Historical program, hike will explore former Laurel Mountain railroad line

Where hiking trails now welcome visitors to explore the slopes of Laurel Mountain, at the border of Westmoreland and Somerset counties, locomotives once pulled carloads of timber and quarried stone over the lofty ridge.

Participants in a May 2 program organized by the Ligonier Valley Historical Society and the Forbes State Forest staff will revisit that period of local rail history in a combined lecture and hike.

Beginning at 1 p.m., at the society’s historic Compass Inn Museum in Laughlintown, they’ll learn about the former operations of the Pittsburgh, Westmoreland and Somerset Railroad from Thomas Irwin, a board member of the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association.

Following that hour-long presentation, attendees will proceed by caravan to the nearby Laurel Mountain summit, for a quarter-mile hike along a portion of the former PW&S grade — guided by Rachael Mahony environmental education specialist at Forbes State Forest.

“This is our first time partnering together,” Mahony said of the historical society. “It should be really exciting.”

The PW&S Railroad was organized in 1899 by the Byers-Allen Lumber Company to haul timber from its holdings on Laurel Mountain down to its mill on the outskirts of Ligonier — near where Ruthie’s Diner stands today, along Route 30.

Before its demise in 1916, the railroad also carried freight and some passengers about 25 miles over the mountain, according to Irwin’s research. At the Ligonier end of the line, it connected — through the Ligonier Valley Railroad — to the Pennsylvania Railroad at Latrobe. In Somerset, there was a junction with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

“The real reason it was built was to harvest timber,” Irwin said of the PW&S. “When the timber was gone, the railroad was a money-loser and it eventually went out of business.”

Irwin noted the PW&S haul from the mountain also included quarried blue stone that was used for pavement and construction of buildings, among them a church in Ligonier.

Riding on the PW&S offered a shortcut for passengers boarding in Somerset, Irwin said. “For people going to work in Pittsburgh, it was 30 to 40 miles shorter than going by the B&O along the Yough River,” he said.

Sandstone quarried on the Somerset County side of the mountain was crushed and used for ballast and extra traction on the PW&S tracks.

Mahony said some quarry remnants may be seen from the trail that program participants will traverse.

“A stone-crusher is partially buried in the ground and very well rusted,” she said. “You can see that right off the railroad grade, but you have to be looking really closely.”

In 1909, after Byers-Allen completed most of its timbering operation, it sold about 8,500 acres of its Laurel Mountain property to Pennsylvania — an area that is now part of Forbes State Forest.

By 1912, part of the area had been replanted with 75,500 tree seedlings, mostly white pine, Mahony said.

The following year, 50,000 more white pine seedlings were added at Laurel Summit.

The railroad program, recommended for adults only, is an expanded installment of the historical society’s series of Fireside Chats. Admission is $15. Tickets can be purchased at the event or in advance — by searching for PW&S Railroad at Eventbrite.com or by calling 724-238-6818.

For the hike, participants are advised to expect an easy to moderate walk on uneven terrain and to wear sturdy boots or shoes and dress for the weather.

The historical society will provide water and snacks. Participants may consider bringing insect repellent or other items for their comfort.