Pittsburgh Amtrak Station past, present and future

[jis]

That looks an order of magnitude better than what it looked like when I was last there a decade back.

 

[PaTrainFan]

And it even has modern signage. Supposedly PIDS displays are on the way. Though I am still looking for the lounge.

 

[chadamfleetrailfan]

Yep. I noticed that there are those lighted signs in the waiting area as well.

I also noticed that on the platforms, there is new signage stating Location E/F designating the different platforms.

 

[railiner]

As a native Pittsburgher (1944-72) I remember all 4 stations (B&O, P&LE, P&WV, & PRR where Amtrak is). The PRR in early 1950s or so built a large ticket office structure in the center of the waiting room that detracted from the beauty and reduced the seating. The former ticket windows along the south wall (at the right in linked photo above) remained but were closed (I think by their original translucent glass pull-downs). The ceiling windows were covered (seemingly painted over) and many black cables held the new offices' fairly low "ceiling" (with its bright fluorescent lighting) suspended thereby. The opposite long (north) wall included large restrooms with lots of marble. Before I was born my Mom had left her wedding ring next to a sink and returned from Wilkinsburg on the local to inquire. The ladies' room maid had found the rings and safely returned them to Mom. The P&LA station retained its beauty and I recall part of the men's room had large stall with its own sink and such (long before ADA laws). The Wabash station I don't recall ever being inside but at least by 1950 it was a haven for pigeons and waiting outside for a bus could be risky. My 1930 Official Guide shows 4 trains leaving & 4 arriving (2 went the 59 miles to Pgh Junction in OH and 2 didn't go as far); my 1944 Guide says there was only freight. In 1966 I had a prof who mentioned waiting (as a Korean War draftee) at the old B&O station (it was replaced by a smaller modern structure later in the 1950s).

They did similar at Penn Station - New York in the mid-fifties to "modernize" its interior. Back around the time of the introduction of the Burrow's Ticketeer machines. They were doing that in many former grand stations around the country...putting in lowered ceilings spoiling the original beauty.

 

[Bandob]

Picture worth 1000 words dept: here's the former B&O Station on Grant Street, Circa 1979.

 

[Bandob]

"I also remember the dingy 70s-era P&LE commuter train at their station." Here it is at the station in 1979.

 

[Roomette11]

"I also remember the dingy 70s-era P&LE commuter train at their station." Here it is at the station in 1979.View attachment 34015

Yep. Sometime in the 80s, I think the private car storage moved over to the other side of Smithfield St. and the platform tracks disappeared. Are the canopies still there?

 

[railiner]

"I also remember the dingy 70s-era P&LE commuter train at their station." Here it is at the station in 1979.View attachment 34015

I recall riding the P&LE train from there to Beaver Falls before it ended service. I had to catch a ride back on a PAT bus.
One thing that surprised me, was the trainmen wore New York Central uniforms and badges...strange to see in Pittsburgh...

 

[Trollopian]

I recall riding the P&LE train from there to Beaver Falls before it ended service. I had to catch a ride back on a PAT bus.
One thing that surprised me, was the trainmen wore New York Central uniforms and badges...strange to see in Pittsburgh...

Thank you, Railiner, for helping me hypothesize how my beloved Uncle Rudy might've gotten home from WWII. I'm currently collating his letters home (he wrote faithfully to his sister and widowed mom from 1943-early 1946) which, sure enough, end abruptly as he and the other soldiers of the Century Division ("Sons of Bitche") were steaming home to Hampton Roads as part of the vast postwar demobilization. Easy to get from Newport News to Pittsburgh, but then what? How did he show up at my grandma's Ellwood City kitchen a few days later, unannounced? Family lore says he took the train, but I'm not sure the railroad served Ellwood City, it's possible that he traveled to Beaver Falls (a larger town) and hitchhiked from there. I gotta find one of those old timetables.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I recall riding the P&LE train from there to Beaver Falls before it ended service. I had to catch a ride back on a PAT bus.
One thing that surprised me, was the trainmen wore New York Central uniforms and badges...strange to see in Pittsburgh...

Isn't Broadway Joe Namath from Beaver Falls?

I recall him giving an interview where he talked about taking the Train to Pittsburgh when he was a Kid, but don't remember the Details.

