Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad

Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad

Company type	Railroad
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	May 11, 1875 (1875-05-11)
Founder	William McCreery
Defunct	1993
Fate	Acquired by CSX Transportation
Headquarters	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , United States
Area served	Pennsylvania, Ohio
Key people	James I. Bennett (president), John Newell (president)
Products	Freight rail transport (coal, coke, iron ore, limestone, steel)
Parent	New York Central Railroad (from 1887), later CSX Transportation (from 1993)

The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P≤ ), often referred to as the "Little Giant," was founded on May 11, 1875, with its main office located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its primary route linked Pittsburgh to Youngstown, Ohio and Connellsville, Pennsylvania. The railroad did not extend to Lake Erie until the establishment of Conrail in 1976. The P&LE earned its distinctive nickname by transporting a disproportionately large volume of freight compared to its relatively short track length—operating only about 0.1% of the total U.S. railroad mileage yet handling approximately 1% of the country's freight tonnage. This remarkable productivity was largely due to servicing the steel manufacturing plants in the Pittsburgh region, moving essential materials such as coal, coke, iron ore, limestone, and steel. The eventual downturn of the steel industry led to the loss of P&LE’s independence by 1992.

By the year 1970, P&LE managed of road mileage on of track (excluding PC&Y and Y&S lines), reporting revenue freight totaling 1,419 million ton-miles—a decrease from the 2,437 million ton-miles recorded in 1944.

Route of the P&LE

The P&LE expanded its system by absorbing smaller railroads along its main corridor, stretching northward to Youngstown and southward to Connellsville. This network enabled efficient transportation between Pittsburgh's steel production hubs and regions around the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.

P&LE Division

The original Pittsburgh and Lake Erie line, inaugurated in 1879, extended from Youngstown, Ohio (Haselton) to 24th Street in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, close to the Jones and Laughlin Iron Works. The passenger terminal in Pittsburgh was situated on the southern bank of the Monongahela River, near the base of the Smithfield Street Bridge.

Following the left bank of the Monongahela River, the P&LE reached the Golden Triangle, where it converges with the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River. From there, it proceeded northwest along the left bank of the Ohio River toward near Beaver, Pennsylvania, crossing via the Beaver Bridge. The line continued along the course of the Beaver River toward south of New Castle, Pennsylvania, then followed the Mahoning River west-northwest into Ohio near Lowellville, concluding at Youngstown’s Haselton junction with the New York Central.

Mileage is tracked westbound starting from the P&LE Terminal in Pittsburgh. The original route extended eastward beyond this terminal for over (refer to Youghiogheny Branch) reaching near 24th Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side Flats, where it connected with both the Monongahela Connecting Railroad and Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny (PM&Y).

State	Milepost	City	Station	Lat/long	Old Telegraph Call Letters	Connections and notes
OH	64		Haselton			Interchange with NYC
		Youngstown	Youngstown			Interchange with Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
		East Youngstown	East Youngstown
	60	Struthers	Struthers			JCT for LE&E and Y&S
			Lowellville Junction
	56	Lowellville	Lowellville
Ohio-Pennsylvania state line
PA		Robinson	Robinson
	52		Edinburg
			Coverts-Crossing
	48	New Castle	New Castle (Mahoningtown)
			New Castle Junction			Branch to New Castle, Pennsylvania
		West Pittsburg	West Pittsburg Station			Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Trackage Rights over P&LE to Port Vue
		Newport	Newport
	41	Wampum	Wampum
			Rock Point
	36		West Ellwood Junction Station			Branch to Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
		Beaver Falls (College Hill)	College Hill Station			College Yard
		Beaver Falls	Beaver Falls
		New Brighton	New Brighton
		Fallston	Fallston

Youghiogheny Branch

The Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad began operations in 1882, running from Pittsburgh's 24th Street terminal to Connellsville, Pennsylvania. This line traced the course of the Monongahela River through McKeesport, Pennsylvania, then followed the Youghiogheny River to reach Connellsville.

Distances along this P&LE division were calculated starting at the passenger terminal located near the Smithfield Street Bridge.

27 33 37 41 46 49 53 56 58

State	Milepost	City	Station	Lat/long	Connections and notes
PA	0	Pittsburgh	P&LE Pittsburgh Terminal		Originally part of the Pittsburgh and Beck's Run Railroad route (origin)
		Pittsburgh	South Side		Interchange with MCRR at 20th & 24th Street junctions
	4	Pittsburgh	Williamsburg
	5	Pittsburgh	Becks Run		Termination point of Pittsburgh and Becks Run Railroad
	6	Homestead	Homestead
		Munhall			Crossing of Monongahela River via Pinkerton's Landing Bridge
	8	Rankin	Rankin
	10	Braddock	Braddock
	11	McKeesport	McKeesport		Bridge spanning the Youghiogheny River
	16	Port Vue	Port Vue		Connection with Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; B&O held trackage rights on P&LE towards West Pittsburgh.
	17	Port Vue	Sinn
	18	Dead Man's Hollow	Flemming		Industrial spur serving Union Sewer Pipe Company
	19		Boston
	22		Greenock
	25	"Stringtown"	"Dravo"		"Location of a Methodist church fire caused by sparks from trains."	""
	" Buena Vista"	"Buena Vesta"	""	""
	"West Newton"	""	""
	"Cedar Creek"	""	""
	"Wickhaven"	""	""
	"Kier"	""	""
	"Sand Rock"	""	""
	"Dickerson Run"	""	""
	"Crossland"	""	""
	" Connellsville"	"Connellsville Union Passenger Depot"	""	"Interchange with Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Western Maryland Railroad, and Norfolk and Western Railroad."

