The P&WV Hi-Line

[PWVJer]

Very Active Railroads (P&WV,N&W,NS, WLE) served this former customer.
Bridgeville Chemical Plant History.
Here is a nice link:

http://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/ca/pa/reuse/lu_PAD063764898.pdf

JR/JZ.

[Rich_S]

I remember traveling past the Koppers Co. in the late 60's through mid 70's en-route to my grandparents home in Cuddy. The place always had an odd smell, not like the rotten egg smell from coke ovens, but more of a chemical smell that was different than anything else at that time. It's funny how the article said the land was being redeveloped? The last time I was past that location, it was still just a big empty lot. It would be great to see another shipper and /or receiver on the W&LE.

Regards,
Rich S.

[PWVJer]

Rich,
I too, can remember that distinctive Plant odor when passing-by in the late 1950's- early 60's.
At the time my older sister & family lived in an apt. in Cecil, later bought a
home on Bishop-Hill. As a young kid, really enjoyed staying over-night-week-end visits. Watching Trains.
Could see & watch the Montour action from her back-yard,
and the P&WV in her front yard.
BTW,
GPS sent over a large batch of sharp, very-clear 8X10 B&W
prints 13-or so, Cuddy, Millers Run area. Almost all of the
South Fayette Twp. (Maude Mine & McClene Minning Co.)
structures. PRR ROW, grade-crossings & new and old bridges etc..
Both before & after images, circa: 1927-28 and 9/6/1940.
You can also see glimpses of the P&WV ROW from Rt. 50

A "closet-image -collector" I sometimes correspond with has
some very interesting PRR Cuddy-ROW-Desemeth Lumber Co.
Structures & box-car un-loading pics (Circa: 1960?)
I hope it's only a matter of time until he "caves" and sends/transfer all
of his PRR/Millers-Run-Cuddy-Cecil-P&WV related, 5X7 B/W
image materials collection to the HI-LINE.

JZ.

[Rich_S]

Hi PWVJer,
My grandparents lived in one of the company homes on National Hill. During the summer, I'd usually spend two weeks visiting them and railfanning the P&WV / N&W. For a young impressionable kid, that was the greatest thing to have a railroad in your front yard, at least I though so, I'll bet my grandparents would have disagreed. Trying to make a long story short, around 12 years of age they would allow me to walk down to the local store in Cuddy (From what I remember it was near the post office) usually on an errand to pick up a loaf of bread. Every once in awhile while on one of these errands, I'd catch a lone PC GP9 working the B&M branch, usually with just a couple of cars for Desemeth Lumber Co. The way the engine and cars rocked back and forth on that branch always made me wonder why it didn't derail every ten feet. Talk about the Montour, from my grandparents home you could hear the Montour, but could not see the railroad. So on a quite evening you could hear those SW9's working toward National Tunnel, then they would just disappear. My only regret was not asking for a camera for Christmas, so I could have recorded some of these memories on film. No one else in the family was interested in trains or model railroads and I didn't realize until a number of years later, taking photo's of railroads was a hobby. Everyone in my family just though I was nuts for running out the back door of my grandparents house to watch a train pass by, none of them every mentioned and / or though of a camera so I could record those events.

I think I've mentioned this before, the bottom photograph shown on Page 339 in the Pittsburgh and West Virginia "Story of the High and Dry" book was my railfanning location, there and my grandparents front yard. Those were the days.

Rich S.