IN THE KNOW
DID YOU KNOW?
Pitcairn’s History
is Crisscrossed with
Railroad Tracks
P
itcairn’s history has been entwined with the railroad since
its inception. In 1880, tracks were laid along Turtle Creek,
and in 1894, the town that sprang up around it was named
Pitcairn. In its heyday, nearly 200 engines were serviced daily at
the massive rail yard in Pitcairn, which at the time, was the largest
in the world.
The noise must have seemed deafening for visitors, but
residents quickly grew used to the sound of the steam engines,
intermingled with clanging and noises from braking trains.
Virtually every type of rail travel and service was offered at the
yard. Pitcairn also figured prominently in the war effort in World
War II as troops and supplies were transported daily through
Pitcairn on their way to vital missions.
In 1996, the site officially became the Conrail Pittsburgh
Intermodal Facility, and later the Norfolk Southern’s hub for
intermodal transit in western Pennsylvania. Though it’s no longer
the center of passenger travel, it’s still a busy hub of rail travel, with
more than 100 trains passing over its tracks each day. ■
Sources of information: Borough of Pitcairn website and Railroad Days by Louis
Chandler which can be found at Pitcairn-Historical.webs.com
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