nberpa
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I just like running trains!
Posts: 49
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Post by nberpa on Sept 17, 2012 10:06:53 GMT -8
Hi all, Does anybody know anything about the Beech Creek RR/ New York Central Line that ran thru Snow Shoe, PA? Any Historical info/photos would be appreciated. I know that part of it is a rails to trails for ATVs. Here is a link to the Rails to trails info: ssrt.org/Thanks for the help. Cody |
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Post by calzephyr on Sept 21, 2012 6:08:22 GMT -8
Hi all, Does anybody know anything about the Beech Creek RR/ New York Central Line that ran thru Snow Shoe, PA? Any Historical info/photos would be appreciated. I know that part of it is a rails to trails for ATVs. Here is a link to the Rails to trails info: ssrt.org/Thanks for the help. Cody Cody The information below may help. Sorry, I have no first hand information on this railroad. Larry
Beech Creek Railroad In 1890 the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad took out a long term lease of the Beech Creek Railroad yet the Beech Creek maintained independent operations until July 1899. The NYC & HR Railroad became part of the New York Central Railroad Company by 1914.West Branch Review, April 2006, pge 6
An April 29, 1951 a New York Central Timetable listed the line as the "Pennsylvania Division" while an October 30, 1960 Timetable listed it as the "Syracuse Division." The following details concerning the abandonment, closing and removal of this rail line can be confirmed by the below sources of information. The Centre Daily Times of July 23, 1965 has a story briefly mentioning that the railroad is seeking to formally abandon their line between Mill Hall, PA and Snow Shoe, PA. On June 29, 1967, the Centre Daily Times printed a large full-page story titled"Historical Rail Unit on Way Out." By then the only remaining rails being removed were in or around Kato, PA, one of the points on the line past Orviston, PA. Traffic World Magazine lists an "Abandonment Note" in their January 8, 1966 issue.
History of the Beech Creek Area of Clinton County Pennsylvania, by Harry A. and Vera A Lingle, says that the last through freight on this line occurred on April 23, 1966, “with its whistle blowing continually as it moved through town.”
All rail and track had been removed in and through Beech Creek by June 1967, based on a picture of the empty railroad grade in the Centre Daily Times. Rail in the opposite direction, between Beech Creek, PA and Mill Hall, PA as well as between Beech Creek and Orviston was gone by that date as well.
According to the Centre Daily Times, no rail remained in place along the entire Mill Hall to Orviston route. It indicates removal of the track took place during 1966.
Two maps show the abandoned New York Central Railroad as intact past 1970. The first is a township map titled “Map of Clinton County,” dated May 1972. It identifies the line simply as "PC RR," all the way to from Avis Borough, where they had a small yard, all the way to and past Monument, PA. It also shows a small intact segment to Salona, PA. The other map is a 1:50,000 US Geological Survey map of Centre County, West Half, dated 1975. On this map the Beech Creek Railroad track is clearly shown in place by track markings. “Conrail” is printed alongside the track on the map. This map indicates that the track was intact all the way from Orviston to Clarence, PA in 1975. The track from Clearfield to Munson and on to Clarence was still operated by the Penn Central Railroad and Conrail until the early 1990s. The Penn Central Railroad, (Railroad Color History) by Peter Lynch (Motor Books International, 2004) says "the Penn Central Railroad continued to use some "New York Central and some PR RR trackage to access Pennsylvania coal mines. There is five hundred miles of PR RR and New York Central coal branches were intertwined, mostly in shabby condition and some out of service. These lines served the areas around Clearfield, Cherry Tree, and Snow Shoe.”
Although the Centre Daily Times states that rails were taken up all the way to Clarence, a small section from Snow Shoe to Kato continued to be used by a pulpwood customer until at least January, 1968. Officially though, this little section was considered "abandoned".
