Abandoned Pittsburgh "T" Station

[@TacoBean]

Penn station had regular service until 2007, with limited red line trips. At steel plaza, the 2 unused tracks branch off to penn station. Today, the tracks are occasionally used as sidings if a large event happens and the lines need extra trains. In the future, PRT want to bring back allentown service and run allentown trains through penn station into the strip district

[@jameslove1838]

As being born and raised here in Allegheny County in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania here are real historic facts of all what you were walking on is. The property first is part of the filled in Pennsylvania Railroads Western Division of Canal that came off Plane 1 of the Allegheny Portage Railroad which followed to longer Conemaugh River that changes its name at PA 286 along PA 981 to have its name to the Kiskiminetas River where Canal crossed the Allegheny River at Schenley Armstrong County to follow the Allegheny River down to PNC Park at Allegheny City Terminus, as the Pittsburgh Fort Wayne & Chicago Rwy. used the trestle where the Aqueducts were to get over to Penn Station where you are. 2nd The Pennsylvania Railroad's Eastern Division serviced along PA 18/PA 65 to meet here to meet the 45.0 Mile Derry Line of the Pittsburgh Divison as the 71.1 mile Conemaugh Division lead from Torrence PA as the Allegheny Valley Division was 29.8 miles to Kiskimintea where the Conemaugh Division followed the Allegheny River to use the Brilliant Division to Grant Street after Allegheny Valley and Conemaugh Division used the Brilliant Shortcut to Allegheny County's Homewood Yard at MP 5.5 Homewood Junction back to Grant Street at Pittsburgh's AMTRAK Station/ Greyhound Station. What our Video is on the closed PAT T spur had been 4 tracks leading into Grant's Hill Tunnels for the never finished Chesapeake and Ohio Canal out to 2nd & Saline Street as the City of Pittsburgh built that part of never used C&O Canal that would be to the hillside part of where you were. The area was also known as the Pennsylvania Railroads Panhandle Division and Chairtairs Division that is part of PAT''s West Bus Way to Carnegie. Panhandle Division lead to Wheriton Jct. WV past VA as the Chartiers lead to Washington PA onto the B&O RR's first line named Pike Divison that was the first B&O Line into Pittsburgh into Glenwood Yard. As we leave the closed T Station again this line had 4 tracks into Steel Plaza into the Panhandle tunnel onto Trestle as the Chairtairs and Panhandle pulled to the right as to the left the Monongahela Division pulled left to Brownsville & West Brownsville PA. After PAT took trolleys off Downtown Pittsburgh Streets over Smithfield Street Bridge PAT pushed T to Penn Station as leaving trains for Transit tunnel pulled to right of Panhandle Trestle to lead to Station Square Station into Transit tunnel as the Brown line pulled left up to Allentown to meet the the Transit tunnel cars in South Hills Junction. The PAT T line was trolley lines that the Overbrook line had been the Pittsburgh & Castle Shannon RR as the Red Line/Blue S.H. Village Cars lead to Drake pull as in 1953 Mellon's pulled line back from Washington PA in Washington County. The Library line was pulled back by Mellon's from Roscoe PA. Pittsburgh Railways was owned and operated by Duquesne Light as West Penn Power owned and operated West Penn Railways. During the planning of Port Authority of Allegheny County PAT, Allegheny County, Allegheny Conference and Southwestern Pennsylvania Planning Commission wrongly from the get go planned to tear railroad lines out. Questions you may call me at [phone] Jim Love. [e-mail]

[@sonpit]

FUN FACT: Around the 9:55 mark of this video is where a portion of the movie Flashdance was filmed. Mostly along the tracks which were not there during construction back in 1982. One of the scenes filmed here was where Alex walks up to a food vending cart and quickly gets into a little argument with her boss/boyfriend. Most of that area back in 1982 was just dirt.

[@wesleyshelby8163]

Wowww!!!! Thank you for sharing that cool fact with us. I was 2 when that movie came out and realized later the setting was Pittsburgh.

[@PAelevators]

Very interesting lived in Pittsburgh and walked past this so many times. Never noticed this. Thanks for sharing

[@megamanfan3]

As a Pittsburgh native, this was a very good video. 4:30 That was before the Red and Blue lines. According to a map dated March 20, 2000. There were the Beechview line, which ran between Gateway Center and South Hills Village or Library, and the Arlington line, which ran between Gateway Center and South Hills Junction.

