The Panhandle Division in N Scale
In September 2007, I started construction of a layout based on the PRR's Panhandle Division in the Coshocton, Ohio area in 1967. The Panhandle is often overlooked by PRR modelers who are more interested in the 4 track main between Tyrone and Johnstown. The two track main began along the Mongonahela River in Pittsburgh and continued west to Columbus, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Between Dennison and Trinway, Ohio the Panhandle was a water level race track. This is where the infamous Pennsy T1's stretched their legs.
I have fond memories of the Panhandle as a child in the late 70's and early 80's. My father grew up a few miles north of the line in Tuscarawas County and we would pass Dennison on our way to my grandparents. The bridge over the river just west of Gnadenhutten is near the intersection of US 36 and Ohio Route 416 where we would turn to head north to Goshen. It was always exciting seeing a Conrail freight cross the bridge, but mostly I just saw empty tracks with a long, proud history.
The Panhandle was not my first choice of PRR lines to model. After doing some research and ruling out several other PRR lines, I decided on the Panhandle. It had nearly everything I wanted in a model railroad. Having a connection to the line really helped as well. Each summer I visit my relatives in the area and explore all sorts of interesting things worthy of modeling. The layout is being built in two phases - the second phase adds a continuous run and extends the line east to Morgan Run or possibly the Tuscarawas River crossing. I could model my father's car at the intersection and relive those childhood memories.
The Panhandle Division - A Brief History
The Pennsylvania Railroad's Panhandle Division started life as several disjointed shortlines in Ohio and Pennsylvania. In 1848, the Steubenville and Indiana was chartered to build west across Ohio from Steubenville on the Ohio River to the Indiana state line. In December 1853, the line opened to Unionport, Ohio, and then 2 months later to Cadiz Junction. The Cadiz Branch opened in June of 1854 and by April 1855, the line reached Newark, Ohio, but had no connections. In April 1857 a connection to Columbus via the Central Ohio Railroad was completed.
The Pittsburgh and Steubenville Railroad was chartered in 1849 to build west from the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh to the Virginia state line. In April 1852, the line was granted rights to cross the Monongahela and enter Pittsburgh. The Western Transportation Company was setup by the Pennsylvania Railroad in March 1856 to build and operate the Pittsburgh and Steubenville. The president of the Steubenville and Indiana deeded right-of-way purchased from landowners to the Pittsburgh and Steubenville across the Virginia panhandle. This enabled the Pittsburgh and Steubenville to build without a charter to by-pass the opposition to the line from the city of Wheeling.
The Pittsburgh and Steubenville was completed in October 1865 from Pittsburgh to Wheeling Junction, at the east end of the Steubenville bridge. On the same day the Pittsburgh and Steubenville opened, the Steubenville bridge across the Ohio was opened linking the Pittsburgh and Steubenville to the Steubenville and Indiana as did the connecting bridge in Pittsburgh spanning the Monongahela. The line was operated as the Pittsburgh, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad by the Western Transportation Company until the line was sold under foreclosure in November 1867 to the Pan Handle Railway. In April 1868, Pan Handle Railway merged with the Steubenville and Indiana forming the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and St. Louis Railway and the Western Transportation Company was dissolved soon there after.
The Panhandle survived into the early 1980's under Conrail and carried passenger traffic until 1979 for Amtrak. Today it is operated by the Ohio Central and hosts Wheeling and Lake Erie traffic between Jewett and Bowerston. The line has been reduced to single track and sees several OC and WLE trains a week.