P&S Trestles/Viaducts 

One of the many fascinating things about the Pittsburg & Shawmut was their trestles which on the P&S were called viaducts.  This section is about the longer trestles, but there were many smaller bridges over creeks, roads, etc..  

From  North to South there were trestles at Brockway, North of Brookville, Sound of Brookville Yard, East Branch, Sprankle Mills, Nitro/Pine Run/ Little Mud Lick, Sugar Camp, Colwell, North of Mahoning Yard, and Reesedale. 

There were thru truss bridges crossing Mahoning Creek south of Colwell, and the big thru trussbridge crossing the Allegheny River at Reesedale that were also called viaducts.  

Here’s location, length, and milepost info about the viaducts: 

Lanes (Delwood/Brockway – 695 feet – N of Mile 1

Little Mill creek (north of Brookville) – 756 feet – Mile 18

Brookvile (south of Brookville Yard) – 785 feet – Mile 21

East Branch (south of Knoxdale) – 1478 feet – Mile 35

Sprankle (Sprankle Mills) – 1430 feet – Mile 38

Mudlick (Putneyville) 630 feet – Mile 51

Sugar Camp (Putneyville) – 660 feet – Mile 52

Mahoning Creek (Colwell) – 508 feet – Mile 55

Mahoning Creek (North of Mahoning Yard) – 310 feet – Mile 57

Allegheny River (Reesedale) – 1124 feet – Mile 63

 

The first sizable viaduct and a rather unique viaduct was heading railroad south out of Brockway where the Shawmut crossed RT 219 (Pittsburgh Buffalo Highway) as well as the former BR&P/B&O now B&P, and Rattlesnake Creek in this photo from S. Kolata.

The next trestle south of Brockway was Little Mill Creek Viaduct a mile or so north of Brookville Yard.  Unfortunately, that’s one spot I never got a photo of a train on, here a group of motor car enthusiasts got to ride over the P&S north of Brookville after the track had been taken out of service, not long after the trestle was torn down, so far it is the only of the long P&S trestles to be removed.

A short southbound with three Mountain Laurel units stretches out over the Brookville curved viaduct.