Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway

Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Reports, Volume 31

Location and General Description of Properties
The railroad of The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company, herein called the carrier, is a single-track, standard-gage, steam railroad, located in Ohio and West Virginia. The owned mileage consists of two main lines and various branch lines and a terminal property at Cleveland, Ohio. One main line extends from Toledo, Ohio, in a southeasterly direction, to Aetnaville, Ohio, on the Ohio River; the other extends from Cleveland, Ohio, in a general southerly direction, across the first-mentioned line at Harmon, to Zanesville, Ohio. Two cut-offs or connecting links also connect the two main lines, one extending from Canton to Sherrodsville, Ohio, and the other extending from Orville Junction to Run Junction, Ohio. The principal branch lines are all in Ohio and extend from Huron Junction to Huron, Falls Junction to Chagrin Falls, Warrenton to Steubenville, Adena to Neff, and there is a detached line from Salem to Washingtonville, known as the Salem branch.

The carrier wholly owns 516.756 miles of road, of which it uses 509.989 miles and leases 6.767 miles to another carrier. It also wholly uses 7.455 miles of road owned by lessors of the carrier and described in the paragraphs below.

Although the carrier acquired title to its original property on December 14, 1916, it did not commence recording the results of operations in its books until January 1, 1917. The accounting data in this report, therefore, cover the period from January 1, 1917.

The property of the carrier, with exception of the portion extending from Salem to Washingtonville, Ohio, known as the Salem branch, was operated by its own organization from January 1, 1917, to December 31, 1917. On January 1, 1918, the common-carrier property of the carrier except the Salem branch, was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration, which operates it on date of valuation. The Salem branch is operated by The Youngstown and Ohio River Railroad Company, an electric railroad company, as a part of its system.

The carrier wholly owns and uses 937.775 miles of all tracks, wholly owns but does not use 8.125 miles of all tracks, and wholly uses but does not own 20.633 miles of all tracks. These tracks are classified in the trackage table in Appendix 1. The carrier also jointly owns and uses with other carriers 2.270 undivided miles of all tracks, and jointly uses 0.112 undivided mile of all tracks, of one of the lessors described above, as shown in the trackage table in Appendix 1.

Economic Conditions Relating to Traffic
Farm development —The country traversed is largely fertile farming land, producing grain, hay, livestock, fruits, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, etc.

Industrial development —The manufacturing industry in the region served by this railroad system is varied and highly developed and includes the products of steel and tube mills, foundries, farm machinery, flour mills, oil refineries, cement, tile and glass manufactures, woodworking plants, etc.

The mining industry is extensive and the road forms an important link in the transportation of coal and ore between the coal fields of Ohio and West Virginia and the Great Lakes.

Physical Characteristics of Road
Grades —The maximum grade eastbound, 1.42 per cent, is found between Cleveland and Canton. The maximum grade westbound, 1.20 per cent, is found between Brewster and Pine Valley. The ruling grades westbound vary from 0.40 to 0.70 per cent, and eastbound from 0.50 to 0.90 per cent.

Curvature —The maximum curvature between Toledo and Brewster is 10° 30'; between Huron and Brewster, 8°; between Brewster and Pine Valley, 6° 40'; between Cleveland and Canton, 12° 30', and between Canton and Zanesville, 15°.

Grading —The volume of grading for a road of this character is heavy. The main stem between Toledo and Aetnaville and eastern Ohio branch lines averages 50,000 cubic yards per mile, and 35,000 cubic yards per mile is found on the other lines and branches. The average for the entire road is 42,000 cubic yards per mile, and the percentage of classified materials is about 10 per cent of loose rock and solid rock.

Bridges, trestles, and culverts -Metal spans and girders over the larger water ways and pile and timber trestles on masonry culverts for the smaller streams constitute in general the type of structures under this account. There are no extensive bridges, the largest structure being over the Maumee River at Toledo. There are four movable spans, two of which are electrically operated, in which is included one Strauss single-leaf trunnion bridge of Cleveland.

Ties —The ties used are chiefly of untreated oak, and the number of ties per mile of main track varies from 2,900 to 3,100.

