[PRCo] Re: PennDOT historical maps (was: West Penn Street Car??)

[Rich Rockwell]

These maps are great.  Thanks for sharing.
I found something interesting on the 1912 Washington County map for those of
you who are interested in Charleroi, Donora and Eldora Park.

The 1912 map
(ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_PDF_FILES/Maps/Type_10_GHS_Histori
cal_Scans/Washington_1912.pdf) shows something that is either an alternate
route that had been planned for PRCo from Lock View to Monongahela, or it is
a mistake.  Does anybody know anything about this?  The legend indicates it
is an electric RR.

I am attaching photos with my annotations showing the section on the 1912
map compared to the 1941 map (sheet 1
ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_PDF_FILES/Maps/Type_10_GHS_Historic
al_Scans/Washington_1941_Sheet_1.pdf).  The 1941 map has the actual route of
PRCo through Eldora/Black Diamond Hollow.

The 1912 map also shows a road (north of "Alexander") that connected Rt 88
to Black Diamond Hollow Rd.  Parts of these remain as Hodgsons Ln (off of Rt
88) and Grant Rd then on to BD Hollow Rd.  This road is also on the 1933
USGS map. 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org] On Behalf Of Donald
Galt
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:10 AM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] PennDOT historical maps (was: West Penn Street Car??)

On 22 Jun 2008 at 0:14, John Swindler wrote:

>  
> ...Ed Lybarger asked about some state highway county maps, and the
following link might be of interest.  Includes some county maps circa 1915
that show streetcar rights of way.
>  
>
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/pdPlanRes.nsf/infoBPRCartoMapsin
PDFandDJVU?OpenForm
>  
> It will probably load very slowly, but is guanenteed to keep several 
> on this list up very late tonight.  (:>)
>  

These are exactly the maps I had been hoping for, and had enquired about
several months ago. Link them with the Penn Pilot aerial photos, and my
grasp of electric railway geography is increased several fold.

At 6 to 10 megabytes per sheet, the maps do present a bit of a challenge to
us dial-uppers. I wasted upwards of an hour in a vain attempt to get one on
screen, but everything worked when I took the "save target as" route.

A pity that not all counties are covered by maps from the streetcar era
(Luzerne is a particular disappointment); and the maps from the early part
of the century are not particularly useful - essentially of the sort found
in old atlases.

But Washington and Westmoreland are both represented by 1940 issues.

In many instances, the numbered insets show West Penn and PRCo in precise
detail - for example the McClellandtown crossing.

So, thanks to John for unearthing these.

Don G





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