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The West Side Belt Railroad, established in 1895, was extended through the Saw Mill Run valley in 1902. Since then, locomotives of the West Side Belt and a number of successor railways have been pulling cars loaded with coal, freight and natural gas through the communities of Beechview, Brookline, Overbrook and Castle Shannon for over 120 years. The following article provides details and photos of the historic railway line. History of the West Side Belt Railroad
Click on images for larger pictures.
The West Side Belt Railroad was incorporated on July 26, 1895 in Harrisburg, with the stated purpose of transporting coal over standard gauge rails from Clairton to the Ohio River docks in Temperanceville (West End). The railway would also engage in passenger and freight service, both to and from the city of Pittsburgh. The president was James Callery and the majority shareholder was John Scully. Rumors quickly began circulating that the the railway was intended as the local trunk line in George Gould's dream of a transcontinental Wabash system with a hub in the highly competititive Pittsburgh market.
The West Side Belt acquired the existing Bruce & Clairton Railroad and the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad, which already had an established line to the tipples and river docks where the coal barges waited. The twenty miles of connecting track (from Banksville to Monongahela City) between these two existing systems would be constructed through West Liberty, Reflectorville, Fairhaven and Castle Shannon. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> LITTLE SAW MILL RUN The Little Saw Mill Run Railroad had roots with Abraham Kirkpatrick Lewis, who began mining the face of Mount Washington around 1840. Lewis built one of the earliest inclined planes in Pittsburgh for transporting coal, and he was the first to tunnel through Mount Washington, a one mile mine shaft to the Saw Mill Run Valley. Lewis built a two-mile horse-drawn tramway, called the Horse Railroad, to serve his mines in the valley. The road delivered coal to a tipple at the mouth of Saw Mill Run on the Ohio River. The railroad was converted to steam and extended into the Little Saw Mill Run valley.
The Little Saw Mill Run Railroad Company was incorporated July 23, 1850. From the river docks near Temperanceville (West End), the narrow-guage road followed Saw Mill Run upstream to Shalersville (outside of the present-day Fort Pitt Tunnels). From there followed the course of Little Saw Mill Run to the coal mining town of Banksville, at present-day Potomac Avenue. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> AN INVESTOR'S DREAM The route through the South Hills to West Mifflin was originally laid out by the B&O railroad when that system opened its Wheeling and Finleyville Division, but never laid down. The West Side Belt purchased the route, which had at most a 1.5% grade and averaged only one percent. The greatest curve was just eight degrees. Chief engineer J. H. McRoberts secured the property rights-of-way. By 1897, the initial twelve miles of the route had been surveyed, and there was some discussion about whether the line should be electrified or conventional steam railway.
There was no debate, however, regarding the potential untapped riches that lie along the railroad route in the form of black gold. It was an investor's dream. The region was estimated to have 40,000,000 tons of the finest bituminous coal in the world. This coal was in high demand in Europe, and the West Side Belt Railroad ensured that the product would now be placed on the market. Prospects for success were so high that the company purchased over 10,000 acres of rich coal land along the railroad route. Construction of a new railroad line, with direct access to Pittsburgh, was expected to be a boon to development along the route. Castle Shannon projected a 100% increase in property valuations, and there was an increase in home construction in towns like Fairhaven (Overbrook). <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> THE DIRECT CONNECTION On February 1, 1898, the railroad was purchased outright by John Scully, president of the Diamond National Bank. Bonds were issued to fund the continuing modernization of the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad, including the construction of a 1000-foot trestle in Temperanceville to provide LSMRRR cars with a direct connection to both the P&LERR and the Panhandle Railroad.
