Eastern Railroad Discussion > Save the Piney Branch in NW PA!

Please read this if you would like to save a scenic rail-line with huge trestles and tons of history. It'll take some effort on your part, and it has to be done quickly. It would be an honest shame if a line that was originally saved for excursions would be abandoned...

To all:
As a freelance writer in the west-central part of Pennsylvania, I have covered a variety of stories, my favorites being those involving history. On a personal and professional level, I have a love of all aspects of railroads with several members of my family having been part of the vast railroad family in years past.
I am seeking your help to help save 25 miles of New York Central track and right-of-way which served as a viable working rail line up until about 1998. Below, I have included a sampling of the history of the track and the purposes of the man who has now bought it with the intent of using it as an excursion line. I'm sure those of you who love railroads are familiar with the narrow-gauge East Broad Top in Pennsylvania which this man owns.
For those of you who are not familiar with Pennsylvania government operations, the Public Utility Commission (PUC) is based in our state capitol at Harrisburg and from that seat of almost overwhelming power wields it hand over many aspects of the life of all types of utilities. I have not yet learned why they want Mr. Kovalchick to pull this beautiful, scenic track. He expressly bought this stub line to serve as an excursion line which would be of tremendous benefit to our region for reasons named below.
This trackage includes the curved trestle at Coder, parallel to State Route 28 and the Carrier Viaduct near Roseville, both in Jefferson County. I have not seen the trestle which still exists in Clarion County but I understand it is somewhere near Limestone. The westward portion of this line beyond the Clarion River was pulled several years ago.
I have garnered my information used in past stories I have written, and below, from books and newspapers of and about the period. However, I have two personal resources who are eye-witnesses to NYC's trains running over this track.
Both my Grandfather, S. Earl Johns, Sr. and his brother, Edwin E. Johns, were telegraphers on the Pennsylvania Railroad beginning in the early 1900's. Often they would end up stationed near each other and moved their families to different locales. When they were both stationed at Brookville, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania (Exit 13 of Interstate 80), they both manned the signal tower at Rose Siding where the AVRR become PRR connected with the NYC.
I have one living uncle, Ivan R. Johns, of all my Dad's family. It is he (just turned 80) who told me of my Grandfather taking him, my Dad and other of the sons to work with him at Rose Siding Tower. Their home was on the eastern side of the Brookville Tunnel and they walked through it to the western side to work.
When Grandpa was busy, the boys sat motionless as he worked (my Grandpa made sure you listened well). But when he knew the westbound NYC train was coming, especially the freight trains, he made the boys get out of the tower and get up on the embankment. The freights would coming roaring around the small trestle over Redbank Creek, two steam engines on the front and one on the back. They would be pulling for the grade which began at the tower to take them up to the Coder Trestle. Under full steam, the engines would be rocking back and forth as Grandpa held out the hoop for any messages. It was a dangerous location.
The eldest of my Great Uncle Ed's sons, Wade Johns, recalled his father working at that tower and being knocked down, suffering a lingering shoulder and arm injury. Wade is now 89 and worked four years on the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railroad.
Please read the information below and if any of you can offer your help in the form of letters of support and/or personal testimony before the PUC, that information is at the bottom. It is vital that you note the deadline date of JULY 7, 2001.
Thank you for your interest in the preservation of such a great part of our American life.
(Mrs.) Laura Lynn (Johns) Yohe

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BACKGROUND:
In Year 2000, Joe Kovalchick, of Kovalchick Corporation in Indiana, PA, purchased twenty-five (25) miles of useable railroad line which begins in Brookville, Jefferson County and ends near the Piney Dam on the Clarion River in Clarion County. It includes 800 acres (there is a 100 foot right-of-way the entire length) of scenic property, many bridges and three major viaducts at Coder (along State Route 28 south of Brookville), the Carrier Viaduct which towers over the road between Summerville and Corsica, both in Jefferson County and one at Limestone in Clarion County.
Kovalchick owns and operates the narrow-gauge East Broad Top Railroad so is well experienced in operating an excursion line. The intent of the corporation upon purchase was, and remains, to establish an excursion operation on the Piney Branch and also other recreational opportunities such as hiking and biking trails, hunting lands and camping.
Piney Branch was purchased from the Pittsburg (with no "h" on it) and Shawmut Railroad (P&S RR) which is a subsidiary of the Genesee and Wyoming family of short line railroads (includes the Buffalo and Pittsburgh - BPRR).
P&S RR had been using the line as an active railroad until about 1998 as a freight line, mainly hauling coal from a tipple near the Clarion River westward to its yard at Brookville for shipment to other points.