Passenger service of the Beech Creek began dropping off as early as the 1920’s. To reduce costs The New York Central Railroad began cutting trains back by mid 1923. Upon the Great Depression era service was reduced to one train daily between Clearfield and Williamsport, PA. {West Branch Review, same story, Feldmeier Jeff, April 2006, pge 7} By 1932 the New York Central requested application to discontinue passenger service citing losses of $24,000 a year. {West Branch Review, Part II, NYC RR Passenger Service “West Branch Valley Lines”, Nov- Dec 2006, Pge 4} Passenger service was further lost on the Beech Creek section a short time later. Between May 1, 1931 through July 31, 1932 costs of operation were $42,841 while revenue was $23,319. The last passenger service over this line from Clearfield, PA to Jersey Shore, PA took place on February 18, 1933 from Clearfield using a NYC gas-electric motorcar “doodlebug”, ending 47 years of passenger service. {West Branch Review, Same story, Feldmeier Jeff, Nov-Dec 2006, pge 5} After that time the line became freight only daily operations. Personal photographs show the rails to Clarence still intact and in place but officially abandoned in early 1993. {Personal on-sight observation,Spring 1993} Other personal photographs show all rails and roadbed removed to a point near the Viaduct Bridge. But same pictures of these August 1998 photographs show portions of the line from past the Viaduct Bridge to near Munson with places of rail and ties still fully intact but in isolated sections. At the Munson “Y” at that time all rails had been pulled up and removed. But some piles of ties were in this immediate area, with some still in place. However, it was clear it was all in the stages of final removal. A rail overpass of a roadway had also be removed.{Personal on-sight observation, 8-16-1998} A long spur track from the main between past the Viaduct Bridge to ending just short of this “Y”, lead to “Browns Coaling Station” and as of that time 1998 all rails, ties, crossings, bridges, etc. were fully intact. {Personal on-sight observation 8-16-1998 & letter from Mike Bezilla, March 15, 2010} All rails, hardware, and ties were later removed and now form a “Rails To Trails” right of way from Clarence to a point past the Viaduct Bridge. There is a proposal to reactivate and reestablish rail service on this line to a past point of this line once called Gorton, where a landfill is being proposed. Personal photographs taken at same time 1998 give evidence of a short spur with much rails and ties still in place and intact. It went to a brickyard operation by J.H. France that was shut down in the 1980’s. {personal letter from Mike Bezilla March 15 2010, & personal on-sight observation 8-16-1998} Some buildings and various “Beehive” Ovens remained but were in decay. Forest growth over the rails and ties had began in earnest. {Personal on-sight observation 8-16-1998} Also a local from Beech Creek Has CONFIRMED that the “B C” sign that I obtained IS from the NYC RR Beech Creek Station. |
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pappy
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Posts: 14
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Post by pappy on Sept 21, 2012 10:52:01 GMT -8
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Post by calzephyr on Sept 25, 2012 5:45:23 GMT -8
Pappy That guy gets an A+ for the pictures and maps of that line. Thanks for posting that information. Larry |
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pappy
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Posts: 14
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Post by pappy on Sept 25, 2012 6:39:47 GMT -8
Pappy That guy gets an A+ for the pictures and maps of that line. Thanks for posting that information. Larry Yea...he has spent alot of time exploring old RR lines and taking pic's and putting them on his site. The Beech Creek at SSRT is the furthest he went west along the line. I did post pic's of the tunnels past Gazzam on the railnet thread but that's all I got a chance to do before moving to North Carolina. I had full intentions of doing more...I bought a metal detector and nice TOPO GPS that I could overlay old TOPO's from the 1900's and 30's to find landmarks and artifacts. Now their just in a box in storage... |
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Post by calzephyr on Sept 25, 2012 12:45:45 GMT -8
Pappy That guy gets an A+ for the pictures and maps of that line. Thanks for posting that information. Larry Yea...he has spent alot of time exploring old RR lines and taking pic's and putting them on his site. The Beech Creek at SSRT is the furthest he went west along the line. I did post pic's of the tunnels past Gazzam on the railnet thread but that's all I got a chance to do before moving to North Carolina. I had full intentions of doing more...I bought a metal detector and nice TOPO GPS that I could overlay old TOPO's from the 1900's and 30's to find landmarks and artifacts. Now their just in a box in storage... Pappy I sent a PM with some pictures of the PRR you might enjoy. Larry |
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