An interesting anecdote regarding the now defunct Little Saw Mill Run Railroad: The November 21, 1899, Pittsburgh Daily Post noted that the railroad line had a gradual ascent nearly all the way. It was not unusual to see a car loaded with passengers heading inbound through the Banksville corridor to the West End without an engine or motor of any kind. Gravity did all the work, with a conductor continually applying the brake. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> THE WABASH RAILROAD As the 19th century drew to a close, talk persisted that the West Side Belt was being designed solely to carry George Gould's Wabash rail traffic into the city center. These discussions now involved a tunnel through Mount Washington, and a railroad bridge over the Monongahela River to Ferry Street. Engineers were already working on the preliminary stages of the tunnel. This arrangement would give partnering systems like the Bessemer Railroad, and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad, a direct connection to downtown Pittsburgh, challenging established giants like the Pennsylvania Railroad and the B&O for a share of the lucrative Pittsburgh market.
These rumors were soon substantiated when Gould officially announced his plans to extend his Wabash Railroad into the heart of the city via the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railway. The West Side Belt Railroad was to be the trunk line leading to the Wabash Tunnel and Bridge, then to an elevated freight/passenger platform and terminal building downtown. In April 1902, the West Side Belt Railroad Company, along with all accumulated land holdings, was absorbed into a new corporation called the Pittsburgh Terminal Railroad and Coal Company. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> LEGAL CHALLENGES Construction of the West Side Belt line was not without its share of difficulties. Legal challenges by competing railroads, troubles with the terrain, and protests by landowners caused delays. One particular dispute developed with the nearby Pittsburgh & Castle Shannon Railroad. Both railroads followed the Saw Mill Run corridor, running adjacent to each other for a portion of the way. The P&CSRR sued the West Side Belt for encroachments in two locations were their routes ran parallel.
At Oak Station, along Oak (Whited) Street in Reflectorville, the P&CSRR had a mining operation and rail yard. The West Side Belt attempted to erect a trestle it was alleged would interfere with the station's proper operation. Further down the line, in Castle Shannon, the West Side Belt had to construct a long viaduct that ran over the P&CSRR line. Again, it was alleged that one of the concrete supports interfered with the operation of the line.
Despite the concern over operational safety, at the heart of the dispute were the rights to the lucrative coal fields and the shipment of the mined product. A decision by Judge Marshall Brown, in July 1902, to dismiss the case was a major victory that cleared the way for the completion of the West Side Belt Railroad.
<><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> A TOUCH OF IRONY Historically, this was not the first time that the two competing railroads went head-to-head, literally. In May 1878, the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad and the P&CSRR were involved in a dispute that resulted in the conflict known as the "Castle Shannon Railroad War".
In a touch of local irony, the president of both of the antagonist railways, the P&CSRR and the Pittsburgh Southern (which leased the Little Saw Mill Run Railroad), was Milton Hays, who grew up in the home at 1900 Whited Street, in what was then Lower St. Clair Township. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> THE LANDAU INCIDENT A notable incident with a property owner occurred in early-August 1902, when the Landau Brothers, owners of a strip of land at the bottom of Lang (Pioneer) Avenue at West Liberty Avenue. The contractors were forced to cede nearly one-third of their property for the railroad right-of-way and the relocation of the lower portion of the roadway. When railroad construction crews arrived to begin grading the property in question, which required a hillside cut and creating a short abutment to reach the West Liberty Avenue railroad bridge. Although having legally obtained the right-of-way from the borough a few years back, the owners were displeased with the encroachment and the reported stand-off developed. After some tense exchanges, the altercation came to a halt and construction crews were able to finish their work. The property matter between the Landau Brothers and the railroad was eventually settled in court. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> A PROFITABLE LINE The South Hills portion of the railroad, construction of which began in June 1901, was completed by September 1902. The entire West Side Belt Railroad line, from the Ohio River docks to Clairton, was fully modernized and operational by the summer of 1904.
