Bowmansdale-Grantham July 2001



Grantham


Late evening , July 23, 2001,a coal drag pulls up a slight upgrade as the line cut across a loop in Yellow Breeches Creek. This line was created by the iron producing Ahl Brothers as the Miramar Railroad and then renamed the Harrisburg and Potomac. The Ahl's overextended and their H&P suffered (it was said that H&P stood for Hush and Push). The line was bought in the 1880's by the Reading who had participated in financing the Ahl's. Even then, the H&P ended in Bowmansdale for several years. Finally the Reading cooperated with the WM in completing the route up the Cumberland Valley from Hagerstown to Harrisburg.



The overpass connects the Messiah College Campus.



Most hoppers are CSXT although this train contained some NS. Matt Reese (http://www.wvrailfan.net) speculates that this is PPLX train V655-18, originating in the lower B&O coal fields at the Evergreen Mine near Cowen, West Virginia, on the Cowen Subdivision.



Steve Johnson says the destination for the coal is the PP&L Brunner Island facility at Yorkhaven, PA. Steve says that they use the former Hagerstown Secondary, now the (NS) Lurgan Branch from what used to be NC Tower (now CP Town) to Shippensburg. CSX crews operate eastbound, NS crews operate westbound. Thanks to Steve and Matt for the information.



On another evening, mixed freight is powered along the Yellow Breeches.



Consist shows the bridge route character of the line.


Bowmansdale


Substantial subway at Bowmansdale. Bowmansdale shows up as prominent place on late 1880's rail maps, however it appears that it was merely Ahl's last iron ore site until the Reading pushed on across the Susquehanna.



Late evening stacks heading to Rutherford.



..


V655

Station Arrival Departure Additional Information

. . . . ASSIGNMENT SUBJECT TO CHANGE

. . . . COWEN WV -------- ---- mtys
EVERGREEN WV
COWEN WV -------- ---- coal
GRAFTON WV ---- ------ coal
KEYSER WV ---- ------- coal
CUMBERLAND MD ---- --- coal
HANCOCK WV ---- ------ coal
CHERRY RUN WV ---- --- coal
HAGERSTOWN MD ---- --- coal
LURGAN PA
Comments: Evergreen/ YorkHaven-NS
Assignment subject to change
Operates as required
Unit coal
Updated 7/19/01
Evergreen/ YorkHaven-NS

Above From Bullsheet Freight Train Schedules



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