[@Cousinduck01]

They should have a train line run here and probably put some lights up in the station

[@pedoublenizzle]

It was used semi-regularly (2 trips a day) up until September 2007. The 47P or 42P, which would start at Penn Station, go through tracks 3 (or track 4 on the inbound) at Steel Plaza, then on to S Hills Village via Beechview or Overbrook. They've used it less than a handful of times as a detour route (when the E busway buses had to turn back at Penn Station or the subway was closed. They'll also store cars here for events.

[@Hillbillyhotcouple]

I remember this. At rush hour people would use it as a connector from the East Busway....

[@Free_Snooki]

Someone did a video being on it in 2014.

[@professortimothy5671]

About the old P.R.R. train tunnel that runs under the U.S. Steel Tower. They built the tower over the tunnel. The U.S. Steel Tower was build on the site of a former building. In the late 1950s and early 60s my mother was employed in the offices of a long gone newspaper known as "The Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph" located in that former building. Among her fond memories of working there, my mom remembers how there was a vibration, a mild shaking, in the building as the trains passed underneath the building. The U.S.S. Tower probably has better insulation from the vibration.

[@47AndyT]

Sun-Telegraph common name Sun-Telly was one of 3 daily Pittsburgh newspapers!

[@Geno2733]

PAT cut service to Penn Station several years ago. That's why your map doesn't show that leg of the system.

[@jayo1212]

As a kid, I always wondered why it wasn't used. Since it's in the free zone, restoring it to regular use won't generate any additional revenue...

[@CrazyBear65]

Back in 07, before I left town, They were doing a lot of digging, working on extending the T over to Northside. But yeah, it used to go to the Pennsylvania RR station, which is now the Amtrak station. (The B&O station was where the ACJ is now, and the P&LE station was where Station Square is now.) I don't know why they stopped, probably not enough riders. It's all bullshit anyways, if they were so gung ho about converting the streetcar system over to a subway, then why the hell didn't they do it in 1970, instead of ripping out all the streetcar lines and replacing them with busses? No, they waited until 1980-something, after 85% to 90% of it was long gone, then they decided, hey, let's dig under Downtown and make the streetcars that are left into a subway, and let's make it only go four blocks... Dumb stupid dumb. Money changed hands, deals were made under tables in backrooms, blaw, blaw, blaw, Blaw Knox. They should've left the streetcars alone and upgraded them. They still ran all over when I was a little kid, then they just didn't anymore. By the time they built the south busway the streetcars only ran a few places. The Drake line and Library line are gone too now. It basically runs from downtown out to the Village, via Overbrook or Beechview, and then dead ends there. Damn shame, if you ask me. Is what it is.

[@VazDraeStudios]

Yeah, sadly they did the way of most american cities, thanks to GM meddling with US Cities street car systems, doing naughty work. But at least in Pittsburgh you guys still have something left. Here in Wisconsin all of our major cities street car systems are long gone. Milwaukee is now just installing a modern street car system, but every other city like Madison is left with busses only. It's pretty sad.

[@BlackMan614]

Uhh... Library line still exists. It branches off at Washington Jct. Drake line... what's the point? A mile from South Hills Village??

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

GM did not sabotage streetcar systems.

[@VazDraeStudios]

Bushrod Rust Johnson they did actually. There's alot of information on how they did.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

It's a dumb myth that spreads by people who don't know anything about rail history but like tales about sinister business practices. There is no credible information, just internet crap. All of the academic analyses affirm that most streetcar companies were insolvent by the time of the supposed conspiracy. I have to set it straight every time I see this brought up.

[@cfothough]

I'm so glad to have seen this on my recommended! I pass by this station somewhat often, or used to when I lived in Swissvale taking the P1 into downtown. I was always curious about the station, like why it's abandoned and where it used to go

[@uniquelycommon2244]

Really neat vid. I actually read pretty recently (2015-ish) that a local freight railroad was proposing to tie this station into their nearby trackage and operate a commuter rail service all the way to/from Steel Plaza up the Allegheny valley beyond Oakmont. It struck me as a little pie in the sky (the Port Authority would have to totally relocate their transit police base of operations, among other issues), and I haven't heard any more about it since. In any event, it's kind of unfortunate they can't make operating the station viable; the T, the East Busway, and Amtrak all come together right there and at present there's no real inter-connection between the systems.

[@philliesphan312]

I think there is video about a c.m.u. engineer had an idea to use these lines to have train to run to Oakland and four mile run. Also, aren't there rail lines that run parrarlel to Allegheny Blvd to oakmont.