 

[railiner]

Thank you, Railiner, for helping me hypothesize how my beloved Uncle Rudy might've gotten home from WWII. I'm currently collating his letters home (he wrote faithfully to his sister and widowed mom from 1943-early 1946) which, sure enough, end abruptly as he and the other soldiers of the Century Division ("Sons of Bitche") were steaming home to Hampton Roads as part of the vast postwar demobilization. Easy to get from Newport News to Pittsburgh, but then what? How did he show up at my grandma's Ellwood City kitchen a few days later, unannounced? Family lore says he took the train, but I'm not sure the railroad served Ellwood City, it's possible that he traveled to Beaver Falls (a larger town) and hitchhiked from there. I gotta find one of those old timetables.

Perhaps you can find your answer here...

https://timetableworld.com/ttw-viewer.php?token=b0dc3831-2cdd-41d0-a181-101fab1382c9
You can zoom in and out, and scan for the P&LE section under the "New York Central TT's...near the end of their tables...

More possibilities here...

https://timetableworld.com/ttw-viewer.php?token=0714038a-8747-4132-b707-f9514170a5d7
If you look at the index to table numbers near the bottom, look at Ellwood City, and see the various tables that included that stop on different carrier's.

So many choices, back then....

 

[railiner]

Isn't Broadway Joe Namath from Beaver Falls?

I recall him giving an interview where he talked about taking the Train to Pittsburgh when he was a Kid, but don't remember the Details.

Sure is...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Namath

 

[Trollopian]

Isn't Broadway Joe Namath from Beaver Falls?

I recall him giving an interview where he talked about taking the Train to Pittsburgh when he was a Kid, but don't remember the Details.

Correct. The region is known as the Cradle of Quarterbacks. Excerpted from Wikipedia: "The Pittsburgh region also has developed many notable athletes that have gone on to outstanding careers in professional sports. The region has produced a multitude of NFL quarterbacks, giving Western Pennsylvania the nickname "Cradle of Quarterbacks."[5][6] Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Jim Kelly, Johnny Unitas [n.b.: my dad knew him at St. Justin's High School in Pittsburgh], Charlie Batch, Marc Bulger, George Blanda, Johnny Lujack, Jeff Hostetler, Gus Frerotte, Willie Thrower, Warren Heller, Tyler Palko, Terrelle Pryor, Alex Van Pelt, Sandy Stephens, Terry Hanratty, Mike McMahon, Major Harris, Matt Cavanaugh, Chuck Fusina, Rod Rutherford, Ted Marchibroda, Babe Parilli, John Hufnagel, Tom Sherman, Richie Lucas, Boyd Brumbaugh, Scott Zolak, Anthony Morelli, Ed Matesic, Tom Clements, Coley McDonough, Charley Seabright, Tim Levcik, and former Steelers quarterback Bruce Gradkowski all hail from within a 50-mile radius of the city."

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.ph...ball_in_Western_Pennsylvania&oldid=1171785048

 

[Willbridge]

Perhaps you can find your answer here...

https://timetableworld.com/ttw-viewer.php?token=b0dc3831-2cdd-41d0-a181-101fab1382c9
You can zoom in and out, and scan for the P&LE section under the "New York Central TT's...near the end of their tables...

More possibilities here...

https://timetableworld.com/ttw-viewer.php?token=0714038a-8747-4132-b707-f9514170a5d7
If you look at the index to table numbers near the bottom, look at Ellwood City, and see the various tables that included that stop on different carrier's.

So many choices, back then....

My dad left me a copy of the October 1944 Guide and it shows the B&O and the P&LE sharing a station in Ellwood City. (I'll bet there's some history there.) The B&O Table 13 shows a single suburban train at 5:25 p.m. from the B&O Pittsburgh station to Ellwood City.

The P&LE Table 172 shows eight trains a day from Pittsburgh to Wampum, about 5 miles away from Ellwood City. The B&O had three trains stopping in Wampum: The Shenandoah, The Washingtonian, and The New York-Pittsburgh--Chicago Express for the mail, Railway Express, and standard Pullman heavyweights. Five more B&O trains blasted through Wampum without stopping. There was connecting bus service between Wampum and Ellwood City for all trains.

