The Central Railroad of Pennsylvania: Bellefonte's Forgotten Railroad

The last intact pier from the viaduct
Author's Photo

    This stone pillar is one of few remnants of Bellefonte's forgotten railroad. With a proper inscription, it would be a fitting headstone for the ill-fated enterprise. "Here lies the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania- A Victim of Circumstances."

    The birth of the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (CRP) is a directly connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) firm grip over shipping rates in Bellefonte. Since it's arrival in 1861, anything coming into or out of the borough was handled by the PRR at prices deemed fair by the company. By the late 1880's, one critical industry, Bellefonte's iron manufacturers, felt these rates were excessive, but were powerless to persuade the railroad superpower.

    Thus, the foundation for the Central Railroad was laid. If the PRR wouldn't relent on its rates, then a new railroad would be built to circumvent it completely. Formally established in 1891, the CRP would begin in Bellefonte and run east through Nittany Valley to Mill Hall, where it connected with the PRR's rival, the New York Central Railroad.

    J. Wesley Gephart, president of the Valentine Iron Company, was later appointed superintendent of the railroad. Construction suffered through starts and stops until tracks finally reached Mill Hall in 1893. On December 18, 1893, the first passenger train left Bellefonte. In the vicinity of Clintondale, Clinton County, the engine derailed and plunged down the embankment. No one was seriously hurt, but it was certainly not the greatest of beginnings.

             A timetable for the railroad from 1895
Image Retrieved From:https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/

    Supplying the furnaces with iron ore, coal, and limestone, as well as transporting the finished iron became the lifeblood for the CRP. In 1895, an impressive viaduct was constructed across Spring Creek to provide the railroad with direct access to Bellefonte Furnace. For several years, the railroad profited from Bellefonte's iron industry. However, this prosperity would not last.

The viaduct over Spring Creek leading to Bellefonte Furnace
Image Retrieved From: Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Archives

    The closing of Bellefonte's iron furnaces in 1910-11 was a financial wound that would slowly bleed the railroad dry. Income from seasonal agricultural products, timber, and the few remaining industries were barely keeping its head above water. Passengers service continued but was quickly waning with the favoring of the automobile. After limping along for several years, it simply wasn't enough.
Before the railroad closed forever, Superintendent Wallace Gephart (who had taken over after the death of his father) explained to a newspaper reporter that the railroad had been "a victim of circumstances." 

CRP 4-8-0 #5 prepares to depart the station at Bellefonte.
The Bellefonte Borough Building now occupies this location.
Image Retrieved From: Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Photo Archives

    On September 28, 1918, the last train pulled into Bellefonte. There was no fanfare or brass bands. Its death was a quiet one, being almost unnoticed by Bellefonte society. Scrapping of the line was completed the following year.

    Even after its demise, the CRP made one last contribution to Bellefonte. Stones from the massive pillars that supported the viaduct over Spring Creek were used in building projects around town, including the porch at the Bellefonte Elks and a wall at St. John's Cemetery. The stone pillar pictured is the final remnant of the viaduct.

    As time passed, the old grade was plowed back into farm fields, disappeared under overgrowth, or was obliterated by development. Stations were dismantled or left to decay. Only two remain today. Unless you know where to look, it's almost like the railroad never existed at all.

Information Retrieved From:

Bezilla, M.,Rudniki, J.(2007). Rails to Penn State: The Story of the Bellefonte Central. Stackpole Books

Walker Township Historical Committee. (1999). History of walker township 1810-1999. Published by the Walker Township Historical Committee