[@geneyao8267]

The Penn Station T station (formerly “Penn Park”) was not built for the pre-LRT trolley system as mentioned in the video. Rather, it was built in the 1980’s along with the rest of the T system. However, due to construction delays and also due to renovations taking place at the adjacent old Union Station (now condos), it did not open until 1988. It was thereafter used only for a few runs each day and eventually closed and abandoned. The reason it looks “older” than the other T stations is because it was deliberately designed to blend in with Union Station next door.

[@nick0126]

the "H" for the burgh was not "added, it was always part of Pittsburgh since it morphed from Pittsboro in the 1700's (boro is a british variant of burg) when it was named for British PM William Pitt. The "H" was temporarily removed as part of an anti German legislation at the Federal level. Pittsburgh petitioned to have the H replaced in 1911...

[@victorbernier4765]

Scottish name

[@PC10.8]

Wonderful tour or the old station. Down at the end of true track there’s a small yard (4 tracks if I remember correctly) which is occasionally used to store trains when traffic volume is high, mostly during sports games. I believe this place might also be used for port authority workers to get on maintenance of way vehicles. Never seen it used, but if they keep the station around I’m sure it’s used for something. Great tour

[@timosha21]

I'm a tram and I approve this video ding ding!

[@joestewart8914]

Amazing how much infrastructure was built by the Port Authority that was never placed into service. Remember the Skybus demonstration line in South Park? Short-sighted politicians in the City of Pittsburgh stopped this from becoming reality but a Skybus system was actually built and is being successfully operated in Lille, France which is a city very similar to Pittsburgh.

[@paulmentzer7658]

I was part of the fight over Skybus. The problem with Skybus was it was seen as the best way to get rid of the last Streetcar lines in Pittsburgh. Those lines ran on what is now the T on their own exclusive right of way. It was faster to go by Streetcar from Library then to Drive do to that exclusive right of way. Thus replacing those Streetcar lines with buses was a non starter (replacing a faster system with a slower transit system was not going to be popular). Westinghouse electric then came up with Skybus and the County embraced it to replace those last Streetcar lines, but they was a problem... The problem was the technology of the 1960s made it impossible to have to many stops and diverging lines. Thus the Library line was to be a view at to a Skybus stop and Beechview was to behave buses between the two stations that was to cover Beechview instead of the six streetcar stops. Both areas basically revolted against Skybus for they saw it as a reduction in service. Finally the fight became so bad that the Federal Government ordered a study for the corridor affected and the Study reported what everyone opposing Skybus had been saying for over ten years, updating the streetcar system would be cheaper and provide better service. Thus the T was born. During the fight it was propose to run Skybus between Downtown and Oakland, the Second and Third biggest transit stops in Pennsylvania (downtown Philadelphia is number one) the supporters of Skybus kept saying NO, buses were good enough between those two stops. That was the trouble with Skybus, Skybus was seen as a way to get rid of the last Streetcars NOT as the best way to provide transit. Even today Skybus makes perfect sense between Downtown and Oakland. Such a Skybus would get those buses off the street and open space for other vehicles (including bicycles). A dual system would be ideal, Downtown to Oakland via Fifth then pass the Birmingham Bridge switch over to Forbes then pass Carnegie Library then cut over to Center Avenue and take it back Downtown. There so also be a counter route, Center Avenue to Oakland then to Forbes and Fifth and Downtown. In effect two circular routes, but right next to each other. An alternative route would be to take the routes to Wikinsburg and the East Patway and then back via Penn and then Center. Remember Downtown to Oakland is the single most popular transit route in Pittsburgh. You have the 70 series of old Fifth Avenue Routes and the 60 Series of old Forbes Avenue Routes (before the 1970s when Forbes and Fifth were made one way, the 70s were on Fifth, the 60s on Forbes, after both roads becane one way, both series of routes took Fifth and Forbes then in the 1980s they added the exclusive bus lane on Fifth). An overhead Skybus type system would be ideal between Downtown and Oakland but the plan was NOT to provide the best transit possible but to get rid of the last Streetcar lines and those lines were in the South Hills on the remains of the old Interurban lines of 1905 between Pittsburgh and Donora (cut back to Library in 1952) and Washington PA (Cut back to the Drake Loop in 1952). Side note: the Donora and,Washington routes were cut back in 1952 for the Pennslyvania Highway Department was building present day US 19 between the Allegheny Line with Washington County and Canonsburg Lake and needed the right of way of the route to Washington PA to make the move. Prior to 1952 US 19 ent through Canonsburg, after 1952 US 19 bypassed Cannonsburg. When the owner of the Streetcar line agreed to sell it to the state for the road to Washington PA they also decided to closed down the route to Donora for the high volume of passenger traffic was in Allegheny County in 1952 and most of a northern Washington County was still rural farmlands in 1952

