[PRCo] South Fork - Portage Railway

[Daria Phoebe Brashear]

Sure is what looks like right of way extended from the end of Maple St on
the ~1938 Pennpilot aerial:
http://data.cei.psu.edu/pennpilot/era1940/cambria_1939/cambria_1939_photos_jpg_800/cambria_052539_apy_82_29.jpg

I should mark up a guess.

On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 11:17 AM, Daria Phoebe Brashear <shadow at gmail.com>
wrote:

> 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-bo
>> unces 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,2
>> 68h,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%2
>> 6thumbfov%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
>
>


-- 
Daria Phoebe Brashear
AuriStor, Inc
dariaphoebe.com



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