Rail —The main lines are principally of 90-pound rail laid new, with some 80 and 60 pound laid new on the portions of less dense traffic. The branch lines are of 90, 80, and 60 pound laid new, with some 70 and 60 pound relay on the less important lines.

Ballast —Gravel and slag obtained locally and cinders from engine terminals, with a small amount of stone on the main stem, are the prevailing materials used for ballast.

Introductory
The carrier is a corporation of the State of Ohio, having its principal office at Cleveland, Ohio. Although the carrier acquired title to its original property on December 14, 1916, it did not commence recording the results of operations in its books until January 1, 1917. The accounting data in this report, therefore, cover the period from January 1, 1917.

The records reviewed do not indicate that the carrier was controlled by any individual or corporation on date of valuation. The carrier controls, through ownership of their entire capital stocks, the Toledo Belt Railway and the Zanesville Belt Railway, whose several common-carrier properties were operated by the carrier when the property of the latter company was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration, as stated below. It controls, further, through ownership of 99.965 per cent of its capital stock, The Lorain and West Virginia Railway Company, whose property is separately operated and for which company a separate report has been made.

The property of the carrier, with exception of the portion extending from Salem to Washingtonville, Ohio, known as the Salem branch, was operated by its own organization from January 1, 1917, to December 31, 1917. On January 1, 1918, the common-carrier property of the carrier except the Salem branch, was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration, which operates it on date of valuation. The Salem branch is operated by The Youngstown and Ohio River Railroad Company, an electric railroad company, as a part of its system.

Corporate History
The carrier was incorporated December 14, 1916, under the general laws of the State of Ohio, for the purpose of acquiring the property, rights, and franchises of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company. The date of organization was December 15, 1916. Pursuant to the avowed purpose, the carrier acquired the property, rights, and franchises of that company. It also acquired by purchase the property, rights, and franchises of two subsidiary lines of The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company, namely, the Chagrin Falls and Lake Erie Railroad Company and The Adena Railroad Company. The carrier itself and those corporations, together with their predecessors, total 29 different corporations, of which three underwent a change of name, and comprise the line of corporate succession culminating in the carrier as at present constituted.

The following chart shows the names of the corporations in the line of corporate succession, 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.

Development of Fixed Physical Property
The owned mileage of the carrier, amounting to 516.756 miles, was acquired by construction and purchase. Part of the property acquired by direct purchase was bought from The Coshocton, Otsego & Eastern Railroad Company and The Adena, Cadiz and New Athens Railway Company without acquiring the rights and franchises of those companies.

Of the 28 corporations that comprise the line of succession culminating in the carrier as at present constituted, six corporations did not construct any road or other common-carrier property. These companies were:
 * The Cleveland and Canton Railroad Company.
 * The Connotton Northern Railway Company.
 * The Jefferson and Columbiana Railway Company.
 * The Harrison, Jefferson and Belmont Railway Company.
 * The Cleveland Belt Line Rail Road Company.
 * The Bellaire and Valley Junction Railway Company.

The property constructed by the remaining corporations, by the two companies whose rights and franchises were not acquired, and by the carrier itself, the years when the various portions of the line were constructed, and the manner in which the carrier 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.


