Kiski Junction Railroad finally closes; corridor explored for recreational trail

While the owner of the Kiski Junction Railroad is finalizing its closure, a Gilpin supervisor is proposing converting the railroad corridor into a recreational trail.

Rosebud Mining, which owns the 165-year-old short line, is closing the railroad for good, according to the company’s president, Jim Barker. The railroad has been a popular tourist attraction for years in the fall with its antique locomotive and cherry red riding cars. But its main business — hauling freight — was spotty in recent years.

The short line transported material from the now-shuttered Allegheny Technologies Inc.’s Bagdad plant in Gilpin and coal from Rosebud’s Logansport mine in Bethel Township.

“It’s sad,” Barker said. “We appreciate all of the volunteers and the people who enjoyed riding it.”

In 2018, Rosebud waited to abandon the short line, holding out hope that some business would emerge at ATI’s Bagdad plant in Gilpin.

Then, the company decided to close the railroad because it didn’t need it for hauling coal anymore, Barker said.

The company is reclaiming the mine in Logansport and Kelly Station in Bethel and is in the process of filling it in. Additionally, the railroad bridge that spans the Kiski River from Schenley to Allegheny Township can no longer bear the weight of modern-day trains hauling coal, Barker said.

Some of the rail equipment was sold to the Everett Railroad Co. in Blair County, Barker said.

“If people have interest, I suggest that they look up the Everett Railroad and go for a ride there and help keep them in business,” he said.

The rail line has a history of change from a segment of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal to a rail line for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Maybe the short line’s next stop will be a recreational trail.

In addition to the estimated 4 miles of track from Schenley to Bagdad, Rosebud extended the line with a 9-mile spur connecting the railroad’s base in Schenley to the mine in Bethel.

Gilpin Supervisors Chairman Charlie Stull, who said he is sad to see the train go, said the rail line corridor could connect to the Armstrong Trail in Manor.

“The railroad has been a huge staple in the township for many years,” Stull said. “I hope we can find another use for it.”

Stull is exploring bringing in a rails-to-trail from Schenley to Manor and possibly re-purposing the railroad bridge over the Kiski to hook up to the Tredway Trail in Allegheny Township. Also, the Gilpin section of the trail could serve as a vital link for the Erie to Pittsburgh trail, he said.

Stull said he is in “very preliminary” discussions with Armstrong Trails on the idea.