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All photos are copyright by George Elwood, from my collection with credit to the photographer or by the submitter. The photos may be used by individuals for their personal non-commercial use (screen savers, modeling effort, photo albums) without restriction. Reposting or other use REQUIRES permission from the owner of the image or data.

Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Information (B&LE)

The B&LE supports the steel and coal industries in western PA. They have access to Lake Erie at Conneaut OH. The locomotive shops are at Greenville PA along side the EL mainline. The B&LE had a line from NE Ohio where they had an ore off load capability and a coal loading capability. The actual operations of this area was handled by a separate company. When I visited the facility they were using remote control locomotives to move the cars around the area. I will add a photo of this area soon.

Initials of the B&LE

The information provided in the next section was provided in a B&LE generate book following the end of steam. This book has been provided to me by Bob Rathke.

The following railroads contributed to the locomotive history of the Bessemer and had their initials painted on the cabs and tenders of the locomotives at various times:

• Shenango and Allegheny, the original locomotive owning road, from 1869 to 1887.
• The Pittsburgh, Shenango amd Lake Erie, from 1888 to 1896.
• The Pittsburg, Bessemer and Lake Erie, from 1897 to 1901
• The Bessemer and Lake Erie from 1901 to the present tiem.

  Locomotives purchased in 1901 were P.B. & L.E. All locomotives purchased after 1901 were B&LE, except two, which were replacements for old MCL&L locomotives and which were PB&LE Nos. 18 and 19, purchased in 1908.

• The Meadville, Conneaut Lake and Linesville Railway, from 1880 to 1891, when its three locomotives were taken over by the PS&LE, which continued the MCL&L initials on the locomotives until they were retired in 1894, 1911, and 1913, respectively.

The historically correct spelling of the name of the city at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers is "Pittsburgh", from the time of its incorporation as a borough in 1794 asd as a city in 1816 to the present time. However, about 1890 the "h" was dropped by custom and the city became "Pittsburg". The "h" was officially restored in 1911 and the city has been "Pittsburgh" ever since. The changes in spelling are reflected in the titles of the various component railroads and in the names of the builders who furnished locomotives for them.

B&LE Diesel Locomotives

The B&LE has been a mostly EMD powered railroad. As part of the US Steel family, trading of motive power is normal. I can remember moving a set of SD-7s from Greenville to Cleveland for the N&SS in 1967.

• "New" B&LE Diesel Power (1999)
• Diesel Locomotive comments - 1999
• Equipment - Jan 1, 1962 - {VG Aylward Collection} - PDF file

BL&E Steam

Freight Equipment

BL&E Passenger Information

• 1900 Passenger Schedule
• 1944 & 1954 Passenger Roster
• Combine 23 - Washington PA - Aug/00 - PA Trolley Museum - {Bill Navari Photo}
• Combine 23 - Washington PA - Aug/00 - PA Trolley Museum - {Bill Navari Photo}
• Comb 23 - Arden PA - 04/19/02 - {Bob Rathke Photo)
• Comb 23 - Arden PA - 04/19/02 - {Bob Rathke Photo)
• Diner 200 - B&O Station, Pittsburgh PA - 9/26/65 - {Bob Rathke Photo}

Bessemer & Lake Erie Passenger Roster, Car A-200, #24

1. Car A-200 is a dining car built in 1925 by Pressed Steel Car Co. for another road; car was acquired by the B&LE by 1935. Information I have is from a B&LE MoE drawing original date of 1-5-35; print shows no builder number, nor original owner. Car was modified several times [dwg.rev.G], including the removal of conventional tables and the placing of a custom made table 18'-10 3/4" long to accomodate 24 chairs. My neighbor in Greenville worked in the carpenter shop, and did this in early 1950s. Car was used on inspection trips, the annual employee excursion to Conneaut Lake Park, and hosting special events [i.e. Greenville Community Chest kick-off luncheon].

I do not have the name of the original owner. I believe it is listed in Roy Beaver's B&LE centennial book, but I do not have a copy.