[@joestewart8914]

@@paulmentzer7658 Here's the Skybus technology in action. It would be perfect for Oakland. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqO2eaOwa6qia7c

[@paulmentzer7658]

@@joestewart8914 I agree. as did my father in the 1960s, but Skybus was to replace the last streetcars NOT to provide the best transit. I even rode on Skybus at the County Fair, it was very nice but NOT the system for the South Hills. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKG2ZpipqJ6JhMU

[@Gemashke]

Great video...I love abandoned stuff!!

[@kevinhoward9593]

the T Station at Penn Station were actually part of the original Station tracks if I believe.

[@twistalimes8351]

Ok originally it was the 1940 Trolleys in Street level and then a combo of light rail vehicles and trolleys. The old trolleys ran the south hills until that line was upgraded. There had been a contest in the 1980’s to name the light rail line (my mom entered several names ). The chosen name was the “T” which is short for “Transit trolley”. Penn Station was an active station past Steel Plaza; however it always ran on a very reduced schedule. They may still use the station on a limited basis. I think the plan was to extend into the strip district and eventually Oakland but that never materialized.

[@thatmobilemenace1409]

Funny you say that, they are planning to do such in their projects ideas for the next 6-25 years

[@frankconnelly8880]

walked around that area,many times,and still tend to think it should be used as a substop,and if not that,then amtrack could use it as a pickup point only

[@ArtStoneUS]

Part of the reason that this was never very useful is the lack of Amtrak passenger trains using the station. The path the tracks take under the city was originally a barge canal. The federal government has a rule that if you take money to build something but then don't use it, you have to give the money back. That's why they pretended this was useful by running one or two a day. It's also the reason behind the Wabash tunnel disaster. To avoid having to pay the money back, they specified it was an HOV project after they found out the buses couldn't safely fit in the tunnel. Ultimately a few years ago, PAT did away with the HOV restriction. I would defy even native Pittsburghers to find the South portal of that tunnel without using the Internet.

[@logancraig4234]

i like people like you :3

[@VazDraeStudios]

Hey thanks! :D

[@Free_Snooki]

How cute his voice is. Is Amtrak just the parking garage for Union Station?

[@bensrandomness8678]

And the old station is now called "The Pennsylvanian"

[@spanglish04]

Also, there’s the run down Amtrak station right next to that.

[@VazDraeStudios]

I wouldn't say its run down. Dated fits it more. It defiantly needs an update, but I don't think its run-down haha

[@jamesdougherty2271]

All American cities should be forced to construct decent public transport and get rid of buses and help eliminate traffic.

[@VazDraeStudios]

I whole heartily agree with you on that. Rail transit is really the way to go if you want to move people around. I understand bus for some local transit but not much for rapid transit.

[@VazDraeStudios]

Oscillating Fan wow, that was just one of the most idiotic and incorrect comments I’ve ever gotten, I’m not even going to bother. Cities like New York or Chicago would literally crumble if everyone just drove lol

[@VazDraeStudios]

Oscillating Fan yes because being stuck in rush hour traffic everyday is great. I also do own a car but am fine with the idea of not owning one and getting around with a bike and transit. I enjoy it. There is nothing wrong with it. You’re being a clown though so whatever

[@VazDraeStudios]

That may be the case for many people, however not everyone. If you look at the statistics for the past several years, car sales have declined in younger people quite a lot. And public transit continues to grow. And why does living in an urban environment have to be a crap-hole, maybe everywhere you need to go is easily done by transportation or your bike. Why in American must you basically be forced into debt to own and maintain a vehicle? This is why your argument is immature and invalid.

[@patrickraffaele9563]

OMG , Are you for REAL ? lol . What a total jerk !!!!!!

[@transitschuykill]

There are many more abandoned t stations like traymore neeld drake and like 20 more

[@thatmobilemenace1409]

Don't forget about now Pennant

[@sgr1888]

I really want them to do something with it

[@TheHolyMongolEmpire]

Ive walked around there hundreds of times, never knew of this semi abandoned station. On another note, the T is completely fucking useless and only goes out to shitty suburbs.

