The Shenango River Railroad Bridge carries the New Castle Industrial Railroad over the Shenango River in New Castle, Pennsylvania.
The Shenango River Railroad Bridge carries the New Castle Industrial Railroad over the Shenango River in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The crossing was originally part of the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railroad (BR&P) and later the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) network.
History
The BR&P was chartered in 1885 to transport bituminous coal from western and central Pennsylvania coalfields to Buffalo and Rochester. 1 Although a direct route to Pittsburgh was planned, the BR&P initially relied on trackage rights over a Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) subsidiary to reach the city’s steel mills. The railroad later operated over B&O trackage from Butler, Pennsylvania, south to Pittsburgh’s Smithfield Street Station.
In August 1901, the BR&P, the B&O, and the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) jointly constructed a bridge over the Shenango River just south of Mahoning Avenue. 4 The new crossing, composed of Whipple and Pratt through truss spans, connected the BR&P with the P&LE and B&O systems while also providing improved rail access into the city. 1 2 The line, operated by three railroads, served several emerging industrial facilities, including Hartman Manufacturing and the Baldwin & Graham stove works.
The B&O acquired a controlling interest in the BR&P in 1929 and purchased the railroad outright in 1932. 1 The acquisition was part of the B&O’s broader effort to expand into northeastern markets, including New England and New York. While the B&O never achieved direct access to New York City, the BR&P proved to be a productive component of its system.
Today, the former BR&P alignment through New Castle is operated by the New Castle Industrial Railroad (NCIR). 3 Formed in 1992, the locally owned and operated switching short line serves multiple industrial customers using former rights-of-way and trackage from the PRR, B&O, and P&LE systems, connecting Norfolk Southern’s Fort Wayne Line and CSX’s New Castle Subdivision with the NCIR switching yard.
In 2024, the New Castle Industrial Railroad removed the diamond crossing east of the Mahoning River, effectively rendering the Mahoning River bridge abandoned.
Gallery
Sources
- “The Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway, Safety And Service.” American-Rails.com, article.
- “Insurance maps of New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, 1904.” PennState University Libraries, map.
- “New Castle Industrial Railroad.” Hawkinsrails.net, article.
- “Connecting Road Goes In At Once.” New Castle News, 14 Aug. 1901, p. 14.
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