Welcome to the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society web site. We hope that you will find many interesting and informative items on these pages, and will come back to visit us often.

May 16, 2013 - Update! We recieve photos of sample cars from Accurail. Click the photo for a larger view . . .

February 12, 2013 - Updated - the art for the boxcars now has the correct Deep Water Green color. Sorry for any confusion that it caused . . .
The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society proudly announces the fourth "Project Car" for model railroaders.  Based upon multiple requests to reproduce 50' Outside-Braced boxcars and the success of the original project car, this set will consist of two boxcars. These cars commemorate the paint schemes of Despatch Shops cars built from 1964-1966 and later re-identified for the parent Penn Central Railroad, both the sliding and plug-door version will be sold as a set.

Cars will be produced by Accurail decorated in appropriate Penn Central "Deep Water Green" paint with graphics approved by the P&LE Historical Society. One car is "Return Empty to Youngstown, Ohio" and the other is "Return Empty to McKees Rocks, Penn." Price is $40.00 for the set of two cars + $8.00 Shipping & Handling via USPS Priority Mail.

Delivery is expected in June, 2013, pre-orders are being accepted now.
Proceeds will be used to preserve the history of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad.
Pricing information and order form are available in PDF format: P&LE 50' Single Door Boxcar Order Form.

May 16, 2013 - STATUS UPDATE!
We have 1 P&LE Caboose, road number 530, left. Montour and Undecorate cabooses are still available. Thanks to everyone who made the second project car a success!

        

Road names and numbers available: P&LE 530, Montour 36 and undecorated.
Pricing information and order form are available in PDF format: P&LE CA-4 Caboose Order Form.

March 6, 2013 - We have approximately TEN boxcar sets remaining before they are sold out! Thanks to all for your continued support!
The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society proudly announces the third "Project Car" for model railroaders.  This Limited Edition run commemorates the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad's postwar A.A.R. Standard 40' Boxcars built from 1949-1952 in an HO scale three car set offered exclusively by the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society. All of the boxcars in this series were feature in Volume 4 of "The Little Giant" in June, 2010.

This car project utilizes Accurail's 40' boxcar (Series 3500) with appropriate paint and graphics. Quantities are limited to 75 Sets. Price is $55.00 for the set of three cars + $8.00 Shipping & Handling via USPS Priority Mail.

Delivery is expected in December, 2012 and orders are being accepted now.
Pricing information and order form are available in PDF format: P&LE 40' Single Door Boxcar Order Form.

November 28, 2012
The latest issue of The Little Giant, the magazine of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society, is a 48 page double issue and is available now.

Leading off this issue of The Little Giant is a history of the Allegheny and South Side Railway by Derrick Brashear. The A&SS was a Pittsburgh switching line that served the industries on the south side of the Monongahela River, between 3rd Street and 21st Street. Photos from the University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center illustrate most of the A&SS locomotive roster and the industries that the railway served. Also included are 1917 and 1948 maps of the railway.

Dan Piesik tells the tale of Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad boxcar 36271. The boxcar was acquired by the railroad in September, 1929 and carried freight until it was written out in April 1964. The boxcar was sold to Perryopolis Feed and Supply and used for many years for storage. In June 2010 the boxcar was restored and moved to the Boston Trail head on the Youghiogheny River Trail by the Mon Yough Trail Council.

Every Fall in Western Pennsylvania football becomes the focus of nearly every Pittsburgh resident. Kevin Tomasic provides an interesting photo essay that follows a waybill handoff between P&LE and Conrail conductors that honors the best football traditions.

We hope you enjoy this issue of The Little Giant.

August 7, 2012
The Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad Historical Society has decals sets available for Montour, Youngstown & Southern and Pittsburgh, Chartiers & Youghiogheny steel cabooses and Montour and Youngstown & Southern diesels.  Sets are available in both HO and N scale, price is $4.00 per set.

        

Decal sets can be ordered through the PLERRHS Bookstore order form, available in PDF format: PLERRHS Bookstore Order Form.

Our Goals
This web site exists for everyone who is interested in the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. We are here to provide a service to you - but to continue to make this site grow, we need your help. Do you have original images of either the prototype railroad or a model that you've built, drawings of any sort, or if your a former employee and have an interesting story to tell, please share these items with everyone who considers the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad to truly be The Little Giant!

Do you have any ideas on how to make this web site better? We welcome all suggestions and comments.