The P&WV Hi-Line

[PWVJer]

Got this from the WE board.
Saves me a lot of typing.

Most of the West End Branch started life as the West Side Belt, connected with the P&LE under the West End Bridge where a yard and 2 story frame home, converted to a joint P&WV/P&LE freight station was located. The lower end of the branch was actually the Little Saw Mill Run RR but became part of the WSB. Construction of the West End Bridge then a agreement between the P&WV /P&LE led to interchange at West Liberty Yard on the P&WV and McKees Rocks on the P&LE. Late in life, one of the former P&LE mains was used for interchange between the P&WV / P&LE...later the N&W and W&LE using #2 main for head room to make their set off. The West End Branch bridged itself over the valley passing the Fort Pitt Tunnels on a newer through deck girder that replaced a deck girder when todays Parkway West was built. Originally Route 51, originally known as Saw Mill Run Blvd. ended where the tunnels are located as there was a large turning circle located there. The high bridge on the main track was also rebuilt with the coming of the Parkway. The West End Branch proceed another half mile or so where it connected back to the main. As a side note, the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal crossed overtop the West End Branch on a through deck girder as it made its way into Downtown Pittsburgh via their Mt. Washington Tunnel. The West End Branch continued East to Castle Shannon, Longview, Bruceton then Clairton before the construction of the eastern 40 miles of the P&WV into Connellsville. Back in that hollow near the salt storage dome along Route 51 (Seldom Seen) was a neat little juncture between the West End Branch (WSB) and the Wabash. A wye was located there and the Wabash had a control tower (BJ Tower) within eyesight of the salt storage there on 51. Another mile further East was West Liberty Station where the WSB crossed West Liberty Avenue right in front of the Liberty Tunnels. Another footnote, not only did the West End Branch connect to the P&LE, before Route 51 was cut through the West End Branch climbed a small grade up to the PRR near the West End Circle where another interchange was maintained. There was passenger service on the West End Branch for years, sometimes amounting to a single coach, left at West Liberty station where at scheduled times it would coast by gravity down the branch to make its connection with P&LE commuter trains. A significant amount of history has been lost with this abandoment.

It should also be noted, where the two railroad Parkway bridges are located at the Fort Pitt Tunnels, was the connection switch with the Banksville (Road) Branch of the Little Saw Mill Run. There were also a number of coal storage silos on the hillside near the two bridges for South Hills Coal Company.
BTW,
Most of the above information is indeed all verified in the
vast P&WV Archives Collection.
Many, many...original P&WV/WSB documents, letters,
ROW & Bridge reports along with a few images have been saved!
A bunch of Maps, Drawings & Blue Prints. Circa:1917-1958,
are included.
JR/JZ.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Rich_S]

Very interesting bit of information, thank you for posting JR/JZ :D

Regards,
Rich S.

[jayrod]

Well... speculate no more folks. Don't know if anyone caught this, but the West End branch abandonment is now official. The PWV trust finally signed off and the STB rendered it's decision on September 7.

Here's the link to the STB decision:
http://www.stb.dot.gov/decisions/readingroom.nsf/WEBUNID/2C6DE0DDC133197F85257903004A04FA?OpenDocument

At least PennDOT will be happy. Here's an article from June 13 Post-Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11164/1153322-53.stm

I wonder if WLE will scrap it all for cash or just let things go via eminent domain so removal is someone elses problem. Don't know how those things work.

[PWVJer]

Well Jayrod,
It would not suprise me to see the WLE "scoop-up & remove"
some of the better/less worn stick-rail as they leave.
One guess...
Maybe, to replace a few of the very worn Clairton Branch sections?

I know, I know, some may say...WLE, again replacing bad worn-rail,
with less bad worn-rail.