Conemaugh Line
Encyclopedia
The Conemaugh Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. The line runs from Conpitt Junction (west of New Florence) northwest and southwest to Pittsburgh along a former Pennsylvania Railroad
line. At its east end, it merges with the Pittsburgh Line; its west end is at the Fort Wayne Line
at the west end of the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge. The line was used by the PRR as a low-grade alternate to its main line (now the Pittsburgh Line).
from Torrance (on the main line) to Blairsville opened in 1851; only a small piece of this at Blairsville is still in use. The Western Pennsylvania Railroad opened from Blairsville west to Saltsburg in 1863 and to Kiskiminetas Junction (near Freeport) in 1864 or 1865. The line from Freeport to Allegheny (Pittsburgh) opened in 1866. A new, more direct line east from Blairsville was built by the Western Penn in the early 1880s, meeting the PRR main line at Bolivar
. The PRR's Sang Hollow Extension, now only part of the Conemaugh Line west of Conpitt Junction, opened east to Johnstown in 1876; the portion east of Conpitt Junction was operated as a one-way line for westbound freight. All of the aforementioned lines became part of the PRR through leases and mergers, and were taken over by Conrail in 1976. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail, the line was assigned to Norfolk Southern.
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...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. The line runs from Conpitt Junction (west of New Florence) northwest and southwest to Pittsburgh along a former Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania 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....
line. At its east end, it merges with the Pittsburgh Line; its west end is at the Fort Wayne Line
Fort Wayne Line
The Fort Wayne Line and Fort Wayne Secondary is a rail line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway , Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad , and CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana...
at the west end of the Fort Wayne Railroad Bridge. The line was used by the PRR as a low-grade alternate to its main line (now the Pittsburgh Line).
History
A short branch of 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....
from Torrance (on the main line) to Blairsville opened in 1851; only a small piece of this at Blairsville is still in use. The Western Pennsylvania Railroad opened from Blairsville west to Saltsburg in 1863 and to Kiskiminetas Junction (near Freeport) in 1864 or 1865. The line from Freeport to Allegheny (Pittsburgh) opened in 1866. A new, more direct line east from Blairsville was built by the Western Penn in the early 1880s, meeting the PRR main line at Bolivar
Bolivar, Pennsylvania
Bolivar is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 501 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bolivar is located at ....
. The PRR's Sang Hollow Extension, now only part of the Conemaugh Line west of Conpitt Junction, opened east to Johnstown in 1876; the portion east of Conpitt Junction was operated as a one-way line for westbound freight. All of the aforementioned lines became part of the PRR through leases and mergers, and were taken over by Conrail in 1976. In the 1999 breakup of Conrail, the line was assigned to Norfolk Southern.