Kiski Junction Railroad facts for kids

The Kiski Junction Railroad (KJR) is a special kind of short-line railroad in Western Pennsylvania, near the city of Pittsburgh. It's based in a small town called Schenley, which is where the Kiskiminetas River meets the Allegheny River. The KJR used to carry goods (freight) and also offered fun train rides for tourists. However, the railroad stopped all its train operations after the year 2016. It is currently "mothballed," which means it's shut down for now.

History of the Kiski Junction Railroad

The name "Kiski Junction" comes from a spot on the old Pennsylvania Railroad lines. This was where two important lines, the Conemaugh Line and the Allegheny Branch, met. This meeting point was near the Kiski Junction Railroad's bridge. Here, the KJR would connect with the Norfolk Southern railroad to exchange goods.

The part of the Kiski Junction Railroad's tracks that crossed the bridge over the Kiskiminetas River and ran along the Allegheny River was once part of the Pennsylvania Railroad's route from Pittsburgh to Oil City. There was also a side track that went southeast towards Bagdad. Some parts of this side track were built over an old canal route. Most of these lines were closed by Conrail in the late 1980s, and the tracks were removed in 1992. The section of the line north of Schenley was bought by the Armstrong Trail Association. They turned it into a rail trail, which is a path for walking and biking. This trail is part of a bigger planned path called the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail.

Extending the Tracks

In 2008, the governor of Pennsylvania at the time, Ed Rendell, announced good news. The Kiski Junction Railroad would receive a grant of $4 million from the state. This money was meant to extend the train line by 9 miles north of Schenley. The goal was to reach the mouth of Crooked Creek.

Construction on this extension began in 2010 and finished in 2011. The new line was built to serve the Logansport Mine, which was operated by Rosebud Mining Co. The tracks now end just 2 miles south of Ford City. The railroad hoped to connect with Ford City one day.

What the Railroad Did

From 1995 to 2016, the Kiski Junction Railroad offered special passenger train rides. These included summer trips, beautiful fall foliage rides, and even Christmas-themed journeys. Their main customer for carrying goods was the Rosebud Mine in Logansport. However, train operations to the mine stopped after the 2016 season.

Another customer was the Allegheny Technologies factory in Gilpin Township. This factory closed shortly before the mine operations stopped. There was also a small feed mill in Schenley that stopped using the railroad after the bridge over the Kiski River closed in 2017. The bridge over the Kiski River was built in 1899. It was a highlight for the tourist trains. After coming back from the Bagdad Branch or the main line, the train would cross this bridge. This gave passengers amazing views of both the Kiski and Allegheny Rivers before returning to Schenley.

Locomotives of the KJR

KJR #7135 was the main engine for the railroad. It is an Alco S-1 type locomotive. This engine was first built for the US Army Reserve in 1943. It worked at army bases in Fort Dix and Colts Neck, New Jersey. Later, it was given to the South Branch Valley Railroad. The Kiski Junction Railroad bought #7135 in 1995.

In 2013, the KJR bought another engine, former Lehigh Valley Railroad #126. This was an EMD SW900 class locomotive. It had been used at Rosebud Mining's Lady Jane Mine. After the Lehigh Valley Railroad closed in 1976, this engine became Conrail #8653. When Conrail also closed years later, #8653 worked at the Lady Jane mine. When the KJR got the engine, it was given back its original Lehigh Valley number, #126. It was also painted in an old-style Lehigh Valley color scheme.

The Kiski Junction also used modern Norfolk Southern locomotives to pull coal from the Logansport Mine. This was because the coal train would later be handed over to Norfolk Southern in Schenley. Also, the coal trains could be very long, sometimes 100 to 150 cars. This would have been too much for the older KJR #7135 and #126 engines to pull alone.

Former Locomotives