After reading Jeff Wilson’s book Express, Mail & Merchandise Service, I wanted to include a mail train in my operations, but I didn’t think the P&LE had one (still not sure), and I figured if the B&O did, they probably ran it to their own station, not the P&LE terminal I’m planning to model. But while reading Harry Stegmaier’s 1997 book, Baltimore & Ohio Passenger Service, 1945-1971 – Volume 2: The Route of the Capitol Limited in March this year, I learned that the B&O did run a pair of steam-powered mail and express trains over the P&LE in 1949: Trains 31 and 32, operating every day except Mondays and days after holidays, starting in 1948. Prior to that, 31 and 32 used the B&O station across the river.
After reading about the trains in Stegmaier’s book, I looked them up in my October 1949 copy of the B&O Through Passenger Train Consist Book No. 12, a PDF I purchased from the B&O Railroad Historical Society in August 2021. Both trains would carry several baggage cars, an express reefer and a rider car. Train 31, which departed Washington at midnight, would arrive in Pittsburgh at 8:15 AM with seven baggage cars. It would set out three of them and pick up one more. It was discontinued on April 26, 1958. Train 32 would depart Chicago late at night and arrive in Pittsburgh at 1:45 PM with a whopping 14 baggage cars, eight of which were set out while picking up two more. It was discontinued in late October, 1961.
When I found the consist information, I didn’t know what times 31 and 32 were scheduled to arrive at the P&LE terminal, since mail and express trains aren’t listed in public timetables, such as the 1949 B&O Time Table I scored on eBay in 2021. So, I saved a search on eBay for “1949 b&o employee timetable pittsburgh“, and promptly forgot about it, until about four months later, when I got the notification that someone was selling an original copy of B&O employee Timetable No. 61, Pittsburgh Division, effective September 25, 1949, for just $10. I was the only bidder, and it just arrived this week. Like the public timetable I bought previously, it’s in excellent condition, considering it’s 74 years old. Inside, I found the scheduled times for 31 and 32 at Pittsburgh, plus a few other interesting bits of information relevant to all B&O trains:
- 25 mph speed restriction within the City of McKeesport
- 15 mph speed restriction between 9th and Huey Streets in McKeesport
- At MK Tower (McKeesport), trains will approach at restricted speed and will not proceed without signal from the switchtender.
- City Ordinance No. 344 prohibits locomotives emitting smoke while standing or passing through Pittsburgh for periods of more than one minute out of one hour. Fine of $100 for each violation. Crews will comply with this Ordinance.
Since my modeled time period is June, July and August of 1949, this timetable isn’t as accurate as I could probably get, so I’ve kept my saved search active on eBay, hoping that I’ll find the one issued prior to this. I also have a saved search for a 1949 P&LE employee timetable, which will surely have more useful information than this one. As stated in the B&O employee timetable, “Baltimore and Ohio trains operating over P&LE tracks between MK Tower, McKeesport, and P&LE connection, West Pittsburgh, will be governed by rules and time-table of P&LERR”. I hope I can find one!
One other bit of information that’s not relevant to model railroad planning, but interesting nonetheless: “In case of a fatal accident on the line of road, train will not be held awaiting Coroner. Bodies will be removed to nearest station or some other place where information can be given the Coroner and train should proceed without further delay.” Priorities, I guess?
