Sampler of Pittsburgh Railroads in the 1970s

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P&LE, B&O, Penn Central, Amtrak, early Conrail and some Pittsburgh streetcar around the city throughout the 1970s. Includes an RDC ride from the downtown B&O station to Versailles and return and a Turboliner demonstration set on the ex-PRR. Short plug for Virtualdub's Deshaker filter to fix bad film bounce on the P&LE U-boats sequence.

[@josephkearney9319]

Being a young child in Pittsburgh in the late 60's and early 70's, a trip to Pittsburgh was like a trip to train Heaven.

[@davidsharp3110]

I was a kid in this era, man how things have changed. The railbeds are clean today, the signals are so generic now. Another nice video.

[@mshum538]

Generic, these signals today are “ smart “ … also low energy use …

[@davidsharp3110]

@@mshum538 I understand, I know that! As you traveled the USA back then, when you saw the signals, you knew whose road it was. B&O, N&W, PRR, NYC, IC and the NKP. Today it's a bevy of generic Darth Vaders.

[@bobbybrisk643]

Very true back then you could almost tell what RR you were on just by seeing the signal now with recent times only so many are standing

[@trains2057]

That was a big deal when we got darth invaded post 1999

[@suppylarue220]

@@mshum538 politically correct comments eh?

[@B-and-O-Operator-Fairmont]

When Pittsburgh was still Pittsburgh...

[@chuckmiller6390]

Absolutely awesome. I grew up in central Pa. What beautiful memories.

[@jessicasmith6275]

This my woman's account. Hired with Conrail at 20 in Pittsburgh (Conway). Caught the end of a great era. Went back home and worked the Buffalo Line until the NS ended regular operations of the North end. Brought trains to Pittsburgh often until I had enough of the NS around 30. Still railroading but in Texas at the moment. I miss being home sometimes and needed this particular video. TY so much for putting this one up, and all the great flashbacks you often do.

[@RailroadMediaArchive]

Thanks for stopping by. What was the crew district on the Buffalo Line north end? Or were you on a local job?

[@jessicasmith6275]

@@RailroadMediaArchive I worked out of Renovo. I'm from Ridgway Pa. My cousin and also best friend had cancer and Conrail graciously let me go home to deal with everything. I bid on an old Engineer school bid for Clearfield that was still hanging up at Renovo. Even though RJ Corman had it at this point. They let me go to school and I went back to Renovo for my OJT. The NS happened and I had to eventually work out of Altoona. I owe everything to Conrail for what they did for me. I appreciate you responding and definitely appreciate your channel.

[@jessicasmith6275]

@@RailroadMediaArchive I worked Renovo to Harrisburg. Was qualified from Emporium to Harrisburg. Conway to Harrisburg and Reading. And down to Hagerstown MD.

[@aeoliankid1]

What a beautiful video! Brings back pleasant memories of Pittsburgh railroading. It's all gone, now -----.

[@josephschuster1494]

Oh, to see the “Little Giant” P&LE make runbys once again is delightful! Excellent video! 🚂

[@lablaine1981]

Enjoyed every minute from MN...nice 🎵🎶... MSP had #9 r.r.when was a kid,1949, this video could have been in MSP,best years of passenger,freight r.r.😢

[@ebt12]

I was a kid then, and interested in trains, but there was no one to show me anything. I recognize many of the locations in the video. Great to see how things were 50 years ago though the music gives an air of sadness.

[@johnalder6028]

Enjoyed seeing the big cars we drove back then along with the rail action. Thanx !

[@LotusbandicootRR]

I went to Pittsburgh for the first time a couple years ago... really cool to see the Smithfield St. bridge (still with streetcars running) and the P&LE station at 8:58. I had dinner at the Grand Concourse (in the P&LE station) and was looking out over the Smithfield St. bridge the whole time. Very cool to see this window into the past of a familiar spot. (Also, I highly recommend at least stepping into the front doors at the Grand Concourse, the whole building is in incredible shape and just about entirely historically intact inside and out.)

