• Wellsboro PA to Antrim abandon?

  • Discussion relating to the NYC and subsidiaries, up to 1968. Visit the NYCS Historical Society for more information.
Discussion relating to the NYC and subsidiaries, up to 1968. Visit the NYCS Historical Society for more information.

Moderator: Otto Vondrak

  by nydepot
 
When was the line from Wellsboro, PA to Antrim, PA abandoned? Torn out? Thanks.

Charles
  by lvrr325
 
If you're talking the Corning Secondary south, Conrail stopped through trains about 1988 and pulled it out not long after.
  by Aa3rt
 
Charles,

I've been trying to research your question but have come up empty handed with dates regarding abandonment and demolition. However, I did find a couple of websites that covered the building of the line that you, or others, may find of interest. I'm interested in this myself, as I lived briefly in Wellsboro in the early 1970's.

http://wnyrails.org/railroads/nyc/nyc_fall_brook.htm

http://www.fallbrookrailroad.com

http://www.tiogacentral.com/history.php

I did manage to find this system map from 1918 that shows the line to Antrim still in place...

http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet ... al-Lines--

PS-A check of my trusty "Official Guide of the Railways" from July 1947 shows the line terminating at Wellsboro Junction at that date. I do own a copy of "Wellsboro's Own Railroad" by Richard L. Stoving where one may possibly find the answer. Unfortunately I loaned my copy to my father and it's currently in northwest Pennsylvania, about 370 miles away.
  by nydepot
 
Thanks. That's the line on the map, the short branch from the main Fall Brook line (Corning to Newberry) that extends to Antrim. I was curious if it lasted to diesel times. Near the Antrim end was a switchback to get to the coal mines.

I looked briefly at the Wellsboro book and didn't see much of the line past Wellsboro proper. Oh well. I don't own it though so didn't look long.
  by Aa3rt
 
Dormant topic being revived!

Charles, I'm currently in northwest PA visiting my father and had occasion to look through my copy of "Wellsboro's Own Railroad, a history of the Wellsboro & Lawrenceville Railroad now part of the Wellsboro and Corning Railroad and the route of the Tioga Central Railroad" by Richard L. Stoving, President, Tioga Central Railroad, published by The Railroad Press, copyright 2003.

Here's a brief passage from page# 36:

"The mines at Antrim being no longer viable, the fourteen-mile line up Charleston Creek from Wellsboro to Antrim did not survive much longer. Thomas Regan, a member of the Tioga Transportation Society, the organization that provides volunteers for the Tioga Central Railroad's operation, recalled in 1994 that he had walked the tracks of the Antrim branch in the period of 1943-1945, and that at that time the New York Central was operating three coal trains each week north from Antrim. The locomotive, he recalled, was a 2-8-0 Consolidation stationed at Wellsboro Junction. Although track was removed after the flood in 1946, parts of the right-of-way are still visible. The rails of "Wellsboro's Own Railroad" were cut back on its southern end to a point of about one-half of a mile south of the Wellsboro depot. Only about 24 miles of the original Wellsboro and Lawrenceville remained."
  by thebigham
 
^Thanks, Art! I just discovered the line today.

So it was abandoned in 1946.

Any pics online?
  by Aa3rt
 
Chris, I just asked a college friend who grew up in Antrim about any resources she might be aware of. If you'll follow the supplied link, and scroll tot he bottom, there's a photo of a train of 4 wheel coal jimmies pulled by a 4-4-0.

http://www.joycetice.com/articles/antrimph.htm

Also, this Youtube video, a little over three minutes long, showing some views of Antrim including what I assume to be a large slag heap. It's unfortunate that the individual who filmed the video didn't provide subtitles so one knew what they were looking at.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgtrbOLIr3w