The Bell's Gap Railroad was a 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) long railroad in Pennsylvania. It was inaugurated in 1873 and consolidated in 1874. The original construction was narrow-gauge.
The Bell's Gap Railroad Company was incorporated under the general law of Pennsylvania on 11 May 1871, to construct a railway from Bell’s Mills, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, to Lloyds in Cambria County. The construction began in 1872, and the 8+1⁄2 miles (13.7 km) long line was put in operation in June 1873.[1][2]
The Pennsylvania & North Western Railroad Company became the successor by change of name of the Bell's Gap Railroad Company on 9 May 1874.[3]
In 1883 and 1884, the Pennsylvania & North Western Railroad Company (under control of the Pennsylvania Railroad) converted the original 3 foot gauge trackage to standard gauge.[4]
Route and trackedit
The grade was very heavy, the maximum of 158.4 feet to the mile (3.0 %) being continuous for 6+3⁄4 miles (10 km).
The sharpest curvature was 28° with a 206 feet (63 m) radius. There were ten of these curves on the maximum grade, two of which were 600 feet (180 m) long with a turning an angle of 168°.
The weight of rail was 35 pounds to the yard (17.5 kg/m).[1]
Rolling stockedit
The weight of the engines was 15 tons. The following rolling stock was used in 1875:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bell's Gap Railroad.
^ abcdHoward Fleming: Narrow gauge railways in America. A sketch of their rise, progress and success: valuable statistics as to grades, curves, weight of rail, locomotives, cars, etc. 1876. Page 60-61. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^H.V. & H.W. Poor: Poor's Manual of Railroads. 1887.
^United States. Interstate Commerce Commission, U.S. Government Printing Office: Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Valuation reports, Vol 22, 1929. p. 665.
^"The Pennsylvania Railroad Company: The Corporate, Financial and Construction History of Lines Owned, Operated and Controlled To December 31, 1945, Volume I The Pennsylvania Railroad Proper | Hagley Digital Archives". digital.hagley.org. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
bell, railroad, miles, long, railroad, pennsylvania, inaugurated, 1873, consolidated, 1874, original, construction, narrow, gauge, collier, trestletechnicalline, length8, miles, track, gauge1, gauge3, route, contents, history, route, track, rolling, stock, ope. The Bell s Gap Railroad was a 8 1 2 miles 13 7 km long railroad in Pennsylvania It was inaugurated in 1873 and consolidated in 1874 The original construction was narrow gauge Bell s Gap RailroadBell s Gap Railroad Collier TrestleTechnicalLine length8 1 2 miles 10 km Track gauge1 435 mm 4 ft 8 1 2 in Old gauge3 ft 914 mm Route map Contents 1 History 2 Route and track 3 Rolling stock 4 Operation 5 External links 6 ReferencesHistory editThe Bell s Gap Railroad Company was incorporated under the general law of Pennsylvania on 11 May 1871 to construct a railway from Bell s Mills on the Pennsylvania Railroad to Lloyds in Cambria County The construction began in 1872 and the 8 1 2 miles 13 7 km long line was put in operation in June 1873 1 2 The Pennsylvania amp North Western Railroad Company became the successor by change of name of the Bell s Gap Railroad Company on 9 May 1874 3 In 1883 and 1884 the Pennsylvania amp North Western Railroad Company under control of the Pennsylvania Railroad converted the original 3 foot gauge trackage to standard gauge 4 Route and track editThe grade was very heavy the maximum of 158 4 feet to the mile 3 0 being continuous for 6 3 4 miles 10 km The sharpest curvature was 28 with a 206 feet 63 m radius There were ten of these curves on the maximum grade two of which were 600 feet 180 m long with a turning an angle of 168 The weight of rail was 35 pounds to the yard 17 5 kg m 1 Rolling stock editThe weight of the engines was 15 tons The following rolling stock was used in 1875 2 locomotives 2 passenger cars 78 freight cars 1 Operation editOperations for year ending 31 December 1875 were as follows Gross earnings 38 146 42 Operating expenses 18 504 85 48 49 Net earnings 19 641 57 1 External links editNarrow gauge railway Bellwood Antis Historic Railroad Postcard ScansReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bell s Gap Railroad a b c d Howard Fleming Narrow gauge railways in America A sketch of their rise progress and success valuable statistics as to grades curves weight of rail locomotives cars etc 1876 Page 60 61 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain H V amp H W Poor Poor s Manual of Railroads 1887 United States Interstate Commerce Commission U S Government Printing Office Interstate Commerce Commission Reports Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States Valuation reports Vol 22 1929 p 665 The Pennsylvania Railroad Company The Corporate Financial and Construction History of Lines Owned Operated and Controlled To December 31 1945 Volume I The Pennsylvania Railroad Proper Hagley Digital Archives digital hagley org Retrieved 2023 11 20 40 38 16 N 78 23 09 W 40 6377778 N 78 3858333 W 40 6377778 78 3858333 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bell 27s Gap Railroad amp oldid 1187486941, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
