Nostalgia & History > QU: abandoned PRR rail line through Bedford PA?

I'm visiting BEDFORD, PA. today/tomorrow, and while I'll be returning to Virginia on Wed. Aug. 17, I'm exploring the old railroad beds around town - the old PRR, which includes intact steel bridges, sidings intact (but terribly delapidated), and more. Can anyone direct me to when this line (between the Hyndman and Altoona areas) was abandoned, where interchange with other railroads existed, what trains ran when (passenger AND freight), and anything else pertinent to this former rail line? I saw an old TIMETABLE of this entire route in a small book about the East Broad Top RR narrow-gauge, but it was so small it was nearly unreadable. And the line through Bedford was a PRR standard gauge. Thanks for all replies!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/16/11 15:47 by rbx551985.

RBX:

Having visited Bedford a couple of times, I was interested in your post. Somewhere I saw something about railroads of Bedford. Maybe it was in a book or newspaper flyer about Bedford's history.

I tried an Internet search and came up with very little. The following wikipedia article about the Huntington & Broad Top Mountain which linked Bedford from the north has a few tidbits about the PRR.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntingdon_and_Broad_Top_Mountain_Railroad_and_Coal_Company

I though you might also be interested in the following link which has a H & BTM timetable and a time line of railroads in the Bedford area.

http://r2parks.net/HBTM.html

Enjoy your visit. I'll check back to see if anyone else responds.

Pretty much right at the onset of Conrail.

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

The PRR (PC) operated tri-weekly service Altoona - Cumberland until Hurricane Agnes split the line in 1972. After 1972 service was cut back to Altoona - Bedford - Everett. The PRR line provided more favorable freight rates for Maryland's Georges Creek coal mines. A connection (Bedford & Bridgeport)was built between the H&BTM in Mt Dallas near Everett, Pa and Cumberland, MD in 1871. The line interchanged with the B&ORR in Bridgeport (Hyndman), C&PRR Mt at Savage Jct and GCRwy (later WMRwy)Georges Creek Jct, Cumberland. The PRR completed their Bedford Division line from Bedford to Altoona via Cessna by 1910. A flood of coal going north to Philadelphia via Altoona necessitated this move. The Bedford Division saw a morning and evening passenger train operating between Altoona and Cumberland. Coal traffic was quite heavy until the end of WWI. PRR maintained a roundhouse and yard at State Line near Ellerslie, Maryland. You may observe some of the right of way by following routes 30 - 31 - 96 Bedford to Hyndman. The PRR followed the B&O from Hyndman into Cumberland. Tom
TOM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/11 20:39 by TrackOne.

And if I remember correctly, the Hyndman interchange was where the Hyndman cam is now. The PRR left the B&O to head towards Bedford while the B&O headed northwesterly towards Sand Patch.

You can still see a lot of the bridges and old roadbed most of the way.