Monongahela Branch

The Pittsburgh, McKeesport & Youghiogheny Railroad also extended its line along the Monongahela River, reaching as far as Brownsville, Pennsylvania.

History

The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad was established by William McCreery, a well-known Pittsburgh entrepreneur and railroad developer. McCreery encountered difficulties with the Pennsylvania Railroad's unfair pricing, which motivated the formation of the P&LE. On May 11, 1870, McCreery and ten associates submitted Articles of Association to the Pennsylvania Secretary of State to create a railroad company. After two years, fundraising efforts weakened, leading to a 1877 takeover by a new group of influential Pittsburgh businessmen—such as James I. Bennett, David Hostetter, James M. Baily, Mark W. Watson, and James M. Schoonmaker—who replaced many of the original board members.

Track installation began in Beaver Falls during spring 1877, partly due to business connections with Jacob Henrici of the Harmony Society, who joined the board that year. On July 6, 1877, McCreery stepped down; Bennett assumed the presidency, with Henrici serving as director. The ties to the Harmony Society were critical for the railroad’s expansion. In 1880, William Henry Vanderbilt's Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway invested $200,000 in P&LE shares, bringing P&LE under Vanderbilt’s New York Central umbrella until Conrail's era. Also in 1877, agreements with the Atlantic & Great Western (Erie) and Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway set routing at Youngstown, Ohio. The final track segment between Pittsburgh and Youngstown was finished on January 27, 1879. Although initially constructed as a low-quality single track line, P&LE rapidly prospered and obtained capital for improvements.

South Penn and Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad

In 1881, P&LE connected with the proposed South Pennsylvania Railroad (South Penn), enabling Vanderbilt’s control through stock purchases from Henry W. Oliver and the Harmony Society. Backed by Andrew Carnegie, Vanderbilt funded construction of the Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad (PM&Y) extending to Connellsville, Pennsylvania; this line was leased to P&LE for a 99-year term beginning in 1884. The PM&Y was the sole completed portion of South Penn but became vital for P&LE operations. To accommodate anticipated traffic increases from this connection, P&LE established the McKees Rocks shops in 1883.

Vanderbilt and the "Little Giant"

In 1887, formal control of the company passed to the New York Central Railroad, which appointed John Newell—the president of Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway—as P&LE president. Under Newell’s leadership alongside Reed and Colonel Schoonmaker, P&LE earned its "Little Giant" moniker. From 1887 through 1927, it evolved into a robust railroad featuring double tracks between Pittsburgh and Youngstown. Even after the merger of New York Central with Pennsylvania Railroad into Penn Central, P&LE continued operating as an independent subsidiary.

PM&Y and the Monongahela Railway

Initially dependent on coke production centered in Connellsville, P&LE shifted focus when by-product distillation moved to Pittsburgh. In 1901, P&LE extended its line along the Monongahela River to Brownsville, Pennsylvania, paralleling expansions by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Both railroads cooperated through the Monongahela Railway to access coke fields in West Virginia, extending southward to Martin, Pennsylvania, and reaching Fairmont, West Virginia by 1915.

Conrail and CSX

When Conrail was established, P&LE maintained its independence due to a $15.2 million outstanding debt from Penn Central. Beginning in 1934, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) obtained trackage rights over P&LE between McKeesport and New Castle, allowing it to avoid its own difficult Pittsburgh route. In P&LE's later years, CSX increasingly depended on this line prior to purchasing P&LE in 1993. Following the acquisition, CSX operated it under the subsidiary name Three Rivers Railway, eventually leasing it without distinguishing operations from the broader CSX system. The stretch from New Castle, Pennsylvania to Youngstown, Ohio was abandoned in favor of parallel B&O routes.

Company officers

The presidency was held by:

• William McCreery (1875–1877)
• James I. Bennett (1877–1881)
• Jacob Henrici (1877–1885)
• John Newell (1887–1896)

After Newell's tenure, presidents were appointed from NYC leadership while local vice presidents managed day-to-day operations.

