Irwin-Hermine Traction Company

[Ralph D Kautz]

I wonder if anyone out there has a trackplan for the Irwin-Hermine Line that existed from 1904 to 1931 and ran between the two towns of it's corprate name.It also served the Coal Town of Rillton Pa.as well as Irwin Pa. and Hermine Pa.It ran from Hermine to Hahntown from 1904 to 1911 then to Irwin from 1911 to 1931 after trackage rights in Irwin were Granted and a deal worked out with the predessor company of West Penn Railways.I know that 2nd Street in Hermine is the old Trolley Roadbed that was at the end of a bridge acrossed the PRR Hempfield Branch and that the old car barn still was standing in Irwin acrossed from the old Norwin High School and was used as a bus barn for the feeder bus to Hermine until the 1978 consalidation under Westmoreland Transit Athority.I have followed the road bed where I could when I was living in the area.Most of the raodbed is still visable along side the Clay Pike/Irwin Hermine Road which the line followed.I need to confirm that the lower road in Hahntown is the old trollley bed and to see the track plan of where the trolley climbed Cereal Hill(which the Railroad Tunneled under)and rejoined the Clay pike.If anyone can help me please answer this message.Thak you in advance Dan

[Ralph D Kautz]

I got an update from a PRR site which says that the Trolley line followed the present Powere Line Right of Way.This would have it comming down behind the old Cereal Plant and crossing the road at Lindencross to the lower road in Hauntown,which just about confirms that the western most road in Hauntown Pa. is the old trolley roadbed and ROW.It follows the Railroad to Just before the old Adams Mine,where it looks like the ROW ended and it ran in the street until it was past the mine entrance area then went back to private ROW beside the Irwin Hauntown West Side of the road,until it reached Pennsylvania Ave in Irwin and its car house and junction with the West Penn Railway line to Mckeesport.,Greensburg. and Trafford.