West Penn scouting trip

[Derrick J Brashear]

For the last 2 days, Ed Lybarger took Fred Schneider, Fred Bruhn
and I on a trip where we "scouted" out most of the West Penn Coke Region.

Here are some "highlights"
On the Hunker line:
-A tunnel under the PRR Southwest Secondary in Ruffs Dale survives; We did
not wander down from the rail embankment, but the wing walls were
observable from the railroad embankment. I wasn't even aware of this
before Ed pointed it out.
-Travelling south between Ruffs Dale and Alverton at the village of Lauffer
according to the USGS, the West Penn crossed from the east side of the PRR
Southwest Secondary to the west side then ducked under a road (from north
to south). Fred B. wandered down into a field beside the road and found
the West Penn bridge piers in evidence, and then someone (I think Ed)
discovered that the West Penn rather than tunnelling under the road
instead rode on a shelf on the west side of the PRR and under the road
bridge, between the railroad and the west pier of the road bridge there.
The road bridge is gone but the piers are in evidence.

In Scottdale:
-I finally bothered to get a picture of the south (west) abutment of the
trestle that brought the main line coming from Mount Pleasant in over the
railroad from Swedetown.
-We found likely track cracks in Loucks Avenue from a "jog" to the west
southbound cars from the Hunker line took.

On the mainline between Scottdale and Greensburg:
-Iron Bridge carhouse stands, and can be accessed from the Amcel Center
industrial park. It's currently a pallet factory.

Connellsville shops:
-Went into the property and looked at the extant buildings (I think I have
at least one picture which I'll upload)

Dickerson Run line:
A side trip onto the Dickerson Run run gave a good look into the cut where
the line crosses the road just north of Vanderbilt Junction (just north of
Leisenring); Right of way is evident along much of the line, but the end
of the line looks nothing like it used to.

Connellsville-Uniontown "Back Line" via Phillips:
-Got a look at the north abutment of the Vance Mills trestle, about where
the line emerged at route 51.

In Uniontown:
-The G.C. Murphy store at the site of the original terminal appears to be
a new building rather than the terminal building as has been rumored.
-The buildings hit by a runaway coming from the carhouse into Fairchance
Junction appear to be no longer extant, and were probably on lots which
have been redevloped.
-Got a look at the freight terminal as it now looks (somewhat different
than it used to)
-Took a look at the site of the car house, where now there is only
equipment belonging to the power company. 

Continuing toward Brownsville Junction:
-Checked out former right of way, including a revision, in Revere.
-Observed right of way along road in Footedale instead of north of the
village on the "old railroad grade" on USGS maps.

And to Brownsville:
-Observed surviving north abutment of trestle entering Fairbanks from the
south
-visited northern concrete bridge, just south of Davidson Siding.
-looked at north abutment of the High Bridge south of Brownsville
-checked out location of freight spur in Brownsville.

Brownsville is looking pretty desolate these days.

We cut back to Brownsville Junction to head to Martin:
-near Leckrone (I think) Fred B pointed us at a cut at the far
(south/Martin) end of the trestle

In Greensburg, we ducked in behind the freight terminal and were surprised
to find 3 garage bays underneath!

Ed had extensive photo coverage with him, and we identified some locations
as we progressed through the 2 days. I was interested to learn that some
non-side-of-the-road private right of way existed north of the road at the
western edge of Penn Borough on the line from Greensburg to Irwin.

In Irwin, Ed showed us the surviving Irwin-Herminie Traction barn on
Pennsylvania Avenue just west of Main St. (on the north side of the
street). We didn't get to McKeesport due to time constraints, but did head
to Trafford. We all learned something about the likely level of the
trestle in the center of Ardara, then followed the line into Trafford,
where Ed showed us some shots of double track entering Trafford on what
until weeks ago was Irwin Avenue (since middle school construction severed
it, that piece was renamed Westmoreland Road to match the adjacent street
the West Penn ran up to meet the loop where Pittsburgh Railways 62 cars
turned in later days.) 

I'm surprised by how much of the West Penn is still evident, and how many
structures stand, some of which I hadn't even guessed were what they were!

I'll try to get my pictures uploaded. 

-D