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Rails to Penn StateThe Story of the Bellefonte CentralBy Michael Bezilla and Jack RudnickiISBN# 978-0-8117-0231-7 When the KV began searching for a new engine in 1920, it didn't have to look far. The Bellefonte Central Railroad in Centre County, Pennsylvania, 33 miles away, had an old PRR D7a engine for sale. The KV purchased it for $4,700. While on the KV roster, the locomotive retained the same number, No.5, as it had on the BFC. In 2007, Michaul Bezilla and Jack Rudnicki published their long anticipated book on the Bellefonte Central titled Rails to Penn State. The BFC started out as the Bellefonte & Buffalo Run Railroad in 1882 and an 18-mile route was surveyed from Bellefonte to iron ore deposits on the Struble Farm, a mile outside of State College. The following year, several miles of roadbed were graded, but it would take three years and a name change before rails were laid. The finished standard-gauge road was called the Buffalo Run, Bellefonte & Bald Eagle Railroad. About a third of the railroad's cost was financed through bonds ($365,000 wourth) and due to a drop in business from the closure of a couple of iron furnaces along the road, the BRB&BE failed to make interst payments in 1891. The railroad was auctioned off and bought by the bondholders, who reorganized the company as the Bellefonte Central. Although, this railroad history is titled Rails to Penn State, the one mile extension to State College was not completed until 1892, shortly after the formation of the Bellefonte Central. It was none too soon, as Penn State, once considered a backwater agricultural college, was quickly on its way to becoming one of the ten largest engineering schools in the nation. In later years, BFC rails stretched to Scotia, Pine Grove Mills and Tyrone. By 1930, the railroad had over 47 miles of track. Not only is Rails to Penn State a railroad history, but also a thorough history of the industries it served. Although the BFC carried passengers until 1946, its lifeblood was hauling iron ore and limestone from mining operations. In fact, in its 100-year history (the BFC quit in 1982), the railroad had carried over 15 million tons of lime and limestone, more than any other shortline in the nation. The amount of information Rails to Penn State imparts is staggering, and the authors should be commended for their research. It is, IMHO, one the most thoroughly researched railroad books on the market. There are a few colorful anecdotes scattered throughout the book, but the authors purposely avoided tainting the BFC's story with nostelgia. This does not mean that the book is dry, on the contrary, I found it to be a succulent read. However, cramming so much information in 320 pages does come at a price, that being the use of small type, espesially in the index and maps. Older eyes may find it difficult to read. The maps and industry trackplans are numorous and very informative. My one major gripe is so few photographs. The book pages are mostly filled with text, except 24 in the middle filled with only 50 photos. A dissappointing ommission to an otherwise fine historical book. Other than that, I highly recomend this book. Rails to Penn State can be found on Amazon (www.amazon.com) and most online and offline railroad bookstores. |
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