Main Line of Public Works facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Main Line of Public Works
Map of historic Pennsylvania canals and connecting railroads
Specifications
Locks	168 (The Eastern Division Canal had 14 locks, the Juniata Division 86, and the Western Division 68.)
Maximum height above sea level	2,322 ft (708 m) (Summit of the Allegheny Portage Railroad through Blair Gap)
Status	Canals abandoned except for historic and recreational segments. Many railroad segments survive as part of the Keystone Corridor.
History
Original owner	Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Date of act	1826
Construction began	1828
Date completed	1834
Date closed	Sold to Pennsylvania Railroad in 1857; last canal segment, near Harrisburg, closed in 1901
Geography
Start point	Philadelphia
End point	Pittsburgh
Branch(es)	Wiconisco Canal, Kittanning Feeder, Allegheny Outlet
Branch of	Pennsylvania Canal
Connects to	Delaware River, Schuylkill Canal, Conestoga Navigation, Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal, Codorus Navigation, Union Canal, Susquehanna Division, Allegheny River, Monongahela River, Ohio River, Ashley Planes, Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad, Lehigh Canal & Delaware Canal

The Main Line of Public Works was a huge transportation system built in Pennsylvania. It combined canals and railroads to connect the cities of Philadelphia in the east and Pittsburgh in the west. This project was approved in 1826 and built by the state of Pennsylvania between 1828 and 1834. Its main goal was to create the best way to move goods and people across the state. It was a big part of the Pennsylvania Canal System.

At first, the plan was to use only canals. But later, new ideas led to adding railroads. For example, the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad was built instead of a canal to connect Philadelphia to the Susquehanna River. This was because railroads were faster and cheaper to build in that area.

Why was it built?

As a side agreement in support of their allied Indians, the British Colonial authorities closed the region west of the Appalachians and the gaps of the Allegheny to further migrations, even resorting to having military patrols forcibly removing colonists from their homesteads. The policy was very unpopular, and grew more so as time went by.

After the American Revolution, many families wanted to move west into new lands. Cities like Philadelphia wanted to connect with these growing western areas. They wanted to be the most important port in the United States.

In the early 1800s, people built turnpikes (toll roads) and small canals. These helped connect farms to cities. But there was a big need for better transportation, especially to move coal. Coal was important for factories and heating homes.

Other states were building big canals, like the Erie Canal in New York. This made Pennsylvania's leaders want to build their own large system. They wanted to make sure Philadelphia could compete with other big cities for trade. The Main Line of Public Works was Pennsylvania's answer to this challenge. It also helped bring coal from the Coal Region to eastern cities.

Parts of the Main Line

The Main Line of Public Works was made up of several key sections. These sections worked together to create a continuous route across Pennsylvania.

• Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad: This was an 82-mile (132 km) railroad from Philadelphia to Columbia, Pennsylvania. It was originally planned as a canal. But railroads were a newer technology that proved faster and cheaper to build.
• Eastern Division Canal: This 43-mile (69 km) canal ran from Columbia to Duncan's Island. It followed the east side of the Susquehanna River.
• Juniata Division Canal: This 127-mile (204 km) canal stretched from Duncan's Island to Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. It needed 86 locks to climb over 584 feet (178 m) in elevation.
• Allegheny Portage Railroad: This 36-mile (58 km) railroad connected Hollidaysburg to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It was a special railroad designed to carry canal boats over the Allegheny Mountains.
• Western Division Canal: This 103-mile (166 km) canal ran from Johnstown to Pittsburgh. It connected to the Ohio River and the Monongahela River.

This amazing system cut travel time between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh from about 23 days to just four! The Main Line of Public Works was finished in 1834. It was later sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1857. The railroad then replaced the canal and portage system with its own all-rail route.

Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad Details

The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (P&CRR) Depot (1854)

Railroads in Philadelphia that became a part of the PRR.

