Copyright © 2017 John F. Oyler
April 17, 2017
The Pittsburgh and
Castle Shannon Railroad
During his presentation on the “Great Castle Shannon Bank
Robbery” last month the speaker projected a map of Castle Shannon in 1917 on
the screen. When I realized it showed several railroads, my interest peaked. I
am in the process of writing a chapter on local railroads for an upcoming book
on the Civil Engineering Heritage of Western Pennsylvania, and I need all the
help I can get.
I immediately resolved to corner the speaker after his talk
and request a copy of the map he was showing, then realized that this is indeed
2017. I promptly pulled out my trusty I-Phone and took a picture of the screen.
I was rewarded by a photo that was sharp enough to provide the information I
needed.
Sure enough, the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Railroad was
clearly shown, snaking its way through Castle Shannon on the same right-of-way
currently used by the Blue Line on Pittsburgh’s Light Rail system. In the heart
of Castle Shannon the P & CSRR had a wye, permitting engines to be turned
around, and shops for engine repair. The line continued a short distance to
Arlington Station, located about where Lebanon Shops are today.
The history of this line is quite interesting and serves to
provide us with an excellent picture of the early development of this general
area in the nineteenth century. Beginning around 1825 Jacob Beltzhoover opened
a coal mine on the north face of Mt. Washington, then known as “Coal Hill”. The mine entrance was high on the hill just
west of the current Liberty Tunnel.
When it was “mined out”, it was extended through the south
face of Mt. Washington and, in 1861 sold to the Pittsburgh Coal Company, to
provide access to mines along the Saw Mill Run valley. They built a narrow gauge
railroad, the Coal Hill Coal Railroad, to move coal from the new mines to
Carson Street via the old tunnel and an inclined plane on the Pittsburgh side
of Mt. Washington. On the south face of
the mountain it descended to the Saw Mill Run valley via a long horseshoe curve
just east of the current South Hills Junction on today’s light rail system.
In 1871 a group of investors, headed by Milton Hayes, formed
the Pittsburgh & Castle Shannon Railroad to promote development of communities
along Saw Mill Run, including Castle Shannon. They purchased the Coal Hill Coal
Railroad and extended it up Saw Mill Run, still as a narrow gage (forty inches)
line. In addition to coal cars they began running passenger cars through the
old mine tunnel. The cars have been described as similar to those on amusement
park trains, to get through the tunnel that had an overhead clearance of sixty
five inches.
They quickly realized the potential for passenger business
to supplement their coal hauling function and enlarged the tunnel to make it
possible for conventional locomotives and passenger cars to negotiate it. At
that point the passengers transferred to the incline to be transported down to
Carson Street.
As was common in the nineteenth century the railroad
constructed tourist attractions to build up its passenger business. First was
the Linden Grove, a destination aimed at German picnickers, followed by several
other picnic groves. Then came a zoological garden, featuring several hundred
birds and animals, and two camp-meeting grounds, complete with overnight cabins
and public buildings. By 1877 the railroad was running nine passenger trains a
day, each way.
In 1891 a new incline was designed and built by the P &
CSRR Chief Engineer, Samuel Diescher. Named the Castle Shannon Incline, its
cars were large enough to haul wagons (and eventually automobiles) as well as
passengers. The old incline it replaced continued to be used for transporting
coal to the Carson Street transfer facilities. It was coupled with a new
incline on the south face of Mt. Washington, providing passengers with an easy
passage over the mountain. The Castle Shannon Incline operated until 1964.
In 1900 after a long conflict with the Pittsburgh Southern
Railroad for a route south to Washington, Pa., the P & CSRR was sold to the
Pittsburgh Coal Company. In 1905 Pittsburgh Railways leased the track and added
standard gauge rails to permit the use of streetcars. For a few years
streetcars and passenger trains used the track during the day, and coal trains
operated on it at night.
The coal hauling business ended in 1912, and three years
later passenger service using steam locomotives also ceased. Since then the
route has been dedicated to interurban trolleys and eventually to the current
light rail system.
Once again I wish we could roll back the calendar and take a
ride into South Hills Junction from Castle Shannon, and then up and over Mt.
Washington via two inclines.
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