Wednesday, June 28, 2023

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.

I don't know which town had that coaling tower, so I'll put this photo in this overview.
Fernando Luna posted
Baltimore & Ohio 2-6-6-2 #7527 (KK-4c)
Note the air tank atop the boiler. This locomotive was built as Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh, it picked up from the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh during the early 1930s which was also one of the largest types that railroad ever owned.
While the B&O used many types of large, articulated steamers it never used the 2-6-6-2 design in great numbers except those it either received from the BR&P or a few it had built for testing purposes. The 2-6-6-2 was one of the earliest articulated steamers to enter service.,Date build 1918; retired 1953 Numbers; 7526-7540
Michael Sirotta: Why the hell do the front engines have sliding box valves instead of the cylindrical valves on the 2nd set. Did this locomotive mutate from something earlier?
John M Rose: Michael Sirotta This arrangement, common to compound Mallets, is a high pressure/low pressure thing
The cylinder valve is inside admission and suitable to higher steam pressure. It is more challenging to cast, machine and maintain, however
The old D valve is more economical to produce and care for and is satisfactory for the lower pressure engine.
Nick Chillianis: Excerpt from a post on the Railway Preservation News site:
"Slide valves worked well with low pressure, low temperature steam applications. They had the advantage of "wearing in", rather than "wearing out"; hence they required less maintenance."
Jeremy Hagan: Love the southern valve gear!

Depots, towers or bridges on this railroad that I have documented:
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.


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