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PITTSBURG & SHAWMUT R.R.

THE SHAWMUT LINE

SITE UPDATED: 12/18/25

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Year!!

About the site: The photos here were sent by many fellow P&S fans over many years THANK YOU SO MUCH! Some are from my collection. Without everyone’s generous contribution of photos and info this site would not have happened! This is the fourth version of this site for various reasons. I’m Dennis Snyder from Winter Park, FL and can be reached via email at: dlswpfl@aol.com.

If you’re looking for the Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern go to: www.shawmutline.org – Note that the P&S and PS&N were related, thus the similar names. The PS&N began in the 1800’s running from Brockway, PA northward into NY, it’s nickname was SHAWMUT LINE. In the early 1900’s the PS&N began expanding southward from Brockway naming the new section Brookville & Mahoning. After a few years the PS&N renamed the new section as Pittsburg & Shawmut the intention was to access the Pittsburg area. At this time Pittsburgh, PA was spelled without an h as it is today. The PS&N had many financial problems and ended in 1947. Meanwhile, in 1916 the Pittsburg & Shawmut became an independent railroad. Interestingly, in the 1970’s the P&S began using the SHAWMUT LINE nickname, see below for more history.

Here’s some basic HIstory Of The P&S R.R. In the late part of the 1800’s several small western NY and PA railroads merged becoming the Pittsburg, Shawmut, and Northern Railroad which ran from Wayland, NY to Brockway, PA.  During the time the P.S.&N. began Pittsburgh, PA was spelled without the “h”, so both railroads used that spelling.
Early in the 1900’s the P.S.&.N. started building a new railroad south from Brockway towards Freeport to access Pittsburg naming it the Brookville & Mahoning Railroad.  The first section of the B&M from Brookville to Brockway was completed in 1907.  In 1910 the name was changed to The Pittsburg & Shawmut Railroad.  Then in 1916 the P&S broke away from the P.S.&N. becoming an independent railroad.  It was often said the name change to P&S (from B&M) was due to confusion with Boston & Maine also having B&M letters.  However, some think it was also to make it look like it was the P.S.& N.
In 1917 the P&S was completed now running 88.1 miles from Brockway, PA to Freeport, PA.  Coal was always the main business of the P&S although it also ran passenger service until the 1930s, and other types of freight traveled over the line.  Although it struggled at first, the P&S did very well for the most.  Unfortunately, for all of its life the P.S.&N. had financial problems and was finally abandoned in 1947.  Be sure to see the P.S.&N. web site for more on that railroad.
A visitor to the site asked what Shawmut meant.  The word Shawmut originates from the Boston, Maine area where not only was there a hill/mountain with that name, but a bank as well which also had some financial history with the P&S. Shawmut is also related to the Algonquian Indian’s word Mashaumowuk which as above refers to the Boston area.  There is also a Shawmut Dam on the Kennebec River.  There is also A large,  unrelated electrical manufacturing company named Shawmut. Other railroad related subjects include Shawmut, Montana on the Union Pacific R.R., and the tiny town of Shawmut near Brockway, PA on the original P.S.&.N.

Feature Photos!

We’ll include some feature photos below, but special sections are accessed via the links at the top of the site.

Since the P&S was a coal hauling line, let David Baer take you back to October 1995 where BVL1 was working the coal loader at Dora!!
John caught three P&S SW9’s at MP1 Lawsonham.
Sprankle Viaduct 1994
Northbound at Freeport 1993
Dora Coal Processing Plant with five Mountain Laurel GP10’s
West Penn Power Plant Reesedale 1994
In 1984 a northbound local works the coal loader at Timblin in this John Murray photo.
Andy Hepp sent this view of Brookville in 2008, looks more like a Conrail yard! The 3013 isn’t going anywhere soon!
I always liked this shot of the 237 at Markle from Kurt Reisweber since grandpa and I walked over this spot many times and the 237 is a bit odd with the word “AND” instead of the &.
Here’s GP7 357 tied up at Applewold/Kittanning from Bob Schroyer in 1977. The 357 was a bit odd, had to either lead long hood forward or trail with the short hood to other power as the long hood didn’t have the proper cables.
A great photo at West Mosgrove of a BPRR chugging along from Freddy Shook. The two tracks in the foreground where the P&S tracks at this interchange point and obviously at the top of quite a steep climb!
Plenty of power on this one switching at “BV” including GP7 357!
A nice look at the old and the new at Brookville!
In the special section P&S engines in original and Bicentennial paint it was noted the 236 had the word “and” instead of the “&” between Pittsburg & Shawmut, found this rare look in my collection of the 236 at “BV.”
In August 1989, David Baer caught eastbound Conrail coal train UCI-275 crossing the Carrier Viaduct on Conrail’s Clarion Secondary, a former New York Central line.  The coal train loaded at the mine at Piney.  Conrail’s Clarion Secondary would become the Mountain Laurel’s Piney Line, when Conrail sold the line to the P&S.  The Viaduct is just east of the Conrail and LEF&C interchange at Sutton, Pa. 
In March 1992, David caught this eastbound Mountain Laurel train also on the Carrier Viaduct powered by three P&S switchers.  The ML train had picked up a train of empty LEF&C hoppers from the LEF&C interchange at Sutton and is heading toward Brookville.  Note the SP box car behind the P&S switchers.  It is loaded with bricks from an industry on the LEF&C.  

NOTE: David and I got some details mixed up on the two above photos, it’s corrected now and apologies for any confusion!

Back in November 1979 Kurt Reisweber took this highly unusual night photo at Kittanning Engine House of the 1775, 1949, and Caboose 196!

BVL1 at Barnes with P&S 10, 11, & 1866 with the diesel tank car used at Kittanning to fuel KGL1’s locomotives, another great photo from David Baer.

Dare I say this was before the Kittanning Local (or maybe it was The Rounder) became KGL1!

Here’s what the Linde Air Products plant looked like from across the Allegeny River in earlier years.

At Brookville a five pack of power heads south including a boxcar going to Plunkett & Webster for treated lumber.
Since it’s summer and warmer weather here’s one to cool you down from my collection.
In 1984 caboose 197 was bringing up the rear of this one in the McWilliams area.
Remember in the early 1970’s when the P&S leased some units, that included the 233 to Lehigh Valley.
One of the site’s earliest photos from my collection, the 235 had its paint freshened and the “Railroad” was left off.
Thought it would be fun and interesting to go back to the earliest days of the P&S web site, the days on Windows 95 and dial up internet. Here’s the 1776 with no railroad markings of name! Of course the 1776 was originally the 239 and took on the SHAMWUT LINE name and named Betsy Ross.
When David Baer visited Brookville yard in 1996 it looked like Brookville, but you’d never know it was once the Pittsburg & Shawmut Railroad.
Shawmut and Mountain Laurel power roll over the viaduct in Reidsburg.
Randy Kiser was on hand to catch a Teddy Bear hitching a ride on KGL1 in the Kittanning area on caboose 196.
Albany & Eastern’s 1866 is looking mighty fine, it was former P&S 232 & 1866 & named Oliver WInchester.
Sam Kanish sent us this peek at the throttle of one of the SW9’s,I think this was P&S 233.
And the 233 was at Kittanning this day and quite new!
John Hartman caught this northbound rounding the bend along Mahoning Creek.
A northbound steams through Timblin long ago. Timblin is right at milepost 44 dead center of the P&S!
EPSON scanner image

Let’s go back to March 1992 when David Baer caught this MLX-1 at Brookville.