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The so-called "southern route" of the South
Pennsylvania was a treacherous one, as it crossed six mountain ridges, required nine tunnels and involved numerous curves and steep grades. Construction continued into 1885, with considerable work done in drilling the tunnels and grading the portion of the
321:, who was the New York Central's principal banker and a Vanderbilt ally, was also concerned about the financial effects of ruthless competition. He brokered an agreement in which the New York Central bought the West Shore Railroad, halted construction on the South Pennsylvania (including a
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route through the mountains. But, as expenses rose, Vanderbilt began to have second thoughts and began looking for a graceful way out that would protect the investments made by his syndicate partners. He proposed a truce and buyout by the
Pennsylvania, but the Pennsylvania's president,
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since the 1880s allowed for bypasses. The highway engineers did not use most of the railroad's other grading, however, since they could afford steeper grades and shorter alignments. Because of this, relics of the "ghost railroad" may still be found all across the
Alleghenies.
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at
Harrisburg) and agreed to sell its right-of-way to the Pennsylvania. However, legal action prevented the Pennsylvania from taking control of the line, and the South Pennsylvania remained in limbo for almost 20 years. In the meantime, two short sections, including the
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In 1893, the
Southern Pennsylvania Railway, a Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary which had charter rights along the route, initiated court proceedings to take ownership of part of the South Pennsylvania grade. In 1895, it obtained title to the grade east of
246:, who were anxious to break the Pennsylvania Railroad's freight monopoly in Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania. Vanderbilt, the Pittsburghers and other investors formed a syndicate to finance and build a new mainline railroad across the
161:
via the Broad Top
Mountain coalfields. On May 5, 1855, it was renamed the Sherman's Valley and Broad Top Railroad Company, and the planned eastern terminus was changed from Duncannon to the mouth of Fishing Creek, in
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402:, when plans were made to build a superhighway across Pennsylvania. In 1937, the new Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission bought the old line from the two railroads and, in 1938, construction began between
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The new route for the railroad was surveyed beginning in 1881, and construction began soon after. The alignment, which had first been surveyed in the 1840s by
Colonel Charles Schattler of the
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190:. On April 1, 1863, it was renamed as the South Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Despite feverish promotion, including plans for 200 miles (322 km) of line from Marysville to
410:. Two of the workers from the South Pennsylvania Railroad project (one contractor and one laborer) also worked on the Turnpike despite the 54-year time difference in construction.
178:
and the
Pittsburgh and Connellsville Railroad. Around this time, two miles of the proposed route were in fact graded. On March 31, 1859, it was given the grandiose name of
235:. Vanderbilt viewed the West Shore project as a Pennsylvania Railroad incursion into prime New York Central territory and a threat to the Central's supremacy in the area.
145:
The first South
Pennsylvania Railroad was originally chartered as the Duncannon, Landisburg, and Broad Top Railroad Company on May 5, 1854. Its intended route began in
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258:, would form a route to the East Coast. The group used the long-inactive charter of the South Pennsylvania Railroad as its vehicle to begin constructing the railroad.
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Pittsburgh was originally a branch line until
Carnegie and others intervened and persuaded Vanderbilt to discard the original alignment, which was to go to
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among them), but the majority of the line, including several unfinished tunnels, remained unused. It eventually came to be known as "Vanderbilt's Folly".
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The turnpike's original route was opened in October 1940, using six of the railroad's nine tunnels (subsequent route re-alignments have caused
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The unused charter of the defunct South Pennsylvania Railroad was revived in the 1880s as a weapon in a growing war between the
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bought the South Pennsylvania grade west of Mount Dallas, organizing it under the name of
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is present in the middle of the image. The tunnel was later used by the Turnpike until
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and then dismissed as a possible route for the Pennsylvania, crossed the spine of the
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To retaliate, Vanderbilt allied himself with Pittsburgh capitalists, including
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Report on the South Pennsylvania Railroad: Also, Its Charter and Supplements
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is the name given to two proposed, but never completed, railroads in
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Posts in a forum thread where the railroad right-of-way is traced
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for the second South Pennsylvania Railroad were reused for the
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in southern Pennsylvania. It connected Harrisburg with the
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during construction of the railroad tunnel in the 1880s.
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Companies affiliated with the New York Central Railroad
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The South Pennsylvania Railroad was planned to connect
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New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad competition
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Proposed but never completed railroad in Pennsylvania
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49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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599:"Engineering News and American Contract Journal"
511:Railroads of Pennsylvania Encyclopedia and Atlas
421:wasn't used due to structural concerns and the
340:Pittsburgh, Westmoreland and Somerset Railroad
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8:
565:. Harrisburg, PA: Sieg. 1869. pp. 13–16
533:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
763:Mainline Turnpike (I-70, I-76, I-95, I-276)
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724:
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674:"The Old South Penn: "Vanderbilt's Folly""
219:: the two major Eastern railroad systems.
