Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad , also known as the Shawmut Line, was a short line railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central and southwestern Pennsylvania
. Since 2004, it has been operated as part of the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad
, which is owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
from which the P&S had its origins. Further adding to the confusion is the fact that both were nicknamed the Shawmut Line, both operated in roughly the same geographic area, and both used similar diamond logos during their history. In fact the two were separate and unrelated companies after their 1916 split.
The main line consisted of approximately 88 miles (140 km) of standard gauge track extending from Brockway, Pennsylvania
to Freeport, Pennsylvania
. The main shops were located in Brookville, Pennsylvania
.
. When the PS&N declared bankruptcy in 1905, the B&M was spun off into a separate entity and was renamed in 1909 due to confusion with the Boston and Maine Railroad
's initials. Like its parent, the P&S was also financially troubled in its early years. The company struggled until corporate fortunes improved with the war mobilization of the 1940s. Coal
was the principle commodity for the line for its entire existence. Doodlebug
s and passenger trains ran on the route in the early years but had all been eliminated by 1939.
The company acquired a ten mile (16 km) section of Conrail track running from Sligo
to Lawsonham in 1989 and reorganized it as the Red Bank Railroad. On December 31, 1991 the company purchased about 110 miles (177 km) of "low grade secondary" track from Lawsonham to Driftwood, Pennsylvania
from Conrail and organized it as the Mountain Laurel Railroad.
, another G&W company. Simultaneously, a new company with the same name was created to purchase the property, which is now operated by the BPRR. (The P&S also acquired the residual common carrier obligation on the lines.) Several portions of the main line were abandoned before the absorption and several other since.
Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad. That company was chartered in 1899 when the official spelling of the name of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
was without the "h". The
city name was spelled Pittsburg from 1891 to 1911 due to an effort by the United States government to standardize the spelling of place names in the United States.
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...
. Since 2004, it has been operated as part of the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad
Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad
The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in New York and Pennsylvania.The BPRR is owned by Genesee and Wyoming Industries. Its main line runs between Buffalo, New York and Eidenau, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. Here, connections are made to the city center via the...
, which is owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
History
The Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad is often confused with the similarly named Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern RailroadPittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad
The Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad also known as the Shawmut Line, was a Class I railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central Pennsylvania and western New York. The line was financially troubled for its entire life span and declared...
from which the P&S had its origins. Further adding to the confusion is the fact that both were nicknamed the Shawmut Line, both operated in roughly the same geographic area, and both used similar diamond logos during their history. In fact the two were separate and unrelated companies after their 1916 split.
The main line consisted of approximately 88 miles (140 km) of standard gauge track extending from Brockway, Pennsylvania
Brockway, Pennsylvania
Brockway is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,182 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Brockway is located at ....
to Freeport, Pennsylvania
Freeport, Pennsylvania
Freeport is a borough in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, United States; it is situated along the Allegheny River in the southwest corner of the county. The population was 1,962 at the 2000 Census. Freeport received its name from David Todd, who declared it to be a free-port where no man would be...
. The main shops were located in Brookville, Pennsylvania
Brookville, Pennsylvania
Brookville is a borough in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. 2,472 people lived in Brookville in 1900, and 3,003 people lived there in 1910. The population was 4,230 at the 2000 census...
.
Beginning
The Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad Company began life on July 21, 1903 as the Brookville and Mahoning Railroad, leased by the Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern RailroadPittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad
The Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad also known as the Shawmut Line, was a Class I railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central Pennsylvania and western New York. The line was financially troubled for its entire life span and declared...
. When the PS&N declared bankruptcy in 1905, the B&M was spun off into a separate entity and was renamed in 1909 due to confusion with the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
's initials. Like its parent, the P&S was also financially troubled in its early years. The company struggled until corporate fortunes improved with the war mobilization of the 1940s. Coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was the principle commodity for the line for its entire existence. Doodlebug
Doodlebug (rail car)
In the United States, doodlebug was the common name for a self-propelled railroad car . While such a coach typically had a gasoline-powered engine that turned a generator which provided electricity to traction motors, which turned the axles and wheels on the trucks, versions with mechanical...
s and passenger trains ran on the route in the early years but had all been eliminated by 1939.
The company acquired a ten mile (16 km) section of Conrail track running from Sligo
Sligo, Pennsylvania
Sligo is a borough in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 728 at the 2000 census.It was named after the town and county of Sligo in Ireland.-Geography:Sligo is located at ....
to Lawsonham in 1989 and reorganized it as the Red Bank Railroad. On December 31, 1991 the company purchased about 110 miles (177 km) of "low grade secondary" track from Lawsonham to Driftwood, Pennsylvania
Driftwood, Pennsylvania
Driftwood is a borough in Cameron County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 103 at the 2000 census.-History:Driftwood was incorporated as the second and last borough in Cameron County on January 17, 1872. The tracks of the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad, however, had previously been...
from Conrail and organized it as the Mountain Laurel Railroad.
Management
The company operated under its own management until 1996 when it was acquired by the Genesee & Wyoming Inc.. The Genessee & Wyoming operated the Pittsburg & Shawmut Railroad under its own banner until January 1, 2004 when it was absorbed into the Buffalo and Pittsburgh RailroadBuffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad
The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in New York and Pennsylvania.The BPRR is owned by Genesee and Wyoming Industries. Its main line runs between Buffalo, New York and Eidenau, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. Here, connections are made to the city center via the...
, another G&W company. Simultaneously, a new company with the same name was created to purchase the property, which is now operated by the BPRR. (The P&S also acquired the residual common carrier obligation on the lines.) Several portions of the main line were abandoned before the absorption and several other since.
Spelling of Pittsburg
The spelling of Pittsburgh as Pittsburg derives from the company’s origins in thePittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad. That company was chartered in 1899 when the official spelling of the name of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
was without the "h". The
city name was spelled Pittsburg from 1891 to 1911 due to an effort by the United States government to standardize the spelling of place names in the United States.
External links
- Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad http://www.gwrr.com/operations/railroads/north_america/buffalo_pittsburgh_railroad