Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway was a predecessor of the Pennsylvania Railroad
in the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. By 1905, when it was merged into the Pennsylvania, it owned a main line along the left (west) side of the Monongahela River
, to Pittsburgh
's South Side
from West Brownsville
. Branches connected to the South-West Pennsylvania Railway in Uniontown
via Redstone Creek
and to numerous coal mines.
as the Monongahela Valley Railroad in April 1867, with the right to construct a railroad connecting Pittsburgh to Waynesburg
; it was renamed Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway in February 1870. By November 1872, when the first segment opened from 4th Street in South Pittsburgh (now South Side Pittsburgh) to Homestead
, the Pennsylvania had gained control. The primary purpose of this acquisition was to allow the Pennsylvania to construct a southern bypass around the congestion of Pittsburgh, via a short connection to the Main Line near Turtle Creek
. The line was extended to Monongahela City in 1873, and in 1874 the company began operating a steamboat
beyond to Brownsville
. Trains began running into downtown Pittsburgh's Union Station
in 1875, crossing the Monongahela on the Panhandle Bridge
. The connection near Turtle Creek was completed in August 1878, with the opening of the Port Perry Branch
and Port Perry Bridge
. In 1879 the Pennsylvania began operating the PV&C under lease as its Monongahela Division.
The railroad was crossed by the O'Neil and Company Incline
in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania
.
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....
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...
. By 1905, when it was merged into the Pennsylvania, it owned a main line along the left (west) side of the Monongahela River
Monongahela River
The Monongahela River is a river on the Allegheny Plateau in north-central West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States...
, to 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...
's South Side
South Side (Pittsburgh)
South Side is an area in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, located along the Monongahela River across from Downtown Pittsburgh. The South Side is officially divided into two neighborhoods, South Side Flats and South Side Slopes. Both the Flats and the Slopes are represented on Pittsburgh City...
from West Brownsville
West Brownsville, Pennsylvania
West Brownsville is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,075 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Brownsville is located at ....
. Branches connected to the South-West Pennsylvania Railway in Uniontown
Uniontown, Pennsylvania
Uniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
via Redstone Creek
Redstone Creek
Redstone Creek is a historically important widemouthed canoe and river boat-navigable brook-sized tributary stream of the Monongahela River in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The creek is long, running from headwaters on Chestnut Ridge north through the city of Uniontown and reaching the Monongahela...
and to numerous coal mines.
History
The company was chartered by the Pennsylvania General AssemblyPennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
as the Monongahela Valley Railroad in April 1867, with the right to construct a railroad connecting Pittsburgh to Waynesburg
Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
Waynesburg is a borough in and the county seat of Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States, southwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 4,184 at the 2000 census....
; it was renamed Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway in February 1870. By November 1872, when the first segment opened from 4th Street in South Pittsburgh (now South Side Pittsburgh) to Homestead
Homestead, Pennsylvania
Homestead is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, in the "Mon Valley," southeast of downtown Pittsburgh and directly across the river from the city limit line. The borough is known for the Homestead Strike of 1892, an important event in the history of labor relations in the United...
, the Pennsylvania had gained control. The primary purpose of this acquisition was to allow the Pennsylvania to construct a southern bypass around the congestion of Pittsburgh, via a short connection to the Main Line near Turtle Creek
Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania
Turtle Creek is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 5,349 at the 2010 census. George Westinghouse gave life to the place by constructing a manufacturing plant nearby. Turtle Creek takes its name from a small stream that flows into the...
. The line was extended to Monongahela City in 1873, and in 1874 the company began operating a steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
beyond to Brownsville
Brownsville, Pennsylvania
Brownsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, officially founded in 1785 located 35 miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River...
. Trains began running into downtown Pittsburgh's Union Station
Union Station (Pittsburgh)
Union Station is a historic train station at Grant Street and Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.-History:Unlike many union stations built in the U.S...
in 1875, crossing the Monongahela on the Panhandle Bridge
Panhandle Bridge
The Panhandle Bridge carries two rail lines of the Port Authority "T" line across the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The name comes from Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St...
. The connection near Turtle Creek was completed in August 1878, with the opening of the Port Perry Branch
Port Perry Branch
The Port Perry Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from the Pittsburgh Line in North Versailles Township southwest through the Port Perry Tunnel and across the Monongahela River on the PRR Port Perry Bridge to the...
and Port Perry Bridge
PRR Port Perry Bridge
The PPR Port Perry Bridge is a truss bridge that carries the Norfolk Southern Railway across the Monongahela River between North Versailles Township, Pennsylvania and Duquesne, Pennsylvania. The bridge was originally built to serve the Pennsylvania Railroad and to provide better access to...
. In 1879 the Pennsylvania began operating the PV&C under lease as its Monongahela Division.
The railroad was crossed by the O'Neil and Company Incline
O'Neil and Company Incline
The O'Neil and Company Incline was a nineteenth century incline, used to transport coal from a mine mouth just west of West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania to a tipple on pool 1 of the Monongahela River. It crossed the entire width of the Borrough of West Elizabeth, passing over the Pittsburgh, Virginia...
in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania
West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania
West Elizabeth is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 518 at the 2010 census.-Geography:West Elizabeth is located at ....
.