Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR) Overview

This topic tripped my "twice in two days" rule. In fact, it was twice in one day. (The CSX abandonment request below and Ridgway, PA, depot)

I think of B&O as an east/west railroad that goes across the southwestern part of Pennsylvania. So I was surprised when I learned that B&O had a depot in New York. I found this map that shows that B&O had a branch that left their east/west route in Eidenau and went into the coal fields of PA and on up into New York to the Buffalo and Rochester areas.

Rumsey via Dennis DeBruler

The news article at the bottom of these notes shows that CSX must have already abandoned the east fork to Rochester because it doesn't say that the proposed abandonment of the rest of their New York track would impact towns on that route. But the B&P map shows that the segment from Ashford to Machias survived because that is how the B&P gets to the former-Pennsy route to Buffalo.

gwrr_bprr via Dennis DeBruler
[The BPRR gains access to Pittsburgh by connecting to the Allegheny Valley Railroad.]

The B&P has picked up other segments that CSX and NS didn't want. For example, it operates a former-Pennsy route that intersects its former-B&O route in DuBois, PA.

I found a date of 1974.

Raymond Storey posted
Greg Amerman: What year did this happen?
Dennis DeBruler: Greg Amerman I was wondering also. Then I saw it cite traffic numbers for 1Q 1974.

Towns or towers on this railroad that I have documented:

• Ashford Junction (at the V below West Valley and Machias)
• Springville, NY
• Ridgway, PA
• Du Bois, PA

Evidently B&P has restored the former-B&O route that CSX asked to abandon because Springville is on the route between West Valley and Orchard Park. Even though that route is not on the above B&P map, a USGS map shows that route is owned by B&P.

Also Rochester and Warsaw are on the RSR part (see the above shortlines map) of a former B&O branch.