Allegheny Branch

{{seealso|Allegheny Valley Railroad (1852–1892)#History}}

The Allegheny Valley Railroad completed its initial line between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Kiskiminetas River in October 1855 for a distance of {{convert|29|mi}}. The line followed the east bank of the Allegheny River. A further {{convert|13|mi}}, completed on December 11, 1855, extended the line to the mouth of the Crooked Creek, south of Kittanning, Pennsylvania. The {{convert|2|mi|adj=on}} extension to Kittanning itself opened on January 23, 1856.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=397}} Thereafter construction stalled because of the financial weakness of the Allegheny Valley Railroad.{{sfnp|Churella|2013|p=310}}

Construction resumed in July 1863, and the line was extended a further {{convert|10|mi}} north to the Mahoning Creek in April 1866. The line reached Bradys Bend on June 27, 1867, and finally Venango City, across the Allegheny from Oil City, on January 8, 1868.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=398}}{{sfnp|Churella|2013|p=311}} The Allegheny Valley Railroad completed a new bridge over the river on February 2, 1870. In Oil City, it connected with the Oil Creek and Allegheny River Railway.{{cite journal | journal=The Commercial & Financial Chronicle, Bankers' Gazette, Commercial Times, Railway Monitor, and Insurance Journal | title=Allegheny Valley Railroad | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sL9fMxvDDn0C | date=April 16, 1870 | page=492}} The total length of the main line (or "River Division") was {{convert|132|mi}}.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=397}}

The Allegheny Valley Railroad was reorganized as the Allegheny Valley Railway in 1892. The Pennsylvania Railroad, long involved with both railroad's affairs, leased Allegheny Valley Railway in 1900 and merged it in 1910.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=395}} The line was initially grouped in the railroad's Buffalo and Allegheny Valley Division, and, with the lines of the Oil Creek and Allegheny River Railway and Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway, formed a through route between Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York, via Corry, Pennsylvania.{{sfnp|Pennsylvania Railroad|1916|pp=48–49}}

The Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central Railroad in 1968 to form the Penn Central Transportation Company. Under Penn Central the line remained physically intact, with the portion between Brady and Oil City known as the Oil City Secondary.{{cite web | title=Central Region: Timetable No. 5 | pages=7; 11 | url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HUr5CVPSvvhFi2z6gkbP38nrDbcEc_0-/view | date=December 15, 1972}} With the Penn Central's bankruptcy the line's future became uncertain. The United States Railway Association initially recommended that three segments not be conveyed to Conrail:{{sfnp|USRA|1975|pp=420–424}}

• between Arnold, Pennsylvania, and Kiskiminetas Junction (near Schenley, Pennsylvania)
• between Templeton, Pennsylvania, and Red Bank (near Brady)
• between Brady and Emlenton, Pennsylvania

In the end, the entire line was conveyed to Conrail, and remained intact until 1984. Conrail abandoned {{convert|35.6|mi}} between Templeton and Emlenton (via Red Bank) and {{convert|10.06|mi}} between Arnold and Kiskiminetas Junction on May 14, 1984, and further abandoned {{convert|33.21|mi}} between Emlenton and Oil City on August 9.{{cite book | title=Department of Transportation and related agencies appropriations for fiscal year 1986: hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, Ninety-ninth Congress, first session, on H.R. 3244 .... | last=United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Transportation and Related Agencies | date=1986 | location=Washington, D.C. | publisher=Government Printing Office | url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31210016301911 | pages=141–142| hdl=2027/uc1.31210016301911 }} Conrail abandoned {{convert|23.8|mi}} between Schenley and Templeton on June 8, 1989.{{cite court |litigants=Moody v. Allegheny Valley Land Trust |vol=930 |reporter=A.2d |opinion=505 |pinpoint=|court=

Superior Court of Pennsylvania |date=2007 |url=https://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/superior-court/2007/a38016-06.html |quote= |postscript= }}

