Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad Rare Milage Trip 5/23/2010

by Chris Guenzler

Randy and I arose and after breakfast, drove north to Scottsdale for the last time.

A Brief History

Below is a history of the lines we will be riding today.

Everson to Connellsville

This is known as the Buckskin Branch which was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad mainline. In 2007, the Westmoreland County Industrial Development received $196,700 to continue the upgrading on the Bucksin Branch of the SWP.

Radebaugh to Everson

The Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad was incorporated March 16, 1871. It was authorized to build from the Pennsylvania Railroad connection at Greensburg by way of Connellsville to Uniontown and on south to the Pennsylvania/West Virginia state line. In 1875, the line had reached Connellsville as far as Mount Braddock and in the fall of 1876, was opened as far as Uniontown. The Uniontown and West Virginia Railroad Company started building the line further south. Before they could finish building the line, it was sold to the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad who completed the line from Uniontown to Fairchance. The old Pennsylvania Southwest Secondary Branch is active between Greenburg, Youngwood, Scottsdale and Bullskin Tripple Company near Connellsville.

When Conrail left the area, they abandoned the parallel portions of the Southwest Branch next to the B&O "FM&P" branch. The reminder of the line and bridge over the Younghiogeny River was removed in the 1980's. The original mainline went via Greensburg. The track between County Home Junction and Radebaugh was part of the Hempfield Branch. Besides what is today the mainline, the branch split and ran southwest though the rich coal fields around Arona, then curved back north to the Pennsylvania Railroad mainline at Irwin. This part of the railroad is now abondoned. During the 1940's and 1950's, this line was part of the PRR Monongahelia Division. The junctions at Greensburg and Redebaugh were operated by the Pittsbugh Division.

County Home Junction to Greenburg

What is today the Greenburg Industrial track was the orginal mainline of the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad incorportated March 16, 1871. By the 1940's, the line was a double-track railroad with a north and south mainline.

Hunker to Waltz Mills

This line has been known as the Yukon Branch over the years and was once over 12 miles long, extending from Hunker to Cowansburg on the Younghiogheny Branch, which itself extended between Gratztown on the Youghiogheny River and Shafton on the PRR mainline. The Pennsylvania Railroad was built to serve coal mines in the area and to provide additional routes for moving coal and coke to the factories in the Pittsburgh area.

Our trip

The RDC ready to start another day of rare mileage trips and departed on time. This morning we would start by travelling down the former Pennsylvania Railroad line to Connellsville.

We started the southbound run by heading for Everson.

The RDC made a zigzag move to get onto the Bullskin Branch bound for Connellsville.

The route we took yesterday can be seen down the hill.

A large industry in Everson.

Trees along our route.

This loading facility is made out of gondola cars. The RDC took us to the end of track at Narrows Road in Connellsville and we detrained for posed pictures.