Bedford Branch
Encyclopedia
The Bedford Branch was a rail line owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
.
The line ran from the Morrisons Cove Branch at Brookes Mills south via Bedford to the Maryland
state line. The PRR had trackage rights
south to Cumberland over the Western Maryland Railway
's State Line Branch. Only the line from Brookes Mills south to Sproul is still in use, as a line of the Everett Railroad
.
(at the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company) in 1871; the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad
built a connecting branch in Maryland. The Dunnings Creek Branch, later part of the main line, opened from Dunnings Creek Junction (near Bedford) north, through Cessna, to ore mines at Holderbaum in 1873. The Pennsylvania Railroad of Maryland was chartered in 1876 to build an independent connection from the state line to Cumberland, but it instead became part of the Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad
and later the Western Maryland Railway
.
In 1891, the Bedford and Hollidaysburg Railroad opened an extension from Cessna north to near Imler, and completed the line to Brookes Mills in 1910. This connected it to the rest of the PRR system via the Morrisons Cove Branch; it had formerly only been connected via the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
The line ran from the Morrisons Cove Branch at Brookes Mills south via Bedford to the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
state line. The PRR had trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
south to Cumberland over the Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
's State Line Branch. Only the line from Brookes Mills south to Sproul is still in use, as a line of the Everett Railroad
Everett Railroad
The Everett Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates ex-Pennsylvania Railroad trackage in the Hollidaysburg area of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It runs freight trains over two separate lines, one from Brooks Mill and Sproul, and the other, owned by the Morrison's Cove Railroad, from...
.
History
The Bedford and Bridgeport Railroad opened from the state line north via Bedford to Mount DallasMount Dallas, Pennsylvania
Mount Dallas is a populated place in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. It is located in the water gap of Tussey Mountain approximately 1 mile upstream of Everett along the Raystown Branch Juniata River...
(at the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company) in 1871; the Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad
Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad
The Cumberland and Pennsylvania Railroad was an American railroad which operated in Western Maryland. Primarily a coal hauler, it was owned by the Consolidation Coal Company, and was absorbed into the Western Maryland Railway in 1944....
built a connecting branch in Maryland. The Dunnings Creek Branch, later part of the main line, opened from Dunnings Creek Junction (near Bedford) north, through Cessna, to ore mines at Holderbaum in 1873. The Pennsylvania Railroad of Maryland was chartered in 1876 to build an independent connection from the state line to Cumberland, but it instead became part of the Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad
Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad
The Georges Creek and Cumberland Railroad was a railroad that operated in Maryland from 1876 until 1917, when it was merged with the Western Maryland Railway...
and later the Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
.
In 1891, the Bedford and Hollidaysburg Railroad opened an extension from Cessna north to near Imler, and completed the line to Brookes Mills in 1910. This connected it to the rest of the PRR system via the Morrisons Cove Branch; it had formerly only been connected via the Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad and Coal Company.