Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad

Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Report, Volume 22

Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad

The railroad of the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad Company, herein called the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville, is a single-track line located entirely within Pennsylvania and extending from Sunbury to Mount Carmel, about 27 miles, with several short branch lines to coal collieries. This property aggregates 39.504 miles of road.

Introductory

The Shamokin Valley and Pottsville is a corporation of the State of Pennsylvania, having its principal office at Philadelphia, Pa. It is controlled by The Northern Central Railway Company through ownership of a majority of its capital stock. On the other hand, the records do not indicate that this company controls any common-carrier corporation.

The property of the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville has been operated during its corporate life as indicated below:

Operation of Shamokin Valley and Pottsville

Header cell	Header cell
By own organization.	Apr. 9, 1858, to Feb. 26, 1863.
By The Northern Central Railway Company.	Feb. 27, 1863, to Dec. 31, 1910.
By Pennsylvania Railroad.	Jan. 1, 1911, to Dec. 31, 1917.

On January 1, 1918, the common-carrier property of the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration as part of the operating system of the Pennsylvania Railroad and it is so operated on date of valuation.

Corporate History

The Shamokin Valley and Pottsville was incorporated March 25, 1858, under special act of the State of Pennsylvania for the purpose of acquiring the property rights and franchises of the Philadelphia and Sunbury Rail Road Company which was done. The Shamokin Valley and Pottsville and the corporation named together with the predecessor of that corporation total three different corporations of which one underwent a change of name and comprise the line of corporate succession culminating in the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville as at present constituted.

The following chart shows the names of the corporations, the respective dates of incorporation, and for each predecessor the date of succession, the immediately succeeding corporation, and the 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 Shamokin Valley and Pottsville

No.	Name	Incorporation	Succession
1	Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad Company.	Under special act of Pennsylvania Mar. 25, 1858
2	The Philadelphia and Sunbury Rail Road Company.	Under special act of Pennsylvania Apr. 21, 1846, and Apr. 12, 1851. See 3.	Portion of property sold at sheriff's sale Nov. 2, 1857, to E. S. Whelen, who conveyed property to 1 Apr. 9, 1858. Remaining portion sold at sheriff's sale Nov. 27, 1858, to W. R. Lejee, trustee, who conveyed property to 1 Aug. 3, 1861.
3	The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1851).	Under special act of Pennsylvania Apr. 21, 1846.	Name changed to 2 Apr. 28, 1851.
4	The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1826).	Under special act of Pennsylvania Apr. 8, 1826.	Sold at sheriff's sale Dec. 28, 1850, and conveyed Jan. 16, 1851, to interests which reconveyed property to 2 Sept. 11, 1851.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

The owned mileage of the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville, 39.504 miles, was acquired partly by construction and partly by purchase. The property constructed by the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville and the other two corporations, the years when the various portions of the line were constructed, and the manner in which the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville 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 construction:

Montelius branch, about 1862. 1.10

Richards Colliery branch, October, 1892, to July, 1893. 1.54

Scott branch, 1894. 2.95

Fagely branch, October, 1901, to December, 1903. 1.60

Green Ridge branch, year not ascertained. 1.50

Lancaster switch, Pa., to point east of Shamokin, Pa., year not ascertained. 2.01

East Sunbury to Sunbury, Pa., year not ascertained. 1.31

12.01

Acquired by purchase from the Philadelphia and Sunbury Rail Road Company Apr. 9, 1858, and Aug. 3, 1861:

Constructed by the Philadelphia and Sunbury Rail Road Company—

Shamokin to Mt. Carmel, Pa., 1852–1854. 7.02

Lancaster Colliery branch, 1852–1854. 0.76

(Reconstruction of road Sunbury to Shamokin, Pa., 1852-1854). ---

Constructed by The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1826)—

Pottsville to Ashland, Pa., 1830–1837. 11.00

Sunbury to Shamokin, Pa., 1830-1837. 20.00

38.78

50.79

Less mileage sold or remeasured:

Locust Gap to Mount Carbon, Pa., sold. 11.00

Remeasurement. 0.05

11.05

Total. 39.74

Difference between recorded mileage and mileage inventoried. 0.236

Mileage inventoried as of date of valuation. 39.504

It is not known whether the construction work of the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville was performed by company forces or by contract.

Leased Railway Property

The property of the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville was solely operated by The Northern Central Railway Company and the Pennsylvania Railroad under lease, from February 27, 1863, to December 31, 1917. From January 1, 1918, to date of valuation the common-carrier property of the company has been operated by the United States Railroad Administration as part of the operating system of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Details with respect to the operation of this property are given under leased railway property in the report on the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Predecessor Companies

The Philadelphia and Sunbury Rail Road Company, Successor by Change of Name of The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1851)

This company was originally incorporated in Pennsylvania on April 21, 1846, as The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1851). The name was changed on April 28, 1851. No accounting records of the company were obtained. Therefore, no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. Certain information stated below was obtained from the accounting records of the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the company was controlled by any individual or corporation on November 27, 1858, the date of sale of the remaining portion of its road, nor whether it then controlled any common-carrier corporation. The property of the company, with exception of the main line between Pottsville and Ashland, Pa., that was never operated, was operated by its own organization from the date of acquirement until November 5, 1857, the date a portion of its road was conveyed to E. S. Whelen, purchaser at sheriff's sale. The company owed during its life 38.78 miles of railroad that consisted of two disconnected main lines and a branch line. One main line extended from Sunbury to Mount Carmel, Pa., and the other (which was not operated), extended from Pottsville to Ashland, Pa. The branch line extended from a point near Shamokin, Pa., to Hickory Ridge Colliery.

Of the road owned it had acquired 31 miles from The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1826) and 7.78 miles by construction. About 20 miles of the road acquired from The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1826) was reconstructed by the company. It is not known whether the construction work was performed by company forces or by contract. Further details with respect to the construction of this property are given under development of fixed physical property in the report on the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville.

The Danville and Pottsville Rail Road Company (of 1826)

This company was incorporated April 8, 1826, in Pennsylvania. No accounting records of the company were obtained. Therefore, no information can be given from its accounts regarding its financial dealings, corporate operations, or investments. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the company was controlled by any individual or corporation on December 28, 1850, the date of sale, nor whether it then controlled any common-carrier corporation. The property of the company, with the exception noted below, was operated by its own organization from January, 1834, the date the first section of the road was placed in operation, to January 16, 1851, the date it was conveyed to purchasers at sheriff's sale. For a number of years, exact period not known, that portion of the company's road extending from Pottsville to Ashland, Pa., was not operated. This company owned on the date of sale 31 miles of railroad, that consisted of two disconnected main lines. One main line extended from Pottsville to Ashland, Pa., and the other extended from Sunbury to Shamokin, Pa. This property was all acquired by construction in 1830–1837. It is not known whether the construction work was performed by company forces or by contract.