Allegheny River Trail-Emlenton to Kennerdell

Today I headed up to Venango County to ride the Allegheny River Trail. This section was built by The Allegheny Valley Railroad in 1867 to reach the oil boom that was underway in Oil City and the surrounding areas. The Allegheny Valley Railroad officially organized February 12, 1852 and by January 1856 track had been laid from Pittsburgh to Kittanning. At this point the company had run out of capital. After the oil boom jump started interest again, the railroad began laying track northward in 1863. By December 1867 they had reached Oil City. 

By 1901 the railway was absorbed by The Pennsylvania Railroad. A 1911 topographic map lists this section as the Buffalo And Allegheny Valley Division Of The Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1917 it's called the Northern Division Of The Pennsylvania Railroad and in 1941 the Allegheny Branch Of The Pennsylvania Railroad. As far as I can find it remained under this name until The Pennsylvania Railroad dissolved. After that it was a secondary Conrail track until it was abandoned in 1984.

In 1913 The Pennsylvania Railroad did some major realignment of the tracks. Three tunnels were added, eliminating 14 miles and removing 3 major river curves. The tunnels were completed in 1916 and this alignment lasted until abandonment. One of these tunnels is located further south in East Brady and I didn't get to that one. The two tunnels I rode through today are some very long railroad tunnels. The Woodhill (Rockland) Tunnel is 2,868 feet long. The Kennerdell Tunnel is the longest of the three at 3,350 feet. Both of these tunnels curve shortly after entering from the east and straighten out the rest of the way. They are very dark and a flashlight is absolutely necessary. The trail installed reflectors in the middle of the tunnels and it really helps you navigate but it's pitch black and a weak flashlight is not going to do much for you. These tunnels are amazing though! Incredible feats of engineering.

 

I love the northern Allegheny. I was surprised by how many islands the river has up here.

The first thing on the right after you get through the old refinery ruins in Emlonton is this. It looks like it could have been an old quarry.

There are so many sidings or branches off the main line through here. I found a handful of these old culverts.

This one was built in 1917 so it was shortly after the realignment.

 

This entire trail is paved the whole way to Franklin.

This bridge is part of the original alignment built by The Allegheny Valley Railroad  at Dotters Eddy. This is a really nice area.

A small road bridge is in the distance.

This is the bridge the trail goes over and part of the PRR realignment.

The top of the original alignment bridge.

Looking through the old bridge to the "new" bridge.

Heading further up river. Up around this bend is Woodhill/Rockland Tunnel.

Approaching the first tunnel heading north. This is the Woodhill/Rockland Tunnel.

Dated 1915. 

Heading inside.

Like all long train tunnels, this one has many "manhole" cut outs on the side.

Looking back at the eastern portal.

This is how far the western end is. You can see the reflectors on the floor. This was lit up with a small flashlight I keep on my bike. Like I said, you need a strong light.

The western portal.

This is right after the Rockland Tunnel on the left. It seems to be part of the original alignment that followed the river down through Rockland Station. From what I've read this section was still used after the 1916 alignment for passenger service.

The old alignment goes right through this guys yard. It must be nice to have an 1867 railroad bridge in your yard.

An old PRR signal tower.

Made by Union Switch and Signal of Swissvale.

Another bridge on the original alignment.

There is considerable distance between these two tunnels. It doesn't look like it on the map but you ride for a while. This is the eastern approach of the Kennerdell Tunnel.

Small waterfall. It's probably due to the cut approaching the tunnel though.

The Kennerdell Tunnel. 3,350 feet long. You can see the initial curve right after going in.

Looking back east.

One of the Kennerdell manholes.

Looking at the western portal and the mountain it went through.

Western portal.

Looking east toward the curve. Notice the reflectors.

Looking out the eastern portal.

Another bridge on the original alignment at Kennerdell.

Some more river photos.

The 1911 topographic map showing the original alignment at Kennerdell.

The 1911 topographic map showing the original alignment at Rockland.

The 1917 Venango County map showing the new alignment. Notice how the old alignment is still being used at Kennerdell.

Sewickley Branch Of The Pennsylvania Railroad-Armbrust to Mammoth

Today I followed the old Sewickley Branch from Armbrust to Mammoth. I started in Youngwood on the existing Five Star Rail Trail, followed it to the end, jumped a guardrail and kept going. 