[@phill.2924]

Dinner at Grand Concourse is a wonderful memory for me!

[@moonspots01]

Wow! That brought back A LOT of memories! I once lived in Baldwin Borough just above the W & P sub. Those B&O and Chessie engines were so common.

[@arrowguy173]

“A LOT” is two words.

[@moonspots01]

@@arrowguy173 Yeah, I changed it.

[@spaceflight1019]

I lived in West Mifflin and remember when the Streets Run line was a double track. Used to watch the slag trains dump slag on Taylor Dump, behind Continental Can. All gone now...

[@moonspots01]

@@spaceflight1019 Wow! Yeah, I remember the double track B&O and the slag dump across the valley. All part of a Pittsburgh long vanished. 😕

[@spaceflight1019]

@@moonspots01 Yep. I can't link you to the Pittsburgh historic maps site but one map shows almost 90 railroads in Pittsburgh alone and that Second Avenue ran from Hazelwood to Braddock and there was a town in Duck Hollow, across the river from the Homestead Works.

[@kennethtiller7916]

Great video- thanks for sharing

[@pauludulutch4353]

More of this stuff please!!

[@am74343]

I just recently watched a video about McKeesport and how more than half the town has been abandoned. Very sad.

[@Mikey300]

At 8:48, the back side of the sign on top of the Union Switch and Signal "mother plant" beyond WK control point.

[@brycewalat5321]

This is the era I remember as a kid when I first got into all things railroad!

[@b3j8]

Sure wish the sequence at 8:18 of those ex-PRR SD's pulling the coal train past Bell Tower had sound! This was a joy all the way thru!

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

At 2:38! Is this the infamous "prime mover-mover?" Chessie took an old C&O F7B and removed the engine and used the car body to move prime movers(engines)from one location to another. I saw it one time.

[@monmixer]

Those trains rip through Pittsburgh, of course in the city the tracks are chain link fenced off.

[@centredoorplugsthornton4112]

Lessee, Rohr Turboliner being delivered. No other Amtrak action. P&LE commuter train and PATrain using RDCs.

[@toolsteel8482]

Nice. What bridge was that at about 8:07? Street cars on the Smithfield street bridge, wish it were still that.

[@Mikey300]

McKees Rocks Bridge

[@jeffreymcfadden9403]

For many years those PLE U-boats lacked lettering and were butt-ugly. (and dirty) They finally added billboard lettering. They would venture to Mingo jct and to Cleveland.

[@1940limited]

Not a good time for US industry or the railroads in the Northeast.

[@SenatorBulworth]

Music credits?

[@Greatdome99]

Too boomy and distorted, for one. . .

[@am74343]

Are these lines still in existence and still used?

[@RailroadMediaArchive]

@@am74343 Mostly yes.

[@spaceflight1019]

The envirowackos tell us how bad the air quality is today, but when the mills were all running all you see is blue sky.

[@Bob-ed9tc]

It’s not about the environment, it’s all about control.

[@spaceflight1019]

@@Bob-ed9tc And forcing "dirty" manufacturing to move to other countries. I've lived here all of my life and in the late 1970s the social engineers began to publicly muse about how great Pittsburgh could be if only the dirty manufacturing was gone. Then, it happened. The University of Pittsburgh became the largest employer and "eds and meds" replaced manufacturing. Large numbers of people and an entire region was cast aside in the pursuit of intellectualism... unless you had a degree you weren't going to have a good job in Pittsburgh. And still the pogrom continues. Despite the continued forced closures of power plants the American Lung Association continues to broadcast that Pittsburgh is hell with the lid off. A friend who is a professional engineer told me that the Allegheny County Health Department is waiting for the completion of the sale of US Steel to Nippon Steel to announce their refusal to renew the air quality permits for Clairton, Irvin Works, and Edgar Thompson, effectively killing what is left of the steel industry.

[@suppylarue220]

@@Bob-ed9tc we know that. but that control has everyone under it's thumb.