The railroad line running through Big Shanty was called the Buffalo, Bradford, and Pittsburgh Railroad Company. It began as a consolidation of two railroads; the Buffalo and Bradford Railroad, which was organized in Pennsylvania on March 14, 1856; and the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad Company, organized in New York on October 15, 1852. By 1859, it was officially named the Buffalo, Bradford, and Pittsburgh Railroad Company.

On March 14, 1856, the B. B. & P. RR Co. was chartered by the State of Pennsylvania to build a railroad from the New York state line to the valley of the Tuneangwant Creek, then advance up the East Branch of the creek to the coal mines in Lafayette Township, McKean County, PA. The State authorized the right to build connecting lines in McKean, Elk, and Clearfield counties to the intersections of the Sunbury & Erie, Allegheny Valley Railroads.

The President of the B, B, & P. was Daniel Kingsbury and Chief Engineer, Frank Williams from Buffalo, NY.

Daniel Kingsbury, who had a nephew named Augustus William Newell, was the Engineer of the construction corps.