Montour Railroad
Encyclopedia
Montour Railroad is a former short line railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in southwestern Pennsylvania
. At its height in the 1930s, the railroad served 27 mines transporting nearly seven million tons of coal annually in Allegheny and Washington Counties.
The Montour Railroad Company was chartered in 1877 as a wholly owed subsidiary of the Imperial Coal Company. The first segment constructed extended from the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad line at Montour Junction, near Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
to the Imperial Coal Company mines at Imperial, Pennsylvania. In 1901, the Pittsburgh Coal Company
assumed control of the railroad. A major expansion was undertaken in 1912 to reach new coal mines and factories. By 1917, the town of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania on the Monongahela River was reached. The Montour Railroad became an important feeder line
and eventually all five major truck carriers in the southwestern Pennsylvania market were linked to the Montour Railroad. In 1946 the Pittsburgh Coal Company sold the Montour Railroad to the Pennsylvania Railroad
and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
(a subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad
), who operated it jointly. The P&LE acquired sole control of the Montour Railroad in 1975.
The railroad's engine houses and shops were located at Montour Junction, near the Ohio River
at Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
. The Montour Railroad had passenger service in its early years from 15 stations along its route, but passenger service was abandoned by the mid 1920s. By the 1950s, most of the coal mines the Montour serviced had been worked out and the Montour began a slow decline. The Montour Railroad was down to just 23 miles of track between Montour Junction and Gilmore Junction when operations ceased in 1984 with the closing of the Westland Coal mine, the Montour’s last remaining major customer. In the 1990s large portions of the rights of way were acquired by the Montour
Trail Council in a "rails to trails" program.
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...
. At its height in the 1930s, the railroad served 27 mines transporting nearly seven million tons of coal annually in Allegheny and Washington Counties.
The Montour Railroad Company was chartered in 1877 as a wholly owed subsidiary of the Imperial Coal Company. The first segment constructed extended from the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad line at Montour Junction, near Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,677 at the 2010 census. In 1940 the population peaked at 11,086. It is a small community located to the west of Pittsburgh, along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsburgh International Airport...
to the Imperial Coal Company mines at Imperial, Pennsylvania. In 1901, the Pittsburgh Coal Company
Pittsburgh Coal Company
The Pittsburgh Coal Company was a bituminous coal mining company, controlled by the Mellon family. It later merged with Consolidation Coal Company, controlled by the Rockefeller family.-Coal Mines:...
assumed control of the railroad. A major expansion was undertaken in 1912 to reach new coal mines and factories. By 1917, the town of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania on the Monongahela River was reached. The Montour Railroad became an important feeder line
Feeder line
-Telecommunications:In communications, a feeder line is a peripheral route or branch from a main line or trunk line.-Electrical Engineering:...
and eventually all five major truck carriers in the southwestern Pennsylvania market were linked to the Montour Railroad. In 1946 the Pittsburgh Coal Company sold the Montour Railroad to the 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....
and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio at nearby Haselton, Ohio in the west and Connellsville, ...
(a subsidiary of the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
), who operated it jointly. The P&LE acquired sole control of the Montour Railroad in 1975.
The railroad's engine houses and shops were located at Montour Junction, near the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
at Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis, Pennsylvania
Coraopolis is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 5,677 at the 2010 census. In 1940 the population peaked at 11,086. It is a small community located to the west of Pittsburgh, along the Ohio River and to the east of the Pittsburgh International Airport...
. The Montour Railroad had passenger service in its early years from 15 stations along its route, but passenger service was abandoned by the mid 1920s. By the 1950s, most of the coal mines the Montour serviced had been worked out and the Montour began a slow decline. The Montour Railroad was down to just 23 miles of track between Montour Junction and Gilmore Junction when operations ceased in 1984 with the closing of the Westland Coal mine, the Montour’s last remaining major customer. In the 1990s large portions of the rights of way were acquired by the Montour
Trail Council in a "rails to trails" program.