 * Constructed partly by the receiver of The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company and completed by the carrier, belt line at Canton, Ohio, 1916-17. Mileage 3.743
 * Acquired by purchase from the reorganization managers:
 * From The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company, Dec. 14, 1916—
 * Constructed by The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company, Terminal Junction to Bridgeport, Ohio, year not ascertained. 2.749
 * Constructed by the city of Salem, Ohio, Salem to Washingtonville, Ohio, about 1892. 6.766
 * Constructed by The Cleveland, Canton & Southern Railroad Company, in Zanesville, Ohio, year not ascertained. .580
 * Constructed by The Connotton Valley Railway Company—
 * Canton to Cleveland, Ohio, 1881. 59.570
 * Del Roy to Sherrodsville, Ohio, year not ascertained. 7.690
 * East Coshocton to Coshocton, Ohio, year not ascertained. .666
 * Constructed partly by The Connotton Valley & Straitsville Railroad Company and completed by The Connotton Valley Railway Company, Canton to Kenilworth Avenue, Coshocton, Ohio, 1883. 55.124
 * Constructed by The Connotton Valley Railroad Company, Minerva Junction to Canton, Ohio, 1880. 16.000
 * Constructed by The Ohio and Toledo Rail Road Company—
 * Carrollton to Del Roy, Ohio, 1875. 8.100
 * Oneida to Minerva Junction, Ohio. .610
 * Minerva Junction to Minerva, Ohio. 2.959
 * Constructed by the Carroll County Railroad Company, Carrollton to Oneida, Ohio, 1853. 10.100
 * Constructed by The Canton and Waynesburgh Rail Road Company, Canton to Marks, Ohio, 1885. 8.190
 * Constructed by The Coshocton and Southern Railroad Company, Kenilworth Avenue, Coshocton, to Zanesville, Ohio, 1889. 28.874
 * Constructed by The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company (of 1886)—
 * Bowerston to Terminal Junction, Ohio, 1889. 43.170
 * Warrenton to Steubenville, Ohio, 1891. 13.646
 * Constructed by The Wheeling and Lake Erie Rail Road Co., dates not ascertained—
 * Toledo to Bowerston, Ohio (except the Maumee River bridge at Toledo, Ohio, and approaches thereto). 172.659
 * Huron Junction to Huron, Ohio. 12.771
 * Connection with Toledo Belt Railway from Norwalk Street to switch near Toledo Terminal Railroad crossing at Ironville, Ohio. .350
 * Constructed by The Wheeling and Lake Erie Bridge Company, from Summit Avenue across the Maumee River to Swayne Street, Toledo, Ohio. .630
 * Constructed by The Central Valley Railway Company, New Cumberland to mines of Massillon Tuscarawas Coal Co., Ohio, 1902. 3.651
 * Constructed by The Cleveland Belt and Terminal Railroad Company, Belt Line Junction, Cleveland, to connection with the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway near Lindale, Ohio, date not ascertained. 5.387
 * Constructed by The Sugar Creek and Northern Railroad Company, west of Bolivar to Orville Junction, 1909. 21.990
 * Constructed by The Massillon Railroad Company, Run Junction to Warwick mines, Ohio, 1893. 5.500
 * 487.732
 * Less mileage abandoned by The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company, previously acquired from—
 * The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway Company of 1886. 6.555
 * The Cleveland, Canton & Southern Railroad Company. .875
 * The Massillon Railroad Company. 1.200
 * Total. 8.630
 * Mileage. 479.102
 * Acquired by direct purchase:
 * From The Chagrin Falls and Lake Erie Railroad Company, Dec. 16, 1916–
 * Constructed by The Cleveland, Chagrin Falls & Northern Railroad Company, Solon to Falls Junction, Ohio, 1888. 3.040
 * Constructed by The Painesville, Canton and Bridgeport Narrow Gauge Rail Road Company, Solon to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, 1877. 5.155
 * 8.195
 * From The Adena Railroad Company, Dec. 16, 1916—
 * Constructed by that company, Adena to Neff, Ohio, 1903. 20.942
 * From The Coshocton, Otsego & Eastern Railroad Company, July 17, 1917—
 * Constructed by that company, Rock Run, south of Coshocton, Ohio, to Warwick coal mines, 1909. 2.628
 * From The Adena, Cadiz and New Athens Railway Company, under agreement dated Mar. 5, 1917–
 * Constructed for that company by the carrier, Adena to Duncan, Ohio, completed November, 1917. 5.719
 * Total. 520.329
 * Less mileage abandoned by the carrier, previously acquired from The Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad Company and constructed by The Canton and Waynesburgh Rail Road Company. 3.577
 * Total mileage owned on date of valuation. 516.752

Leased Railway Property
The property of the carrier, together with the properties of others that it used by virtue of stock control, devoted to common-carrier purposes, with exception of the Salem branch, which is leased to The Youngstown and Ohio River Railroad Company, was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration on January 1, 1918, and is so operated on date of valuation.

