Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Columbus and Xenia Railroad

Interstate Commerce Commission, Volume 24, Valuation Reports

The Columbus and Xenia Railroad

Location and General Description of Property

The railroad of The Columbus and Xenia Railroad Company, herein called the Columbus and Xenia, is a single-track, standard-gauge railroad, located entirely within the State of Ohio. The wholly owned mileage extends from Columbus, Ohio, to a connection with the Little Miami Railroad, at Xenia, Ohio, 54.758 miles. In addition, the Columbus and Xenia owns 54.477 miles of second main track and 32.397 miles of yard and side tracks, making a total of 141.632 miles of all tracks. It also owns an undivided one-third interest in 15.372 miles of road extending from Xenia to a connection with the Dayton and Western, at Dayton, Ohio, and in 11.237 miles of yard and side tracks operated in connection therewith, making a total undivided mileage of 26.609 miles of all tracks, the remaining two-thirds interest in which is owned by the Little Miami Railroad. All the property owned by the Columbus and Xenia, including that jointly owned, is leased to and operated by other carriers.

Corporate History

The Columbus and Xenia was incorporated on March 12, 1844, by a special act of the State of Ohio, for the purpose of constructing a railroad from Columbus to Xenia, Ohio. By a special act of February 4, 1848, the Columbus and Xenia was authorized to construct a branch line from Columbus to Delaware, Ohio, and by a special act of March 21, 1850, it was authorized to extend its line to Dayton, Ohio. The organization of the Columbus and Xenia was perfected April 12,1845. The property, rights, and franchises, except the right to be a corporation, of the Dayton, Xenia and Belpre Railroad Company, were sold at judicial sale, January 3, 1865, to the Columbus and Xenia and the Little Miami Railroad jointly and the property was conveyed to them by deed dated January 4, 1865.

Introductory

The property of the Columbus and Xenia was operated by its own organization from the date the road was opened for operation, February 22, 1850, to November 30, 1853; jointly by the Columbus and Xenia and the Little Miami Railroad from December 1, 1853, to November 20, 18GS; by the Little Miami Railroad from November 30, 1868, to November 30, 1869; by The Pittsburg, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway Company from December 1, 1869, to September 30, 1890; and by the Panhandle from October 1, 1890, to date of valuation. The operation by the Panhandle included the property jointly as well as wholly owned.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

The construction of the property of the Columbus and Xenia was begun by contractors in 1845, and that portion of the railroad extending from Columbus to the Greene County line, Ohio, about 40 miles, was opened for operation in February, 1850. The portion extending from the Greene County line to Xenia, Ohio, about 13 miles, was constructed by the Little Miami Railroad under an agreement dated October 29, 1847, and was completed and delivered to the Columbus and Xenia on April 1, 1850. However, the exact date this portion of the road was opened for operation can not be ascertained. Preliminary surveys were made in the year 1851 for the extension of the railroad from Xenia to Dayton, Ohio, but this project was abandoned in 1853. The Columbus and Xenia acquired by deed dated January 4, 1865, an undivided one-third interest in the property of the Dayton, Xenia and Belpre, consisting of a line of railroad extending from Xenia to Dayton, Ohio, 15.372 miles. The remaining undivided two-thirds interest is owned by the Little Miami Railroad.

Leased Railway Property

During the period from December 1, 1853, to November 29, 1868, the entire property wholly and jointly owned by the Columbus and Xenia, together with the property which is wholly and jointly leased during that period, was operated by the Columbus and Xenia jointly with the Little Miami Railroad under an agreement termed a "contract of union," dated November 30, 1853. The property then wholly and jointly leased by the Columbus and Xenia is described as follows:

The line of the Dayton, Xenia and Belpre, extending from Xenia to Dayton, Ohio, was leased to the Columbus and Xenia on December 11, 1858, effective January 1, 1859. On January 3, 1865, the property of the Dayton, Xenia and Belpre was sold at foreclosure sale and conveyed by deed dated January 4, 1865, jointly to the Columbus and Xenia and the Little Miami Railroad.

The line of the Dayton and Western, extending from Dayton, Ohio, to the Ohio-Indiana State line, together with certain tracks of the Richmond and Miami Railway Company, which it leased or jointly used, were leased to the Columbus and Xenia on March 12, 1863, under an agreement of same date for a period of five years. Under the terms of a lease dated February 4, 1865, effective January 1, 18C5, the above-described property was leased jointly to the Columbus and Xenia and the Little Miami Railroad.

On November 30, 1868, the "contract of union" agreement, first referred to above, was dissolved and the entire property wholly owned, jointly owned, and jointly leased by the Columbus and Xenia, as previously described, was leased to the Little Miami Railroad under an agreement dated March 18, 1S69, effective November 30, 1868, for a period of 99 years, renewable forever. On date of valuation the property wholly owned, jointly owned, and jointly leased by the Columbus and Xenia was operated by the Panhandle under the terms of the leases referred to, and subsequent agreement, further details of which can be found in the portion of this appendix devoted to the Little Miami Railroad and to the Panhandle.