Meadville History - FCVRRHS.org French Creek Valley Railroad Historical Society, Meadville, PA 16335

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Meadville History

Image of the A&GW RR Station in Meadville predecessor of the Meadville Station Shown here.
Meadville RR Facilities







Erie Railroad -  Meadville Railroad Co. - Chartered May 1857; Changed name to Atlantic & Great Western August 1865; A&GW property acquired by New York Pennsylvania & Ohio August 1880; Erie Railway Co. incorporated June 1861; New York Lake Erie & Western formed and acquired property of Erie Railway Co. April 1878. Erie Railroad Co. incorporated November 1895, acquired property of NYLE&W. Operated as Erie Railroad until Oct.1960.

Erie-Lackawanna - October 1960 to April 1976. Formed from merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railway.








Conrail April 1976 to August 1998.
Formed to take over several northeastern U.S. railroads, including the Erie Lackawanna . 

August 1998 to 2001.  Assumed control of portions of Conrail, including the Meadville line and the Franklin/Oil City Branch. 

Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad : Took over the Southern Tier Extension, ex- Erie Railroad line, between Hornell, NY and Corry, PA in 2001. Acquired line from Corry to Meadville in 2002. Leased line to Franklin and Oil City from Norfolk Southern in 2006, along with Meadville yard. 




Meadville Railway Co. - Began construction between Meadville and Linesville in August 1880. First train arrived October 1881.

Meadville & Linesville Railway Co. - Assumes control of Meadville Railway Co. - February 1884. Reorganized.

Meadville Conneaut Lake & Linesville Railway Co. June 1891. Nine days after takeover, line was leased to the Pittsburgh Shenango & Lake Erie Railroad, which became the Pittsburgh, Bessemer & Lake Erie on January 18, 1897, and later became the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad on December 31, 1900.

Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad - Meadville Branch (formerly the MCL&L Ry) operated to Meadville until the spring of 1977. Operated to Conneaut Lake Park until 1969. Conrail takes over the former B&LE industrial sidings in Meadville. 


Meadville Traction Co. - Trolleys served Meadville from 1898 to 1927 when buses took over service.


Northwestern Pennsylvania Railway Began service in 1911. Became part of Northwestern Electric Service Co. in 1923. Service discontinued in 1928. Route connected Erie, Edinboro, Cambridge Springs, Meadville, Conneaut Lake , Harmonsburg, and Linesville. Passenger, mail, parcel, and freight service was offered by the line.

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