[@NaomiClareNL]

Things have changed somewhat since this picture was taken... www.railpictures.net/photo/428996/

[@jamesharkins5289]

This T station is not really abandoned it still used in emergency and special events

[@GreenTurtle76]

You sound like the daily dose of internet guy

[@ronniedelahoussayechauvin6717]

I never heard of The Train Station.

[@TeeTown2]

Hey! First off, great video, and I love the review of the Rotunda. Just wondering, but is the Rotunda considered private property of the Pennsylvanian now? It looks like you were able to walk right in and film, but were you met with any sort of resistance from security? I'd love to have a chance to go take photos at it but I don't want to trespass either. Thank you!

[@VazDraeStudios]

Thank you very much! And I think it technically is property of whoever owns the apartments that are in there now. Being that it's a very pretty and kinda an attraction kinda thing I'm sure they don't mind people taking a look. And being that they're apartments, something you can come and visit, or look at if you're looking to move-in or visit the office, they cant really keep you out of the rotunda area I don't think. But yeah, no one said we couldn't be there, or told us to leave.

[@Ru_1963]

As long as you don't go inside the building it is okay to walk around outside and take photos.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

There is no such thing as trespassing unless someone tells you to leave and you don't.

[@aeoliankid1]

Excellent documentary video! The tracks you see now are new, with the "T" ----- before, when the Station was PRR, there were platforms, tracks, and a power plant building on this site. Much has been demolished in the past 40 years. The "T" station here is a monument to the short-minded jackasses that are our city "Fathers" and decision makers. Example -- Let's build a tunnel to the North Side for the "T", for almost 500 million dollars! It would have cost only about 150 million to use the present Fort Wayne Bridge over the Allegheny River. I asked Mr. On - R - Rat - O about this during a pubic meeting, and he said the FW bridge was unsafe. In other words, it can carry 100 car trains, at 100 tons each car, but can't support a trolley car! I tried to point this out him, but he suddenly had more important people to talk to. Of course, the tunnel dig was more lucrative to his union buddies. And why don't we have rapid transit to our Airport???? Even CLEVELAND has it! And here sits a perfectly useable "T" station that's abandoned. Whose great intellect is the author of this situation? Our greedy short sighted "politicians" will cause the downfall of this city yet, and it's too bad, as Pittsburgh has a lot more to offer, and more potential than most other cities. Sorry for my ranting, but what a bloody waste of my (the taxpayer's) money!

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Transportation and land use are the worst things government has ever gotten in to.

[@carlsadler7175]

you are right the east busway before it was built was the old PRR lines and stations it held for tracks it ran from penn station all the way east through past swissvale and beyond people in the eastern corrider some how got stuck with buses that are severly overcrowed most of the time even when they used those articulated buses which routinely pass you up when they are crowed espically P1,EBA,anyway the powers that be decided that light rail would be better served toward south hills area and most of the cars aren't as crowed i rode them at rush hour and they have maybe 4 cars and half are empty so you see why the eastern part of the city is most crowed and congested corrider with the worst transportation issues to date hell even AMTRAK even uses the same line going east to philly passes by the old train station that used to be in east liberty homewood wilkensburg ect the problem is Norfolk southern owns most of the track line to altoona amtrak has a track beyond harrisburg to philly and they got 5 modes of transportation hi speed rail subway light rail elevated trolleys electric bus so what is wrong with pittsburgh

[@bradklingensmith]

The "H" was an issue with the Post Office.

[@thatmobilemenace1409]

What was the "H", I'm native to Pittsburgh and I've never heard of it?

[@bradklingensmith]

@@thatmobilemenace1409 the post office changed to spelling to Pittsburg from Pittsburgh as they didn't want us to be special compared to the other cities spelled Pittsburg. After a fight we got our H back.

[@jamessullivan9992]

hold the camera still

[@michaelwhelan7868]

Quit moving your camera around so fast

[@modelrc9500]

Anthrocon :D

[@denniscostabile4264]

I think this is the entrance to the East Busway. It will be 100 years until they expand the trains to the east. They have invested billions in natural gas busses and carbon based on the poorer communities to the east.

[@Steve-tj9on]

😮it's not old enough to have abandoned stations.

[@VazDraeStudios]

Parts of the system date back to 1904… some of it is quite old!