Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad – P&LERR
The railroad known as the “Little Giant”, or the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE), was established on May 11, 1875 in Pittsburgh. Its main route stretched from Pittsburgh to Youngstown, Ohio in the Haselton neighborhood to the west, and to Connellsville, Pennsylvania in the east. However, it did not have access to Lake Erie in Ashtabula, Ohio until the creation of Conrail in 1976. The P&LE earned its nickname due to its ability to transport a large amount of freight despite its relatively short length of track. This was mainly due to its service to the steel mills in the Pittsburgh area, which required significant transportation of materials such as coal, coke, iron ore, limestone, and steel. However, with the eventual closure of these steel mills, the P&LE ceased to operate as an independent line in 1992.
By the conclusion of 1970, P&LE was in charge of 211 miles of roadway with a total length of 784 miles, excluding the PC&Y and Y&S lines. Their reported revenue freight of 1419 million ton-miles in 1970 was a decrease from 2437 million in 1944.
Path of the P&LE
In order to extend its main train line to Youngstown and Connellsville, the P&LE acquired multiple smaller railroads that were operating in the same areas. This allowed for the transportation of goods from Pittsburgh’s steel centers to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region.
The original railway track was located between Haselton in Youngstown, Ohio and 24th Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania near the Jones and Laughlin Iron Works which was established in 1879. In Pittsburgh, the P&LE had a passenger terminal on the southern side of the Monongahela River, situated at the base of the Smithfield Street Bridge.
The P&LE railway ran along the left downstream bank of the Monongahela River to the meeting point of the Allegheny River and Ohio River, known as the Golden Triangle. It then proceeded northwest along the left bank of the Ohio River until it reached Beaver, Pennsylvania, where it crossed the river on the Beaver Bridge. Continuing on, it followed the Beaver River until just south of New Castle, Pennsylvania, when it turned west-northwest and crossed into Ohio near Lowellville. From there, it headed northwest to Youngstown and ended at the Haselton junction, where it connected with the New York Central railway.
Branch of Youghiogheny
The Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad was established in 1882, connecting 24th Street in Pittsburgh, PA to Connellsville, Pennsylvania. The route of the PM&Y followed the Monongahela River to reach McKeesport, Pennsylvania before continuing along the Youghiogheny River to its final destination of Connellsville.
Historical Background
William McCreery, a notable businessman, merchant, and railroad developer, founded the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad after facing difficulties with the Pennsylvania Railroad in a failed business venture. The use of discriminatory rates by the Pennsylvania Railroad had become a major issue in Pittsburgh. On May 11, 1870, McCreery and ten others submitted Articles of Association to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State for a 57-mile railroad. However, after two years, the initial group struggled to raise the necessary funds, and in 1877, a new group of influential Pittsburgh businessmen took over as directors. This new group included James I. Bennett, David Hostetter, James M. Baily, Mark W. Watson, and James M. Schoonmaker.
Beaver Falls, which was the second largest city in the area after Pittsburgh, saw the first railway tracks being laid in the spring of 1877. This was mainly because Jacob Henrici from the Harmony Society, a communal religious group founded in 1805, had business there around February of the same year. Henrici was also appointed as a director in 1877, after the resignation of McCreery and the election of Bennett as president. Henrici’s connections to the Harmony Society played a crucial role in the development of the railway. In 1880, William Henry Vanderbilt’s Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway purchased $200,000 worth of stock in the P&LE. The P&LE remained part of the New York Central system owned by the Vanderbilts until Conrail. In addition, an agreement was reached in 1877 between the P&LE, the Atlantic & Great Western (Erie), and the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway for routing traffic at Youngstown, Ohio. The final stretch of track between Pittsburgh and Youngstown was completed on January 27, 1879. Despite being a poorly constructed single track line during its opening in 1879, the P&LE proved to be a success and funds were soon allocated for improvements.
McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad, South Penn and Pittsburgh
The P&LE railway was connected to the infamous South Pennsylvania Railroad (South Penn) in 1881. This resulted in William Henry Vanderbilt gaining control of the P&LE as it served as a link in the South Penn, and the construction of the Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad. The South Pennsylvania Railroad was initially intended to join with the PM&Y railway. Vanderbilt achieved this by purchasing the stocks of both Henry W. Oliver and the Harmony Society in the P&LE. With the support of Andrew Carnegie, Vanderbilt provided the necessary funds for the PM&Y to build a railway to Connellsville, Pennsylvania, which was then leased to the P&LE for 99 years. Although only the PM&Y portion of the South Penn was completed, it became a significant part of the P&LE. In 1883, the PM&Y was opened and leased to the P&LE in 1884. At the same time, in preparation for the expected increase in business due to the South Penn connection, the McKees Rocks shops were constructed.
Vanderbilt and the “Little Giant”
In 1887, the New York Central Railroad assumed more formal control of the company. John Newell, the president of Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, took over as the president of the P&LE at this time. Newell, along with Reed and Colonel Schoonmaker, helped the P&LE become known as the “Little Giant”. Over the course of 1887 to 1927, the P&LE evolved into a robust railroad, with double track extending from Pittsburgh to Youngstown. Despite the merger of New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad to form Penn Central, the P&LE remained an independent subsidiary.
