[PRCo] The Bellaire Bridge

[Fredbruhn at aol.com]

My thanks to Derrick for putting those photos of the truncated Bellaire 
Bridge on the site for all of us to enjoy, and that Fred finds out who wanted the 
slides.

A bit more about the bridge, or more specifically Co-Operative Transit, one 
of our lines in the West Penn family.  By the early 30's Co-Op was an employee 
owned company.

Wheeling was a major industrial and river town by the civil war and today it 
hasn't changed a great deal.  Benwood is the first settlement south of 
Wheeling on the W.Va. side of the Ohio River and Bellaire across the river in Ohio.  
Bellaire is a lot larger.  The toll bridge you have seen and have read about 
connected the two.

Wheeling had two lines running south on the West Virginia side.  Route 2 
Benwood, and Route 7 McMechen.  Up to 1940 the line continued further south to 
Moundsville as Route 9.

>From the Commercial area of Wheeling the line ran south on Main St. one way 
(and north on Market one way) from 22nd. Street.  22nd. was the turning loop 
for Route 5 Warwood which ran north of Wheeling a few miles.  The cars heading 
for Benwood and MeMechen traveled east a couple of blocks on 22nd. (away from 
the river) and became two single track lines as street running one block apart. 
 The further line was southbound.  After traveling through blue collar 
housing and light industrial to 33rd. Street the northbound line crossed the 
southbound line beside a rail crossing for an industrial spur.  At this point the 
northbound line was even further east one block from the southbound line.  At 
39th. they crossed again with the southbound line moving yet another block east 
(away from the river).  Both lines rejoined at 43rd. Street to once again be 
one single track line with passing sidings to near the Bellaire bridge, either 
in the street or just to the edge.  Over the years, mostly to adjust to war 
traffic, it was almost all double track through this area, or a series of sidings.
This was Wheeling Steel area with lots of smoke, dust and engine exhaust from 
B&O freights.  At the North edge of Benwood the line was still double track, 
in the side of the street, and both tracks diverted to the left leaving a 
double track layout going straight ahead.  The straight track became single track 
in a narrow street with no buildings around but a large retaining wall on the 
left if your looking south.  Just after becoming single track it turned right 
as the street did to and the street also climbed back up to its previous 
grade.  The B&O railroad crossed the Co-Op line with several tracks and a Co-Op 
watchman always on duty.  Benwood consisted of 2 north south streets for about 5 
blocks (squares as they are called down there) ending at the North end of the 
Wheeling Steel Operation in Benwood.  At this point there was a cross street 
connecting the two streets.  The Bellaire/Benwood auto bridge was well above 
this cross street and also above the mill buildings at this point.
The Co-Op Rt. 2 line went down one street, circled on the cross street with 
the end of the line under the bridge and back up the other street.

Back where the line diverted, called Kentucky Heights switch, the lines going 
left 
straightened out almost at once and hugged the hill side until the road 
previously mentioned returned to grade.  It was prw through here.  The car line 
continued along this paved road to just past the entrance to the bridge on the 
Benwood side.  The ramp to the bridge is seen in one of the photos Derrick 
posted but looking out at the bridge.  The car line was level with the on ramp to 
the bridge here.  The line became single track again and continued on a couple 
of miles to the end of the line in MeMechen beside the car barn.

As the one photo shows, road construction has done a job on the area around 
that just described.  If you take your CERA map you can follow it through south 
Wheeling and see some track popping up at 33rd., 43rd. and Wood and 39th. and 
Wood.  Not much, but it is there.  Actually the road into Benwood hasn't 
changed that much and you can get the flavor of the line by driving it.  Nothing 
remains of the MeMechen barn area, but just north of the barn at the first 
siding there is a wee bit of rail popping up.  Most of the line through McMechen 
was at the side of the street, with curb side loading.  Employment for 
residents of these towns included, Mail Pouch, Wheeling Steel, the B&O, other iron and 
steel companies, and coal mining.
There is still an operating mine just north of Benwood near a shopping center.

Co-Op had a line that ran to Ohio and south to Bellaire (53) and Shadyside 
(route 59) that at one time almost interchanged with the Ohio River and Western 
3' railroad.
In later years it ran on part of the OR&W row.
The line in Bellaire was single track with lots of sidings in the street.  It 
went south,
east, south some more, east again, and so forth all through Bellaire.  I 
can't remember exactly where it ran into the bridge, but if memory serves me there 
was a long ramp up to the bridge, then a right turn onto the bridge if you 
were going to Benwood from Bellaire.  I can't remember if I paid a nickel or a 
quarter.

The Bellaire bridge was not the only toll bridge in the area.  All through 
the street car era the bridges in Wheeling, steel bridge taking cars across the 
main channel of the river to the island, and both island to Ohio bridges were 
toll.  Have no idea what arrangement the traction company had with the road 
commission regarding payment of tolls.

That is all I can add.

the other Fred