CRITICAL PROBLEM:
The PUC has conducted an investigation (how extensive is an unknown to me) about whether or not the rail line can still be used or pulled out and I also believe they were questioning for some reason operation of a standard gauge line, the Piney Branch, versus a narrow-gauge, the East Broad Top.
According to a letter dated June 12, 2001 which I received from Mr. Kovalchick, he states:
"...the PUC took it upon themselves to initiate an investigation as to the usefulness of this railroad line and came to the conclusion and are recommending that this line be removed and that all or most of the bridges also be removed. If this comes to pass, the PUC will render the future life of this railroad property useless and will necessitate the extinction of all of its history and will remove any possibility for future uses that have been expressed."

A HISTORY OF THE LINE:
- New York Central and Hudson River Railroad established in 1831 which became the New York Central (NYC) by 1853. The need for coal for their broadening rail lines brought them into Clearfield County's coal fields with the subsidiary Beech Creek Railroad.
- Pittsburgh (with an h), Kittanning and Warren Railroad (PKW) in 1837 bought rights-of-way through the Allegheny Mountains to lay a line to "the west". Pennsylvania was at the edge of "modern" European settlement at that time, there were only 24 states in the Union. Engineers of that day determined that Brookville would be the ideal place to cross the Alleghenies because it was the lowest, and therefore easiest, place for the passage
- In 1852, PKW was purchased by Allegheny Valley Railroad (AVRR). Construction began in 1854 of a line to Ridgway in Elk County. By 1856 they had reached Kittanning. In 1859 they diverted from their original intent to build a line to Titusville when oil was discovered there.
- Between 1871 and 1874, AVRR continued their laying of track with the tunnel at Brookville being built in 1872-3. The Pennsylvania Railroad (Pennsy) was buying up AVRR stock and would eventually own the line.
- Meanwhile NYC was a major Pennsy competitor and they too wanted a line west.
- Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad (LSMS) was seeking a line east and would be merged into the NYC.
- Under the LSMS/NYC merger, the Franklin and Clearfield (F&C RR) began building the eastward line in June of 1902. By June of 1909, they had reached Brookville, joining with the AVRR on the westward side of the Brookville Tunnel at Rose Siding. The 25 miles of line known now as the Piney Branch (of the P & S RR) was the eastern end of this completed line in 1909.
- By renting "trackage rights" over the AVRR from the Pennsy, NYC had a line from New York State to Cleveland, Ohio through Brookville with passenger and freight trains roaring westward out of the Brookville tunnel as the mighty steam engines pulled hard for the uphill grade to the Coder Viaduct. The foundations for the water tower at the west side of this trestle still exist.
(Personal note: As a freelance writer, I have written three stories for the Tri-County Sunday and Jeffersonian Democrat newspapers which appeared last year. On a family note, my grandfather and great-uncle were both telegraphers who manned the switch tower at Rose Siding and I have been fortunate to obtain much eye-witness information from my two eldest relatives who remember the railroad and the tower).

