BIll
_________________
wmmjr

[bowestym]

JR and JZ,

Thanks for the latest update. Also, thanks to Gene Schaeffer for the photos. I enjoyed the CTC photos and correspondence. I also liked the CTC and interchange sections in the new Hi-Lines. I'm looking to CTC Part 2. Keep up the good work.

- Larry Kline

[Longview Station]

Photographing the CTC Signals came about in the mid 1980's when traffic levels on the P&WV had declined to a point I was concerned about the future of the railroad. NS maintained the physical plant exceptionally well and with traffic in decline, I figured something was gonna happen at some point, but you never know exactly what.

Connellsville crews had declined to one or two a week. Then one night it happens. The occasional Connellsville crew was stopped at Pierce behind a red signal. The Brewster Train Dispatcher gives NS L-50 permission by "the Stop & Stay" signal in accordance with the rules.

A short time later the same happens at both ends of Gastonville. And so it goes, through the wee hours of the night, NS L-50 inches its way to Connellsville, stopping at "every" home signal and being talked by.

To this bystander, the guy with the camera and dog, great dis-appointment settles in as decline furthers itself on this railroad. Management has invoked "Rusty Rail" conditions East of Pierce. Two train crews are now required to cover the round trip to Connellsville.

In 1990, the first W&LE crews to Connellsville operate the same as predecessor NS crews East of Pierce, verbal permission by. A short time later, the power is turned off to the CTC. W&LE crews now operate with Train Orders into and out of Connellsville on those eastern 40 miles of railroad. Yes, something "new" for the Historian to observe on the P&WV...Train Orders. Thats how it was originally done, but...

Then comes 3 days when CSX sends a herd of their trains to the W&LE to avoid problems on the P&LE. Day and night, train orders fill the air waves easing some of the pain of what is transpiring.

Then Spring of '92 arrives...March 26th to be exact. A radio conversation inquiry seeking the location of the signal maintainers and their suspension of the CTC...The response is...between Hickory and Gladden. Numbness sets in. The Train Dispatcher further states to the signal maintainers "Stop dis-connecting the Signals until further notice"...But sometime during the 27th...while I'm at work, progress resumes in signal suspension.

I catch up to the signal maintainers on my off days...March 31st I follow maintainers as they remove from service the CTC from Rook to the East End of Castle Shannon. Then appropriately, on April Fools Day 1992, the CTC from Pierce to Longview is laid to rest bringing to a end the CTC Legacy on the P&WV. Appropriately though, Longview...my home since this hobby began in the early 1970's, is the last signal removed from service. At 12:40 PM the signal maintainers key up the Brestwer Train Dispatcher instruting him to reverse the power switch at Longview one last time. Seconds later, the electric switch motor reverses the power switch, lining the route off the main track and onto the Mifflin Branch where it will be left until a new "hand throw" switch is installed later in the day.

The electricity is immediately shut off and the P&WV is now a dark railroad.

VW

ps; There are some type corrections I have asked "JR" to correct when time permits.

- The unlatch box at Sudan should read - the "Un-Lock" box at sudan.
- The signal for Pierce should read - the "Eastbound Approach Signal" for Pierce at Mile Post 41.2.
- Westbound Approach Signal for Maple at Mile Post 26.9 should read "ABS".
- Eastbound Approach Signal for Sudan - Should read Eastward Approach Signal for Sudan at Mile Post 30.
- Eastbound Home Signal at the East End of Castle Shannon shows a "Clear " signal between the East End of Castle Shannon and Longview...but also a Restricting Signal that tells the crew at Longview they are lined up for the Mifflin Branch ... a diverging route...
- Introductory page, 11th line from bottom, Poor rail conditions should be replaced with "Rusty" rail conditions...

[Beech Cricker]

Gene, JR, JZ,

I find this series of photos and documentation fascinating. Thank you for sharing it at this site. So often railfans and railroad historians get so locomotive-focused that they miss out on the other things that make the railroad go, such as signals. Lineside details such as these are some of my favorite aspects of railroading.

Gene, great work in recording these signals and their demise for all time.

Jeff Feldmeier

[Longview Station]

Jeff, Glad you enjoyed Part 1.
There will be a Part 2, Rook West.
What you saw was just a mere sample of the images I made of the CTC System.
I have 2 carousels, roughly 200 images of the entire P&WV CTC System.
Believe me, being out there recording those scenes was lots of fun.
So sad its all memories.
Gene

[jayrod]

JZ, JR, Gene:

What a great batch of information to share. Too often history passes us by unrecorded. I’m supremely guilty of not having the time or a camera handy when it counted – or at least that’s my excuse. So, many thanks for sharing not only the CTC info, but the entire website. Looking forward to the west end.

This might have been posted before but a quick search didn’t pull it up… The Smithsonian’s Archives Center has the CTC electrical engineering drawings of the PWV. A short blurb can be found at:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives/d8279.htm

Thanks again.