Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad
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| Reporting mark | PSN |
|---|---|
| Locale | Brockway, Pennsylvania to Wayland, New York |
| Dates of operation | 1899–1947 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Headquarters | Angelica, New York |
The Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad (reporting mark PSN) also known as the Shawmut Line, was a Class I railroad company operating passenger and freight service on standard gauge track in central Pennsylvania and western New York. The line was financially troubled for its entire life span and declared bankruptcy after just six years of operation. It would spend the remaining 42 year of its existence in receivership or trusteeship, one of the longest bankruptcy proceedings in American railroading history.
The Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad is often confused with the similarly named Pittsburg and Shawmut Railroad which was a spinoff company from the PS&N. Further adding to the confusion is the fact that both were nicknamed the Shawmut Line, both operated in roughly the same geographic area, and both used nearly identical logos during their history. In fact the two were completely separate companies after their 1916 split.
The main line consisted of approximately 190 miles (306 km) of track extending from Brockway, Pennsylvania to Wayland, New York with several branches, particularly Olean, New York and Hornell, New York. Principal shops were divided between Angelica, New York (car shop, paint shop, maintenance of way) and St. Marys, Pennsylvania (motive power shop). Both shops burned during their existence and subsequently replaced.
The Pittsburg, Shawmut & Northern Railroad began life on August 2, 1899, as the merger of five small railroads in New York and Pennsylvania. 60 miles (97 km) of what ultimately became the PS&N were originally 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge lines, though by the time of the PS&N's incorporation only 18 miles (29 km) remained as narrow gauge. At the time of its incorporation the PS&N operated four physically disconnected divisions. The expense of connecting the divisions and upgrading the physical plant to handle through coal trains coupled with the failure of the PS&N's principal bond underwriter forced the company to declare bankruptcy in 1905. The company would continue to operate in receivership until 1946 when the bankruptcy was converted to a trusteeship.
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