Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad

Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Reports, Volume 33

Location and General Description of Property
The railroad operated by The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern Railroad Company, herein called the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern, is a standard-gage, steam railroad, located in northeastern Pennsylvania. The owned mileage consists of a main line extending northwesterly from Stroudsburg to Wilkes-Barre and a short branch at Westminster, aggregating 64.554 miles of road owned and used. The company also owns and uses 0.849 mile of second main track at Wilkes-Barre. In addition, the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern uses but does not own 17.801 miles of road leased from other companies, of which 10.239 miles consist of branch lines in the vicinity of Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pa., and are part of the road owned by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad Company. The remaining leased road is owned by a lessor, as described in the following paragraph.

[see Susquehanna Connecting Railroad]

The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern wholly owns and uses 87.663 miles of all tracks, and wholly uses but does not own 23.916 miles of all tracks. These tracks, consisting of first and second main tracks and yard tracks and sidings, are classified in the trackage table in Appendix 1.

The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern is a part of the Erie Railroad Company system, its main line being the western portion of a through route from New York, N. Y., to Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Introductory
The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern is a corporation of the State of Pennsylvania, having its principal office at Dunmore, Pa. The accounting records of the company record its investments and financial transactions prior to June 30, 1897, but all of its transactions subsequently to that date covering investments and financial transactions and the results of corporate operations for its entire life are recorded in the records of the New York, Susquehanna and Western. Therefore, the accounting data in this report were obtained from the records of the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern or the New York, Susquehanna and Western.

The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern is controlled by the New York, Susquehanna and Western through the ownership of the entire outstanding capital stock. The records do not indicate that this company controls any common-carrier corporation.

The property of the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern was operated by its own organization from the date of completion to December 31, 1917. On January 1, 1918, the common-carrier property of the company was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration, which operates it on date of valuation.

Corporate History
The Wilkes-Barre and Eastern was incorporated March 8, 1892, for a period of 999 years, under the general laws of Pennsylvania, for the purpose of constructing and operating a railroad from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to a point on the Delaware River at or near the Delaware Water Gap. The date of its organization was April 19, 1892.

Development of Fixed Physical Property
The owned mileage of the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern, 64.554 miles, was all acquired by construction. The years when the various portions of the line were constructed are indicated in the following statement. In the construction of the road built for the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern, its main line extending from Stroudsburg to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was constructed under contract, during 1892 and 1893, by the Wilkes-Barre and Hudson River Construction Company, which was affiliated with the company, and by forces of the New York, Susquehanna and Western. The records reviewed do not indicate whether the remaining portions of road constructed for the company were constructed under contract or by company forces.

Leased Railway Property
The property of the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern, together with the property of others that it leased, devoted to common-carrier purposes, 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 company 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 December 31, 1917, are as follows: There are other facilities of minor importance, such as interlockers, crossing yard tracks, and sidings, in which the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern grants or receives joint use, that are not listed in this chapter.

During the period January 1, 1918, to date of valuation the Wilkes-Barre and Eastern has accrued rental as due from the United States Railroad Administration for use of its road amounting to $89,773.74.