| Pittsburgh and Western Railroad | |
|---|---|
The Mars railroad station in Mars, Pennsylvania is one of the last stations still standing that was built by the P&W Railroad. |
|
| Locale | Northwestern Pennsylvania |
| Dates of operation | 1873–1911 |
| Successor | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) previous gauge, 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Length | 200 miles (320 km) (approximate) |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
The Pittsburgh and Western Railroad (later Pittsburg and Western Railroad) was a nineteenth century narrow gauge railroad connecting Pittsburgh with coal supplies and the oil field around Titusville, Pennsylvania.[1] Its right-of way formed the main B&O line west from Pittsburgh. It was reorganized in 1889 under Malcolm A. McDonald.[2]
The railroad constructed another narrow gauge line from Callery Junction to Foxburg, Pennsylvania. This became known as the Northern Subdivision. In 1883 the railroad took control of line from Foxburg to Mount Jewett after the Pittsburgh, Bradford and Buffalo Railroad had financially flopped. The railroad would later merge with the Bradford, Bordell and Kinzua Railroad, and the Big Level and Kinzua Railroad. These mergers would prove to be ineffective, and by 1902 these joint railways were in financial ruin. In 1902, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad took control of the P&W. By 1911, the P&W was dissolved, and the B&O took over all operations. That same year, most of the narrow gauge was replaced by standard gauge track. The B&O would continue to operate the line until 1982 when it was acquired by Sloan Cornell of the Knox and Kane Railroad.[3] Today, the line between the village of Ribold and Butler, as well as the Petrolia Branch between Butler and Petrolia is all that remains of the original Northern Subdivision that is still in operation. It is used by the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad. The section between Clarion Junction and Kane ceased operations in 2006 and was abandoned in 2008 when the Knox and Kane Railroad was sold at auction.