Rust Belt Shortline: Conemaugh & Black Lick Railroad

On July 21st, 2023, I spent my morning in Johnstown, PA following the Conemaugh & Black Lick railroad. The C&BL is a former Bethlehem Steel railroad that served various steel mills in the area. Most of the mills closed by the 1990s, but today the railroad still serves Gautier Steel and Johnstown Wire. On this day, I would follow SW7 #51 as it served the wire mill and ran to the Norfolk Southern interchange on the east side of town. Despite a rather unfriendly crew, I still enjoyed documenting this interesting little shortline!
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[@thepuzzleguy5989]

This is one of the most well filmed train videos I have seen in a long time!

[@ekapus]

Seconded

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@thepuzzleguy5989 Thank you! I appreciate that!

[@AppalachianRailfan99]

I love small shortline’s like this. I guess it’s the simplicity of them, then ya got classic locomotives, jointed rails and friendly crews.

[@tomt9543]

That’s funny because he says in the description that they were less than friendly!

[@AppalachianRailfan99]

@@tomt9543 I usually don’t read descriptions lol

[@AndreiTupolev]

I love the picturesque names these little operations have.

[@meanwolverine4573]

The area of the C&BL is even more picturesque than their names! Google Hootlebug Trail BlairsvillePA

[@paulbergen9114]

These videos just speak volumes. That a.m. shot with the clouds and fog being touched by the Sun. I have been here with Paul Schneider when he was doing the Horseshoe Curve tape for Kalmbach in the late 1990s and the mill was already closed. Your shot of the empty yard which is where we saw hundreds of empty gondolas and flats that would never work again and the contrast of a brand new BN coal train being ready for delivery from Johnston American car which is gone now too. Here's to.that loneliest SW and I had said to myself on that trip a train going over that thin black Bridge would look great and 25 years later I was right. Here's to that little Survivor

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@paulbergen9114 Thank you! I enjoyed reading your comment. The bridges on this line are very interesting! I think I’ve seen some of your slides posted online.

[@Galaxy2517]

Scenes like this used to be all across this country. This video is a gem...Nice to see that old ALCO still getting it done.

[@Joe-d7m6k]

I think that's an EMD loco--- did not see any Alcos .

[@ShawnCalay]

Didn't see any Alcos but it was a neat video

[@tomroise9426]

Yes it’s an EMD SW9/1200

[@BNSF798]

Great production as always Mr. LovesTrains

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@BNSF798 Thank you 798.

[@mybadluckcharm]

Interesting video, nice little operation. Too bad that guy was a little sour, at the end.

[@mikepenrod544]

Great video, Wish you would have seen this railroad back in the day when the steel mill was going strong and the C&BL was interchanging cars with Conrail and the Chessie System several times a day. They worked around the clock. Johnstown was a great place to grow up and watch trains!!!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Thank you! I wish I was around back then too! I bet Pittsburgh was a lot busier as well.

[@ellis7099]

Glad to see the shortline getting some attention. I go there sometimes, to go shopping or get car parts and always see some locomotives sitting out or that old snow blower out. Never see them in action though.

[@georgem7847]

Great video! I used to live in a house where Cambria Glass is now, many, many years ago. It’s i ice to see how the area has changed. Thanks for the great work! Love C&BL!

[@TedNewkirk]

Love this!

[@gatblau1]

Very cool! I love short lines!

[@Nurvington]

Great video enjoyed this very much.

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@Nurvington Thanks!

[@thomasmackowiak]

Thank you for uploading this video of the Conemaugh & Black Lick Railroad that you took on 21 July 2023, Sam! I never knew that this railroad existed until I saw its name in the header of this video. I liked watching the switch engine doing its chores. (Posted 5 July 2024 at 2100 CDT.)

[@notlisted-cl5ls]

a salute to glory days. great vidya. thank you so much!!

[@lnproductions3227]

Awesome video here! Cute little critter there shuffling around

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Awesome video of this railroad operation. Enjoyed and have a wonderful upcoming weekend. Steve

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@StormySkyRailProductions Thank you! You too!

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

@@SamLovesTrains you're very welcome and thank you very much also.

