Keystone Subdivision
Encyclopedia
The Keystone Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation
in the U.S. state
s of Maryland
and Pennsylvania
. The line runs from Cumberland, Maryland
west to McKeesport, Pennsylvania
(near Pittsburgh) along a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
line. The line includes the well-known Sand Patch Grade
over the Allegheny Mountains
.
The east end of the Keystone Subdivision is at Viaduct Junction in Cumberland, where it meets the Cumberland Terminal Subdivision
at the east end of the Cumberland Viaduct. The west end is at Sinns, on the west (left) side of the Youghiogheny River
at Liberty
; the Pittsburgh Subdivision
continues to and past Pittsburgh. The Keystone Subdivision also junctions with the S&C Subdivision
at Rockwood, Pennsylvania
.
Amtrak
's Capitol Limited
uses the Keystone Subdivision.
initially wanted to build to Pittsburgh, but the Pennsylvania
legislature refused to grant it a charter, preferring that goods travel from Pittsburgh over the Main Line of Public Works
to Philadelphia.
The Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad was first incorporated in 1837, but did not succeed in raising money until 1846. Work began in 1847, and the line opened from Pittsburgh to Connellsville in 1857 and to Cumberland in 1871. The B&O leased the P&C for 50 years effective January 1, 1876, and it was merged into the B&O in 1912.
A new bridge over the Youghiogheny River
at Sinns opened in 1968, connecting the old P&C to the parallel Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
(which the B&O had trackage rights
over to New Castle) on the opposite shore. This allowed B&O trains to bypass downtown McKeesport; the B&O line through McKeesport was closed in 1970. The P&LE is now CSX's Pittsburgh Subdivision
, while the old B&O through the Pittsburgh area is mostly abandoned or operated by short lines.
In summer 1985, the Chessie System
(the B&O's holding company
at the time) announced that it would sever its St. Louis line through Ohio, rerouting all through traffic over the Alleghenies at Sand Patch rather than along the older Mountain Subdivision
.
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
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...
s of 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...
and 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 runs from Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
west to McKeesport, Pennsylvania
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
McKeesport is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in the United States; it is located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 19,731 at the 2010 census...
(near Pittsburgh) along a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
line. The line includes the well-known Sand Patch Grade
Sand Patch Grade
Sand Patch Grade is a ~100 mile length of railroad track known for its steep grades and curves through the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania and Maryland. The line is part of the Keystone Subdivision, an East-West main line operated by CSX Transportation...
over the Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
.
The east end of the Keystone Subdivision is at Viaduct Junction in Cumberland, where it meets the Cumberland Terminal Subdivision
Cumberland Terminal Subdivision
The Cumberland Terminal Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the Cumberland, Maryland area. The line centers around the Cumberland rail yard and is a junction with three other subdivisions....
at the east end of the Cumberland Viaduct. The west end is at Sinns, on the west (left) side of the Youghiogheny River
Youghiogheny River
The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough for short, is a tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
at Liberty
Liberty, Pennsylvania
Liberty is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Liberty, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania*Liberty, Tioga County, Pennsylvania*Liberty Mountain Resort, a ski area located in Carroll Valley, Pennsylvania...
; the Pittsburgh Subdivision
Pittsburgh Subdivision
The Pittsburgh Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from McKeesport northwest through Pittsburgh to West Pittsburg along a former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad line...
continues to and past Pittsburgh. The Keystone Subdivision also junctions with the S&C Subdivision
S&C Subdivision
The S&C Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from the Keystone Subdivision at Rockwood north to Johnstown along a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line, once the Somerset and Cambria Railroad.-History:The Somerset...
at Rockwood, Pennsylvania
Rockwood, Pennsylvania
Rockwood is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 954 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Rockwood is located at ....
.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Capitol Limited
Capitol Limited (Amtrak)
Amtrak's Capitol Limited is one of the railroad's two routes connecting Washington, D.C. to Chicago, running via Cleveland, Ohio . Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Capitol Limited which ended in 1971 upon the formation of Amtrak...
uses the Keystone Subdivision.
History
The Baltimore and Ohio RailroadBaltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
initially wanted to build to Pittsburgh, but the 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...
legislature refused to grant it a charter, preferring that goods travel from Pittsburgh over the Main Line of Public Works
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...
to Philadelphia.
The Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad was first incorporated in 1837, but did not succeed in raising money until 1846. Work began in 1847, and the line opened from Pittsburgh to Connellsville in 1857 and to Cumberland in 1871. The B&O leased the P&C for 50 years effective January 1, 1876, and it was merged into the B&O in 1912.
A new bridge over the Youghiogheny River
Youghiogheny River
The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough for short, is a tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
at Sinns opened in 1968, connecting the old P&C to the parallel Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio at nearby Haselton, Ohio in the west and Connellsville, ...
(which the B&O 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....
over to New Castle) on the opposite shore. This allowed B&O trains to bypass downtown McKeesport; the B&O line through McKeesport was closed in 1970. The P&LE is now CSX's Pittsburgh Subdivision
Pittsburgh Subdivision
The Pittsburgh Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from McKeesport northwest through Pittsburgh to West Pittsburg along a former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad line...
, while the old B&O through the Pittsburgh area is mostly abandoned or operated by short lines.
In summer 1985, the Chessie System
Chessie System
Chessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and several smaller carriers. It was incorporated in Virginia on February 26, 1973, and it acquired the C&O on June 15...
(the B&O's holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
at the time) announced that it would sever its St. Louis line through Ohio, rerouting all through traffic over the Alleghenies at Sand Patch rather than along the older Mountain Subdivision
Mountain Subdivision
The Mountain Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Maryland and West Virginia. The line runs from Cumberland, Maryland west to Grafton, West Virginia along the original Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road main line...
.