Ligonier-Valley Railroad Last Run Aug 31 1952
The Ligonier Valley Rail Road (LVRR) was a short line railroad that operated between Latrobe, PA and Ligonier, PA. from 1877 to 1952. During that time it carried over 9 million passengers and 32 million tons of freight. The LVRR connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad at Latrobe.
The idea for the LVRR arose in 1854 when the Pennsylvania Railroad laid tracks through Latrobe, PA., connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburgh. Ligonier is about 10 miles from Latrobe and was only connected to Latrobe by a rough road which took about 4 to 6 hours to traverse. The railroad was originally known as the Latrobe and Ligonier Rail Road and there were several problems raising funding for the railroad until 1877 when Judge Thomas Mellon, of Pittsburgh, bought controlling interest in the railroad, finished construction, and renamed it the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. Although the LVRR served the public well for seventy-five years, the combination of new roads, trucking, and the decline of the timber and the coal and coke industries was too much to overcome and the end of the Liggie operations came on August 31, 1952.
The idea for the LVRR arose in 1854 when the Pennsylvania Railroad laid tracks through Latrobe, PA., connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburgh. Ligonier is about 10 miles from Latrobe and was only connected to Latrobe by a rough road which took about 4 to 6 hours to traverse. The railroad was originally known as the Latrobe and Ligonier Rail Road and there were several problems raising funding for the railroad until 1877 when Judge Thomas Mellon, of Pittsburgh, bought controlling interest in the railroad, finished construction, and renamed it the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. Although the LVRR served the public well for seventy-five years, the combination of new roads, trucking, and the decline of the timber and the coal and coke industries was too much to overcome and the end of the Liggie operations came on August 31, 1952.