West Virginia Panhandle and Eastern Ohio info

[Robert E. Rathke]

Fred Bruhn sent me the following message after viewing the 1929 West Penn
Rys. map on the Fallen Flags website.

Bob 10/17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fbruhn at aol.com wrote:
> 
> I want to thank you very much for the map of West Penn and Wheeling. 
The
> Wheeling portion is when the line was at its peak with fingers going
south to
> Moundsville  and north to Weirton, as well as south from Steubenville
to
> almost Rayland on the Ohio side.
> 
> I am writing this at work and am drawing a blank as to when the Weirton
lines
> and
> Ohio line south from Steubenville was discontinued.  The information is
in
> CERA110
> The line to Steubenville used the West Penn 700 type of cars which in
the
> 20's were operated as MU trains of up to three cars.  The line
continued
> until 1939 and in the later years cars operated as single units and
retained
> the train door in the front (i.e. they were never converted to the one
man
> style as the WP cars were).  They
> advertised as the Interstate Express with 60 minute service between
Wheeling
> and Steubenville.  My father rode the cars frequently in the early 30's
but
> can only remember they swayed a lot.
> 
> These cars were standard gauge and Co-Op (the Co-Operative Transit Co.
took
> over from West Penn dba Wheeling Traction) was wide gauge 5' 2-1/2". 
Dual
> gauge track was in place in Wheeling proper (the city) and as far north
as
> Warwood.  The balance of Co-Op was wide gauge only.  The employees
bought the
> line from the receiver and named it Co-Op.  The Steubenville portion
operated
> as Panhandle Traction until its demise and I don't think it was under
Co-Op
> control in any way.
> 
> Again, if I was home and dug into my files I could provide better
> information.   The map you scanned did a nice job of showing all the
Wheeling
> area lines.  Wheeling also had Wheeling Public Service, a line that
never
> merged with Co-Op.  It went east
> from the downtown area which sits on the side of a hill between the
hill and
> the Ohio River.  Co-Op went north and south, as well as into Ohio. 
Most of
> the Wheeling Public Service cars ended up in Birmingham AL. converted
to
> white/black sections as I remember.  They may have been Kuhlman cars.
> 
> Wheeling goes back to just after the introduction of overhead wire
collection
> and was one of the first companies to electrify.
> 
> I have checked the fallen flags website quickly and have not found the
map or
> electric lines yet.  I'll hollar if I have a problem.  I am not a
computer
> wizz.
> 
> Ohio had a very extensive interurban network which I hope the map shows
in
> total.  Like a dummy I sold a cloth 1909 map that folded out of all
rail
> lines in Ohio (RR and electric).  I was raised in Canton with the NOT&L
and
> Stark Elec. operating out of there.  Intercity Transit ran a while
after
> Stark quit between Canton and Massillon.
> They used those curved side cars that had about 6 owners in their life
and I
> think were the ones that ended up on Speedrail and involved in the NRHS
wreck
> that did in the line.
> 
> Thanks again for the interest in helping me.  I'll probably get on line
again
> some time and bend your ear.
> 
> Fred Bruhn



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