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RE: (erielack) More on December Calendar Photo

Paul
Olean had even more to offer -  over time it was served by
       EL and predecessors (Main Line)
       PRR and predecessors (Emporium-Buffalo Main Line, Olean-Warren Low 
Grade ("Salamanca Branch"), Hinsdale-Rochester Line [Hinsdale is about 6 
miles north of Olean but the RochesterService was based at Olean], and 
narrow-gauge Olean, Bradford & Warren [which only lnked Olean and Bradford)
      Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern (note the omission of "h" in Pittsburg 
is deliberate) which was orginally the parent, not subsidiary of the 
Pittsburg & Shawmut-after 1916 the two were relatively independent of each 
other) and its predecessors  The Olean RR, the Allegany Central, the 
Lackawanna & Pittsburg, the Lackawanna & Southwestern, and Central New York 
& Western RR, all of whom were 36' narrow-gauge.  The PS&N was abandoned 1 
April 1947 and a small amount of its Olean terminal trackage acquired by the 
PRR which operated same into the CR era.
       The Olean, Bradford & Warren RR, controlled by the predecessor of the 
PRR, was sold to the local traction line, the Western New York & 
Pennsylvania Traction Company, standard-gauged, and integrated into the 
WNY&PT's 100+ mile system which included freight connections at Olean or 
other points with the Erie, PRR, PS&N, and BR&P.  A small amount of the 
former OB&W was excluded from the sale to the WNY&PT and operated into the 
PC era, at least, as an industrial spur in Olean.  The WNY&PT was 
reorganized c 1920 as the Olean, Bradford & Salamanca Railway but died in 
1927.   A clear eye can pick out quite a bit of its private right-of-way 
even today.
        In nearby Portville NY a small industrial road, the Oswayo Valley RR 
connected with the PRR near White House Tower to serve its parent industry.
        St. Bonaventure's University in nearby Allegany NY had about a mile 
of track which connected with the PRR Salamanca Branch to serve the school's 
power plant, etc.  It had its own small steam locomotive identified as "St 
Bonaventure RR" or the equivalent.
        Paul Pietrak's "Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern" and "Western New York 
& Pennsylvania" [the historic name of the PRR around Olean] are excellent 
starters to dig into the area's history. The ELHS Diamond has had some 
Allegany Division stories that sketch some of the EL's development.
        Anyway, you are correct in seeing that Olean, with 3 Class I 
railroads (Erie, PRR, and PS&N), a major interurban/urban electric railway, 
an common carrier industrial switching road, and a private switching road.  
is well worth a review.
M J Connor


>From: "Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>
>Reply-To: "Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>
>To: "EL Mailing List" <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
>Subject: (erielack) More on December Calendar Photo
>Date: Sun, 4 Dec 2005 05:21:48 -0500
>
>I was looking at my SPV atlas and saw that in the distant past, Olean 
>hosted
>more RR's than Erie and the PRR Bfo line. There was also a PRR branch to
>Warren PA, the Pittsburgh, Shawmut and Northern (colorful name!) Salamanca
>line, and the 3' gauge Olean, Bradford and Warren. The PS&N was a P&S
>subsidiary and was one of those RR's to nowhere; IIRC was abandoned in 
>1947.
>The OB&W was one of several NG lines in western upstate NY, and I'm 
>guessing
>it disappeared around 1900 if not sooner.
>
>Speaking of photos, my Diamond arrived yesterday, and I enjoyed the photos
>of the outstanding models in the color insert. The Pocono was a real 
>beauty.
>
>Paul B
>
>
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