Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad

Interstate Commerce Commission, Volume 22, Valuation Reports

The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad

Location and General Description of Property

The railroad of The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad Company, herein called the Delaware Maryland and Virginia, is a single-track, standard-gauge, steam railroad, located in the three States indicated by its name. The main line extends in a general southerly direction from Harrington, Del., to Franklin City, Va., 78.065 miles, with a branch line extending from a connection with the main line at Georgetown easterly to Rehoboth, Del., aggregating 97.680 miles of first main track. The company also owns 24.903 miles of yard tracks and sidings. Its road thus embraces 122.583 miles of all tracks owned and used, classified in the trackage table in Appendix 1.

The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia forms a part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, its line being a branch to that carrier's Wilmington-Cape Charles line. The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia does not maintain an operating organization, the operation of its property having been assumed by the Pennsylvania Railroad, under an agency arrangement, as shown in Appendix 2.

Economic Conditions Relating to Traffic

With the exception of some fishing and oyster dredging, the industries of this region are almost entirely agricultural. Excellent farms have been developed throughout the country, producing principally fruits, potatoes, and other vegetables.

Physical Characteristics of Road

The grading is light, averaging about 9,400 cubic yards per mile, and is all common material. Metal bridges are of the deck-plate girder or I-beam type, having spans ranging in length from 15 to 92 feet. The crossties in the main track average about 2,650 to the mile, of which about 30 per cent are treated and the remainder are principally untreated oak and pine. The rail in the main track is chiefly relay, varying in weight from 100 to 60 pound. About 35 per cent of the track is full-earth surfaced, 52 per cent is ballasted with cinders, and the remainder is ballasted with slag, sand, and gravel.

Introductory

The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia is a corporation of the States of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, having its principal office at Georgetown, Del. It is controlled by The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company through ownership of a majority of the capital stock. The records reviewed do not indicate that this company controls any carrier corporation.

The property of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia was operated by its own organization from the date of its formation, May 31, 1883, to July 1, 1885, and from the latter date by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company and its successors, the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company and The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company. The rights and obligations of the latter as lessee or operating agent, under the agreement of August 1, 1885, were assumed by the Pennsylvania Railroad under its lease of the property of The Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company, dated December 13, 1917, which became effective January 1, 1918. On January 1, 1918, its common-carrier property with that of the Pennsylvania Railroad was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration, which operated it on the date of valuation.

Corporate History

The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia was incorporated, as indicated hereunder, for the purpose of acquiring and consolidating the properties, rights, and franchises of the Breakwater and Frankford Railroad Company, the Worcester Rail Road Company, and the Junction and Breakwater Railroad Company. Pursuant to this purpose, the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia acquired at its organization the property, rights, and franchises of the three corporations named. The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia itself and those corporations total four corporations, of which one underwent a change of name, and comprise the line of corporate succession culminating in the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia as at present constituted.

The following chart shows the names of the corporations, the respective dates of incorporation, and for each predecessor the date and manner of succession. Reference to each of these corporations is made in the last column by its respective number shown in the first column.

Predecessors of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia

No.	Name	Incorporation	Succession
1	The Delaware, Maryland and Virginia Railroad Company.	Under special acts of Virginia, Apr. 2, 1877, Delaware, Mar. 20, 1877, and Maryland, May 3, 1882, through articles of consolidation dated May 8, 1883, filed May 31, 1883.
2	Breakwater and Frankford Railroad Company.	See 3.	Consolidated May 31, 1883, with 4 and 5, to form 1.
3	Lewes' and Millsboro' Rail-Road Company.	Under special act of Delaware, Feb. 2, 1835.	Name changed Apr. 19, 1873, to 2.
4	Worcester Rail Road Company.	Under special acts of Maryland, May 24, 1853, and Virginia, Mar. 2, 1876.	Consolidated May 31, 1883, with 2 and 5, to form 1.
5	Junction and Breakwater Railroad Company.	Under special act of Delaware, Feb. 13, 1857.	Consolidated May 31, 1883, with 2 and 4, to form 1.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

The mileage owned by the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia was all acquired in consolidation. The property constructed by its predecessors, the years when the various portions of the line were constructed, and the manner in which this company acquired the property are indicated in the following table, wherein to facilitate comparison with the table showing the corporate succession, previously given, the same order of corporations is maintained.

Acquired by consolidation of May 31, 1883:

From Breakwater and Frankford Railroad Company, constructed by that company, Georgetown, Del., to the Maryland State line, 1874. 19.31

From the Worcester Rail Road Company, constructed by that company, Maryland-Delaware State line to Franklin City, Va., about 1876. 34.81

From the Junction and Breakwater Railroad Company, constructed by that company, Harrington to Rehoboth, Del.—

Harrington to Lewes, 1858-1869. ---

Lewes to Rehoboth, 1878. 43.52

Total. 97.64

Difference between recorded mileage and mileage inventoried. .04

Mileage inventoried as of date of valuation. 97.68

Leased Railway Property

The entire property of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia is subject to operation by the Pennsylvania Railroad under an agreement of August 1, 1885, made by this company and the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company. The rights and obligations under that agreement were assumed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in its lease of the property of the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, successor to the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad Company, dated December 13, 1917, effective January 1, 1918. On January 1, 1918, the common-carrier property of the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia was taken over for operation with that of the Pennsylvania Railroad by the United States Railroad Administration, which operates it on date of valuation.

Predecessor Companies

Breakwater and Frankford Railroad Company, Successor by Change of Name of Lewes' and Millsboro' Rail-Road Company; Worcester Rail Road Company

The accounting records of the above-named companies have not been obtained. Therefore no information can be given from their accounts regarding their financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. The records reviewed do not indicate whether either of these companies was controlled on May 31, 1883, the date of their consolidation, by any individual or corporation, or whether either of them then controlled any carrier corporation.

The Breakwater and Frankford owned on the date of consolidation about 19 miles of single-track, standard-gauge, steam-operated railroad from Georgetown, Del., to the Maryland State line, all of which had been acquired by construction. This property had been operated from January 7, 1875, to date of consolidation by the Junction and Breakwater Railroad Company.

The Worcester Railroad owned on the date of consolidation about 35 miles of single-track, standard-gauge, steam-operated railroad from the Maryland-Delaware State line to Franklin City, Va., all of which had been acquired by construction. It has not been ascertained how this property was operated during the period May, 1876, to date of consolidation.

Junction and Breakwater Railroad Company

Introductory

The accounting records of this company are incomplete. Therefore, only partial information can be given from its accounts regarding financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. Although the company consolidated as of May 31, 1883, with two other corporations, its accounting records were continued to December 31, 1883. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the company was controlled on May 31, 1883, the date of its consolidation, by any individual or corporation. The records reviewed do not indicate that it then controlled any carrier corporation.

The property was operated from September 5, 1859, the date of its completion, to December 31, 1868, by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Company, and by its own organization from January 1, 1868, to date of consolidation. The railroad consisted of 62.52 miles of single-track, standard-gauge steam-operated railroad, wholly within the State of Delaware. The owned mileage, 43.52 miles, extended from Harrington to Rehoboth. The mileage operated under agreement with the Breakwater and Frankford Railroad Company amounted to about 19 miles, extending from Georgetown to the Delaware-Maryland State line. The entire road owned by the company on date of consolidation had been acquired by construction. The construction work was performed partly under contract and partly by the forces of the company. Other details with respect to the construction of this property are given under development of fixed physical property in the report on the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.