Pittsburgh & Western

[gwight]

Hello out there-first post-bear with me.

I grew up about 25 miles North of Pittsburgh, PA. To the East about 20 miles was the B&O's original line out of Pittsburgh to the West, originally the Pittsburgh & Western. It ran from the Allegheny River Valley at Glenshaw, just East of downtown, North to New Castle, and on West to Chicago. In the 1950's, when I was in my grade school years, I remember large steam locomotives pulling and pushing trains North up the grade out of Pittsburgh. I've seen the depots at Bakerstown, Mars, Evans City, and Zelienople. I remember a helper pocket at Mars at the top of the grade where the pushers headed back toward Pittsburgh. Plus Edineau Junction, West of Evans City, where the Butler line connected. The 50's was a great decade if you loved steam.

What I'm looking for is some info on any source of photos or other history of this line in the 50's, or even the 60's. The only pictures I have come across were on the B&O's Historical website, and they were only depot shots, no trains. Those, and a couple of wreck shots. That's it. So, I was hoping among all these railroad experts out there, there might be some knowledgable of this particular railroad in the last decade of steam.

After growing up in Pittsburgh, and 4 years in the Navy, I wound up in Chicago, the Railroad Mecca. 28 years with IBM later, I took early retirement. Now I am railroad deprived in Shamrock, Texas. Shamrock was on the Rock Island's Memphis, Tenn. to Tucumcari, New Mexico main line, the CHOCTAW ROUTE. It was a stop for the CHOCTAW ROCKET and the CHEROKEE. It was also a crossing of the Fort Worth & Denver's Pampa Branch. Now, alas, no rails at all. The closest is the BNSF Transcon 60 miles North.

Didn't mean to go on so long. I appreciate any info.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Morning Sun Books latest catalog lists about three or four volumes dealing with B&O. They seem to concentrate on color slides from the steam-to-diesel transition era with all the text consisting of expanded photo captions with lots of information. And each book seems to start at one end of the particular railroad and go geographically to the other end.

[ahuffman]

You may want to browse the Fallen Flags website at http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/

I've noted quite a few photos from the area you describe there including Mars, Evans City, Eidenau, and New Castle. In particular, Bob Rathke has quite a few contribution to this web site from western PA.

The old P&W line has been out of service up through the northern end of Allegheny County due to damage during heavy rains caused by the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan last September. CSX has leased this portion to the Allegheny Valley, a local shortline operator who has secured funding and is now doing repairs to put the line back in service. The two ends have been separately operated in the meantime.

I presently live a little south of Mars and am a long-time B&O fan dating back to the 50s in eastern Ohio, so I know of what you speak.

[gwight]

To lincoln5390 and ahuffman:

Thanks for the responses. I'll do some checking at the sites you recommemded.

Thanks again:
Gwight