The P&WV Hi-Line

[jayrod]

Thanks for the info. I'll make some changes.

Any idea of the time frame of when the temporary connection was in at Owensdale? I would imagine it was short lived for construction like the PRR connection at West End for the WSB.

I'll add Montgomery Ward & 84 Lumber to Rehoboth.

I have PTC #5 in my notes, just missed it on the list. That was built on the right of way proposed but never built loop that was to come back in at Horning.

Vancoram spur is listed as Vanadium Corp of America at MP 94.15.

I didn't list all the passing or storage tracks if there were no customer destinations except I did list the company dump tracks because they were a "destination". I suppose I could put them in but I'd need to go through all the Superintendents Notices since tracks were extended, shortened, one switch removed, etc. blah blah blah...

Bell Branch is listed at MP 86.6

I'm not sure there even was an "Adams". That would have been too close to Kolmont to bother. I picked it up in my notes somewhere. It doesn't show on the WPT 1904 track chart. I should take it out.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[Longview Station]

Eric;

I read in the tons of material Jim & Jer now have about the Owensdale connection. There was info in there about the work trains detoured over the PRR so as to work from the east end of the new extension, west. It was mentioned in those reports that many of the cuts needed additional excavation.

I also walked that old connection right before the new connection to the SWP was built. The right of way for the old connection wasn't very wide, just enough for a single track.

[jayrod]

Gene,

PTC #5 will be on the West Side Belt/Belt Division list since it was abandoned in 1916 before the Connellsville Ext was built.

Question for all: PTC #1 and #2 , on opposite sides of the valley, were operated concurrently using the same tipple complex starting 1902. The P&WV/WSB timetables 1917 on, only list #2. Was that for convenience or did #1 play out before 1917?

I haven't found any info yet online.

Thanks
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[jayrod]

Another huge update - everything I have to date except LSMR. Now open for comment. Enjoy.

https://bigeprod.com/images/projects/PWV/pwvMP.pdf
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[Longview Station]

Eric;

I once saw a blue print for a "loop" track for Longview. It was to branch off the Mifflin Branch circling overtop of the main up near Baptist Road overpass then back to the main down near the Montour RR overpass. I'm thinking it was for coal coming out of Coverdale going east.

I also noticed you have South Pittsburgh Water on the Clairton Branch but not on the main between Longview & Horning where it was actually located ?

There was also a spur for CHILDs on the opposite side of the main as Tom Brown also in Castle Shannon?

I find it refreshing looking over many of the station names / spurs / sidings remembering back into the 1970's and 1980's when many of these spurs and sidings were still either in service or still in existence. I often heard reference to them over the airwaves which lead me to photograph their existence.

Take for instance I have a recording where a hi-railer was given the main track from State Line tunnel to Waverly...then another from Speers "River" Bridge to the west end of Maple...then another when Eddie Sturgess plotted out the progress of the "12" stating he's on the river bridge at Mingo then giving time increments at Bell Branch...Avella...Hickory...and on into Rook.

For me that was big time railroading jockeying around the 6 symbol freights, the locals, maintenance of way & hirailers...signal maintainers...the grain & ore trains...quite a difference from today !

[jayrod]

Gene,

Childs? Haven't run across that one. Gonna have to look for more info. Possibly put in sometime between '59-'64? I have very limited info on that time frame.

Hmmmm... My 1964 chart shows nothing between Horning Storage Tracks and the yard at Longview. However, South Pittsburgh Water noted on Superintendents notice #86, June 6, 1958, quoted below. Could that have been something else?

1. SOUTH PITTSBURGH WATER COMPANY SPUR TRACK, PIERCE, PA.
A. SPUR TRACK LEADING OFF MAIN TRACK ON THE CLAIRTON BRANCH AT MILE POST 0-59, THREE THOUSAND NINETY-FIVE (3095) FEET EAST OF THE CLAIRTON BRANCH SWITCH AT PIERCE, HAS BEEN PLACED IN SERVICE FOR: SOUTH PITTSBURGH WATER COMPANY, 238 BROWNSVILLE ROAD, PITTSBURGH 10, PA.
B. SPUR TRACK IS OF STUB END CONSTRUCTI0N WITH FACING SWITCH ON WESTWARD MOVEMENT.
C. HAND OPERATED DERAIL INSTALLED ON EAST END.
D. CAR STOPS INSTALLED ON STUB OR WEST END.
E. TRACK CAPACITY: 4 CARS .
F. FOR WHEEL REPORT PURPOSES, SPUR TRACK IS DESIGNATED AS STATION 3005.
G. BILLING IS HANDLED BY AGENT AT BRUCETON.
H. CREWS MUST NOT COUPLE TO CARS ON THIS SPUR TRACK UNTIL ALL PERSONS IN OR ABOUT THE CARS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED AND ALL ATTACHMENTS UNDER OR ABOUT THE CARS REMOVED.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[Longview Station]

Eric;

A half mile East of Pierce on the Clairton Branch would have to be the switch ties I once saw in between Peters Creek Bridge and Gill Hall underpass. Between that point and Mile Post 1 is either a curved deep cut or a sharp curve. 4 car lengths in length seems about right as it is about all the room available between bridges.

