Article: Historic Marker - Corning & Blossburg Railroad Township: Mansfield Borough, Tioga County PA Article by Chester P. Bailey (undated) Photographer - Joyce M. Tice - June 1999

The Corning – Blossburg R. R. came up the Tioga Valley in 1840. That was before Mansfield became a Borough. It was built to move coal from the Blossburg area in place of a planned canal on the river.

In 1872 the Elmira branch came from Elmira to Tioga Junction and big celebrations were held in every town along the line from Elmira to Blossburg. Eventually the Erie R. R. took over the entire system.

In 1972, 100 years later in June the record flood called Agnes closed it, although its days were numbered because of the U. S. Corps of Engineers flood project.

This location was chosen for the new historic marker because it was here at the gates to the Great Mansfield Fair on Smythe Park that many excursion trains stopped to load and unload passengers to that event.

We also think it appropriate to hold this dedication on Dairy day for the R. R. played an important part in the local dairy industry, and on occasion was called a milk train. It was also called a coal train and mail train or passenger train.

On June 26, 1898, the Erie issued a schedule which listed 3 trains North out of Mansfield and three trains South, these were listed as Express, Mail – Local and freight. These trains connected with 12 trains daily west to Chicago and 12 trains East to New York City. 

American Railroad Journal, Aug. 28, 1852 P. 555
     Blossburg and Corning Railroad.
     Below we give an extract from a letter of an intelligent  gentleman, who has recently had an opportunity of inspecting the  above work, which is the great northern outlet for the bituminous  coal fields of Pennsylvania. This road is of vast consequence not  only to the coal regions, and to western and central New York, but is  to become an important link, in the great central line through the  State of Penn.
      To the Editor of the American Railroad Journal.
H.v. Poor, Esq.:
     Dear Sir: I have just passed over the route of th railroad from  Corning to this place.
     That part in the State of New York is now called the Corning and  Blossburg railroad - the part in Pennsylvania is called the Tioga
railroad - the latter, 26 miles, the former 14 miles long.
     These roads you are aware were originally constructed with the  strap or flat bar rail, and proved to be entirely insufficient to  accommodate the business of this region.
     The road is now being relaid with first quality iron, Erie  railroad pattern, and upon the 6 feet gauge. The short curves have  been straightened and the grade made, at all parts of the road,  gradually and uniformly to descend from the coal mines to Corning.  The work along the whole length is being actively pushed forward and  about two-thirds of the road is relaid. New engines and cars will be
ready to be placed on the road asx soon as it shall be completed.     The part of the road finished is the best I have yet seen. Ties  are very large and good and close together, ballasted with gravel and  well laid. It is indeed a very superior road and will give a suitable  opening to the bituminous coal. Of this mineral there is here an  inexhaustible supply, as I am convinced by a personal inspection of  many of the veins, and of a superior quality.
     The quantity to be sent over this road and distributed by the  New York and Erie railroad, and its branches, and the New York  canals, will be immense.
     Surveys have been made to connect this road with the  Williamsport and Elmira railroad at or near Ralston, which prove its  practicability. Little has been said by the friends of the Tioga  railroad of this route, as the proper one to connect the Pennsylvania  and New York system of public works but from the favorable results of  their surveys, and from the fact that of the business to pass over  any such connection, must come from points west of Elmira, it is now  reduced to a certainty that this union will be made and road finished  as soon as the Susquehanna road is completed to Williamsport.
     You may imagine how immensely valuable these roads will become  and within a reasonable period.