Showing posts with label rrBaO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rrBaO. Show all posts

Monday, March 30, 2026

1903 401.5' (122.4m) Aban/B&O/B&S Cottage Hill (Highland Street) Tunnel in Du Bois, PA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter
West Portal: (Satellite
East Portal: (Satellite)


The tunnel is 401.5' (122.4m) long. [centralpahistory, this reference provides a history of the B&S.]

One of the portals has the date.
2019 photo by Steve & Judy Yordy via BridgeHunter

The other one does not have the date. This view shows that the tunnel has a slight curve.
centralpahistory, cropped

This image makes it easier to determine where the portals were than the current Google Maps satelilte image.
Google Earth, May 2022

1922 Du Bois and 1929 Penfield Quads @ 62,500


Three different sources, including this reel, show both portals but none of  them say which one is west (geographic south) and which is east (geographic north). But images of the portal without a date show that there is a slight curve in the tunnel at the other end.
Facebook Reel

And topo maps show that the slight curve is at the west end. So the portal with the date is the West Portal.
1966/68 Du Bois Quad @ 24,000

Sunday, March 29, 2026

Aban/B&O/Hempfield Finney (#6) Tunnel

(B&T)
West Portal: (Satellite)
East Portal: (Satellite)

B&T (source)
The tunnel is roughly 3.5 miles west of Washington. It still has rails because this segment was used for car storage after B&O abandoned the route in Nov 1985.

B&T

Facebook Reel
Linda walked on the rail to get over all of the muck in the approach to the tunnel.

The tunnel is between Claysville and Washington on this map.
Rumsey, 1958

Tuesday, March 24, 2026

1907-72 Aban/B&O/Coal & Coke Kingsville (#1) Tunnel

(B&TSatellite)

West Portal:
B&T
B&O abandoned the tunnel in 1972.

East Portal:
wvrailmuseum 
"As stated in Mr. Clarke's book, Kingsville Tunnel is 834 feet [254m] long, of medium sandstone, shale and four-foot coal seam, with 1907 sandstone facades (surviving on the east end, the west end having the elegant 1924 facade added by the B&O); sandstone walls and partial brick arch."

Facebook Reel
Linda erroneously claims the tunnel was built in 1924 instead of 1907 because the number 1924 is in the west facade.

I could not find Kingsville. B&T says "The Coal & Coke Railway (C&C) is a former railroad between Charleston and Elkins, West Virginia." It was fully merged into B&O in 1934. B&O started abandoning parts of that route in 1941.
Rumsey, 1948

Thursday, March 19, 2026

1901 Aban/New Castle Industrial Railroad/((B&O/BR&P)+P&LE) Bridge over Shenango River in New Castle, PA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; B&T; Satellite)

P&LE = Pittsburgh & Lake Erie

HistoricBridges
The 370' (113m) long bridge has a main span of 235' (71.6m).
"Situated on a Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad line, this railroad bridge is a breathtaking pin connected truss bridge, and is very tall. As a surviving pin-connected Whipple railroad truss bridge, it is a very rare and highly significant historic bridge. The two span bridge also has a smaller Pratt through truss span as well. The bridge features an ornate portal bracing design, something not often seen in railroad bridges."

Bridges & Tunnels by Sherman Cahal posted four photos with the comment:
Since these photos were taken several years ago, this bridge has since been abandoned.
This unique skewed Whipple and Pratt through truss spans carried the New Castle Industrial Railroad over the Shenango River in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and originated as part of the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad before later incorporation into the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad system. Completed in 1901, the bridge played a role in the city's industrial development by linking the BR&P, B&O, and P&LE networks and serving nearby manufacturing plants. Although the line survived multiple railroad consolidations and continued operating under the New Castle Industrial Railroad, its status changed in 2024 when the diamond crossing east of the Mahoning River was removed. That action effectively cut the route, leaving the bridge isolated as a remnant of the city’s once-extensive industrial rail network.
More photographs and historical background: https://bridgestunnels.com/.../shenango-river-railroad.../
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2009 photo by Brian McKee via BridgeHunter

2009 photo by Brian McKee via BridgeHunter
[This together some other photos by Brian show that the flat cars are being stored on the bridge. That is, neither end has a locomotive.]

Facebook Reel

Two of the sources say it was owned by Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh (BR&P). It must have used B&O tracks to connect to the rest of its system at Callery, PA.
Rumsey via Dennis DeBruler


Monday, February 23, 2026

1855 North Bend Rail Trail/B&O #6 (Central Station, Doe Run) Tunnel near West Union, WV

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

The tunnel is 2297' (700m) long. [BridgeHunter]

West Portal:
2014 photo by Robert Elder via BridgeHunter

Evidently, this is the longest tunnel on this former 72-mile B&O route.
North Bend Rail Trail: "One of the most renowned recreational trails in the Appalachians, the North Bend Rail Trail stretches 72 miles across north-central and western West Virginia, crossing through 36 bridges and coursing through 10 tunnels, including a 2,297-foot tunnel and the 'haunted' Silver Run Tunnel." [wvstateparks]

The website below has an extensive discussion of this railroad. Page 1 discusses the route from Parkersburg to Ellenboro.

http://wvncrails.weebly.com/parkersburg-to-clarksburg---wais...

Page 2 lists all of the tunnels and discusses the route from Ellenboro to Clarksburg.

http://wvncrails.weebly.com/parkersburg-to-clarksburg--waist...

