Allegheny Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Allegheny Valley Railroad is a class III railroad
that operates in Western Pennsylvania
, and is owned by Carload Express, Inc.
AVR acts as a feeder line connecting its many and varied customers to Class I railroad
s such as CSX Transportation
(CSX) and Norfolk Southern Railway
(NS), and regional lines such as the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad
(B&P) and the modern Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (WE). The AVR's mainline travels northward through Pittsburgh
from an intersection with Norfolk Southern near Panther Hollow
, before splitting in the Lawrenceville
neighborhood. The AVR uses the P&W Subdivision
segment of the line to cross the Allegheny River
on the 33rd Street Railroad Bridge to interchange with the B&P in Bakerstown
and/or Evans City
. The other segment serves industries along the railroad's namesake valley between Pittsburgh and Arnold
. The Glenwood B&O Railroad Bridge is utilized by it as part of its branchline from the city to the exurb of Washington
, Pennsylvania
. A short spur line is the newest edition to the AVR's portfolio; it links the Allegheny Valley line with Sharpsburg
via the Brilliant Branch Railroad Bridge
. Before this section opened in 2003, the bridge and stretch of track had sat unused since 1976.
Currently, the AVR leases the Glenwood railyard from CSX in the Hazelwood
neighborhood of Pittsburgh
. They operate five GP11
engines, and three SD40 engines. AVR has also begun to conduct transloading
operations within Glenwood yard itself, handling limestone
unit trains and also sand
for fracture mining.
system, followed the present company's tracks to Arnold and continued beyond, along the right upstream (southeastern) bank of the river to Oil City
.
The original Allegheny Vally Railroad transported oil
from the vicinity of Oil Creek and Titusville
. On February 20, 1861, The Pittsburgh Post printed "The Allegheny Valley Railroad (Extracts from the Eighth Annual Report, which is important for the light thrown on the transportation of oil)." On February 5, 1862, The Pittsburgh Gazette and Commercial Journal published "Allegheny Valley Railroad—Annual Meeting of Stockholders."
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
that operates in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
, and is owned by Carload Express, Inc.
AVR acts as a feeder line connecting its many and varied customers to Class I railroad
Class I railroad
A Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s such as CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
(CSX) and Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
(NS), and regional lines such as the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad
Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad
The Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad is a Class II railroad operating in New York and Pennsylvania.The BPRR is owned by Genesee and Wyoming Industries. Its main line runs between Buffalo, New York and Eidenau, Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. Here, connections are made to the city center via the...
(B&P) and the modern Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (WE). The AVR's mainline travels northward through Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
from an intersection with Norfolk Southern near Panther Hollow
Panther Hollow
Panther Hollow is a small, somewhat isolated neighborhood at the bottom of Joncaire Street in Junction Hollow that runs along Boundary Street and is located in the Central Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood was settled in late 19th century mostly by Italian immigrants...
, before splitting in the Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh)
Lawrenceville is one of the largest neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is located northeast of downtown, and like many of Pittsburgh's riverfront neighborhoods, it has an industrial past. Lawrenceville is bordered by the Allegheny River, Polish Hill, Bloomfield, the Strip District and...
neighborhood. The AVR uses the P&W Subdivision
P&W Subdivision
The P&W Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation, the Allegheny Valley Railroad , and the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
segment of the line to cross the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
on the 33rd Street Railroad Bridge to interchange with the B&P in Bakerstown
Bakerstown, Pennsylvania
Bakerstown is a census-designated place within Richland Township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,761....
and/or Evans City
Evans City, Pennsylvania
Evans City is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,009 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Evans City is located at ....
. The other segment serves industries along the railroad's namesake valley between Pittsburgh and Arnold
Arnold, Pennsylvania
Arnold is a city in Westmoreland County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is a suburb of Pittsburgh, part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 5,667 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. The Glenwood B&O Railroad Bridge is utilized by it as part of its branchline from the city to the exurb of Washington
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. A short spur line is the newest edition to the AVR's portfolio; it links the Allegheny Valley line with Sharpsburg
Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania
Sharpsburg is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, northeast of Pittsburgh, along the Allegheny River. In the past, it had a rolling mill, foundries, machine shops, and manufacturers of varnish, brick, glass, lumber products, wire, hair, felt, and lubricating oil. In 1900, 6,842 people...
via the Brilliant Branch Railroad Bridge
Brilliant Branch Railroad Bridge
The Brilliant Branch Railroad Bridge it is a truss bridge that carries the Allegheny Valley Railroad across the Allegheny River between the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Highland Park and Aspinwall, Pennsylvania.-History:...
. Before this section opened in 2003, the bridge and stretch of track had sat unused since 1976.
Currently, the AVR leases the Glenwood railyard from CSX in the Hazelwood
Hazelwood (Pittsburgh)
Hazelwood is a neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is represented on by Douglas Shields. It is bordered by Greenfield and Oakland on the north, Squirrel Hill and Glen Hazel on the east, and the Monongahela River on the south and west...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. They operate five GP11
GP11
The EMD GP11 is a four-axle diesel locomotive rebuilt by the Illinois Central Railroad’s Paducah shops. It is very similar in appearance to the GP8 and GP10....
engines, and three SD40 engines. AVR has also begun to conduct transloading
Transloading
For the data downloading process, see sideload.Transloading is the process of transferring a shipment from one mode of transportation to another. It is most commonly employed when one mode cannot be used for the entire trip, as for instance when goods must be shipped internationally from one inland...
operations within Glenwood yard itself, handling limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
unit trains and also sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
for fracture mining.
History
The current company, established in 1992, is a separate entity from the original Allegheny Valley Railroad, which was established in the 1850s. That line, affiliated with the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
system, followed the present company's tracks to Arnold and continued beyond, along the right upstream (southeastern) bank of the river to Oil City
Oil City, Pennsylvania
Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil wells were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil, Quaker...
.
The original Allegheny Vally Railroad transported oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
from the vicinity of Oil Creek and Titusville
Titusville, Pennsylvania
Titusville is a city in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,146 at the 2000 census. In 1859, oil was successfully drilled in Titusville, resulting in the birth of the modern oil industry.-History:...
. On February 20, 1861, The Pittsburgh Post printed "The Allegheny Valley Railroad (Extracts from the Eighth Annual Report, which is important for the light thrown on the transportation of oil)." On February 5, 1862, The Pittsburgh Gazette and Commercial Journal published "Allegheny Valley Railroad—Annual Meeting of Stockholders."