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Pittsburgh Division
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Employe Timetables
Employe Timetable #31, effective April 28, 1940 (scans and link courtesy Derrick Brashear)

Track Charts
Pittsburgh Division Track Chart, correct to January 1, 1941 (original document courtesy Tom Olsen)
Conemaugh Yard map, correct to September 3, 1957 (original document courtesy Tom Olsen)

Other Documents
Pittsburgh Passenger Station Improvements brochure


Interactive Timetable  - station list taken from Employe Timtable #1, September 28, 1941
                                               -  information collected from ETT's #31,#33, #1, #2, #5, #7
M A I N   L I N E
Interlocking Interlocking
Station		 Block Station Block Limit
Station		 STATIONS Distance from
Altoona		 Sidings as-
signed direction
Car capacity
50 ft. cars
W E Both
- - - - ALTOONA (Middle Division) 0.0 - - -
X X X - BO  0.9 - - -
X X X - GY 3.3 - - -
- - - - KITTANNING POINT 5.4 - - -
X - - - SF 10.9 - - -
- - - - GALLITZIN 11.8 - - -
X - - - UN 12.0 - - -
X X X - AR 12.0 - - -
X X X - MO 14.0 - - -
- - - - CRESSON 14.4 - - -
- - - - LILLY 17.5 - - -
- - - - PORTAGE 19.3 - - -
X X X - NY 21.9 - - -
- - - - WILMORE 23.9 - - -
- - - - SUMMERHILL 26.2 - - -
X - - - W 26.5 - - -
- - - - SOUTH FORK 28.1 - - -
X X X - SO 28.5 - - -
X - - - AO 33.6 - - -
- - - - CONEMAUGH 35.0 - - -
X X X - C 35.6 - - -
- - - - JOHNSTOWN 37.5 - - -
X X X - SG 39.7 - - -
X - - - SQ 42.7 - - -
- - - - SEWARD 46.8 - - -
- - - - NEW FLORENCE 50.9 - - -
X X X - JD 52.6 - - -
- - - - LOCKPORT 54.9 - - -
- - - - BOLIVAR 56.5 - - -
- - - - TORRANCE 61.6 - - -
X X X - BH 61.9 - - -
- - - - GRAY 63.5 - - -
- - - - HILLSIDE 65.5 - - -
- - - - MILLWOOD 67.3 - - -
- - - - DERRY 68.9 - - -
X X X - DR 69.4 - - -
- - - - LATROBE 73.8 - - -
X X X - KR 74.2 - - -
- - - - DONOHOE 78.9 - - -
X X X - SW 82.5 - - -
- - - - GREENSBURG 83.1 - - -
- - - - RADEBAUGH 85.0 - - -
X X X - RG 85.9 - - -
- - - - GRAPEVILLE 86.7 - - -
- - - - JEANNETTE 87.2 - - -
- - - - PENN 88.7 - - -
- - - - MANOR 90.2 - - -
- - - - SHAFTON 91.6 - - -
- - - - IRWIN 92.5 - - -
X X X - CP 93.4 - - -
- - - - LARIMER 93.6 - - -
- - - - ARDARA 94.8 - - -
- - - - TRAFFORD 96.9 - - -
X X X - SZ 97.0 - - -
X - - - UJ 98.0 - - -
- - - - PITCAIRN 98.5 - - -
- - - - WILMERDING 100.1 - - -
X X X - WG 100.6 - - -
- - - - TURTLE CREEK 101.2 - - -
X - - - PORT PERRY BRANCH JUNCTION 101.4 - - -
- - - - EAST PITTSBURGH 101.7 - - -
X X X - R 102.4 - - -
- - - - BESSEMER 103.0 - - -
- - - - BRADDOCK 103.8 - - -
- - - - COPELAND 104.3 - - -
- - - - HAWKINS 104.9 - - -
- - - - SWISSVALE 105.8 - - -
X - - - WK 106.2 - - -
- - - - EDGEWOOD 106.6 - - -
- - - - WILKINSBURG 107.3 - - -
- - - - HOMEWOOD 108.3 - - -
X X X - CM 108.7 - - -
- - - - EAST LIBERTY 109.3 - - -
- - - - ROUP 110.2 - - -
- - - - SHADYSIDE 110.7 - - -
X X X - DV 111.1 - - -
X X X - BU 113.2 - - -
X X - - UF 113.6 - - -
- - - - PITTSBURGH 113.8 - - -
NOTE;  'X' -- Indicates in service.  Block stations are open continuously.

PART I - the EAST SLOPE, 'BO' to 'AR'
BO
     Renamed 'SLOPE' by General Order No. ___  (sometime during late 1941 or early 1942).  This interlocking controlled general routings in and out of Altoona, including light helper moves.  This interlocking was considered part of the Middle Division, Eastern Region during the 1940's.
     Headed west from 'BO', the four-track mainline began its assault on the East Slope, passing through a cut and over a high, curving fill.  The Division Post between the Pittsburgh and Middle Divisions was 0.3 miles west of 'BO' (1.2 miles west of Altoona).  Pittsburgh Division Timetable #5 notes this point in its station list and is the earliest ETT Io which I currently have access that does so.
     The main line just west of 'BO' has been thouroughly photographed from two good access points - the 24th St. bridge (overhead bridge 237.46) east of the 'BO' eastward home signal, and the 'Brickyard' crossing at the west side of the fill.

Timetable Special Instructions, 'BO' to 'GY':
     SI D2002, Pittsburgh Division ETT #33 - Speed on curves restricted to 40mph, exept Wilkes Curve (2nd curve west of 'BO') 35mph on 2, 3, & 4 Tracks

Industries, 'BO' to 'GY':
    No industries received rail service on this segment of the main line in 1945, according to the CT1000-C.  However, a brick works occupied a lot on the south side of the tracks just east of  signal bridge 238.2. The 1941 track chart shows a siding for the brickyard.
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GY
     This interlocking routed westward passenger trains from #4 Main to #3 Main, as well as providing flexible routing to deal with dense East Slope traffic.  This interlocking was taken out of service by General Order No. ___  at the end of the decade.
     Headed west from 'BO', the four-track mainline began its assault on the East Slope, passing through a cut and over a high, curving fill.  The Division Post between the Pittsburgh and Middle Divisions was 0.3 miles west of 'BO' (1.2 miles west of Altoona).  Pittsburgh Division Timetable #5 notes this point in its station list and is the earliest ETT Io which I currently have access that does so.
     The main line just west of 'BO' has been thouroughly photographed from two good access points - the 24th St. bridge (overhead bridge 237.46) east of the 'BO' eastward home signal, and the 'Brickyard' crossing at the west side of the fill.

Timetable Special Instructions, 'GY' to Kitanning Point:
     

Industries, 'GY' to Kitanning Point:
    No industries received rail service on the main line in 1945, according to the CT1000-C.  However, a brick works occupied a lot on the south side of the tracks just east of  signal bridge 238.2. The 1941 track chart shows a siding for the brickyard.
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PART II - the WEST SLOPE, 'AR' to Johnstown

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PART III - the Conemaugh River Valley, Johnstown to 'JD'
Johnstown
johnstown_sta_1

Timetable Special Instructions,  Johnstown to 'SG':


SG

Timetable Special Instructions,  'SG' to 'SQ':
SQ

Port Perry Branch Junction
     As the name implies, this is the eastern conection of the Port Perry Branch to the Pittsburgh Division mainline.  See below:
PORT PERRY BRANCH
Interlocking Interlocking Station Block Station Block-Limit Station STATIONS Distance from Port Perry Branch Jct. Sidings Assigned direction
Car Capacity 50 ft. Cars
West East Both
X - - - PORT PERRY BRANCH JUNCTION - - - -
X - - - U JUNCTION 1.1 - - -
- - - - DIVISION POST (Monongahela Division) 1.3 - - -
Interlockings - Remote controlled, operated from:
Interlocking Operated From
Port Perry Branch Junction WG
U  Junction R
The driection from Division Post (Monongahela Division) to Port Perry Branch Junction is Eastward

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DV
     bloomfielD raVine (?).  DV controlled the eastern access to Pittsburgh Passenger Yard, which stretched west to the Pittsburgh passenger terminal.  It also controlled access to several industries in the Bloomfield neighborhood of the city of Pittsburgh.

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BU
     pittsBUrgh (?).  BU controlled the east end of the Pittsburgh Station trackage proper, and, together with UF, routed trains between the station area and the Pittsburgh Division main line, the passenger yard area, or the 29th St. freight connection to the Allegheny Valley line of the Conemaugh Division.  In addition to its own interlocker, BU also housed a relocated interlocking machine, NA, which dealt mainly with the Allegheny Valley connection.  One can see the division of machinery in the fact that the levers for BU are double-numbered  The tower structure itself was the victim of a wreck in late 1946.  A temporary structure housed the interlocking machinery until PITT went into operation in the early 1950's.

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UF
     UF stood at the eastern end of the Pittsburgh Station platforms, and also housed the Pittsburgh Station Train Director's post.  As such, it formed the hub of the downtown Pittsburgh interlockings.  UF had provisions to lock together with BU, US, and PH in the station area, and those interlockings, in turn, needed good communications with DV, MONON, and FEDERAL STREET in order to keep traffic smoothly moving in and out of downtown.

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Pittsburgh
     The original goal of the PRR in 1846, by the 1940's Pittsburgh had become the central nexus of the Pennsylvania Railroad system.  The station building (now a historic landmark, and still standing) dates from 1901, and was originally constructed with a large glassed-in arched shed over the platforms.  This shed came down shortly after World War II, and only modest umbrella shelters covered the platforms until the new, low trainshed was completed in 1951.  Three prior station buildings occupied more or less the same site, at the intersection of Grant and Liberty streets at the backside of downtown Pittsburgh.
     This site is adjacent to the bottom of Polish Hill, which, due to the change in topography, marks the end of the 'Golden Triangle'.  Although the location made eminent sense from a city planning perspective (allowing good access to business travelers without the Chinese Wall of tracks problem at Broad St. in Philadelphia), from an operational perspective it was problematic.  Polish Hill, on its northwest side adjacent to the platforms, falls steeply, at times almost cliff-like, and prevents any widening in that direction.  On the opposite side, Liberty Ave. and the dense Strip District businesses prevent any expansion to the northwest (and, indeed, due to grade separation, significant grade elevation would have been needed to make that area useful).  Finally, due to the location of the Fort Wayne bridge over the Allegheny, Chicago-bound trains had to negotiate a tight, climbing curve on their way out of the station, causing problems with long wheelbase locomotives, particularly the T1s.  The site was, therefore, extremely cramped.  During the 1940's, longer trains and longer locomotives put severe strain on operations near the station, prompting the rebuilding project at the end of the decade.  Ironically, within a few years of the reconstruction, passenger traffic dropped dramatically, leaving the station with a great deal of excess capacity, and, in its own way, solving the operational problems.

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