PM&Y and the Monongahela Railway
The production of coke in Connellsville played a significant role in P&LE’s transportation, but it decreased in the early 20th century. The processing of coke through by-products distillation had shifted to the Pittsburgh area. In 1901, P&LE expanded its operations up the Monongahela River to Brownsville, Pennsylvania. At the same time, the Pennsylvania Railroad also extended to Brownsville. Both companies had plans to further extend their operations into the coke fields of West Virginia. They decided to collaborate and utilize the Monongahela Railway, most likely due to the South Penn project. The Monongahela Railway was then expanded south to Martin, Pennsylvania, where it reached the Kondike Coke fields. In 1915, it was extended to Fairmont, West Virginia.
After the establishment of Conrail, the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad regained its independence as it was owed $15.2 million by Penn Central. It continued to operate as an independent company until its eventual merger with CSX Transportation (CSX).
From 1934, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) acquired rights to use P&LE’s tracks from McKeesport to New Castle. The B&O’s chosen route in Pittsburgh had steep inclines and sharp turns. Towards the end of P&LE’s existence, CSX began to utilize the line more than P&LE, ultimately leading to their merger. Most of the original customers had already left, leaving only the main line in operation. In 1993, CSX took over ownership of the company. CSX then established the P&LE as a new subsidiary, known as the Three Rivers Railway. However, in 1993, CSX took on a lease for the TRR, and currently, there is no clear distinction between the former P&LE and any other part of CSX’s network.
Pittsburgh Terminal and P&LE passenger trains
The Pittsburgh passenger train station of the P&LE was situated on the south bank of the Monongahela River, next to the Smithfield Street Bridge. This station, known as the Pittsburgh Terminal, served as the headquarters for the railroad, as well as a passenger train shed and a freight warehouse complex. The former P&LE headquarters, located at the base of the Monongahela Incline, has been repurposed into a shopping center called Station Square. The passenger station has received recognition as a historical structure and has been renovated into a restaurant.
Between 1910 and 1930, the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie (P & LE) ran 50 passenger trains on a daily basis for its 65-mile route between Pittsburgh and Youngstown. Through ticketing partnerships with the Erie Railroad and its parent company, the New York Central, passengers departing from Pittsburgh had the option to travel in coaches or sleepers towards Toledo, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis, as well as north towards Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Albany, and Boston.
In 1934, the Baltimore & Ohio RR was granted trackage rights on the P&LE. This allowed for the operation of Chicago-New York trains, including the Capitol Limited (Chicago-Washington), the Columbian (Chicago-Washington), and the Ambassador (Detroit-Baltimore) on the P&LE between New Castle Junction and McKeesport. These trains made a stop at the Terminal located in Pittsburgh’s South Side. This arrangement of sharing trackage continued until 1971 when Amtrak took over the responsibility for the nation’s passenger rail service.
The commuter trains of P&LE used to run into Pittsburgh. In 1964, there was one round-trip from Youngstown to Pittsburgh, and one additional southbound and two additional northbound trains on the route between Beaver Falls and Pittsburgh. However, by 1968, only the section between College Hill, Beaver Falls, Aliquippa, and P&LE’s Pittsburgh Terminal was served by a single round-trip commuter train per day. In an attempt to discontinue the last commuter train in 1978, P&LE faced strong opposition. Despite state support, P&LE eventually ended the service on July 12, 1985, due to a significant decrease in passenger numbers.
Gateway Yard
The Gateway Yard in Youngstown was an important center for the railroad industry until Conrail was formed. It was opened in October 1957 with the intention of being a modern hump yard, covering approximately 200 acres and stretching over 5 miles from Lowellville, Ohio to Center Street in Youngstown, Ohio. The yard consisted of three main yards and several specialized yards, with the Departure Yard in Lowellville, the Hump Yard in Struthers, and the Receiving Yard in the west. The specialized yards included a “Diesel Servicing Facility”, “Gorilla Park”, and an “Interchange” yard that had six tracks for use by the B&O Railroad and New York Central Railroad. The western limit of the yard was the P&LE track, while the NYC mainline continued to Ashtabula, Ohio. The construction of the yard took place during the control of the New York Central Railroad over the P&LE, but with the formation of Conrail, most of the traffic was redirected away from the P&LE facilities. After the takeover of P&LE by CSX in 1993, the Gateway Yard was shut down and many of the tracks were removed. Although the yard tower remains, it has been severely damaged by vandals.
McKees Rocks Yard
The McKees Rocks Yard facility served as a location for major locomotive rebuilding, general maintenance, and freight car repair and maintenance. It was situated on the westernmost end of the yard where the P&LE interchanged with the PC&Y. The PC&Y facilities were located behind the P&LE locomotive facilities in the main yard, and the PC&Y trackage crossed the P&LE Mainline at this point, providing services to various local businesses in the Bottoms section of McKees Rocks. However, the majority of the McKees Rocks facilities have been removed. Plans are in place to replace the entire locomotive facility, shops, and yard with a regional CSX intermodal facility.
The construction of the O’Donovan Bridge by P&LE in 1904 allowed for improved automobile accessibility from Island Avenue to The Bottoms without having to cross over the railroad tracks. However, in 1931, the McKees Rocks Bridge was built, providing an extension to Ohio River Boulevard while still allowing access to The Bottoms through the Helen Street exit.
