IRM was recently the recipient of historic documents, books, and papers from the estate of the late Walt Stafa. Walt was a friend of many of us and an incredible repository of knowledge about a host of interurban- and railroad-related subjects. His expertise - not to mention his dry wit - is missed, but we're grateful to be able to present a selection of his photos that were donated to IRM. All photos are property of the Illinois Railway Museum.
The Harmony Route: The Pittsburgh, Mars & Butler Railway
North of Pittsburgh was an impressive 118-mile interurban network that extended from that city to the cities of Butler, Evans City, Beaver Falls, and Newcastle. The network was known as the "Harmony Route" and originally it was two interurban lines: the Pittsburgh Harmony Butler & Newcastle (PHB&N), known as the Harmony Route, and the Pittsburgh & Butler (P&B), known as the Butler Short Line. The two lines were united under common ownership in 1917 and the unified system was christened the Pittsburgh Mars & Butler (PM&B). The company went into receivership in April 1931 and the last car ran in August of that year. One car from the system survives: ex-PHB&N 115, a wooden interurban combine built in 1909 by St. Louis, is preserved as a body at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.
I should note that I am emphatically not an expert on this system. Additional information and corrections are greatly appreciated.
Headline image: PHB&N car 109 is on the impressive bridge near Ellwood City.
Along the Line
The Harmony Route
At the north end of the system at the station in Newcastle
The Ellwood City station, located on the line to Beaver Falls, which branched off the Evans City-Newcastle at nearby Ellwood Junction. PHB&N 110 is visible; it's hard to tell but for some reason its pole is swung around so the car can back up.
Evans City was where the line to Newcastle and Beaver Falls split off the main line from Pittsburgh to Butler. Three 101-112 series cars from the 1908 order are arrayed around the Evans City wye.
The Harmony Junction carbarn at Evans City
The year is 1916 and a PHB&N combine is on the street in Butler.
A box motor is spotted at the Butler freight station.
PHB&N car 104 at Pine Hill, near Zelienople.
Location unknown
PHB&N cars 110 and 111 at a passing siding, location unknown
This is described on the back of the photo simply as the "big bridge." I believe it's the trestle over Sloop Road north of Pittsburgh near Ingomar. This photo was taken while the bridge was under construction around 1908.
PHB&N car 111 is on the bridge. The next staffed station north of Ingomar was Wexford, and it's the Wexford station from the Harmony Route that is today preserved at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.
And here's the bridge being taken down in 1936.
The Butler Short Line
P&B car 111 is on the street in Butler.
This is the P&B Mars carbarn with three passenger cars and a freight motor visible.
P&B box motor 51 next to a nice little stone waiting shelter. Location unknown.
Location unknown; "siding 15" is written on the back but it's unclear whether that actually indicates the location.
Car 111 at a siding, location unknown
A scene along the Butler Short Line
P&B box motor 51 next to a horse-drawn wagon; the back of the photograph says this is Duquesne Way, which I am guessing is in Pittsburgh.
The Cars
The Harmony Route
PHB&N cars 101-112 were built by St. Louis Car Company in 1908. Cars 101 and 107 are shown here running MU. Note that they're back-to-back and the second car has its pole reversed.
Yes, the photographic print is cropped like this! PHB&N 103 shows off the elaborate lettering these cars wore as built. "Newcastle" is clearly a single word, unlike how the city spells it today ("New Castle"), but then again this was also the era of "Pittsburg."
Car 105 is shown in original condition.
A crowd is gathered alongside car 110, and it's hard to tell but it looks like someone has opened the contactor box cover. That's probably not a good sign.
The "Harmony," shown here at Harmony Junction in Ellwood City, was the PHB&N's attractive parlor car.
And here's the interior of the "Harmony" with its nice monogrammed antimacassars.
The car number is unknown, but we're looking into the back platform of a PHB&N car. Note that a movie camera is hung from the platform ceiling.
This photo of car 115 was taken the day after abandonment in 1931. Car 115 became a diner, the "Dew Drop Inn," and today its body is preserved at PTM.
The Butler Short Line
P&B coach 100 leads a second car, both with their pantographs up.
P&B combine 106 is shown at Renfrew Carbarn, south of Butler, sporting a wicked-looking snowplow. The lettering on the side of the car reads "The Short Line."
Attractively painted P&B 110 is shown at the Mars carbarn. Note that it's lettered for the Pittsburgh & Butler Street Railway, which operated the Butler Short Line.
This view shows the interior of P&B 110.
A glamor shot of P&B coach 111, of course with its pantograph up.
The lettering isn't clear but this is presumed to be P&B 51.
Butler Railways
Butler Railways 15 was built by Brill in 1903 for the Butler Passenger Railway. This photo is undated but it's pretty obvious the car is out of service.
Butler Railways 28 was built by American in 1919 and was one of seven Birneys to run in the city. It presumably ran until 1941, when the Butler system was abandoned.
Butler Railways 126 was one of only a handful of double-truck cars on the system. The information I found suggests it was built by Kuhlman in 1900 for Cleveland, later numbered 497 on Cleveland Railway, and sold to Butler in 1916.
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