ECONOMIC BENEFIT:
If the Piney Branch became an excursion line it would bring a welcome economic benefit to the region with Pennsylvania's Number Two industry of tourism. Regardless of the emphasis on modern technology, tourists come to Pennsylvania to view our ancient hills and scenery, and to explore our historic sites and venues. No one comes to Pennsylvania as a tourist to look at a computer, but they do come to ride other excursion lines, camp, hike, hunt and enjoy our heritage. Piney Branch is the perfect site for such a venture because it is a "stub" or dead-end line which would not disrupt freight operations elsewhere. The opportunities are endless for the line as a stand-alone passage for dinner trains, historic commentaries, a mobile educational facility to teach children of today about railroads and their history, etc.
As Brookville was once the gateway to the west, is presently often called the gateway to Cook Forest, it is planned to be one of nine gateways to the 15 county Lumber Heritage Region Park (within Pennsylvania).
Excursions on the Piney Branch would be perfect to promote the Lumber Heritage Region because the Coder Viaduct passes over where the Nicholson Sawmill employed hundreds of men. Coder was a community on the banks of the Redbank Creek. Prior to the railroads, the Redbank was rafted with the timber destined for Pittsburgh.
Since trees are a natural resources which have fueled and housed generations past and will continue to do so in the future, perhaps a lumber camp could be built along the track with "actors" to portray the life of harvesting timber in the past and present.
On a larger scale, the Piney Branch can interchange with other active rail lines in the area and offers the possibility of stimulating the economy for several other communities with historic tours through former deep mining towns. Over other routes, passengers could travel by rail to near the Coolspring Power Museum and be shuttled to that world-renown site which was just honored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Some of these rail lines are only used now once a day or less and this would provide economic benefit for them with trackage rights.
Although obviously dependent on the freight schedules of the P & S and B & P, there is the possibility of connecting tours to DuBois, Brockway, and even to Punxsutawney. Unfortunately, many of the railroads have been reduced from two tracks to one, but the rights-of-way are still there, sidings could be built and parking and boarding sites established.
At Brookville, the P & S still maintains its car shops where repair and refurbishment of engines and cars takes place and could be used for equipment needed for the excursion line. In DuBois, Rescar serves the rail industry by providing railroad ties.
The Brookville Locomotive Company is now the Brookville Mining Company still building tow motors and engines for the mining industry throughout the world. Piney Branch could connect with the sidings to this operation, offering the possibility of tours.
Numerous other options are possible with the added benefits to employment, tourist trade for restaurants, etc.

CONCERNS:
The only negative opinions about keeping the railroad as an active excursion line, of which I am aware, come from some local municipal officials who want to be rid of the overpasses on some township roads. Granted the vehicular portions are narrower than meet todays needs, however, these situations can be addressed and improved, if necessary. One of the now dirt and gravel roads over which the Piney Branch passes in Rose Township just west of the Coder Viaduct is in itself historic because it is the original route of what is now State Route 28. Removal of this landmark location would be deplorable in my opinion.
Also, there are safety concerns when an excursion line is established, particularly should the Kovalchicks choose to use a steam engine for power. This is in regard to enthusiasts who will literally travel for hundreds of miles to take pictures of a particular line or train. Therefore, photography platforms or locations would have to be built to provide safe, optimum picture taking locations.

WHAT TO DO TO HELP - IMMEDIATELY:
Mr. Kovalchick wrote in his letter to me: "Kovalchick Corporation respectfully requests that you discuss this situation and advise us whether or not you have an interest in seeing that this railroad corridor is not destroyed, and advise if you would support any of the uses addressed. The PUC has indicated that unless we can show that there is extreme interest in keeping this railroad line intact, they will not reconsider their initial decision and will let the decisions become final, eliminating all possibility for future use."
He continues: "IF YOU WISH TO SUPPORT THE EXISTENCE OF THIS RAILROAD PROPERTY IN ANY FORM OR FASHION, PLEASE WRITE PERSONALLY TO ME (KOVALCHICK) SO THAT I CAN REQUEST THAT THE PUC REOPEN THE PROCEEDING AND TAKE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE ON THIS MATTER (AT WHICH TIME WE WOULD HOPE TO COUNT ON YOUR PERSONAL SUPPORT). IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE A TIMELY REQUEST TO THE PUC WE REQUEST THAT YOU RESPOND BY JULY 7, 2001."

Please note, letters should be personal, not form letters. Letters do not need to be long and formal, although they can be if desired. Even short letters of support would be welcome. They need to reach Mr. Kovalchick by July 7, 2001. His address is:
Joe Kovalchick
Kovalchick Corporation
1060 Wayne Avenue
P.O. Box 279
Indiana, PA 15701

Thank you for your interest.

Do I understand that even though he bought the line with his own money, that the commission is telling him to dispose of it? Is this because there are strings attached, i.e. he gets state money for his tourist operations? Please clarify. Maybe I missed something.

Had the line been officially abandoned? I don't know of any precedent in which the PUC can order a railroad to abandon a rail line. This makes no sense and as skunk mentioned there is more here than what we have been told.