Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad was a short line railroad that operated in Potter
and McKean
Counites in Pennsylvania
in the United States between 1882 and 1964. The original line ran 17 miles (27.4 km) along the Allegheny River
between the boroughs of Coudersport
, the county seat
of Potter County, and Port Allegany
in McKean County. The line was originally a narrow gauge railway and converted to standard gauge
in 1889. It was prosperous during a lumber boom in the region and expanded east to Ulysses
. The lumber boom ended in the early 20th century and the line slowly declined until 1964, when it was purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
. The line was finally abandoned in 1970. Today the only surviving building from the railroad is the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station
, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1976 and serves as the town hall for Coudersport today. As of 2009, much of the C&PA railroad grading can still be found. Railroad bridge abutments exist at Lillibridge Creek in Port Allegany and along the Allegheny River at Coleman Mills, east of Roulette, and east and west of Coudersport.
on March 26, 1804. Coudersport was settled in 1807 and incorporated as a borough from Eulalia Township
in 1848. Coudersport has served as the county seat
of Potter County since 1835. Port Allegany was settled in 1815 and incorporated as a borough from Liberty Township
on April 4, 1882.
The original plan for a railroad along the Allegheny River
between Coudersport and Port Allegany
was as a part of the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway
(JSPC&B), which was incorporated on February 17, 1870. The JSPC&B was originally planned to run from the vicinity of Williamsport
west to Jersey Shore
, then north up Pine Creek
and down the Allegheny River past Coudersport and west to Port Allegany, as part of a larger route to Buffalo, New York
. The Panic of 1873
stopped work, although some grading of the proposed line was done in 1874 and 1875.
On April 6, 1882 an organizational meeting was held in Olean, NY attended by H.B. Hamlin, F.W. Knox, A.G. Olmstead, A.M. Benton, F.H. Arnold, F.H. Root, C.B. Barse, and C.S. Cary. On May 1, 1882 the C&PA was chartered. The unfinished JSPC&B route along the Allegheny River was acquired for $7000 and construction was carried out that summer with the first train reaching Coudersport on September 7, 1882. The narrow gauge Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad unofficially opened the next day with the formal opening occurring on September 26, 1882. The original 17 miles (27.4 km) line between Coudersport and Port Allegany was initially operated with two 4-4-0
steam locomotive
s. Both locomotives were built by the Brooks Locomotive Works. Engine number one was purchased from the Olean, Bradford & Warren for $3000. Engine number two was purchased from Brooks for $8250 on November 29, 1882.
There was a connection the standard gauge Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad
at Port Allegany, and a Ramsey Car Transfer Apparatus
was added there in 1883 so that lumber from mills on the line could be more easily loaded onto standard gauge cars. In 1887 a 2-6-0
locomotive was added, and in July the next year the stockholders voted to convert the line to standard gauge, which was done on June 16, 1889.
A subsidiary of the railroad built an extension 5 miles (8 km) southeast along Mill Creek to the village of Sweden Valley in Sweden Township
in Potter County. By 1895 a new line was extended northeast along the Allegheny River east to Newfield Junction in Ulysses Township, Pennsylvania
, where it connected with the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad
, and then on to a new eastern terminus at the borough of Ulysses
, where it linked with the Fall Brook Railway. The Fall Brook became part of the New York Central Railroad
system in 1899, and a year later the western terminus at Port Allegany connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad
, so the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad connected the two major rail lines in that part of Pennsylvania.
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad began construction on a new brick and sandston station in Coudersport in 1899 and opened it in January 1900. Coudersport's population grew from 1,525 in 1890 to 3,217 in 1900, and this was also when the lumber industry was at its height. The lumber industry declined soon after, and in 1924 the line from Newfield Junction to Ulysses was abandoned. The western 9 miles (14.5 km) of the line to Port Allegany were destroyed in a July 18, 1942 flood and the railroad connected to other lines only through Newfield Junction after this. In 1964 the railroad was purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
, which finally abandoned it on December 8, 1970. The borough of Coudersport bought the station in 1975 and restored it, adding a new roof. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on November 21, 1976. As of 2009 it serves as the police station
and office building for the borough government of Coudersport, and is the only remaining building from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.
Potter County, Pennsylvania
Potter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is in the Allegheny Plateau region. As of 2010, the population was 17,457. Its county seat is Coudersport. Potter County was named after James Potter, who was a general from Pennsylvania in the Continental Army during the...
and McKean
McKean County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 45,936 people, 18,024 households, and 12,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 21,644 housing units at an average density of 22 per square mile...
Counites in 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...
in the United States between 1882 and 1964. The original line ran 17 miles (27.4 km) along the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
between the boroughs of Coudersport
Coudersport, Pennsylvania
Coudersport is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie on the Allegheny River. The populations were these: 1,530 in 1890; 3,217 in 1900; and 3,100 in 1910. The population was 2,650 at the 2000 census...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Potter County, and Port Allegany
Port Allegany, Pennsylvania
Port Allegany is a borough in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,355 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Port Allegany is located at ....
in McKean County. The line was originally a narrow gauge railway and converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in 1889. It was prosperous during a lumber boom in the region and expanded east to Ulysses
Ulysses, Pennsylvania
Ulysses is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census. When first settled, in 1831, Ulysses was named Lewisville, after an early settler, Orange Lewis. Orange Lewis was a prominent farmer who later became Justice of the Peace, and then county...
. The lumber boom ended in the early 20th century and the line slowly declined until 1964, when it was purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
The Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad was formed in 1954 to operate a section of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad trackage which had been isolated from the rest of the system by a 1942 flood. This trackage was acquired by the B&O as part of the purchase of the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad...
