Elk & Highland Railroad

Anyone have a quick basic history on this line ?

Looing at what little mapping I found it appears to have connected with the P&W (B&O later Knox & Kane) line at Nansen, PA and went southerly to ?? I suspect it must have crossed what is now Route 948, but where ?

When was it built, why and when was it torn out ?

ELK & HIGHLAND RAILROAD (PA) 3’ Log 1898 to 1912 16 miles
Climax locos #2, 3, and #5

Elk and Highland Railroad 1898 1913 Sucessor:Elk and Highland Railway
Elk and Highland Railway 1913 1913 Successor: Tionesta Valley Railway

Cactus Jack-A brief writeup on the Elk & Highland can be found in Tionesta Valley by Walter Casler, Book #8 in the series "Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvania", printed in 1973. A short chapter, about 5 pages, with half of that photos and a map titled "Wright & Miller - Elk & Highland RR, Nansen, Elk County" starts out "Seven miles south of Kane, highway route 66 crosses the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. This marks the location of the village of Nansen, a name still remembered, although the only signs of habitation are a few hunting camps and a roadside tavern. Seventy years ago the town probably possessed over four hundred inhabitants, contained a large sawmill, a chemical plant and the terminal of the Elk & Highland Railroad." A hand drawn map accompanying the text shows approximately 5 short branches extending from Nansen, all within a 2 mile radius.

The text states that railroad construction began in 1897 with the railroad operating through 1911 when the owners, Wright & Miller declared bankruptcy. In April of 1913 the line was purchased by Kane attorney A. P. Huey who reorganized the line as the Elk & Highland Railway and then sold the line to the Tionesta Valley in August of the same year.

The line used 5 locomotives in total, a Class "A" Dunkirk and four Climaxes.