As for South Pittsburgh Water spur between Longview & Horning, it was there when we moved there in 1965 as the Belt Local often stopped and spotted gondola's of pipe on its eastward trip. Sometime in the late 70's they started using flatbeds and that was the end of rail service. The water company had / still has a roadway going up trackside to the supply yard that is fenced. The spur and supply yard were fenced. There was a gate the crews unlocked and opened to switch.

Its now Pennsylvania America water. As a youngster when the union workers were on strike there, the pickets would hoot and holler at the management people when they went out on a call. At 2 or 3 in the morning during those summer nights they would wake you from sleep screaming and yelling. I made it a point 2 years ago to grab a few photos of the pickets as its a reminder from 50 years ago. As a matter of fact, you can probably date the spur to 1965 as it was being built when we moved in as those long concrete roof sections were brought in by highway and we watched a few of them scraping the concrete tunnel on Horning Road.

As for CHILDS, I found photos of the spur from the 60's as well...the rail and such are still there, just another customer lost to trucks.

[jayrod]

Gene,

The switch for SPW on the Clairton Branch would have been somewhere around 50' west of the Gill Hall Rd underpass. Does that sound about right? All the clues around there were obliterated when they put the toll road in and removed a lot of the gob pile and brought in fill and then again with the new Peters Creek bridge construction. You can see it on the 1958 aerial but appears to be gone in the 1967 aerial.

If SPW - Horning and Childs - Castle Shannon were put in after October '64, then it's outside my scope.

I'm sure there will be more additions and corrections so keep the suggestions coming.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[jayrod]

To almost answer my question a few posts up, PTC Mine No.1 was no longer listed in the 1921 Coal Field Directory though #2 - #7 are. I'm going to try to find earlier editions to determine what year it was closed.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[jayrod]

Gene,

You were absolutely correct. Did more digging.... Childs Equipment Company went into service in 1957. The switch was on the concrete arch over Killarney Dr.

Tom Brown, Inc. was apparently the successor to General Concrete Products aka Cretestone. Their switch was at the same location of the previous switch for PTC #2.

The lists will be updated.

Thanks.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[jayrod]

Another update completed. Now includes LSMRRR with updates to WSB, West End Br., and Banksville Br. and a few other minor corrections.

The next phase, other than updates/corrections, will be converting map images and providing links to open the maps. This will take some time as I have to crop & re-sample a lot of images to be suitable for the web. Including photos where available is also a future possibility.

I'd like to thank Dave Aitkin for help in locating some customers on LSMRRR.

I'll also provide book references in the next update.

Click this link to view/download: https://bigeprod.com/images/projects/PWV/pwvMP.pdf

Enjoy.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[jayrod]

I corrected the links in this thread to the MP chart. My bad - when I installed the SSL security I forgot to update the links in this thread.

If you notice any other links that don't work correctly or only take you to my home page, let me know and I'll fix them.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[jayrod]

Added the short-lived Cedar Grove Branch to Studa.

John L. Studa sold his farmland to Washington County Coal in 1904. WCC sold bonds to finance the construction by WPT of a branch from what was to become Avella, up Cross Creek, to the new coal patch of Studa. WPT was to pay off the construction by rebating a portion of the price of carloads shipped. The branch was built in 1905 but the branch was washed out, likely in 1906. The branch was never rebuilt. WPT still owed WCC for the construction at the time of WPT's bankruptcy. PRR extended their Langeloth Branch to Studa to service the mine when it was realized WPT wouldn't rebuild.

Click this link to view/download the revised copy: https://bigeprod.com/images/projects/PWV/pwvMP.pdf
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[Longview Station]

Eric;

In looking at your stations & sidings list for the Mifflin Branch, is there a listing for the switch off the Mifflin Branch near Mifflin Yard for the Montour R.R. branch that went down Route 51 to the mine ? It was only in service for 5 years in the early 1920's ?

[jayrod]

Thanks for the reminder. I considered that previously and then forgot (it's not on my charts but I do have an aerial shot). I don't exactly know where that switch was but I'll figure it out as I draw the map. I finally started on it - Pgh Jct working east. Gotten as far as Parlett/Wayco so far. It's gonna take a while.... It'll include passing and yard tracks and maybe switch types as best as I can determine.
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Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod

[jayrod]

Gene,

Took a few minutes to do some digging and measuring. Located Lewis Run Branch and updated the list. It's probably not exactly right but damn close.

The tipple had a four track load-out so the Montour probably had enough cars in a move to have to pull into Union's yard to clear the switch or maybe cross over to Montour's scales???

If you find anything else, let me know. Thanks.
_________________
Eric Schlentner
Aka, jayrod