The arrangements of the carrier with other carriers, in effect December 31, 1917, covering the use of joint facilities have been continued by the United States Railroad Administration during the period January 1, 1918, to date of valuation.

The description of the property, the period and terms of use and the rentals accrued and charged or credited to income for the year ending on date of valuation, are as follows:

Solely owned, but jointly used, used with—
 * The Hocking Valley Railway Company—
 * Tracks, 1.85 miles, from Walbridge to Manhattan Junction, Ohio. The Hocking Valley Railway Company pays $4 for each of its trains handled and furnishes engines and crews for puller service at $7 per hour. Rental $2,878.50
 * The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company and The New York Central Railroad Company—
 * Tracks, 5.38 miles, Clark Ave., to Lindale, Ohio., (Belt Line; freight traffic only) and 0.25 mile of main track at Cleveland, Ohio; rental of Belt Line 2.5 per cent per annum on valuation thereof, one-half of taxes and assessments, plus proportion, on tonnage basis, of maintenance and operation; rental of main track and facilities, a proportion of 5 per cent interest on valuation thereof, plus proportion, on car basis, of maintenance and operation. 17,749.92
 * The Toledo Terminal Railroad Company—
 * Switching tracks at Toledo, Ohio, annual rental 2.5 per cent on valuation of property, plus one-half of cost of maintenance and operation. 764.76
 * The Lorain, Ashland & Southern Railroad Company—
 * Tracks, 0.032 mile at Wellington, Ohio; for indefinite period from May 1, 1914; rental $1,500 per annum and maintenance of certain switches and frogs. The amount of rental credited to income not obtained. ---

Solely owned, but not used, leased to—
 * The Youngstown and Ohio River Railroad Company—
 * Tracks, 6.767 miles, Salem to Washingtonville, Ohio; lease effective from May 1, 1906; rental $6,000 per annum; using company maintains property and pays all taxes. 6,000.00

Solely used, but not owned (operated by virtue of stock control), owned by—
 * Toledo Belt Railway—
 * Entire property at Toledo, Ohio. The carrier pays expense of operation and maintenance, including taxes, and retains all revenues. ---
 * Zanesville Belt Railway—
 * Entire property at Zanesville, Ohio. The carrier pays expense of operation and maintenance, including taxes, and retains all revenues. ---

Jointly used, but not owned, owned by—
 * The New York Central Railroad Company Tracks, 0.67 mile, at Toledo, Ohio (also used by the Wabash Railway Company); annual rental one-third of 5 per cent interest on valuation of property, plus proportion, on car basis, of maintenance and operation. 5,285.39
 * The Toledo Terminal Railroad Company—
 * (The Hocking Valley Railway Company, lessee). Tracks, Rentals 4.9 miles, Consaul Street to Manhattan Junction, at Toledo, Ohio; annual rental a proportion, on basis of cars handled, of maintenance and operation. 438.35
 * The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company—
 * Tracks, 32 miles, from Wellington to point near Lindale, Ohio, (for freight traffic only); term 99 years from November 1, 1913; annual rental on basis of $1.50 per train mile. 17,234.00
 * The Wheeling Terminal Railway Company—
 * Tracks, 4.77 miles, from Terminal Junction, Ohio, to Wheeling, W. Va.; stations at Martins Ferry, Ohio, and Wheeling, W. Va.; roundhouse and shop at Peninsula, W. Va. Rental of tracks, station facilities, roundhouse and shop, $14,400 per annum; rental of freight house and track facilities a proportion, on tonnage basis, of maintenance, operation, taxes, and insurance; annual rental of $510 for terminal facilities at Peninsula, W. Va., and Terminal Junction, Ohio. 69,391.72
 * Dillonvale and Smithfield Railroad Company—
 * Tracks, 3.5 miles, Dillonvale to Crow Hollow, Ohio; used jointly with The New York Central Railroad Company; no rental paid owning company. ---

There are other facilities of minor importance, such as stations, interlockers, yard tracks and sidings, in which the carrier grants or receives joint use, that are not listed in this chapter.