[@ActNaturally]

Like the over head view, great catches. New sub. all the best.

[@kelvintorrence5994]

great video and i love my swithers and slug units thanks

[@johnalder6028]

Well done video !

[@RandomRailfan828]

Great shots man, what a neat little railroad!

[@WesleyEast-RRfan]

Beautiful. Great video.

[@mikesimmons8762]

Great video. Always fun to have new learning.

[@centraliowarailproductions2810]

Nice catches!

[@rickdee67]

Excellent footage!

[@thurmandavide]

That wire came from our area down at Liberty Steel in Bartonville IL, obvious with that TZPR gon with wire from the wire mill. Nice to see where that ended up.

[@xlncaustralia3261]

Another awesome video. Thanks for sharing these views that most of us would otherwise be unable to see. Your hard work and time are appreciated.

[@MarcelosalivaTRENESArg]

Nice video excellent my friends 😊

[@mshum538]

Those old General Motors Sw9 still getting it done, so was the bell working on that engine do you know, seems like a nice switching assignment, 👍.

[@RobertValinsky]

Very good video! That is the type of railroad that I would want to work for!!!

[@djavidianmx1832]

Cool vid. Shortlines are the backbone of America! Wouldn't mind a little narration for info though.

[@rickchapman9232]

What if a company in this video is looking for workers, then they could be found this way. Think of it as free advertising.

[@tomp8871]

I was a little confused in the beginning, I thought they made the wire there, but I was educated by the end

[@farmerdave7965]

**Like**

[@TomStarcevich-fb3qo]

🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃🚃👍

[@chrisbarr1359]

At 04:50 what is loaded in those high gondolas? Coils of wire?

[@brienza1975]

What did he say?

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@brienza1975 He said I was trespassing and that they would call the police. I was standing along the side of a public road. Perhaps I was a little close to the tracks, but I didn’t think it would cause such a reaction!

[@brienza1975]

@@SamLovesTrains If you were on a public road..they can't do crap to you. Great video by the way.

[@TomStarcevich-fb3qo]

The railroad guy is a duchebag call the 👮‍♂️ cops ok karen relax 😌 your job isn't that important 🙄

[@CarmieThompson]

@@GRE2057 Ohhh, Sam the terrorist. 😂 The Police could issue a warning or a citation for being a pedestrian in a dangerous area & that's about all. Also depends on the local ordinances. The switchman was just having a bad day. He's probably a teddy bear if he has a good lunch.

[@nynphose]

they working a job to feed family and fear snitch manager investigator who knows if you get hurt near the tracks they could be blamed if they do not report see it from worker view would you want strangers filming you at your job all day and then posting it to internet? i would say back off give room you do not know how people will react when you push buttons and even if they are "wrong" you could end up in bad situation. no matter where you stand they were aware of you and it causing distraction use caution

[@tomroise9426]

Is this steel plant their only customer?

[@johnalder6028]

Maybe they think your a company spy ?😂

[@jims6323]

Where exactly is this?

[@SamLovesTrains]

@@jims6323 The engine shop and wire mill scenes were shot on the northeast side of Johnstown, PA. Everything else is closer to the downtown area.

[@grandiose_3392]

Did they call the cops? 😆 What an asshole..

[@JohnWilson-wg4gk]

That's the river that destroyed Johnstown ??? Meh...

[@flynlr]

was a lake that came down the river that destroyed Johnstown ......dam broke

[@discodave4190]

@@flynlr You are talking about the 1889 Johnstown Flood, There have been other floods in Johnstown which did not involve a "lake", most notably in 1977.

[@meanwolverine4573]

During the Great Johnstown Flood, a dam in Austin, Potter County PA, also breached. The huge walls of the dam walked downstream. They still stand there in place! Check "the dam page" for more info about the damn dam, the dam park, the Dam Show '24, and the dam rules!

[@meanwolverine4573]

@@discodave4190 '72 Hurricane Agnes, the final nail in the coffin of Penn Central ...

[@discodave4190]

@@meanwolverine4573 Hurricane Agnes was in 1972, not 1977.