Donora Southern Railroad

[rchgck]

Does anybody have any information on the Donora Southern Railroad a short line owned by US Steel and served served the steel, wire and zinc mills in Donora, Pennsylvania. The line only stretched about 3 miles only serving the 3 industries on the river and interchanged with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Had steam and then later SW 8s and a few other stray switchers. Mostly moved slag, wire, steel, molten steel and goods in and out of the mills.

Here are a few links.

http://rnetzlof.pennsyrr.com/corphist/ds.html

http://www.cup.edu/education/aam/artexh ... 4903422510

http://scottbeveridge.blogspot.com/2007 ... aster.html

http://www.thepwvhiline.com/Jul05Reques ... csNet.html

http://www.thepwvhiline.com/TheTimMcCre ... P4Web.html

Those familiar with Donora will remember the smog from these mills that was trapped in the Monongahela river valley and ended up making many people sick and killing about 20 others.

Any info would be appreciated.

I am specifically looking for anything on operations, where the interchange was at or just general info.

Thanks,

[bystander]

Was that the Line that the SNJR was going to shiop trash from New Jeresy to and got stoopped by the \by the goverment? I read something about a lawsuit a few years long ago. I know where it was because I used to live to Ohio and visited frends in PA.

[peter vaira]

I grew up about 5 miles from Donora and saw that railroad in operation. I observed the hot slag being hauled up the mile long dump in rail cars, and watched the hot material pour down the sides of the dump, lighting up the night sky. I have been attempting to gain information on the Donora Southern for about a year, without any success. The US Steel library has no files on it. I recently wrote to the Donora and Washington County historical societies inquiring if they have any information on the subject. One of our neighbors to our farm was an engineer on the Donora Southern. He has long since died, but I am attempting to contact his relatives to see if he left any memorbilia. I have some historical knowledge resulting from my observations and can share them with you. My family owns about 300 acres of land fives miles from donora. As you may know the town of Donora is a shadow of its former self with the closing of the wire mill and the zinc works. The Donora Southern was a mini Union Railroad which serviced the giant steel mills in the Monongahela valley near Pittsburgh.
Peter Vaira Phone 215 751 2700;[email protected]

[Lamp56]

I recently pick up The Lantern - Feb. 1958. It is the company/employee magazine of the Donora Southern Railroad. The Dorora Southern RR was the "Union RR" for the Zinc Works and US Steel wire mill in Donora. When the mills closed, the railroad had no customers and eventually went out of business. I believe it operated like the Union Railroad in Pittsburgh, the Monessen Southwestern Railway, which serviced the mills in Monessen, PA across the river from Donora, and the McKeesport Connecting Railroad. All four railroads worked the factories along the Monongahela River. The Union Railroad serviced numerous plants/factories/mills in various towns along the Monongahela River. The other three serviced plants/factories/mills in their respective towns.