[Robert Elder comment on ArchivedBridgeHunter]

Mike Tewkesbury posted two photos with the comment: "The interior of Tunnel Number 6 from the old Parkersburg Branch of the B&O Railroad, now part of the North Bend Rail Trail; Rails to Trails known as Doe Run or Central Station, built 1853-55 of timber and rebuilt with brick and stone in the later 1860s. The tunnel was the second longest of the 23 tunnels built along the branch at 2297 feet. As the tunnel this day in 2016 was very wet from the previous two days and nights of rain, we found that unless we wanted cold feet that we would have to find another way to get to the eastern side. We started in so far, but when the water began to seep into our shoes, we turned around. It was a good call as, not more than a couple of minutes later, we saw bright lights heading our way from the opposite side. We quickly ran outside and waited to see what was going on. It ended up being a worker for the park making his rounds. We never saw the eastern end which is different than the west as it has a wider bricked portal. Nearly ten years later, it's about time to go back. Other photos will be added to the comment section. Thanks for your interest but you should see these fabulous tunnels for yourself."
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Mike Tewkesbury commented on his post
One of the escape alcoves on the eastern side. Notice the water up to the bottom of it. I've been told that most of the tunnels have had their floors worked on and covered with gravel making them a lot drier.

Mike Tewkesbury commented on his post
Noticing lights heading our way. Couldn't be a train?! 😉

Mark Floyd commented on Mike's post
Tunnel 19, the haunted Silver Run tunnel at Cairo, WV.

Comments on Mark's comment

Neal Reynolds commented on Mike's post
Tunnel #6 photo borrowed from WVNC Rails website.

Friday, December 19, 2025

1899 BPRR/B&O/BR&P Trestle over Little Mahoning Creek near Goodville near Dayton, PA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite)
BPRR/BR&P over Mahoning Creek: (Satellite)

I added "near Dayton, PA" because all of the Goodvilles that I could find on modern maps did not include this one. The BR&P Goodville has disappeared.

The bridge is 1000' (305m) long with a main span of 120' (36.6m). [BridgeHunter]

The Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway Company posted
The Flyer crossing Little Mahoning Creek at Goodville Pa circa 1900. The locomotive appears to be one of the beautiful ten wheelers.

Dennis DeBruler commented on the above post

The railroad crossed the Mahoning Creek a little east of this crossing.
1909/09 Smicksburg Quad @ 62,500

You can see that the bridge over the Little Mahoning Creek still has its towers.
Satellite

The bridge to the east has concrete piers. The trees block getting a decent street view.
Satellite

This is on the route between the B&O mainline and DuBois.
Rumsey via Dennis DeBruler

Monday, December 15, 2025

BPRR/BR&P Cascade Park Trestle over Cattaraugus Creek near Springville, NY

(Satellite)

BPRR = Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad

The Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway Company posted
Postcard from my collection

The Buffalo Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway Company posted
A 2-6-6-2 Mallet heads up a block of hopper cars on Cascade Viaduct in the 1920’s.

BuffaloRising
Cascade Park Bridge aerial photo

BuffaloRising
Photo simulation of improved High Cascades Bridge

The roads have moved a lot, but the railroad route has remained fixed.
1941 Ellicottville Quad @ 62,500 and 1954 Springville Quad @ 24,000

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

NYC and R. J. Corman/B&O/BR&P Bridges over Anderson Creek at Curwensville, PA

NYC: (no Bridge Hunter; Satellite)
B&O/BR&P: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

BR&P = Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh

History's Mirror posted
In 1916, the junction of the New York Central and the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad at Curwensville was a vital crossroads in Clearfield County’s coal-rich landscape. A train crossing the bridge at this junction captures the essence of a region defined by industry, timber, and the steady pulse of rail traffic. The NY Central and the BR&P both served as lifelines for northern Pennsylvania, hauling coal from nearby mines, lumber from local forests, and manufactured goods that kept small towns thriving. The bridge itself stood as a symbol of early 20th-century railroad engineering, carrying heavy steam locomotives across the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and linking two powerful systems in the state’s transportation network. In 1916, steam engines still ruled the rails, their exhaust hanging in the air as crews worked long, demanding runs through the rugged countryside. A scene like this—iron, timber, river, and smoke—perfectly reflects the character of the region during a time when railroads shaped nearly every aspect of life. It’s a timeless snapshot of Pennsylvania’s railroading heritage and the communities it sustained.
Kaleb Lippert: And you got the Pennsylvania Railroad line that ran right under them. Now, both Pennsylvania and the B&O-CSX line are abandoned; only the NYC line survives.

This is the R. J. Corman/B&O/BR&P Bridge, looking North into town. In addition to a couple of truss spans over the creek, it has a trestle over the south end of the town.
Street View, Mar 2025

The David S. Ammerman Trail on the left used to be the Pennsy RoW. So that truss is where the B&O used to cross the Pennsy.
Street View, Mar 2025

NYC bridge, looking West
Street View, Mar 2025

NYC bridge, looking East
Street View, Mar 2025

I started looking at topo maps near the 1916 date of the photo. But the NYC was south of this town back then.
1903 Curwensville and 1905 Houtzdale Quads @ 62,500

So I got more modern maps. This shows what Google Maps labels CB Junction.
1939/52 Curwensville Quad @ 62,500 and 1944/56 Glen Richey Quad@ 24,000

This town was on the BR&P branch to Clearfield. Note on the older map the short railroads that served mines and/or logging along the route.
Rumsey via Dennis DeBruler

I'm used to seeing B&O and Pennsy routes going through Pennsy towns, but not the NYC. So I researched its route. The NYC wound its way southwest until it got to Cush Creek Junction. The main route went south to Barnesboro, today's Northern Cambria. From Cush Creek Junction, there was a branch that went a little west of Arcadia. From Barnesboro, NYC worked its way East to Patton. Pennsy also served Patton with a north/south route through that town. How NYC got to Clearfield to join the BR&P trackage is a topic for another day.
1953/53 Pittsburgh Quad @ 250,000