Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad
Encyclopedia
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
in 1932, and abandoned in stages from 1970 to 1979. It is known as the operator of a set of GE centercab diesels supplemented by F7 locomotives in later years.
The original section of the line consisted in the main of two lines originating from Galeton, Pennsylvania
. One ran northwest to Wellsville, New York
, where it connected to the Erie Railroad
; the other ran northeast to Addison, New York
and also connected to the Erie. Two short segments completed the trackage, one running east to Ansonia, Pennsylvania and a connection with the New York Central System, and another southwest to Burrows, representing the stub end of the former connection to the B&O. This totalled 91 miles of trackage and was sold for $250,000, along with six ex-B&S steam locomotives, four cabooses, and a miscellany of work equipment, to the H. E. Salzberg Company, which operated a number of other short lines. Operations began in 1956.
The future of the line was driven by line conditions on the one hand and traffic on the other. Major customers over the years included a Sinclair refinery in Wellsville and tanneries in Elkland and Westfield (both in PA on the line to Addison). These latter supplied the sobriquet of "The Sole Leather Line", which was painted on some equipment.
The first line to go was the stub branch to Burrows, which had never had any significant traffic and was abandoned as soon as operations began. It was followed in 1960 by the section from Elkland to Addison, which had no on-line customers and was imperiled by a weakening bridge.
In 1964 the line was enlarged by the purchase of the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
(C&PA), which crossed the WAG line at Newfield Junction on the Wellsville line. This line saw light operations until 1970, and it was abandoned along with the entire line to Wellsville in 1973.
Flooding was a major issue in the early 1970s, including damage from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes
. By this point the railroad had been reduced to a 40 mile line running from Galeton to Elkland, with a branch (and its only outside connection) to Ansonia. A fire destroyed the Elkland tannery in 1973, and after more floods the railroad filed for abandonment in 1975. Approval to abandon was granted by the ICC
in 1978, and the final freight ran on March 13, 1979. The line remained open until November to retrieve equipment and ship locomotives to various buyers.
(built in 1907-1908) as part of the original sale. The new railroad intended to use diesel power instead, and only one of the six (#3127) was ever lettered for the WAG. However, the first diesels purchased, a pair of Whitcomb 75-tonners, proved inadequate for the grades on the Wellsville line, and so the steamers were pressed into service briefly at the opening of the line, only to be scrapped in 1955-56.
More adequate power came in as a series of General Electric
centercab models. The first, a 50-ton unit, served briefly at the opening of the line; then in 1955 a pair of 125-ton units were purchased from Ford
, to be joined by five 132-ton units the following year. These were retired in stages through the 1960s, and all except #s 1700 and 1800 were scrapped in 1969.
As the centercabs wore out they were replaced by a series of F7
units, the first of which came from General Electric
in 1968. A total of eight were operated, including one B unit and an FP7A purchased in 1972. The first two were transferred to the Louisiana and North West Railroad
, another Salzberg line, in 1968; the remainder survived to the end of service and were sold to various other lines.
Two of the six cabooses joined the F7s on the trip to Louisiana; the others lasted to the end of service, and at least three survive. No other cabooses were operated. Like a number of short lines in the late 1950s, the WAG made a profitable business out of cars in interchange service. This began with a purchase of 78 wooden boxcars, and eventually 761 cars were in service. These cars, already obsolescent, grew less profitable through the years, and the refusal of Penn Central to renew a lease of 300 wooden cars put an end to their use, though metal-sided cars remained in service.
). Three of the line's cabooses are known to survive in private ownership. Former snowplow X-3710 is currently undergoing restoration at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. GE 132 ton centercab locomotive WAG#1700 (ex-Ford #1006) is preserved at the Lake Shore Railway Historical Museum in North East, PA, just 10 miles from the GE locomotive assembly plant that built it.
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...
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
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...
in 1932, and abandoned in stages from 1970 to 1979. It is known as the operator of a set of GE centercab diesels supplemented by F7 locomotives in later years.
Acquisitions and abandonments
Galeton, Pennsylvania
Galeton is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States, southeast of Bradford. Light industries such as knitting mills and a tannery have existed in Galeton. In 1900, 2,415 people lived in Galeton, and 4,027 people lived there in 1910...
. One ran northwest to Wellsville, New York
Wellsville, New York
Wellsville, New York is a village and a town in Allegany County, New York, USA.*Wellsville , New York*Wellsville , New York----For other places with this name, see Wellsville....
