Being raised in the northern panhandle of West Virginia, but not living there anymore, I am wondering about the status of the PRR mainline from Pittsburgh to Weirton WV? Is it out of service, sold to a short line, or abandoned? Any info would be helpful.
Dick Watkins
…Checking on the Wierton line from Pittsburgh…what I find it appears at least some of it is now a hiking / biking trail.
…Go to “Ask.com” as I believe you can learn more from what is written there about the line you ask about.
From Weirton, WV 29 miles are abandoned to Walkers Mill, PA, and the next 9 miles are run by the Pittsburgh and Ohio Central to CP2 (Esplen), PA. Amtrak ran the Natioal Limited on that line until 1979.
Dick, being originally from Wheeling, I used to be familiar with that line; however, since I haven’t made regular visits to the area in 20-or-so years, my information is relatively general, though hopefully accurate. My recollection is that the former main line east of Weirton Jct. was abandoned and removed years ago, probably in the 1980s. The same thing happened to the line along the east bank of the river. The track from Weirton to Wellsburg might still be in place; but the line from Wellsburg to Benwood, via Wheeling, was also removed. The former main line west of Mingo Jct. was acquired by the Ohio Central. So what used to be the main line through Weirton Jct. is now used only for transfer runs between Mingo Jct. and Weirton.
Jay Potter
This
is essentially the status. Ohio Central starts at Gould Tunnel west of
Mingo Yard. The line still exists between Weirton and Newell but is
essentially a 10 MPH railroad with some loads to various industries in
Newell. Between Jewett and Bowerston the Wheeling and Lake Erie
operates on the Panhandle as they pulled their track for that stretch
several years ago. A new connection has been built between the
Panhandle and the old NYC line north of Hopedale. That connection
allows east coast trash trains access to a landfill near a place called
Apex
For Jay Potter
Itis good to meet another person from the Ohio Valley of West Virginia. My wife is from Wheeling and I am from Follansbee. We left WV in 1966 for California then in 1978 settled in Dallas. We are now retired and living on a lake outside of Dallas.
Back to the Ohio valley. Wheeling is a sad place for railroading. CSX (formerly B&O) abandoned their line from Washington PA to Wheeling plus abandoning several lines from the Ohio side of the river. The B&O line from Clarksburg to Parkersberg is now a hiking trail. The Wheeling Terminal railway bridge over the Ohio in north Wheeling has been removed including the piers (not like the Wabash bridge in Pittsburgh). The Pennsalvania line along the Ohio river ends at 12th street in Wellsburg. It only serves a couple of paper plants in Wellsburg plus the steel mills in Follansbee and Coketown (as of last summer). Sad state of affairs for a train lover. Atleast Oglesby Park is going strong. We had a family reunion in one of the park’s cabins last summer.
Hope to hear from you again. Where are you located now?
Cheers, Dick