The Hughesville Railroad Station

 

The Hughesville Railroad Depot

This station was located on the northeast side of Academy Street. It appears on maps as early as 1873. The railroad saw sixteen passenger and several freight trains pass through Hughesville (PA) daily.

Beginning at Halls Station (PA) it extended 47 miles to Satterfield in Sullivan County and served 16 stations and flag stops.

As shown on the 1901 Sanborn Fire Map

The Muncy Creek Railway was chartered on May 21 1864, an attempt to provide a railroad into the newly established Sullivan County Seat of  Laporte, Pa. In 1867, before making much progress the railway ran out of money. 

In 1871 the Catawissa Railroad completed it's line up the West Branch of the Susquehanna, passing through Muncy and Halls.   Opposition, and lack of funds, hindered expansion from Muncy to Hughesville.  Toll bridge owners at Muncy feared that a rail line would cut into their toll profits.

The Muncy Creek Railway did extend its line from Halls to Hughesville in 1872, but again, the money ran out.

May 8, 1902

In 1875, in an attempt to save money, wooden rails were used to extend the railroad to Picture Rocks.  The wooden rails however, could not hold up under the weight of the trains and that extension was abandoned in 1876.

In 1881, the MCR was placed in receivership, and on August 9 1882 it was foreclosed.  It reorganized on September 1st 1882, as the Williamsport and North Branch Railroad.

In late 1883, the track from Halls to Hughesville was rebuilt.  

February 1881 receipt for windows and door frames and brackets, for the Hughesville Train Station.

1912 Map

The Williamsport & North Branch At Hughesville

For MUCH more information on the WNB, join the facebook group here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/189998468289963/

"Wm. Donovan, formerly station agent at this place [Sonestown] is employed at the Hughesville station during the week."

Republican News Item, May 1903

There is also a  HO scale diorama of the W&NB yard and shops at the East Lycoming Historical Society's Museum in Hughesville.   Find their hours on their facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/EastLycomingHistoricalSociety

Postcard from about 1906

When the railroad went out of business in 1938, property was given to the Hughesville Fire Department.

General Manager Evenson, front and center in the bowler hat

Porcelain souvenir cup, found on ebay, depicting the Hughesville Depot

A historical marker was placed in October of 2023

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From Wikipedia:

Muncy Creek Railway

The railroad was originally chartered as the Muncy Creek Railway on May 21, 1864. It was intended to provide a railroad outlet for Laporte, the newly established county seat of Sullivan County, via the valley of Muncy Creek. Some surveying, and possibly even grading, was done, but the new corporation ran out of money around 1867 and remained quiescent for several years. Interest in the railroad did not resume until 1871, when the Catawissa Railroad, later part of the Reading system, completed its line up the east bank of the West Branch Susquehanna River, passing through Muncy and Halls. Muncy, near the mouth of Muncy Creek, was an established town and would have been the logical terminus of the railroad. However, residents of Muncy feared the railroad would compete with an existing plank road to Hughesville and refused it permission to enter the town. Accordingly, the railroad was built from Halls to Hughesville in 1872, but money for further work was again lacking. The railroad was extended to Picture Rocks in 1875 using wooden rails to save money. However, the wooden rails could not withstand the weight of trains and the extension was abandoned in early 1876.The Muncy Creek Railway continued to struggle along until 1881, when the bondholders petitioned to have it placed in receivership. It was foreclosed on August 9, 1882, and reorganized on September 1, 1882 as the Williamsport and North Branch Railroad.