Eastern Railroad Discussion > AVR-3 Local, Washington, PA. Part II

This is a continuation of my prior post ( https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4717653 ) of photographing the AVR-3 local in the Washington, PA. area where I happen to live. The first three I missed and should have been on my first post. So lets begin the first 3 of 19 photos:

1. Power for the local has cut off the train onto what I think is one of two former Tylerdale storage tracks. After the conductor releases the brakes, the cars will drift forward and the power will come onto the main and push the cars to Washington Penn Plastic VBAT. No way to turn the power at VBAT.    Jan-2017

2. The cars have come to a stop, The power can now pull onto the main and push the train to VBAT plastics about a mile away.    Jan-2017

3. The local now shoves the cars west across bridge #157 3/4 which crosses over I-70 to Washington Penn Plastic VBAT division. The two covered hoppers are destined for VBAT.    Jan-2017

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/19 05:19 by jmbreitigan.

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4. Old water tank located at ECM supply in the Tylerdale area.    Jan-2017

5. Now we are in Washington. AVR 3 approaches the South Main street crossing in town headed to service a Frac Sand facility and V-Bat Plastics located on the west end of town in the Tylerdale area.    Dec-2017

6. With a big cloud starting to block the sun, AVR3 with dynamics on is approaching downtown Washington with several frac sand cars destined for a loading facility at the west end of town. Those familiar with town can see part of W&J college in the middle to the right. The white domed building to the middle left is the courthouse. Other prominent structures can be seen by those familiar with town.    May-2018

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You have some great photos here. Your last one looks so much like it was photographed on a world-class model railroad.
Bob

7. AVR 3 is done working in Washington and is headed back to Glenwood yard in Pittsburgh. The local is crossing over East Maiden street and approaching the South Wade Ave. crossing. To the right of the plow is a concrete whistle sign at a precarious angle. To the left is a mast, all that remains of a B&O signal that governed Wade siding which was behind me. The siding is long gone.    June-2018

8. We are now east of Washington. The AVR 3 local ( #4005, 405 & 3002 ) @ MP-31 approaches Zediker Station road crossing headed west towards Washington, PA. Dip in the track is from some mine subsidence.    Feb.-2018

9. Now we are in the Tylerdale area in the west end of Washington in what was known as the former Tylerdale Connecting RR. The overpass in the background is I-70. The local has left the old B&O main on the other side of the I-70 overpass. This Fracking sand facility has recently appeared and business is brisk. AVR 3 is shoving 7 Frac cars to the facility.  To the right of the fenced area was the site of Moly Corp.  Jan-2018


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10. The AVR-3 local has just passed me on the way to deliver 7 frac sand cars. Green street is just to the right of the frame.    Jan-2018

11 & 12. The final destination for the Frac sand cars. The local has just crossed the Jessop Place crossing. If you look close to the left in photo #12 you can see a captive box car sitting on a small section of track. That would be the Drakenfeld facility on the left.    Jan-2018


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13. After dropping off the frac sand hoppers AVR 3 local returns to the old B&O main to continue their final journey to service V Bat plastics a mile or so west. The ATI Allegheny Ludlum plant is in the background.    Jan-2018

14. Looking Northwest at former the PRR Chartiers Branch bridge spanning Chartiers creek. It would continue to Arden PA. This track  is now long gone. Former Washington Steel was on the left. The building on the right is Allegheny Ludlum according to signs on the fence. The red brick building in the center is the Bronson House.    Jan-2018

15. Here is another former PRR Chartiers Branch bridge spanning Chartiers creek. 100 feet or so to the left is where the Tylerdale Connecting RR connected with the PRR Chartiers Branch. To the right the Chartiers branch headed to downtown Washington but that track is now history.    Jan-2018


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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/19 05:25 by jmbreitigan.

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16. Looking northwest, we see what is left of the Tylerdale Branch. At least what I could actually see while exploring the area. Back then it continued across West Wylie avenue to merge with the PRR Chartiers Branch about a half mile away.    Jan-2018

17. Still looking Northwest a little further back from the previous picture we see the current end of the Tylerdale Branch. The AVR 3 local drops off frac sand hoppers here. Here you see how the hoppers are offloaded into frac sand trucks. The box car to the left is quite old and marooned on a short section of track.    Jan-2018

18. A closer look at how the frac sand is unloaded.    Jan-2018

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19. AVR 3 Local hauls 9 empty frac sand hoppers out of the West end of Washington. Used to be a lot industrial industry here but some of it is now history. The area to the left of the fence used to be the former site of MolyCorp.    Jan-2018

Thanks for looking. I have documented to the best of what I know. Corrections and additional information is always welcome from those more knowledgeable.

