[PRCo] South Fork - Portage Railway

Mon Nov 20 11:56:18 EST 2017

Shows the Southern Cambria, but not Penn Central

http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/MAPS/Type_10_GHS_Historical_Scans/Cambria_1915.pdf

www.dot7.state.pa.us<http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_PDF_FILES/MAPS/Type_10_GHS_Historical_Scans/Cambria_1915.pdf>
www.dot7.state.pa.us
ashville barnesboro bhÖwnstown cassandra chest cresson da/syto½w dale east ebensburg ferndale. frankun gall/ tzw hastings johnstown 400 40' lilly

________________________________
From: Pittsburgh-railways <pittsburgh-railways-bounces at mailman.dementix.org> on behalf of Daria Phoebe Brashear via Pittsburgh-railways <pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org>
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2017 11:17 AM
To: Edward H. Lybarger
Cc: Western PA Trolley discussion
Subject: Re: [PRCo] South Fork - Portage Railway

I poked around to see if any of the principals left behind archives that
could be poked at:
Title Trust and Guarantee became the receiver, in 1919. They went away,
themselves, during FDR's "bank holiday".

O P Thomas, who became manager of the company when it reorg'd to Penn
Central Railway, was apparently a prominent
engineer out of Johnstown, who did mining engineering as well as being the
borough engineer for East Conemaugh.

Nothing obvious on either count.

USGS maps were too early. Sanborns, even the 1916 South Fork Sanborns, do
not show the line. I lack ideas of where to look
for other maps detailed enough to show the line other than in the South
Fork borough archives, and that's not so accessible
now that South Fork is a 9 hour drive away. The hill shown in the pics on
the trolley dodger website pretty much have to be Maple Ave, since Railroad
St only had buildings on one side, in town... also I don't think it was
nearly that steep.

On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 11:08 AM, Edward H. Lybarger <trams2 at comcast.net>
wrote:

> This is the greatest quantity of research I've seen on this company.
> Thanks, Daria!
>
> Ed
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pittsburgh-railways [mailto:pittsburgh-railways-
> bounces at mailman.dementix.org] On Behalf Of Daria Phoebe Brashear via
> Pittsburgh-railways
> Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2017 11:34 AM
> To: Western PA Trolley discussion
> Subject: [PRCo] South Fork - Portage Railway
>
> https://thetrolleydodger.com/tag/south-fork-portage-railway-co/
>
> I think one of Rohrbeck's books mentions they (as Penn Central) sold car
> #1 because the line had no passing siding. It also mentions the bumping
> block at the edge of South Fork.
>
> The 3.5 miles ending in a Portage railroad cut presumably is this one:
> https://www.google.com/maps/@40.3758462,-78.7459077,3a,75y,
> 268h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sRaj3HTi9NkeR_xKXp0oN0g!2e0!
> 6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DRaj3HTi9NkeR_xKXp0oN0g%26output%
> 3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%
> 3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D268.0924%26pitch%3D0%
> 26thumbfov%3D100!7i3328!8i1664
> and the street they climbed out of South Fork is presumably Maple, given
> they also traversed St James Cemetery (news clipping to follow) but I'd bet
> what killed the line early is not making it to Portage, and given the right
> of way the PRR allowed them, I'd bet the state deciding to not share the
> railroad underpasses on what is now route 53 with the company (and making
> them lift their tracks) is what did it. They built the most expensive part
> of the line first, leaving South Fork. The rest, along right of way the PRR
> nominally allowed them, should have been easy!
>
> Text of clippings follows:
>
> Altoona Mirror, 24 May 13:
> SOUTH FORK PORTAGE RY. ON PENNSY TRACK
> Valuable concessions. which will hasten the completion of the trolley line
> from this city to Johnstown, have been granted to the South Fork • Portage
> Railway Company by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The concessions have been
> secured by Mr. George Holeman, who is promoting the new railway. The line
> between South Fork and Portage is nearing completion, and cars will be
> operated there before many days, be(sic) those two points. Following is a
> summary of the agreement which has been secured from the Pennsy by Mr.
> Holman : "The exclusive use of the Old Portage and New Portage roadbeds
> between SummerhiII and Gallitzin. The use of the Pennsylvania's own right
> of way and property at six places—through Cassandra borough ; a piece of
> land, east of Cassandra upon the main line right of way at the deep cut.
> between Cassandra and Lilly; a plot of land in Cresson borough, and a plot
> of ground between Cresson and Gallitzin." The right is also granted to
> cross the P. R. R. main line at eight under-grade and five overhead
> crossings. together with the right to cross branch tracks at grade. Mr.
> Holman is to be congratulated upon the successful negotiation of this
> valuable right to the trolley company. He expects to be able to announce
> the date of the opening of the line within the next few weeks.
>
> Altoona Times, 27 May 13
> BURY CORPSE ON
>     RIGHT OF WAY OF
>       S. F.-P. RAILWAY
>
>  Effort Is Made To Prevent
>  Trolley Line From Crossing Cemetery
>
>  SOUTH FORK, May 26.—In an effort
> to check work of the South Fork•Port-
> age Railway company upon the proper-
> ty of St. James Cemetery Association
> for the reason, it is understood. that the right-of-way has not been paid
> for, in- terested persons are alleged to have disinterred a body from the
> burial ground near Summerhill last evening and buried it again just in
> front of the steam shovel used in constructing the trolley line. This was
> not accomplished however, until two foreigners, laborers for the trolley
> company, lead been ar- rested for trespass.
>  About 9 o'clock last evening people
> who are protesting against the progress
> of the traction line over cemetery prop- erty before legal matters are
> adjusted went to the right-of-way and dug a grave in front of the steam
> shovel. They then went to that section of the burial ground known as the
> "potters' field," it is said, and disinterred the body of an unknown man,
> killed on the Pennsylva- nia Railroad tracks several months ago.
> Before they removed the body to the
> prepared grave, officials of the traction company learned of the move, and
> sent two foreigners to the shovel to till the grave. This was done, large
> stones be- ing dropped into the hole. Undaunted, however, the other party
> dug a new grave close to the shovel and placed the body in it, it is said.
>  The two foreigners were then arrest-
> ed on charges of trespass. The body
> was placed close to the winding road-
> way that leads from the township
> highway up through the cemetery.
>  Attorney Arthur C. Simler, an official
> of the South Fork - Portage line,
> said today that permission to construct
> the line hail been given by Bishop Eugene A. Garvey, pending the granting
> of a petition by the court.
>  "The title to all church property in
> the diocese is vested in the Bishop."
> said Mr. Simler. He was willing that
> we build the line through the St.James
> cemetery. as the tracks are beside the
> township road, on a strip separated
> from the cemetery proper by a fence. '
> We have the option on the property,
>
>  but can't close up the right-of-way
>  til we get an order from the Court for
>  the transfer. Our petition for that
>  must be presented during a session of
>  a court. and it it will be presented
>  the first Monday in June. Pending the granting  Monday in June. Pending
> the granting  of the order Bishop Garvey indicated  his willingness that we
> proceed with  the grading."
>   The body will not be moved, at least
>  not for a short time, said Mr. Simler.
>  The steam shovel will be moved to the
>  other end of the cemetery strip, from
>  where work will be done toward the
>  grave. Squire Schofield has not given
>  the two foreigners a hearing, as an at-  tempt is being made to settle
> the case.
>   Thomas McGuire. who made the in-
>  formations against the foreigners,
>  could not be reached today. and an ef-
>  fort to communicate with Father
>  Quinn. pastor of St James Church this
>  afternoon elicited the information that  he was at the cemetery.
>   The body that was placed in the right
>  of-way was never identified, it is said.
>  The man was thought to have been
>  from Sharon. He was killed near South Fork
> (unintelligible) a freight train.
>
>
> Harrisburg Telegraph, 17 Aug 15:
> Cunningham Insists
>
>    on Public Utilities Co.
>
>      Complying With Law
>
>  Highway Commissioner Cunningham and Chief Engineer Uhler served notice
> to-day by a ruling that public utilities corporations must conform with the
> law when dealing with the State Highway Department. The South Fork..Portage
> Railway Company, in Cambria county, has been endeavoring for some time past
> to secure right of way along a State highway route. Permission to pass
> beneath a subway, now occupied by the State highway, had been denied, but,
> through a misunderstanding, the railway company proceeded to lay tracks
> without a permit along this road.
>
> Chief Engineer Uhler ordered the tracks removed and, on the failure of the
> company to do so, the State highway employes tore them up. Not-
> withstanding this, the railway company relaid the tracks and then se- cured
> a preliminary injunction in the Cambria county courts preventing the
> Cambria county courts preventing the State Highway Department from re-
> moving the tracks. Officers said the work had been done without orders. '
> Commissioner Cunningham observed that the officers of the company were
> responsible for the acts of subordinates.
>  The representatives of the company were told that unless the tracks were
> voluntarily removed and the preliminary injunction not acted upon, the
> department would be perfectly willing to take the subject into the courts
> for a ruling. After some argument the railway officials acceded to this
> demand and the tracks in dispute will be removed.
>
> --
> Daria Phoebe Brashear
> AuriStor, Inc
> dariaphoebe.com
>
>
>
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--
Daria Phoebe Brashear
AuriStor, Inc
dariaphoebe.com

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