HSR and Map New York, Pittsburgh and Chicago Railroad

Kalmbach Publishing Company in 1942 published a map of the railroads of Pennsylvania. The map included then existing railroads, abandoned railroads and proposed railroads. The map showed the proposed route of the New York, Pittsburgh and Chicago Railroad. Traced in white in the following photos of the map the route is shown east beginning at Pittsburgh. The dotted line represents an alternative route to Pittsburgh. The solid line represents a connection with the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad at North Bessemer, PA. The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad today is owned by the Canadian National Railroad.

This route was to have had no curve exceeding 4 degrees and the ruling grade eastbound was to have been .03 and .04 westbound. Had it been built it would have been a more direct / shorter route between Chicago and New York. 
 The general location of the proposed New York, Pittsburgh and Chicago Railroad could serve as a new route for a new HSR Higher Speed Rail line. Such new right of way could also accommodate conventional speed and HrSR Higher Speed Rail lines using separate parallel tracks. Both the NS and CSX might operate across such a multipurpose right of way in addition to whomever might operate passenger trains at whatever service level speed.

Another advantage for the right of way is that it passes through State College, a place with a large transient population due to the Pennsylvania State University.






 

 The dotted line represents the Central Railroad of New Jersey at Easton, PA east.


This route was to have had no curve exceeding 4 degrees and the ruling grade eastbound was to have been .03 and .04 westbound. Had it been built it would have been a more direct / shorter route between Chicago and New York. 
The general route together with its favorable ruling grades offers a potential higher speed rail route across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.