Pittsburgh Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Views 1910 Real Photo Postcard

The railcar marked Bessemer P.&L.E. 1827 likely signifies equipment operating in connection with the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad (B&LE) and the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE). The B&LE, founded in 1897 (originally as the Pittsburgh, Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad), was established to connect the vast iron ore resources of the Great Lakes region with the booming steel mills of Pittsburgh, primarily those owned by Andrew Carnegie. The P&LE, incorporated in 1875, served as a crucial regional artery in southwestern Pennsylvania, facilitating the movement of coal, coke, iron, and steel through the industrial valleys around Pittsburgh.