Nostalgia & History > History of P & LE passenger service

In aussiehinz's thread about Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad U-Boats, one of the posters (bailey) asked about passenger service on the P & LE. Rather than diverge off the topic of P & LE U-Boats, I am starting a new thread on the subject of P & LE passenger service.

The 125th anniversary of passenger service is coming on February 24.

Up through the 1940s. the P & LE operated a very extensive passenger train service on 170 miles of track. In 1921 and 1930-1933 passenger train miles exceeded those of freight train miles. Revenues, however, were a different matter. Until about 1920, passenger revenues were 10 - 15% of freight revenues and by 1950, passenger revenues declined to 2% of freight revenues.

Although service linking to off-line destinations was provided via Youngstown, Ohio, average trip lengths were low. In 1920, when P & LE's passenger service was at its peak, the average trip length was just 21 miles.

During the 1910 - 1930 period, he P & LE operated 50 passenger daily trains on the 65-mile Pittsburgh - Youngstown portion of its system. Through agreements with the Erie RR and P & LE's parent, New York Central, passengers boarding in Pittsburgh could ride coaches or sleepers to Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Buffalo, Toronto, Albany and Boston.

When the Baltimore & Ohio obtained trackage rights, through trains such as the Capitol Limited, Columbian and Ambassador operated over the P & LE between New Castle Junction and McKeesport, Pennsylvania. These trains used the P & LE's main station located in Pittsburgh's South Side. This arrangement continued until Amtrak assumed responsibility for the nation's passenger rail service in 1971.

The above is from Harold H. McKlean, "Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad." This book, published in 1980, by Golden West Books, is a very good P & LE reference.

Sometime in the 1960s, the P & LE eliminated service to Youngstown and only the commuter rail service and B & O through trains remained. By 1968, service was down to just one commuter train in each direction from Pittsburgh west to College, Pennsylvania (named for Geneva College). For a brief period in 1979-1980 a second train was added making it possible for someone to ride from Pittsburgh to College and return in the same day. Finally, in July 1985, the P & LE commuter rail service was ended, except...well, I'll get to that later.

McLean claims that the finest passenger locomotives owned by the P & LE were the K5B Pacifics, Nos. 9235 - 9244. These were later replaced by K6A Pacifics from the Boston & Albany.

Diesel passenger locomotives were PAs and GP7s painted in the same scheme as parent NYC, but lettered "New York Central System." Later, the GP7s were painted black, the 1501 was painted into an attractive bicentennial scheme and then finally painted black and gold.

The end of the commuter train to College did not represent the end of passenger service on the P & LE. B & O/Chessie (later the PATtrain) operated on the P & LE between Rankin and McKeesport until this commuter service ended in April 1989. When Amtrak inaugurated its Capitol Limited in 1981, through passenger service over the P & LE returned. The Capitol continues to use this route.

Additional information or clarification is welcome.

The following images were previously posted:

1) The P & LE commuter train during its final days in July 1985. This is the morning train arriving into Pittsburgh.

2) The P & LE's Pittsburgh station in 1978. Although the Grand Concourse seafood restaurant moved into this building by this date, the commuter train continued to use the station and P & LE's headquarters were located here. If I recall correctly, the red neon lights were turned off when the P & LE merged into CSX in 1992.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/22 17:30 by RuleG.

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CORRECTION!! Operating crews on the old P&LE RR's commuter train were based out of McKees Rocks, PA and worked between Pittsburgh and College, PA.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/14 04:51 by RodneyZona.

The first 3 cars have an Espee look about them...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> The first 3 cars have an Espee look about them...

Hmmm, paint the locomotive grey with a scarlet nose and the passenger cars silver and voila, the "Del Monte" has come to Pittsburgh!

The first three cars came from the L & N. The last car looks like a former C & O car, but I'm not sure of its origins.

Pittsburgh's other commuter rail service using the station across the Monongahela River at the time did have an SP connection. The PATrain to Versailles used a pair of F7s which originally came from the SP.