Once in business, the West Side Belt became one of the more profitable line in the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railway system. In 1909, the West Side Belt Railroad line was upgraded to handle heavier locomotives and increasing freight traffic. The series of concrete tunnels along the Saw Mill Run Corridor (ie: Overbrook, Glenbury, Killarney, Grove Road) were all built during this upgrade. The tunnels all bear the date "1909". While the West Side Belt Railroad thrived, the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railway was bankrupt in four years. In May 1908, the Gould railroad entered receivership. Although the West Side Belt Railroad itself remained a profitable venture, the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railway as a whole was a dismal failure. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> AFTER THE WEST SIDE BELT As for the West Side Belt Railroad, after years of successful operation, the company was part of a December 1916 reorganization that resulted in the creation of the Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway Company, headquartered in Wellsburg, West Virginia. The P&WVRR purchased the West Side Belt Railway outright in December 1928. ♦ Annual Reports - P&WV Railway and West Side Belt Railway Companies - 1917-1918 ♦
In October 1964, after nearly a half century rolling along the former Belt Railway line, the P&WVRR was leased by the Norfolk and Western Railroad. A quarter century later, in May 1990, that lease was acquired by the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, headquartered in Brewster, Ohio. The Wabash Railroad Bridge, terminal building and elevated platform remained in operation downtown until 1946, when a devastating fire destroyed the Ferry Street complex. Rail traffic into Pittsburgh ceased and the entire complex, including the railroad bridge, were removed in 1947. The Wabash Railroad Tunnel, known rhetorically as the "Money Pit," has undergone a few expensive modifications over the years. The 118-year old tunnel is now used for automobile traffic.
Photos/Clippings of the former West Side Belt Line The following are a few photos and newspaper clippings regarding the West Side Belt Railroad and its successors in Brookline and the neighboring communities along the line. The articles detail the West Side Belt Railroad's association with the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railway to acts of sabotage along the tracks in both Overbrook and Castle Shannon. Another related incident not listed here occurred along the Belt Railway tracks in West Liberty Borough, at the Timberland Avenue Bridge, on May 31, 1903. The event is documented in a Brookline Connection feature article on the riot at High Bridge Station.
Seldom Seen Arch Some of the monumental stone architecture associated with the Wabash-Pittsburgh Terminal Railway was located along the West Side Belt Railway. One such wonder is located along Saw Mill Run in Beechview, near the foot of Woodruff Street. On the South Hills side of the Wabash Tunnel, at the junction with the West Side Belt Railway, a decorative stone archway was constructed over Saw Mill Run and a roadway leading back into a remote hamlet known as Seldom Seen. The tunnel, which stands along the tree line, often unnoticed along Saw Mill Run Boulevard, was aptly named the Seldom Seen Arch.
Built in 1903, the stone and brick craftsmanship creates both a sense of both awe and amazement. The awe comes from the sheer scale of the archway and associated masonry, and the amazement from the unique design of the walls inside the arch, built to mirror the reflection of the water, often creating a spectacular visual experience. The Seldom Seen Arch is recognized by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Walking the Line The opportunity came not long ago to take a walk along the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway tracks from the bridge over West Liberty Avenue to the busway station at Jacob Street. Although the cause of some anxiety along the way, it proved to be an interesting exploratory trek along the historic railroad that has run along the Saw Mill Run corridor for the past 120 years. Better yet, the experience prompted some further research into the history of the West Side Belt Railroad and is successors here in Brookline and the neighboring communities along the line. The following are photos taken while walking the line, along with what information uncovered about the West Side Belt and its lasting legacy in Pittsburgh railway history. <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><> <><><><>
A-No.-1 At Jacob Street it was time to end this Lee Marvin, "Emperor of the North Pole", track-walking experience. Feeling a little like "A-No.-1, the King of the Road" it was time to hit the pavement for the final leg of my journey home. In our youth, we would sometimes walk the then-Norfolk and Western rails from Seaton Street to Elm Street in Castle Shannon, then head down to the Linden Grove for some music and dancing. It was a thrill when the outbound train would pass, slowly rolling up the long grade, cars illuminated by the moonlight while their wheels screeching and the ground shook beneath our feet. It was hard not to feel that same youthful, invigorating sensation walking the line on this fine spring afternoon, forty-something years later. The only thing missing was the train itself. It would have made a nice ending frame to have stood back along the tree line and snapped pictures of the passing cars as the wheels screeched and the ground rumbled beneath my feet. Alas, the train came five minutes after my leaving the line, so the pictures below were captured from the backyard of a Jacob Street home.
"Pittsburgh Steelers" Station along the W&LERR
* Written by Clint Burton - June 16, 2021 * |