Conrail sold the line between Pittsburgh and Arnold to the new Allegheny Valley Railroad in 1995.{{sfnp|Lewis|1996|p=21}} That same year, Conrail sold the remaining track around Kiskiminetas Junction, including the bridge over the Kiskiminetas River, to Berkman Rail Services.{{cite journal | title=Berkman Rail Services, Inc.—Acquisition and Operation Exemption—Consolidated Rail Corporation | journal=Federal Register | url=https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1995-07-17/pdf/FR-1995-07-17.pdf | volume=60 | issue=136 | page=36434 | date=July 17, 1995}} Berkman established the Kiski Junction Railroad to operate the line.{{sfnp|Lewis|1996|p=168}} The Kiski Junction Railroad ceased operations in 2021 and abandoned the line.{{Cite news |last=Thomas |first=Mary Ann |date=2021-07-06 |title=Kiski Junction Railroad finally closes; corridor explored for recreational trail |url=https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/kiski-junction-railroad-finally-closes-corridor-explored-for-recreational-trail/ |access-date=2025-06-11 |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |language=en-US}}

On the northern end of the line, a short section remained running southwest from Oil City across the Allegheny River to various industries on the south side of Oil City. This line passed to the Norfolk Southern Railway when Conrail was broken up in 1999. Norfolk Southern leased it, along with other properties, to the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad in 2005.{{cite web | last=Surface Transportation Board | title=Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad, LLC–Lease and Operation Exemption–Norfolk Southern Railway Company | date=January 18, 2006 | accessdate=June 11, 2025 | url=https://dcms-external.s3.amazonaws.com/MPD/62491/F555783451044F17852570F3005DD8E9/36586.pdf}}

The most significant bridge on the line is the bridge over the Allegheny at Oil City. The original opened in 1870, and was replaced in 1880.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=398}} The Allegheny Valley Railway built a new steel bridge in 1895.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=394}} The Pennsylvania Railroad replaced that bridge with a new structure in 1930.{{cite news |title=New Pennsy Bridge To Be Open Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oil-city-derrick-new-pennsy-bridge-t/174215159/ |newspaper=The Oil City Derrick |date=1930-09-29 |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2025-06-10}} This new bridge was designed as a wye, with spans heading northwest toward Oil City and northeast toward Warren, Pennsylvania.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=393}}

Also significant is the Kiski Junction Bridge, which crosses the Kiskiminetas River. The river was first crossed in 1853–1855. The Allegheny Valley Railroad constructed a new iron bridge on the site in 1869. That bridge was destroyed in a flood on February 22, 1898, and replaced by a steel bridge.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=394}} The new bridge was of a through truss design, {{convert|712|ft|8|in}} long, with three spans.{{sfnp|Coverdale & Colpitts|1946|p=393}}

The right-of-way between Kiskiminetas Junction and milepost 75, near Upper Hillville in Clarion County, is now the Armstrong Trail.{{cite web | url=https://armstrongtrails.org/trail-map/ | title=Trail Map | website=Armstrong Trails | accessdate=2025-06-12}} The Tredway Trail extends from the south side of the Kiskiminetas River to Braeburn.{{Cite news |last=Hanz |first=Joyce |date=2023-04-27 |title=Tredway Trail, dubbed 'gem' of Allegheny Township, nears completion |url=https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/the-tredway-trail-dubbed-a-gem-of-allegheny-township-nears-completion/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |language=en-US}} {{As of|2025}} the two trails are separated by the Norfolk Southern's Conemaugh Line.{{Cite news |last=Hanz |first=Joyce |date=2024-02-22 |title=10 miles of new trail from Gilpin brings regional network 1 step closer |url=https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/10-miles-of-new-trail-from-gilpin-brings-regional-network-1-step-closer/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |work=Pittsburgh Tribune-Review |language=en-US}}

{{reflist}}

{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFCoverdale_&_Colpitts1946}}

• {{Churella-PRR-1}}
• {{Coverdale & Colpitts 1}}
• {{Lewis-Shortline-1996}}
• {{cite book | last=Pennsylvania Railroad | title=Pennsylvania Railroad System ... a description of its main lines and branches, with notes of the historical events which have taken place in the territory contiguous | date=1916 | oclc= 6528639 | publisher=The Matthews-Northrup Works | location=Buffalo, New York | url=https://www.loc.gov/item/16024807/}}
• {{cite book | title=Final system plan for restructuring railroads in the Northeast and Midwest region pursuant to the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 | year=1975 | author=United States Railway Association | author-link=United States Railway Association | location=Washington, DC | publisher=United States Government Printing Office|url=http://multimodalways.org/docs/govts/federal/executive/Agencies/DOT/USRA/FSP/FSP%20VII.pdf | oclc=2889148 | volume=2 | ref={{Harvid|USRA|1975}} }}

Category:Pennsylvania Railroad lines

Category:Rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania

Category:Railway lines opened in 1855