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The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad (B≤ AAR reporting mark BLE) was a railroad company operating mainly in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The railroad's main line ran from the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio to industrial city of North Bessemer, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, a distance of 153 miles. The company has operated continuously since its founding in 1897 until it was purchased by Canadian National Railway in 2004. The B&LE formerly had passenger service, but is now strictly a freight hauler.
History
The Pittsburgh, Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Company was founded in 1897 by Andrew Carnegie to haul iron ore and other products from ports on the Great Lakes to Carnegie Steel Company plants in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. On the return trip, Pennsylvania coal was hauled to the ports. The company was created largely out of a series of small predecessor companies including the Pittsburgh, Shenango and Lake Erie Railroad, and the Butler and Pittsburgh Railroad Company. The company was renamed the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad in 1900. Carnegie Steel had an exclusive 999 year lease to the PS&LE. This lease was acquired by US Steel when that company acquired Carnegie Steel in 1901.
In 1988, the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad became part of Transtar, Inc. Transtar is a privately-held transportation holding company with principal operations in railroad freight transportation, dock operations, Great Lakes shipping, and inland river barging that were formerly subsidiaries of USX, the holding company that owns U.S. Steel. In 2001, the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad became part of Great Lakes Transportation, LLC. On May 10, 2004, Canadian National Railway acquired the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad.
Route notes
The B&LE intersects with the Norfolk Southern at Wallace Junction, near Erie, Pennsylvania, and at the Shenango, Pennsylvania yard. The Union Railroad is intersected at North Bessemer, Pennsylvania, and CSX at the Shenango Yard and Butler, Pennsylvania.
The main rail yard and locomotive and car shops are located in Greenville, Pennsylvania. The company’s livery color scheme is red and black. Iron ore is still a major freight commodity.
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