Car was sold to Mr. Glen Campbell along with #643 in 1983. He subsequently sold it to Roanoke Chapter NRHS. I was in contact with them in 1989. In their response,"As you know, we have sold the car. The car was not feasible to restore due to its age, unusual truck design and odd wheel size. Our uses of such a car would have been very limited compared to the costs of conversion to a more modern type of equipment."

They sold the car to Mr. Joe Martin, who placed it in front of his Days Inn-Airport off Interstate 81 at exit 43 in the Roanoke, Virginia area. He reportedly redid the interior, and placed a vestibule/platform at one end for access. I do not know what the current status is of this car.

2. Another B&LE passenger car, #24, a combination baggage-coach was last known to be at the Cape Cod Railway, but since that operator is no longer there it is questionable where car is now. Has anyone else information on the remaining pieces of B&LE varnish?

Paul Stumpff; Geneva, Ohio; urr304@alltel.net

B&LE Maps

• System Map - {Nathan Clark Collection}
• Route Map
• Hand drawn map of Shenango PA tracks & yards
• Record of Train Movements
• Greenville - Shenango Track Plan - no date - {98K} {Larry Berger Collection}
• BLE 14833 - 16" x 28" BLE Emblem - 09/30/30 - {Nathan Clark Collection}
• BLE 15025 - 24" x 42" BLE Emblem - {Nathan Clark Collection}
• BLE 25310 - XM Lettering Diagram - 07/27/66 - {Nathan Clark Collection}

Buchanan - Shenango

One of the maps included in the Kevin Morris collection is an Erie RR map of the Bessemer and Lake Erie between Buchanan Junction and Shenango dated May 22nd 1905. During this period the Erie used this line rather than double tracking their own line. What is interesting is the four photos included on the blueprint. Because the paper is falling apart, I elected to redraw the actual map and include the photos as separate items.

• Meadville Junction on the B&LE
• Several bridges at Osgood
• Several bridges at Osgood
• Shenango crossing - I assume this is looking east down the Erie
• Redrawn map - Buckanan Jct to Shenango

"The Bridges of Mercer County": B&LE and NYC at Osgood, PA

Referring to the Kevin Morris map and photos you included in the Buchanan-Shenango segment of the Bessemer and Lake Erie page, you note two photos of "bridges at unknown location". Ironically, this location was pretty noteworthy because four rail lines crossed at three levels there. Pennsylvania state maps show this spot as "Osgood", but it was also known as "Amasa" (named for Amasa Stone) on the Erie RR, one of the three RRs that intersected at this little village just north of Greenville, PA. In addition to the Erie's (later EL) Chicago-New York main line, the former Lake Shore & Michigan Southern (later New York Central/Penn Central) line from Ashtabula to Clarion, Clearfield, and Franklin (via Stoneboro, also named for Amasa Stone) crossed the Erie at-grade and then crossed the Little Shenango River and Bessemer 'Old Line' (or 'Low Line') on bridges possible in those old photos. The Bessemer's Kremis-Osgood Cut-off, also known as the K-O Line or 'High Line', built in 1901-2, crossed above the aforementioned rail lines and river via the 1,724-foot-long Osgood Viaduct. This structure is also visible in the photos.

Both B&LE lines are still in use today. The ex-Erie main is now part of Conrail's Meadville Line (soon to be part of Norfolk Southern's system) and still sees activity, though not as a through route. The former NYC carried its last Conrail trains in 1988, when its coal traffic out of the Clearfield District was shifted to alternative CR routes. The line has since been pulled up, and the NYC deck plate span over the B&LE Low Line was removed to allow its track to be raised (to get it above the periodic floods of the adjacent Little Shenango).