 

[Trollopian]

Thank you, Willbridge, and Willbridge's dad. My goal is to finish collating the letters by this December (which would be my uncle's 100th birthday; he turned 18 two days after Peal Harbor) and you've helped me wrap up the last chapter, Demobilization. As you say, there's gotta be a story as to why there was a shared station in Ellwood City...for one daily train. Equally curious is why there was vastly better service to Wampum, a much smaller town. (In the mid-1940s, Ellwood City and Wampum had populations of about 12,500 and 1,050 respectively, and Ellwood's steel mills and foundries and machine shops were important to the war effort. They're now down to 7,600 and 550.) All I can figure is that Wampum must've been along a more important route, Ellwood a stub.

 

[Trollopian]

Thank you, Railiner, for helping me hypothesize how my beloved Uncle Rudy might've gotten home from WWII. I'm currently collating his letters home (he wrote faithfully to his sister and widowed mom from 1943-early 1946) which, sure enough, end abruptly as he and the other soldiers of the Century Division ("Sons of Bitche") were steaming home to Hampton Roads as part of the vast postwar demobilization. Easy to get from Newport News to Pittsburgh, but then what? How did he show up at my grandma's Ellwood City kitchen a few days later, unannounced? Family lore says he took the train, but I'm not sure the railroad served Ellwood City, it's possible that he traveled to Beaver Falls (a larger town) and hitchhiked from there. I gotta find one of those old timetables.

As to how my Uncle started his service...by train, of course. Amendments to the Selective Service Act in November 1942 made men age 18 and 19 subject to service. (Before then they had been required to register, but only men 20 and up were actually drafted.) My uncle was in that group. Uncle Sam lost little time. Rudy got the call in January 1943. He was 19. His trip to Europe started in Baden, PA (not sure why; Ellwood City was a bigger town and a more logical place for the draft board, but whatever), then Pittsburgh, Altoona, Harrisburgh (sic), and Baltimore to Ft. Meade.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Finally, after all these years Pittsburgh has a PIDS sign and a pa system with automatic announcements you can actually understand. Major step forward.

 

[MARC Rider]

Finally, after all these years Pittsburgh has a PIDS sign and a pa system with automatic announcements you can actually understand. Major step forward. View attachment 34834

It's already a half hour late at its origination station?

 

[west point]

It's already a half hour late at its origination station?

Inbound crew late? HOS break?

 

[PaTrainFan]

It's already a half hour late at its origination station?

It arrived over an hour late last night which is not usually a problem but evidently they had issues getting out to and returning from the wye due to NS traffic and as a result the crew needed to push its recovery period overnight. We ended up leaving about 45 minutes late but are making good time along the way and if it's to be believed we may be only a few minutes late into Philadelphia.

 

[chadamfleetrailfan]

I'm glad to see the PIDS and the announcement system in working order. When I was last at PGH, about 4 months ago, this was still under construction. From the last time I was there as well, I see they added "Location" signage on the platforms.

 

[HP_Lovecraft]

For the record, Pittsburgh is still one of my favorite cities to visit. I had a great visit with one of my kids, taking the Capital sleeper from chicago in, spent the day, then the capital sleeper back. So much to do, in a nice compact city.

But not a good impression being dropped off at the station (PGH)... in what felt like a dark alley. At 5am, in the winter, still very dark, no cars on the road. It was a spooky walk to Mcdonalds (the only thing open) across town. No people, no cars, still dark.

 

[chadamfleetrailfan]

I was just in Pittsburgh this past weekend taking the Pennsylvanian and I noticed that they are building something at the end of the upstairs platform entrance. We'll have to see what comes of this.

Also, expanding from PaTrainFan's post above with the PID downstairs, there is also a vertical PID upstairs as well at the entrance to the platforms.

 

[cirdan]

Finally, after all these years Pittsburgh has a PIDS sign and a pa system with automatic announcements you can actually understand. Major step forward. View attachment 34834

For a station that gets three trains a day, it is very generous to provide a sign with space for six trains.

 

[PaTrainFan]

For a station that gets three trains a day, it is very generous to provide a sign with space for six trains.

There are many Amtrak stations with two trains a day that have had such displays for years. Plus, in a couple of years we'll have the additional Pennsylvanian run.