Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway, commonly called the Butler Short Line, was a broad gauge interurban streetcar line connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, United States
to Butler via Mars
.
, Glenshaw
, Allison Park
, and Mars. In 1914 the railway converted from AC
to 1200V DC
which reduced power consumption by 15% and reduced the weight of each car by 6 tons.
In 1917 the railway amalgamated with the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway
, who operated the Harmony Line between Pittsburgh and New Castle
, the new company being named the Pittsburgh, Mars and Butler Railway.
In April 1931 the company went into receivership. The Butler Short Line was closed on 22 April 1931 as it was in poor condition, services being absorbed into the existing PA 8
bus service. The stub of the Butler Short Line continued to be used by Pittsburgh Railways
as the 2 Etna service until closure in 1952.
(B&O) and the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
(B&LE), before turning west down the valley of the Connoquenessing Creek
through Bredinville. Running parallel to the B&LE through Odell and then east into Thorn Creek past Renfrew Station
, the line then headed south, climbing out of Thorn Creek valley alongside Three Degree Road, where the Butler Country Club had a stop of their own. When Butler County Airport
was constructed Three Degree Road was diverted to use the old track bed, now forming the eastern perimeter road of the airport.
The line continued south, descending into the valley of Breakneck Creek
and passing through Mars. It continued south along the valley, through Downieville and Valencia to Etna, where it joined the local Pittsburgh Railways
route to downtown.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to Butler via Mars
Mars, Pennsylvania
Mars is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 1,746 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mars is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all of it land....
.
History
The Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway was opened in 1907 between Pittsburgh and Butler traveling via EtnaEtna, Pennsylvania
Etna is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on the Allegheny River, opposite Pittsburgh. It flourished in the past when it was the site of rolling mills, furnaces, steel mills, galvanized-pipe works, and other manufacturers. In 1900, 5,384 people lived in Etna. In 1910, 5,830 lived there,...
, Glenshaw
Glenshaw, Pennsylvania
Glenshaw is a census-designated place within Shaler and Ross townships in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,981....
, Allison Park
Allison Park, Pennsylvania
Allison Park is a census-designated place in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It is a suburb of Pittsburgh and is located within Hampton, Shaler and McCandless townships. It had a population of 21,552 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, and Mars. In 1914 the railway converted from AC
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
to 1200V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
which reduced power consumption by 15% and reduced the weight of each car by 6 tons.
In 1917 the railway amalgamated with the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway
Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway
The Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler and New Castle Railway, commonly called the Harmony Line, was a broad gauge interurban streetcar line connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States to Butler and New Castle via Harmony and a split at Evans City...
, who operated the Harmony Line between Pittsburgh and New Castle
New Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
, the new company being named the Pittsburgh, Mars and Butler Railway.
In April 1931 the company went into receivership. The Butler Short Line was closed on 22 April 1931 as it was in poor condition, services being absorbed into the existing PA 8
Pennsylvania Route 8
Pennsylvania Route 8 is a major long route in western Pennsylvania. Officially, PA 8 is named the William Flinn Highway. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 376, U.S. Route 22, and U.S. Route 30 in Pittsburgh...
bus service. The stub of the Butler Short Line continued to be used by Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways was one of the predecessors of the Port Authority of Allegheny County. It had 666 PCC cars, the third largest fleet in North America. It had 68 street car routes, of which only three are used by the Port Authority as light rail routes...
as the 2 Etna service until closure in 1952.
Route
Leaving Butler going south along South Chestnut Street the railway crossed the rails of the Baltimore and Ohio RailroadBaltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
(B&O) and the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad is a class II railroad that operates in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.The railroad's main route runs from the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio to the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, a distance of 139 miles...
(B&LE), before turning west down the valley of the Connoquenessing Creek
Connoquenessing Creek
Connoquenessing Creek is a tributary of the Beaver River, approximately 50 mi long, in Western Pennsylvania in the United States.-Course:...
through Bredinville. Running parallel to the B&LE through Odell and then east into Thorn Creek past Renfrew Station
Renfrew, Pennsylvania
Renfrew is a small unincorporated village on the Connoquenessing Creek in Penn Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by David A. Renfrew in 1882 on his farm. Once a thriving oil town, only the Methodist church is still active. The general store and the gas station...
, the line then headed south, climbing out of Thorn Creek valley alongside Three Degree Road, where the Butler Country Club had a stop of their own. When Butler County Airport
Butler County Airport
Butler County Airport , also known as K. W. Scholter Field, is a public airport located five miles southwest of the central business district of Butler, a city in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States...
was constructed Three Degree Road was diverted to use the old track bed, now forming the eastern perimeter road of the airport.
The line continued south, descending into the valley of Breakneck Creek
Breakneck Creek
Breakneck Creek is a tributary of Connoquenessing Creek that flows in a northwardly direction in Western Pennsylvania. It forms in the village of Bakerstown in Allegheny County then flows northwest through the borough of Valencia in Butler County....
and passing through Mars. It continued south along the valley, through Downieville and Valencia to Etna, where it joined the local Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways
Pittsburgh Railways was one of the predecessors of the Port Authority of Allegheny County. It had 666 PCC cars, the third largest fleet in North America. It had 68 street car routes, of which only three are used by the Port Authority as light rail routes...
route to downtown.