Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway

The Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway, commonly called the Butler Short Line, was a broad gauge[1] interurban streetcar line connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States to Butler via Mars.

Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway
Overview
HeadquartersPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
LocaleWestern Pennsylvania:
Dates of operation1907–1917
SuccessorPittsburgh, Mars and Butler Railway
Technical
Track gaugePennsylvania Trolley Gauge,
5 ft 2+12 in (1,588 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead line, 6,600 V AC (until 1914)
Overhead line1,200 V DC
Pittsburgh, Mars and Butler
New Castle
Cascade Park
W.A.R.R. Depot
E. New Castle
Rozzi
Wilkinson
Gardner
Weir
Shenango
Rose
Energy
Cox
Baldwin
Moravia
Springs
Marquis
Smiley
Wayne
Slippery Rock
Wilson
Hazel Dell
Elwood Junction
Wurtemburg
Knox
Frisco
Hazen
N. Sewickley
Elwood Country Club
Jackson
Rustick Park
Willow Grove
River View
Marion
Eckert
Goemring
Fombell
Spruce Hill
Pine Run
Pflugh
Ben Venue
Valley
Allen
Lockwood
Zelienople
Harmony Jct.
Knights Pythias
Nurseries
Ziegler
Burnstown
Elwood
Church
Park Gate
Hartman
Belton
Toll House
Hoyt Dale
Koppel
Koppel Sub. Sta.
So. Koppel
Homewood
Horne
Grimm
Morado
Beaver Falls
Butler
Pierce
Lyndora
Highfield
Duffey
Eberhart
Woodlawn
Miller
Meridian
Cupps
Reiber
Walker
Graham
Connoquenessing
Forward
Buhl
Ash
Stamm
Dambach
Walden
Bredanville
Kummer
Leibler
Odell
Phillips
McCalmont
Renfrew
Thorne Creek
McBride
Brown
Yingling
Butler C. Club
Nixon
Duffey
Star
Conabee
Adams
Hughes
Lloyd
Hayes
Pershing
Rosebaugh
McCandless
Humes
Hutchman
Cashdollar
Ludwig
Evans City
Mars
May
Irwin
Marburger
Callery
Kaufman
Kiser
Burke
West
Plains Church
Frankilin Rd.
Rowan
Criders
Dutihl
Thornhill
School
Robinson
Fowler
Warrendale
Wheatland
Bradford Woods
Burmar
Brennan
Wexford
Crystal Springs
Richards
Biening
Pine Creek
Ingomar
Glen Manor
Willoughby
Peets
Brants
Highland
Perrymont
Kaylor
Pines
Keown
Mellwood
North Ivory
Heim
Evergreen
McCutcheon
Brookview
Brooks
Myers
Eakin
Belper
Ross
Ivory
Brickworks
Dight
Downieville
Valencia
Arcadia
State Road
Bakerstown
St. Barnabas
McKelvey
Dickey
Gibsonia
Richland Hts.
Gemsys Hts.
Smith
Hardies
Hampton
Poff
Bardona
Wickline
Health Farm
Wildwood
Sample
W. Hoffman
McCune
Furgason
Allison Park
Elfinwild
Mt. Royal
Vilsack
Stock Farm
Glenshaw
Under Cliff
Braun
Broadway
Gibson
Shaler Hts.
Etna
Pittsburgh (Liberty and Market)

History

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The Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway was opened in 1907 between Pittsburgh and Butler[2] traveling via Etna, Glenshaw, Allison Park, and Mars. It initially used a 6,600 volt single phase alternating current electrical system.[3] In 1914 the railway converted from AC to 1,200 volt DC which reduced power consumption by 15% and reduced the weight of each car by 6 tons.[1]

In 1917 the railway amalgamated with the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway, who operated the Harmony Line between Pittsburgh and New Castle, the new company being named the Pittsburgh, Mars and Butler Railway.[4]

In April 1931 the company went into receivership. The Butler Short Line was closed on April 22, 1931[5] as it was in poor condition, services being absorbed into the existing PA 8 bus service. The stub of the Butler Short Line continued to be used by Pittsburgh Railways as the 2 Etna service until closure in 1952.[6]

Route

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Leaving Butler going south along South Chestnut Street the railway crossed the rails of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) and the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad (B&LE), before turning west down the valley of the Connoquenessing Creek through Bredinville.[7] Running parallel to the B&LE through Odell and then east into Thorn Creek past Renfrew Station, the line then headed south, climbing out of Thorn Creek valley alongside Three Degree Road, where the Butler Country Club had a stop of their own. When Butler County Airport was constructed Three Degree Road was diverted to use the old track bed, now forming the eastern perimeter road of the airport.

The line continued south, descending into the valley of Breakneck Creek and passing through Mars.[8] It continued south along the valley, through Downieville and Valencia to Etna, where it joined the local Pittsburgh Railways route to downtown.

Incidents

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Two cars collided on March 27, 1909 after one was delayed by a derailment on the grade crossing of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad near Mars. The crash occurred near Bryant Station and three people died at the scene, all employees of the railway.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b William D. Middleton (1961). The Interurban Era. Kalmbach Publishing. pp. 113, 430.
  2. ^ Robert B. Van Atta (December 23, 2001). "EARLY NORTH HILLS CARS". Pittsburgh Tribune. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  3. ^ Hilton, George W.; Due, John Fitzgerald (1960). The Electric Interurban Railways in America. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-4014-2. OCLC 237973.
  4. ^ "Rachel Carson Trails – Harmony Trail". February 3, 2007. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  5. ^ "Zelienople Historical Society – The Harmony Line – The End of an Era". 2004. Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  6. ^ "Pittsburghtransit.com – The Routes – PCC Operation". August 28, 2005. Archived from the original on August 28, 2005. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  7. ^ Butler, PA Quadrangle (Map) (Feb. 1911 ed.). 1:62500. 15 Minute. United States Geological Survey.
  8. ^ Sewickley, PA Quadrangle (Map) (Feb. 1911 ed.). 1:62500. 15 Minute. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  9. ^ "Three killed as electric cars crash" (PDF). The New York Times. March 28, 1909. Retrieved November 22, 2009.