The Unity Branch

Latrobe to Whitney, PA

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The Unity Branch Complex was anchored at Latrobe, PA, along the Pennsylvania Railroad's mainline between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, PA. It extended south from Latrobe and served a number of mills in the area via three branch lines:

The Unity Branch
The Lippincott Branch
The Whitney Branch

The Lippincott Branch traveled east through Hostetter to Baggaley (and the Baggaley Mine and Coke Works), while the Whitney Branch traveled south to Whitney.

Out of the Whitney/Lippincott/Unity Branch complex, only a one-mile section of the Unity Branch remains. Currently this is used as a storage yard for Norfolk Southern. The Whitney Branch was de-designated as a branch in 1943, but was still used as a siding into the 1950s. The Lippincott Branch was still active into the 1950s, but only to Hostetter; when the Hostetter Mine closed in 1962, it was shortly thenafter when the branch was abandoned.

Pennsylvania Railroad
Docket: 22695	7/8/1963	Section: 1(18)
Application & R. to Q. for authority to abandon and discontinue operations over that portion of its Unity Branch extending from Val. Station 210+00 to its terminus at Val. Station 342+75, a distance of 2.51 miles, located in the Township of Unity, Westmoreland Co., Pa.
Length: 2.51 miles	451

Pennsylvania Railroad
Docket: 23576	3/25/1965	Section: 1(18)
Application and Ret. to Quest. for authority to abandon its Lippincott Branch to its terminus at Val. Sta. 46/85, a distance of approx. 0.89 mi., in Westmoreland County, Pa., and abandon operations thereover.
Length: 0.89 miles	458

Pennsylvania Railroad
Docket: 24227	7/1/1966	Section: 1(18)
Application for authority to abandon that portion of its Unity Branch, extending from Val. Sta. 123/55 to its terminus at Val. Sta. 210/00, a distance of 1.64 miles, together with 1.46 miles of side track, in Westmoreland Co., Pa.
Length: 1.64 miles	463

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