The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad started in Philadelphia. It crossed the Schuylkill River on the Columbia Bridge. After crossing the river, it went up a steep slope called the Belmont Plane. This railroad then continued west to Columbia, Pennsylvania. There, another slope, the Columbia Plane, lowered cars to the Susquehanna River.

Belmont Plane

"View of the Inclined Plane, near Philadelphia" (1838).

The Belmont Plane was a very steep section of track. It rose 187 feet (57 m) over 2,805 feet (855 m). Steam-powered cables pulled the railway cars up this hill.

A famous event happened here on July 10, 1836. A locomotive named George Washington climbed the Belmont Plane while pulling a load. This was the first time a steam locomotive successfully climbed such a steep grade with a load. It was a huge achievement for railroad technology!

Tioga Locomotive in 1848

The original railroad line that went up the Belmont Plane was later replaced by a new, less steep route in 1850. Today, the western suburbs of Philadelphia are still known as the "Main Line" because of this historic railroad.

Eastern Division Canal Details

The Eastern Division Canal opened in 1833. It had 14 locks to help boats move up and down. At Duncan's Island, where several canals met, engineers built a long dam across the Susquehanna River. This created a pool of water. Boats could be pulled across this pool on a special two-tier bridge.

Juniata Division Canal Details

Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, Juniata Division, Canal Section
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, Juniata Division, April 2010
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Location	1.5 mi. section of canal bet. PA RR Main Line and Juniata River, Granville Township, Pennsylvania
Area	13.6 acres (5.5 ha)
Built	1830
Built by	DeWitt Clinton, Jr.
Architect	DeWitt Clinton, Jr.
Architectural style	Canal
NRHP reference No.	02000069
Added to NRHP	February 20, 2002

The Juniata Division Canal opened in 1832. It used many dams and 86 locks to manage the changing elevation. Boats were sometimes pulled across rivers using special aqueducts or ropes.

Juniata Canal Remnants

Today, you can still see parts of this canal. A 1.5-mile (2.4 km) section has been restored near Lewistown. In Hollidaysburg, the Canal Basin Park shows two canal basins and a lock. There's also a museum that explains how boats moved between the canal and the Allegheny Portage Railroad.

Allegheny Portage Railroad Details

Lilly Culvert under the railroad

The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a marvel of engineering. From 1834 to 1854, it allowed boats to cross the Allegheny Mountains. It was 36 miles (58 km) long and had 10 inclined planes. These planes used stationary engines to raise and lower canal boats and their cargo. The railroad climbed 1,398 feet (426 m) from Hollidaysburg and 1,171 feet (357 m) from Johnstown. At its highest point, it reached 2,322 feet (708 m) above sea level.

A map of downtown Pittsburgh in 1828 shows the routes of the Pennsylvania Canal in and near the city and the canal connections to the city's three rivers.

Western Division Canal Details

The Western Division Canal started in Pittsburgh. It needed a very long aqueduct, 1,140 feet (347 m) long, to cross the Allegheny River into Pittsburgh. It also had a tunnel, 810 feet (247 m) long, under Grant's Hill in Pittsburgh to connect to the Monongahela River.

Painting of the Pennsylvania Canal Aqueduct, Pittsburgh, by Russell Smith, c. 1832

This canal used 68 locks, 16 river dams, and 16 aqueducts. The first freight boat traveled from Johnstown to Pittsburgh in 1831.

Johnstown Flood

The Johnstown Flood in 1889 was a terrible disaster linked to the Main Line of Public Works. It happened when the South Fork Dam broke. This dam had created a large reservoir called Lake Conemaugh, which supplied water to the Western Division Canal. After the canal was no longer used, the dam was sold to private owners. Following heavy rains, the dam failed, sending 20 million tons of water towards Johnstown. More than 2,200 people died in the flood.

Western Canal Remnants

Today, you can visit the Tunnelview Historical Site. It shows where an 817-foot (249 m) canal tunnel was built through Bow Ridge. Saltsburg Canal Park also celebrates the canal's history and its importance to the town.

Points of Interest