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
706:More photos of the railroad right-of-way
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553:
551:
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225:New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railway
778:Amos K. Hutchinson Bypass (Turnpike 66)
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585:"The Road of the Century • Chapter 14"
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129:during the 19th century. Parts of the
499:Steinmetz, R.H. "Turnpike Railroad,"
415:some of these tunnels to be abandoned
363:Fulton, Bedford and Somerset Railroad
7:
808:Mon–Fayette Expressway (Turnpike 43)
180:Pennsylvania Pacific Railway Company
47:adding citations to reliable sources
920:Northwest & Southwest Extension
701:Photos of the railroad right-of-way
250:that would connect Pittsburgh with
473:Rainey, Lee; Frank Kyper (1996) .
429:were bypassed because advances in
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690:"The South Pennsylvania Railroad"
398:The route was revived during the
295:Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
182:, with the rights to extend into
1032:Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
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748:Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission
640:British Broadcasting Corporation
460:Binzen, P.; Daughen, J. (1971).
256:Philadelphia and Reading Railway
254:, and, working jointly with the
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946:Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike
813:Southern Beltway (Turnpike 576)
658:"The End of the Line-Literally"
170:, in order to connect with the
34:needs additional citations for
1022:Defunct Pennsylvania railroads
509:Taber, Thomas T., III (1987).
297:, a Vanderbilt subsidiary, at
1:
869:Mon–Fayette Expressway Bridge
773:James E. Ross Highway (I-376)
464:The Wreck of the Penn Central
309:, refused to meet his price.
58:"South Pennsylvania Railroad"
796:Partially completed highways
334:, were later used for local
287:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
968:South Pennsylvania Railroad
925:Philadelphia Loop Extension
768:Northeast Extension (I-476)
359:Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
123:South Pennsylvania Railroad
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854:Kittatinny Mountain Tunnel
678:www.somersettownshippa.com
662:www.harrisburgmagazine.com
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176:Allegheny Portage Railroad
884:Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel
829:Allegheny Mountain Tunnel
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419:Allegheny Mountain Tunnel
879:Susquehanna River Bridge
505:magazine, December 1946.
468:. Boston, Little, Brown.
893:Aborted expansion plans
874:Schuylkill River Bridge
513:. Thomas T. Taber III.
834:Allegheny River Bridge
479:San Marino, California
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417:), while the original
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973:Negro Mountain Tunnel
939:Historical structures
849:Delaware River Bridge
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427:Negro Mountain Tunnel
394:Pennsylvania Turnpike
388:Pennsylvania Turnpike
352:Pennsylvania Turnpike
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221:William H. Vanderbilt
217:Pennsylvania Railroad
172:Pennsylvania Railroad
135:Pennsylvania Turnpike
956:Sideling Hill Tunnel
910:Gettysburg Extension
844:Blue Mountain Tunnel
642:"Vanderbilt's Folly"
354:Commission in 1938.
336:short line railroads
202:Vanderbilt syndicate
43:improve this article
864:Mingo Creek Viaduct
839:Beaver River Bridge
822:Tunnels and bridges
613:"Atlantic Reporter"
978:Quemahoning Tunnel
963:Laurel Hill Tunnel
930:Scranton Extension
756:Completed highways
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423:Quemahoning Tunnel
332:Quemahoning Tunnel
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196:Youghiogheny River
141:Initial promotions
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915:Keystone Shortway
900:Chester Extension
483:Golden West Books
327:Susquehanna River
313:Cessation of work
215:Railroad and the
157:and ended on the
149:, passed through
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1001:Cashless Tolling
951:Rays Hill Tunnel
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694:trainweb.org
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682:the original
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348:Mount Dallas
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319:J. P. Morgan
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291:Appalachians
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164:Perry County
155:Burnt Cabins
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131:right of way
127:Pennsylvania
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99:January 2019
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
656:Rick Dapp.
431:engineering
378:Brownsville
248:Alleghenies
192:West Newton
1016:Categories
454:References
447:Harrisburg
443:Pittsburgh
382:Harrisburg
299:Port Perry
252:Harrisburg
168:Marysville
151:Landisburg
69:newspapers
627:"Welcome"
529:cite book
325:over the
262:The route
147:Duncannon
137:in 1940.
569:June 19,
404:Carlisle
370:Wheeling
281:in 1968.
279:bypassed
194:(on the
188:Virginia
184:Maryland
996:E-ZPass
615:. 1887.
601:. 1883.
317:Banker
233:Buffalo
83:scholar
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502:Trains
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323:bridge
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445:with
408:Irwin
338:(the
166:near
90:JSTOR
76:books
571:2020
535:link
515:ISBN
487:ISBN
425:and
406:and
376:and
372:via
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186:and
153:and
121:The
62:news
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