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| Marcia Amsler Shipley posted Train going over the Foxburg Bridge. James Llewelyn Page is on the far right on the caboose. Can someone explain why the engine is backwards? John Fernandes: Looking at the town in Google Maps, I am guessing the railroad part is entirely gone, but is Rt 58 on the former rail line? Dennis DeBruler shared B&O train at Foxburg, PA. |
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| Jackson-Township historical preservation posted Train on the B & O (Baltimore & Ohio) Railroad Bridge crossing the Allegheny River at the borough of Foxburg, Clarion County. (Photo from Jamey LeVier via https://www.foxburgtours.com/) Merrill Swartzfager: Fifty or so years ago there was a gas station and restaurant at the end of the bridge on the other side of the river. One day I stopped and got gas in my 1929 Ford. Then I decided to eat at the restaurant. The nice elderly lady that filled my tank was also the waitress and the cook at the restaurant. She did it all and the food was out of this world good. I have never forgotten the experience. As for the bridge, it was very narrow but that just added to its charm! Terry Ritts: After crossing the bridge in Foxburg go up the hill and there you will find the Oldest Golf Course still in use in the United States |
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| Bridges Now and Then posted August, 28, 1921. "Reconstruction of the Bridge 467, Butler Branch, over the Allegheny River, at Foxburg, Pennsylvania, from the east end after rolling operations had restarted. This photograph shows the old span in its rolled-out position on the falsework. On page 7 of the October 1921 Baltimore and Ohio Magazine." (Baltimore and Ohio Magazine) Keith Wise: This bridge was a two decker. The lower deck was a road and the upper deck had railroad tracks. . This railroad ran down to Bear Creek and through Parker, Bruin, Petrolia, Karns City and Chicora and connected to other tracks in Butler . I believe the other end eventually followed rte.66 Northeast to Bradford. Not sure. Jon Hart: Keith Wiseand don’t forget the switchback up the hill on the Foxburg side of the river. |
This is obviously a colorization of the above photo.
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| History's Mirror posted The historic B&O Railroad Bridge, spanning the Allegheny River at Foxburg in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, stands as a testament to early 20th-century engineering and the vital role of rail transport in connecting rural communities. Constructed in the 1920s by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, this double-deck steel truss structure featured the railroad tracks on the upper level and a roadway for automobiles below, allowing simultaneous use by trains and vehicles. It carried freight and passengers along the B&O's Butler Branch, originally tied to lines like the Pittsburgh & Western, facilitating commerce through Pennsylvania's wooded valleys and linking to broader networks toward the north and south. The bridge's graceful curve and sturdy lattice design offered striking views of the river and surrounding hills, with steam locomotives chugging across while river waters flowed beneath. Though rail service ceased in the 1960s, the bridge remained in limited use for road traffic until its demolition in 2008 to make way for a modern replacement. Today, it evokes nostalgia for an era when railroads shaped small-town life, economies, and landscapes in western Pennsylvania. |
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| Jackson-Township historical preservation posted Train on the B & O (Baltimore & Ohio) Railroad Bridge crossing the Allegheny River at the borough of Foxburg, Clarion County. (Photo from http://www.foxburgboro.com/) |
The railroad along the east shore of the river was the Pennsy.
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on John's question The B&O shared the route of the road only on the bridge. Note that the B&O did a double switchback to get up the bluff on the east side of the river. 1963 Emlenton Quad @ 24,000 |
Did the B&O use the route through Du Bois for trains between Pittsburgh and New York State given that the trains on the shorter route had to go down into the valley of the Allegheny River and then climb back out?
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| DavidRumsey |
I got curious about how it got into the valley on the west side. It followed the grade of a tributary.
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| 1963 Parker Quad @ 24,000 |
This bridge was removed about 10 years ago. Until then, the lower level was single-lane, with open steel grid. The stringers for the rail line were still in place on the upper level. The line to Mt. Jewett was part of the P&W, and the Butler to DuBois route was part of BR&P, which is why there were two routes. The line remains from Butler to Petrolia/Karns City, and still has a few wooden trestles in and around of Chicora. The largest trestle burned, and was replaced by a fill a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteThere was a cutoff south of Butler to Eidenau, replacing a former BR&P leg that connected further south, near Callery. An abanonded high fill, bridge foundations, and a mostly collapsed tunnel remain outside of Evans City, PA.
According to Street View, the old bridge was gone by 2008. https://goo.gl/maps/CAvS6PKmdta1ib4V6 That is the only view they have, so I wasn't able to find a view with the old bridge still standing.
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