John Breitigan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/19 05:36 by jmbreitigan.

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Nice pics... I drove through Washington PA on I 70 back in 1970....I stayed the night there with my parents on our way back to Boston from Louisville.  I still a 45 RPM
record I bought there....''Tighter Tighter" by Alive and Kickin.....Wish I did some railfanning there back then.    Was the B&O main the one that went to Columbus? 

This was the old W & P Subdivision between Wheeling, Wv and Pittsburgh, PA.

I used to drive 70 a lot. Never saw a train even though it was a live signaled main then. I recall the trackage in Washington under nad over 70. I was always fascinated that the PRR had a narrow gauge railroad between Washington and Waynesburg as late at the Twenties. Southwestern, PA was alive with coal, coke and other industries.
Thanks for the interesting posts.
Go

Thanks for the post...

Thanks for documenting this John.

I have relatives in Houston and see the train from time to time while visiting.  This helps me understand the operation.

John both of your AVR posts are just wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to share. Note of interest- the ex-PRR Chartiers Branch is still in operation by Pittsburgh & Ohio Central. However I think the line has been cut at Arden (home of Pennsylvania Trolley Museum btw - pa-trolley.org) which is just a few short miles from it’s original terminating point at Tylerdale.

John - thanks for your excellent posts on current operations on this interesting line.  In your photos #11 and #12, the AVR crew is placing the frac sand cars at the old Brockway Glass plant, which was once a major rail customer.  Brockway Glass ceased operations here sometime in the 1980s, but most of the buildings are still there, and I believe some have been modified for other use.  Brockway Glass was one of about 10 rail customers once served by the Tylerdale Connecting Railroad.  Only 1.4 miles long, this line connected the B&O's W&P Subdivision with the PRR Chartiers Branch.  The customers on the Tylerdale Connecting Railroad had access to both B&O and PRR.  I believe that B&O crews did all the switching on the Tylerdale Connecting Railroad.  Cars were exchanged with PRR at the north end of the Tylerdale Connecting Railroad, along Chartiers Creek, very near the old PRR bridge shown in pic #15.  The PRR's Chartiers Branch continued into downtown Washington, terminating at a station east of South Main Street, two blocks south of the B&O depot.  I believe the PRR station is still there.  That is where the PRR connected to the narrow-gauge Waynesburg & Washington Railroad.  In the early 1950s, PRR had two commuter trains that originated at Washington and ran into downtown Pittsburgh, making many stops en route, returning in the evening.  This service ended before it could be dieselized, the last runs were with steam, not sure of the date.

Another interesting historical footnote was that B&O had a 1.5 mile branch, called the Sugar Creek Branch, to the coal mines at Lincoln Hill, just west of Washington.  The Sugar Creek Branch came off the Tylerdale Connecting Railroad near the point where the I-70 overpass is today.  The junction was just west of the site of the old Molybdenum Corp of America plant, shown in your pics #9 and #19.  That line ran roughly parallel to Weirich Ave west of Washington, then passed underneath the W&P main track at the same point where Weirich Ave goes under the old W&P today, just west of VBAT Plastics.  There were once two coal mines at Lincoln Hill, between U.S. Route 40 and the W&P main.  Lincoln Hill, a classic company town, is on the south side of Route 40.  The mines were gone by the early 1950s, and today the mining sites are occupied by a variety of light industrial operations.  I believe these mines were also open to PRR, since the Sugar Creek Branch came off the Tylerdale Connecting Railroad, and not directly off the W&P main line.  Little evidence remains of the coal mines today, but many of the original company homes remain, although some have been heavily modified.  Google Maps shows that the old company store still stands along Route 40.  

Thanks again for the fine posts.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/19 19:39 by cr7998.

Thank you all. 

bigkidpgh - The old PRR, now the Chartiers Branch used by the POHC crosses Main street in Arden and then crosses Oak Grove road where it basically ends. Before crossing Oak Grove road there is a small siding for what was Greif Brothers Corrugated Container. In the mid 70's before I got into this endeavor I would see a box car on that siding during my travels. Alas no more though, but the siding is still there. During that time frame I used to go to Templeton's Feed in Houston, PA. and would often see a single box car on a short siding. Oh to have documented some of that. I have posted about the POHC several times here. If interested you can do a search.

cr7998 - thank you for your additional information. Next time in the Tylerdale area I may look for any evidence of that Sugar Creek line. When I thought about posting this I figured who on TO would even know or care about this operation. But it astounds me the amount of knowledge & interest here at TO even of what I may think as an obscure item.

John Breitigan
Washington, PA.

Thank you again for these excellent post about a line that does not get alot of discussion here on TO. Great pics!