Pittsburgh, Westmoreland and Somerset Railroad

However, the operational difficulties of running trains over the steep gradients of Laurel Hill prevented the PW&S from being truly competitive against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

[3] Laurel Summit State Park, at the mountain's crest, first became popular as a recreational destination due to PW&S excursion trains.

For passenger trains, the eastbound journey was scheduled to take 90 minutes, averaging 17 miles per hour (27 km/h) including stops.

The westbound journey took ten minutes longer due to arduous uphill gradients, averaging 15 miles per hour (24 km/h) including stops.

The major reason for closure was deforestation along the route due to logging, which was the railroad's original purpose.

[3] Because the financial statements showed no profits, bondholders were paid their interest in the form of new bonds, causing a pyramiding of the railroad's indebtedness.