 

The Sewickley Branch was basically a rail system of its own. Six branches off the main branch served the majority of major mines and coke works in Mt. Pleasant and Unity Townships. It must have been a seriously busy line. Its only connection to a major line was The Pennsylvania Railroads SWPA Division at Youngwood.  I'm having a difficult time finding all the dates for all the branches but I'm sure they would coincide with the openings of the mines. The earliest mention of it I can find is from the 1888 Official Railway Guide: North American Freight Service Edition. It lists it as going from Youngwood to Trauger for a distance of 6.9 miles. On the 1902 topographic maps the whole system is featured.

This is the end of the Five Star Trail that runs from Lynch Field in Greensburg to Armbrust.

Right here there is a guardrail to left you have to jump over and ride along Armbrust Road, cross 819 and catch the old railway again off Armbrust Brinkerton Road.

Before getting to 819 it looks like the railway crossed Sewickley Creek a second time here.

After getting on Armbrust Brinkerton Road the railway goes through the nursery on the right.

After getting through the nursery you come to the first of the branches. On the right is the Boyer Run branch which went down through at least three mines and coke plants before reaching Hecla. After Hecla it went down to Carpentertown and in the 1950's continued even further to the other Carpentertown mines southeast of the village. The bridge crossing 981 can still be seen at Carpentertown.

This is the bridge at the Boyer Run branch crossing Sewickley Creek. It's a bit sketchy. I've walked across it before but today it was all overgrown and full of holes. A bad combination.

A view of the bridge from the main Sewickley Branch.

Continuing down the line. On the left is a road up to a farm. It's not one of the branches.

The first road crossing is Udell Road.

Continuing on after Udell Road.

Here we come to the Hester Coke Works which are completely overgrown this time of year. They are actually in pretty good condition when you can see them.

I covered these ovens in an earlier post that can be viewed here:
http://coalandcoke.blogspot.com/2013/01/brinkerton-coke-works.html

After the coke ovens we come across a passive acid mine drainage treatment area. The Sewickley Creek Watershed Association operates these ponds that treat the drainage from the nearby abandoned Brinkerton Mine.

Another view of the AMD treatment ponds.

After this we come to Brinkerton Ext. (road).

After Brinkerton Ext. we come to the next branch. On the left (somewhere) is the Brinker Run Branch which ran up to Mutual.

This whole area is a swamp.

Continuing on through the swamp.

The next road crossing is Mt. Pleasant Road at Norvelt.

We continue on across the road over to the grassy area.

Next we come to the another branch. This is a big one. The Bessemer Branch goes up through United and branches again near Fairgrounds Road, where one branch went to Trauger and the other went up toward Humphreys where it branched again. One branch continued up to Humphreys, the other (Marguerite Branch) went up through Pleasant Unity and ended at Marguerite.

Heading up to United on the Bessemer Branch.

It comes out on United Road near United Way.

This sign blocks the right of way. Beyond it the railway is all overgrown. I turned around and headed back to the main Sewickley Branch.

The first thing we come across on our quest to Mammoth is this fun little bridge.

No problem getting across that. Moving on.

Next is 981 at Calumet. The buildings across the street are in the way. Going in between the red and blue buildings gets you back on your merry way.

Continuing on.

At Holly Place Road we come to an impenetrable fortress. The only way to continue on to Mammoth is to make a left on Holly Place and make a right on County Road. Mammoth is 1/2 mile down the road. The idea was to cut through the old Mammoth Mines and work my way back.

After turning down Apollo Road in Mammoth I went down to the current Mt. Pleasant Township Municipal Buildings and started working my way back. More about Mammoth can be seen here:
http://coalandcoke.blogspot.com/2014/07/mammoth-no-2-and-standard-shaft.html

There are two ways back from here. The lower trail which takes you through a corn field and back onto County Road is the wrong one. The way to go is up past the slope portal entrance and over the hill.

This goes back to the abandoned Mammoth No. 1 mine site. I was never able to connect to the railway I was looking for. Like every abandoned mine site there are trails going off in every direction.

There was a lot of nice post-summer early-fall Pennsylvania scenery though.

Finally we reach the massive slate dump at Mammoth No. 1.

A piece of old steel rail sticking out of the slate dump.

More slate dump.

A distant church from on top of the slate dump.

More rail laying scattered about.

Slate dump. Utility pole. Clouds.

This is one of the remaining structures at the mine site. It's a giant arch. I'm not sure what its purpose was.

A couple walls from an old structure.