Washington Run Railroad

Branch line railroad in Pennsylvania

Washington Run RailroadOverview

Reporting mark| WRN
Locale| Perry Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Dates of operation| 1899-1931 [1]
Technical
Track gauge| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Length| 4 miles

The Washington Run Railroad was a branch line in Pennsylvania.[2] Starting at a junction with the B&O Railroad in Layton, the line crossed the Youghiogheny River on a bridge (Layton Bridge) and passed through a tunnel (both built by the A.P. Roberts Construction Company) to continue to Perryopolis. From there, it continued to Star Junction on a track that ran parallel to today's Pennsylvania Route 51.

The railroad had a passenger car that it used for passenger service, but it was primarily a freight carrier, transporting coke produced at Star Junction and coal for the Washington Coal and Coke Company and the Cochran Coal Company. It also served the brickworks in Layton and had a stop in Victoria.

The railroad ceased operation in 1931. Layton Bridge and the adjacent tunnel still serve as a single lane part of Layton Road (State Route 4038).

Washington Run Railroad TunnelOverview

Location| Pennsylvania
Coordinates| 40°05′18″N 79°43′54″W﻿ / ﻿40.08833°N 79.73167°W﻿ / 40.08833; -79.73167
Status| last train March 12, 1931, converted to automobile use August 1933
Start| near Layton, Pennsylvania
End| Perryopolis, Pennsylvania
Operation
Work begun| 1899
Constructed| rock bored, masonry arch entrances
Closed| 1931 as a rail tunnel
Owner| Washington Run Railroad
Technical
Length| 208 feet
No. of tracks| single
Track gauge| 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Tremba, John (25 December 2005). "Hidden Architecture". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
2. ^ "Railroads of the Connellsville Coke Region" (PDF). Connellsville, Pennsylvania. May 1914: 52. Retrieved 2009-03-06. `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)

## External links

[edit]

* Website with postcard view of the railroad tunnel [1]

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