A number of modern views around this location can be found on pages 43-44 and 46-47 of Bessemer and Lake Erie -- In Color (Morning Sun Books, 1994), which I co-authored with Robert V. Lorenzo. The text and detailed captions therein should help clarify what 'went on', railroad-wise, at this 'interesting convergence of railroads'. This book also provides coverage (via both photos and text) of the Buchanan-Shenango portion of the Bessemer via Meadville Junction. Mentioned are the Erie's trackage rights operations over this Bessemer line in the early part of this century, when 'tenant' Erie ran more trains on that part of the Bessemer than 'landlord' B&LE did. This agreement seems to have faded to dormancy around W.W.II, but was revived again for a period in 1967, when EL installed welded rail on its single-tracked main between Shenango and Meadville. Other detours of EL passenger and road freight trains over the Bessemer also occurred into the early Seventies when EL had derailments on their single track.

I hope this helps. Thanks, George, for giving the Bessemer (The "BESS of 'EM, evER") some warranted space on the Internet. This was one heck of a railroad (highest tonnage density Class I during its 'glory years'), and...it's STILL AROUND!! Not many roads that were extant during steam days can still claim that. I continue to hold out hope that maybe we'll be able to put together a Bessemer and Lake Erie historical society some day (sister road DM&IR has one)...

Nathan S. Clark, Jr.

NOTE: Check the EL Operation section for photos taken in 1966/67 at this location while I worked the Cleveland/Meadville run. {GPE}

B&LE Stations

Other Photos

• Station - ALBION PA - 07/06/1986 - {GARY STUEBBEN Photo}
• Hi-Ball Signal - ALBION PA - 07/06/1986 - {GARY STUEBBEN Photo}
• Albion Yard - 1998 {Edward J. Blenner Photo}
• Albion Yard - 1998 {Edward J. Blenner Photo}
• Albion Yard - 1998 {Edward J. Blenner Photo}
• Yard - Butler PA - 05/01/04 - {Frank Mellott Photo}
• Yard Office - Butler PA - 05/01/04 - {Frank Mellott Photo}
• Conneaut OH - shops - Jul 66 - note two scale test cars A13/A14
• Conneaut OH - Coal dumper
• Conneaut OH - overview toward docks
• Conneaut OH - overview toward docks - note yellow remote controlled F units used to move cars in dumper
• Conneaut OH - overview toward docks
• Station - Greenville PA - 05/01/04 - {Frank Mellott Photo}
• Station - 9/91 - {VG Aylward Photo}
• Yard/Shops - Greenville PA - overview from EL mainline, Mar 66
• Yard/Shops - Greenville PA - overview from EL mainline, Mar 66
• Yard/Shops - Greenville PA - overview from EL mainline - note business train, Mar 66
• Yard/Shops - Greenville PA - overview from EL mainline, Nov 66
• DMIR 0-10-2 - Greenville PA Railroad Museum {Edward Blenner Photo}
• UP Caboose 25437 - Greenville PA Railroad Museum {Edward Blenner Photo}
• W&LE Caboose 0205 - Greenville PA Railroad Museum {Edward Blenner Photo}
• Station - Grove City PA - 05/01/04 - {Frank Mellott Photo}
• Yard - N Bessmer PA - {Bill Navari Photo}
• Yard - N Bessmer PA - Scott Schaller Photo
• Yard - North Bessemer PA - 03/73 - {Robert Hunter Photo}
• Yard - Bulter PA - 7-1-00 - {Robert Shook Photo}
• Yard Twr - Shenango PA - 05/01/04 - {Frank Mellott Photo}
• F7B 0 - - 10/05/92 - {Greg Dickinson Photo}
• F7B 0 - - 10/05/92 - {Greg Dickinson Photo}
• Train a - - 10/05/92 - {Greg Dickinson Photo}
• Train b - - 10/05/92 - {Greg Dickinson Photo}
• Train c - - 10/05/92 - {Greg Dickinson Photo}

Models

Question

Would someone be able to suggest, for modelling purposes, the most appropriate paint and decals for the F7A # 728 as it appears in the circa 1970 photo on your web page? Many thanks.

Peter McGuire

Other Related WEB Site

• Great Lakes Transportation
• EJ&E WEB Site
• DMIR WEB Site
• DULUTH MISSABE & IRON RANGE BOARD
• UNOFFICIAL B&LE Message board
• Bessemer & Lake Erie Board

Last Changed: 27 Jun 2008