, where it connected to the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
; the other ran northeast to Addison, New York
Addison, New York
Addison, New York may refer to:*Addison , New York*Addison , New York...
and also connected to the Erie. Two short segments completed the trackage, one running east to Ansonia, Pennsylvania and a connection with the New York Central System, and another southwest to Burrows, representing the stub end of the former connection to the B&O. This totalled 91 miles of trackage and was sold for $250,000, along with six ex-B&S steam locomotives, four cabooses, and a miscellany of work equipment, to the H. E. Salzberg Company, which operated a number of other short lines. Operations began in 1956.
The future of the line was driven by line conditions on the one hand and traffic on the other. Major customers over the years included a Sinclair refinery in Wellsville and tanneries in Elkland and Westfield (both in PA on the line to Addison). These latter supplied the sobriquet of "The Sole Leather Line", which was painted on some equipment.
The first line to go was the stub branch to Burrows, which had never had any significant traffic and was abandoned as soon as operations began. It was followed in 1960 by the section from Elkland to Addison, which had no on-line customers and was imperiled by a weakening bridge.
In 1964 the line was enlarged by the purchase of the Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
Coudersport and Port Allegany Railroad
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 along the Allegheny River between the boroughs of Coudersport, the county seat of Potter County, and...
(C&PA), which crossed the WAG line at Newfield Junction on the Wellsville line. This line saw light operations until 1970, and it was abandoned along with the entire line to Wellsville in 1973.
Flooding was a major issue in the early 1970s, including damage from the remnants of Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
. By this point the railroad had been reduced to a 40 mile line running from Galeton to Elkland, with a branch (and its only outside connection) to Ansonia. A fire destroyed the Elkland tannery in 1973, and after more floods the railroad filed for abandonment in 1975. Approval to abandon was granted by the ICC
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
in 1978, and the final freight ran on March 13, 1979. The line remained open until November to retrieve equipment and ship locomotives to various buyers.
Motive power and other equipment
The B&O supplied six class E-60 Consolidations2-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
(built in 1907-1908) as part of the original sale. The new railroad intended to use diesel power instead, and only one of the six (#3127) was ever lettered for the WAG. However, the first diesels purchased, a pair of Whitcomb 75-tonners, proved inadequate for the grades on the Wellsville line, and so the steamers were pressed into service briefly at the opening of the line, only to be scrapped in 1955-56.
More adequate power came in as a series of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
centercab models. The first, a 50-ton unit, served briefly at the opening of the line; then in 1955 a pair of 125-ton units were purchased from Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, to be joined by five 132-ton units the following year. These were retired in stages through the 1960s, and all except #s 1700 and 1800 were scrapped in 1969.
As the centercabs wore out they were replaced by a series of F7
F7
F7, F.VII, F07, F 7 or F-7 may refer to :* Caproni Vizzola F.7, an Italian fighter design of the 1940s* F-7 Liberator, a U.S...
units, the first of which came from General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in 1968. A total of eight were operated, including one B unit and an FP7A purchased in 1972. The first two were transferred to the Louisiana and North West Railroad
Louisiana and North West Railroad
The Louisiana and Northwest Railroad is a short-line railroad headquartered in Homer, Louisiana.LNW operates a line in Arkansas and Louisiana from McNeil, Arkansas , to Gibsland, Louisiana...
, another Salzberg line, in 1968; the remainder survived to the end of service and were sold to various other lines.
Two of the six cabooses joined the F7s on the trip to Louisiana; the others lasted to the end of service, and at least three survive. No other cabooses were operated. Like a number of short lines in the late 1950s, the WAG made a profitable business out of cars in interchange service. This began with a purchase of 78 wooden boxcars, and eventually 761 cars were in service. These cars, already obsolescent, grew less profitable through the years, and the refusal of Penn Central to renew a lease of 300 wooden cars put an end to their use, though metal-sided cars remained in service.
Surviving equipment
The WAG was beset by fire and flood over the years, and little physical evidence of the line remains. However, three of the F7 units went to museums (lettered, however, for other lines), and two were included in a group which ended up with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (currently stored on the Naugatuck RailroadNaugatuck Railroad
The Naugatuck Railroad was a railroad that ran through south central Connecticut from 1849 to 1887. In the latter year the line was leased by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and was wholly owned by the New Haven by 1906. At its greatest extent the Naugatuck ran from Bridgeport north...
). Three of the line's cabooses are known to survive in private ownership. Former snowplow X-3710 is currently undergoing restoration at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum. GE 132 ton centercab locomotive WAG#1700 (ex-Ford #1006) is preserved at the Lake Shore Railway Historical Museum in North East, PA, just 10 miles from the GE locomotive assembly plant that built it.