Vice Presidents included:

• James H. Reed (1892–1896)
• Colonel James M. Schoonmaker (1886–1927)
• James B. Yohe (World War I Supervisor 1917–1919; Vice President 1920–1929)
• Curtis M. Yohe (1929–1953)
• John F. Nash (1953–1956), restoring active management authority to the president
• John W. Barriger III (1956–1964)
• Curtis D. Buford (1965–1969)
• Henry G. Allyn, Jr (circa 1969–1983)
• Richard Thompson (circa 1983–1986)
• Gordon Neuenschwander (circa 1986–1993)

Pittsburgh Terminal and P&LE passenger trains

The P&LE’s passenger terminal in Pittsburgh was situated on the south bank of the Monongahela River near the Smithfield Street Bridge, serving as the railroad’s headquarters as well as its passenger station and freight warehouse complex. In the upper photograph, the freight house roof can be seen adjacent to the terminal’s train shed. The former P&LE headquarters building at the base of the Monongahela Incline has since been redeveloped into the Station Square shopping area. The passenger station itself is a recognized historic structure that has been modernized and repurposed as a restaurant.

From 1910 through 1930, P&LE operated approximately 50 daily passenger trains along its 65-mile route connecting Pittsburgh and Youngstown. Thanks to through-ticketing arrangements with Erie Railroad and parent company New York Central, travelers could journey westward to Toledo, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, or northward to Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Albany, and Boston. The railroad also maintained frequent service between Pittsburgh and Connellsville.

In 1934, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad acquired trackage rights over P&LE lines; prominent Chicago-New York trains such as the Capitol Limited, Columbian, and Ambassador operated on P&LE tracks between New Castle Junction and McKeesport, with stops at Pittsburgh’s South Side Terminal. This arrangement persisted until national passenger rail service was assumed by Amtrak in 1971.

P&LE also ran commuter trains into Pittsburgh. In 1964, there was one daily round-trip service between Youngstown and Pittsburgh alongside additional trains running between Beaver Falls and Pittsburgh. By 1968, only a single daily roundtrip remained serving College Hill, Beaver Falls, Aliquippa, and Pittsburgh Terminal stations. Efforts to discontinue this final commuter run in 1978 met strong resistance; with state assistance, service continued until dwindling ridership forced cessation on July 12, 1985.

The PATrain commuter service operated over portions of P&LE track until 1989.

Shops and yards

Gateway Yard

Before the establishment of Conrail, the Youngstown Gateway Yard served as a key operational center. Commissioned in October 1957 as a state-of-the-art hump yard, it spanned approximately over from Lowellville to Youngstown, Ohio. Gateway Yard was composed of three principal yards aligned sequentially: the Departure Yard located in Lowellville to the east, the central Hump Yard situated in Struthers, and the Receiving Yard positioned on the west side. The complex also featured specialized areas such as Diesel Servicing Facilities, Gorilla Park, and Interchange yards. The Interchange yard contained six tracks—four dedicated to B&O Railroad exchanges and two for general purposes—with a direct connection to the New York Central Railroad. The western boundary ended at the P&LE track, beyond which lay the NYC mainline heading toward Ashtabula, Ohio. Constructed under New York Central ownership, the yard experienced decline after Conrail redirected traffic away from P&LE routes. After CSX acquired P&LE in 1993, Gateway Yard was shut down and most tracks dismantled. Although the yard tower still stands, it has suffered extensive vandalism.

McKees Rocks

The McKees Rocks Yard was primarily used for locomotive rebuilding, maintenance operations, and freight car repairs. At its western extremity, P&LE connected with PC&Y; the PC&Y tracks crossed over the P&LE Mainline to serve local industries before reaching this interchange point. Most of the original facilities have been removed, with plans underway to develop a regional CSX intermodal terminal on the site.

In 1904, P&LE constructed the O'Donovan Bridge to provide automobile passage from Island Avenue to The Bottoms without track crossings. This bridge was replaced in 1931 by the McKees Rocks Bridge, which links to Ohio River Boulevard via Helen Street access.

The McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation has proposed adaptive reuse for the remaining structures.

College

The College Hill section of Beaver Falls once contained a modest yard situated below Geneva College alongside the Beaver River, including a roundhouse and College Hill Station. Presently, only the station building remains intact.

Subsidiaries

• Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny Railroad (Leased in 1888; merged in 1965)
• Pittsburgh, Chartiers and Youghiogheny Railroad (Jointly owned: 50% P&LE, 50% CR)
• Mahoning State Line Railroad (Leased in 1885)
• Monongahela Railway (Ownership split equally: P&LE, B&O, CR(PR))
• Montour Railroad
• Lake Erie and Eastern Railroad (Joint ownership: 50% P&LE, 50% CR)
• Youngstown and Southern Railway

See also

• Washingtonian (B&O train)
• Shenandoah (B&O train)

References

• December 1992 Trains contains information regarding the CSX acquisition.

External links

• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-641, "Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, Locomotive Repair Shops"
• Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society
• The Family Tree of North American Railroads
• P&LE 1960 system map
• Headquarters building
• Finding Aid to Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Company Records at University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center
• Photographs from the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Company Collection
• CSX Baltimore Division Timetable