. The line was finally abandoned in 1970. Today the only surviving building from the railroad is the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station
Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad Station is a railroad station in Coudersport, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was built by the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad in 1899 and opened in January 1900 during the lumber industry boom in Potter County...
, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1976 and serves as the town hall for Coudersport today. As of 2009, much of the C&PA railroad grading can still be found. Railroad bridge abutments exist at Lillibridge Creek in Port Allegany and along the Allegheny River at Coleman Mills, east of Roulette, and east and west of Coudersport.
History
Both Potter and McKean Counties were formed from part of Lycoming CountyLycoming County, Pennsylvania
-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
on March 26, 1804. Coudersport was settled in 1807 and incorporated as a borough from Eulalia Township
Eulalia Township, Pennsylvania
Eulalia Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 941 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land....
in 1848. Coudersport has served as the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Potter County since 1835. Port Allegany was settled in 1815 and incorporated as a borough from Liberty Township
Liberty Township, McKean County, Pennsylvania
Liberty Township is a township in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,726 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 83.5 square miles , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there...
on April 4, 1882.
The original plan for a railroad along the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
between Coudersport and Port Allegany
Port Allegany, Pennsylvania
Port Allegany is a borough in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,355 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Port Allegany is located at ....
was as a part of the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway
Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway
The Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway was a railroad built in the early 1880s to give the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad access to the coal regions around Clearfield, Pennsylvania, USA...
(JSPC&B), which was incorporated on February 17, 1870. The JSPC&B was originally planned to run from the vicinity of Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
west to Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania
Jersey Shore is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is on the West Branch Susquehanna River, west by south of Williamsport. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the past, Jersey Shore held farms, railroad shops, cigar factories, a...
, then north up Pine Creek
Pine Creek (Pennsylvania)
Pine Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Potter, Tioga, Lycoming, and Clinton counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The creek is long...
and down the Allegheny River past Coudersport and west to Port Allegany, as part of a larger route to Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. The Panic of 1873
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
stopped work, although some grading of the proposed line was done in 1874 and 1875.
On April 6, 1882 an organizational meeting was held in Olean, NY attended by H.B. Hamlin, F.W. Knox, A.G. Olmstead, A.M. Benton, F.H. Arnold, F.H. Root, C.B. Barse, and C.S. Cary. On May 1, 1882 the C&PA was chartered. The unfinished JSPC&B route along the Allegheny River was acquired for $7000 and construction was carried out that summer with the first train reaching Coudersport on September 7, 1882. The narrow gauge Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad unofficially opened the next day with the formal opening occurring on September 26, 1882. The original 17 miles (27.4 km) line between Coudersport and Port Allegany was initially operated with two 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s. Both locomotives were built by the Brooks Locomotive Works. Engine number one was purchased from the Olean, Bradford & Warren for $3000. Engine number two was purchased from Brooks for $8250 on November 29, 1882.
There was a connection the standard gauge Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad
Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad
The Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad is a short-line railroad that operates freight trains in Western New York and Northwest Pennsylvania, United States. The company is controlled by the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad, with which it does not connect...
at Port Allegany, and a Ramsey Car Transfer Apparatus
Ramsey Car Transfer Apparatus
In railroad industry, the Ramsey Car Transfer Apparatus was a proposed device to replace bogies on railroad cars to permit transfer of a train between railroad lines with different gauge....
was added there in 1883 so that lumber from mills on the line could be more easily loaded onto standard gauge cars. In 1887 a 2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
locomotive was added, and in July the next year the stockholders voted to convert the line to standard gauge, which was done on June 16, 1889.
A subsidiary of the railroad built an extension 5 miles (8 km) southeast along Mill Creek to the village of Sweden Valley in Sweden Township
Sweden Township, Pennsylvania
Sweden Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:Sweden Township was formed on February 26, 1828 from Eulalia Township...
in Potter County. By 1895 a new line was extended northeast along the Allegheny River east to Newfield Junction in Ulysses Township, Pennsylvania
Ulysses Township, Pennsylvania
Ulysses Township is a township in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 691. There are two Pennsylvania state parks in Ulysses Township. Denton Hill State Park is a ski resort along U.S. Route 6...
, where it connected with the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad
Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad
The Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad was a railroad company that formerly operated in western and north central Pennsylvania and western New York states. It was created in 1893 by the merger and consolidation of several smaller logging railroads. It operated independently until 1929 when a...
, and then on to a new eastern terminus at the borough of Ulysses
Ulysses, Pennsylvania
Ulysses is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census. When first settled, in 1831, Ulysses was named Lewisville, after an early settler, Orange Lewis. Orange Lewis was a prominent farmer who later became Justice of the Peace, and then county...
, where it linked with the Fall Brook Railway. The Fall Brook became part of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
system in 1899, and a year later the western terminus at Port Allegany connected with the Pennsylvania Railroad
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....
, so the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad connected the two major rail lines in that part of Pennsylvania.
The Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad began construction on a new brick and sandston station in Coudersport in 1899 and opened it in January 1900. Coudersport's population grew from 1,525 in 1890 to 3,217 in 1900, and this was also when the lumber industry was at its height. The lumber industry declined soon after, and in 1924 the line from Newfield Junction to Ulysses was abandoned. The western 9 miles (14.5 km) of the line to Port Allegany were destroyed in a July 18, 1942 flood and the railroad connected to other lines only through Newfield Junction after this. In 1964 the railroad was purchased by the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
The Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad was formed in 1954 to operate a section of Baltimore and Ohio Railroad trackage which had been isolated from the rest of the system by a 1942 flood. This trackage was acquired by the B&O as part of the purchase of the Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad...
, which finally abandoned it on December 8, 1970. The borough of Coudersport bought the station in 1975 and restored it, adding a new roof. The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on November 21, 1976. As of 2009 it serves as the police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
and office building for the borough government of Coudersport, and is the only remaining building from the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad.