Aliquippa and Southern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Aliquippa and Ohio River Railroad is a six-mile short line railroad in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
, United States
, controlled by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. through its ownership of the Ohio Central Railroad System. It lies between CSX Transportation
's ex-Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
line and the Ohio River
, extending south from CSX's yard
in northern Aliquippa to near the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge
. Formerly known as the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad , its owner and primary customer was LTV Steel, which mostly closed its Aliquippa plant in 1985 and sold the line to the Ohio Central in 2002. The AOR now connects the Aliquippa Industrial Park, which occupies the LTV site, with CSX.
(J&L) incorporated the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad in November 1906 to serve its new plant at Aliquippa, replacing its Pittsburgh location. The majority of the line was opened by the end of 1910, and in 1921 the Interstate Commerce Commission
declared it to be a common carrier
. Although the vast majority of its service was to J&L, several other local businesses shipped over the line.
LTV Steel acquired J&L in 1968, and in 1985 it shut down most of the Aliquippa plant. The bankrupt LTV sold the railroad to the Ohio Central Railroad System in late 2002, and the newly-created Aliquippa and Ohio River Railroad began operations on November 15. The rail access has since attracted businesses such as Wolfpac Technologies to the Aliquippa Industrial Park, developed by the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development on the old steel mill property. Major commodites shipped over the line include bricks, aggregates, and plastics.
The company was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in 2008 as part of its purchase of the Ohio Central Railroad System.
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 9,438 at the 2010 census. Formerly a borough, it was formally named a city in 1987 by the Aliquippa Council.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, controlled by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. through its ownership of the Ohio Central Railroad System. It lies between CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
's ex-Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad , also known as the "Little Giant", was formed on May 11, 1875. Company headquarters were located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The line connected Pittsburgh in the east with Youngstown, Ohio at nearby Haselton, Ohio in the west and Connellsville, ...
line and the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, extending south from CSX's yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
in northern Aliquippa to near the Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge
Ambridge-Aliquippa Bridge
The Ambridge–Aliquippa Bridge is a steel cantilever through truss bridge which crosses the Ohio River at Ambridge, Pennsylvania. The bridge was originally named the Woodlawn-Ambridge Bridge but was soon renamed Ambridge-Aliquippa when Woodland was eclipsed by the rapid expansion of the...
. Formerly known as the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad , its owner and primary customer was LTV Steel, which mostly closed its Aliquippa plant in 1985 and sold the line to the Ohio Central in 2002. The AOR now connects the Aliquippa Industrial Park, which occupies the LTV site, with CSX.
History
The Jones and Laughlin Steel CompanyJones and Laughlin Steel Company
The earliest foundations of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company were the American Iron Company, founded in 1851 by Bernard Lauth, and B. F. Jones founded in 1852a few miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. Lauth's interest was bought in 1854 by James H. Laughlin...
(J&L) incorporated the Aliquippa and Southern Railroad in November 1906 to serve its new plant at Aliquippa, replacing its Pittsburgh location. The majority of the line was opened by the end of 1910, and in 1921 the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
declared it to be a common carrier
Common carrier
A common carrier in common-law countries is a person or company that transports goods or people for any person or company and that is responsible for any possible loss of the goods during transport...
. Although the vast majority of its service was to J&L, several other local businesses shipped over the line.
LTV Steel acquired J&L in 1968, and in 1985 it shut down most of the Aliquippa plant. The bankrupt LTV sold the railroad to the Ohio Central Railroad System in late 2002, and the newly-created Aliquippa and Ohio River Railroad began operations on November 15. The rail access has since attracted businesses such as Wolfpac Technologies to the Aliquippa Industrial Park, developed by the Beaver County Corporation for Economic Development on the old steel mill property. Major commodites shipped over the line include bricks, aggregates, and plastics.
The company was acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in 2008 as part of its purchase of the Ohio Central Railroad System.