Most of our major interstate highways have rail mainlines in close paralell or, in the case of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/I-76, are built on old railroad grades. One of the principal exceptions to this, however, is Interstate Route 80 east of Youngstown, Ohio(Keystone Shortway).
Interestingly, a little research of early histories or bound volumes of Railway Age from long ago will turn up several ideas for these routes which nearly came to pass before the industry stagnated in the wake of the Great Depression.
Probably the most interesting is found in an article which appears to have been launched by backers of the Van Swearingen brothers' "Greater Nickel Plate" campaign of around 1925. This line would have used Jersey Central and Reading's Catawissa and Haucks branches from the New York/New Jersey region to Milton, Penna, then placed a new line via White Deer Valley (with, undoubtedly, a couple of substantial tunnels) before linking with NYC's Beech Creek line somewhere near Orviston. The remainder of the plan would have used existant trackage almost entirely.
Other plans revolved around the former PRR Low Grade Branch/Secondary Track, which left the Pennsy's Buffalo Line at Driftwood, Penna, and continued west to the Allegheny River at Brady's Bend. This line, which is still in existence for unit coal moves, has the lowest summit and easiest grades of any crossing of the Alleghenies, and plans to bypass Pittsburgh and link it directly to the Great Lakes region were formulated at one time.
With all the major lines fixated on grades and fuel economy as never before, it might be time to give these two forgotten ideas a second look.
Interestingly, a little research of early histories or bound volumes of Railway Age from long ago will turn up several ideas for these routes which nearly came to pass before the industry stagnated in the wake of the Great Depression.
Probably the most interesting is found in an article which appears to have been launched by backers of the Van Swearingen brothers' "Greater Nickel Plate" campaign of around 1925. This line would have used Jersey Central and Reading's Catawissa and Haucks branches from the New York/New Jersey region to Milton, Penna, then placed a new line via White Deer Valley (with, undoubtedly, a couple of substantial tunnels) before linking with NYC's Beech Creek line somewhere near Orviston. The remainder of the plan would have used existant trackage almost entirely.
Other plans revolved around the former PRR Low Grade Branch/Secondary Track, which left the Pennsy's Buffalo Line at Driftwood, Penna, and continued west to the Allegheny River at Brady's Bend. This line, which is still in existence for unit coal moves, has the lowest summit and easiest grades of any crossing of the Alleghenies, and plans to bypass Pittsburgh and link it directly to the Great Lakes region were formulated at one time.
With all the major lines fixated on grades and fuel economy as never before, it might be time to give these two forgotten ideas a second look.
What a revoltin' development this is! (William Bendix)