Wikipedia:WikiProject Trains/ICC valuations/Gallatin Valley Railway

Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Reports, Volume 44

Gallatin Valley Railway

Location and General Description of Property

The railroad of the Gallatin Valley Railway Company, herein called the Gallatin Valley, is a single-track, standard-gage railroad, located in southwestern Montana, extending from Three Forks to Menard, 63.143 miles, with branch lines, Belgrade Junction to Belgrade and Bozeman Hot Springs to Salesville, and aggregating 73.533 miles. It also owns 13.675 miles of yard tracks and sidings, making 87.208 miles of all tracks. The railroad is operated by steam and electric power.

It also owns and operates 2.673 miles of electric street railway in Bozeman, classified as noncarrier property in this report.

Introductory

The Gallatin Valley is a corporation of Montana having its principal office at Bozeman, Mont. It is controlled by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company through stock ownership. The records do not indicate that it controls any common-carrier corporations.

The property of the Gallatin Valley has been operated by its own organization from November 27, 1909, to December 31, 1918. It was operated as an electric street railway, November 27, 1909, to November 1, 1910. On January 1, 1918, its common-carrier property was taken over for operation by the United States Railroad Administration, which still operates it on date of valuation.

Corporate History

The Gallatin Valley was incorporated as the Gallatin Valley Electric Railway March 23, 1908, under the general laws of Montana, to own and operate railways in Montana and in Canada, and street railways and electric light and power systems anywhere in the United States or Canada. The date of organization was March 24, 1908. It acquired by purchase the property, rights, and franchises of the Bozeman Street Railway Company.

The names of the corporations, the respective dates of incorporation, and for each predecessor the date and manner of succession, are as follows:

1. Gallatin Valley Railway Company. See no. 2.
2. Gallatin Valley Electric Railway; general laws of Montana; March 23, 1908. Name changed to 1, September 9, 1910.
3. Bozeman Street Railway Company; general laws of Montana, December 1, 1897. Sold to 2, November 27, 1909.
4. Gallatin Light, Power & Railway Company; general laws of Montana, April 5, 1892. Sold to 3, December 8, 1897.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

The owned mileage, 73.533 miles, was acquired by construction as follows: Three Forks to Bozeman, Mont., 1910, 38.32; Bozeman Hot Springs to Salesville, Mont., 1910, 4.98; Belgrade Junction to Belgrade, Mont., 1911, 5.41; and Bozeman to Menard, Mont., 1913, 25.00; total, 73.71. Difference between total recorded mileage and mileage inventoried as of date of valuation is 0.177; and mileage inventoried as of date of valuation is 73.533.

In addition to the foregoing, the Gallatin Valley owns 5.829 miles of electric street railway in Bozeman, Mont., 3.156 miles of which has been inventoried as yard tracks and sidings, and 2.673 miles as noncarrier property. The street railway as constructed by the Gallatin Light, Power & Railway Company in 1892 was 2.50 miles. During 1901, 1.20 miles was abandoned and 1.28 miles of new line was constructed, which increased the mileage to 2.58 miles. The Gallatin Valley reconstructed the street railway line in 1912 and constructed additional lines, increasing the mileage to 5.829 miles.

Predecessor Companies

Bozeman Street Railway

The accounting records of the Bozeman Street Railway Company were not obtained. However, certain data were obtained from minute books.

The records do not indicate whether the Bozeman Street Railway Company was controlled by any individual or corporation on November 27, 1909, the date of its demise, nor, whether it controlled any common-carrier corporations.

It owned 2.58 miles of electric street railway in Bozeman, Mont. Of this, 1.30 miles was the remainder of the original 2.50 miles acquired by purchase from the Gallatin Light, Power & Railway Company, and 1.28 miles had been acquired by construction after abandoning, in 1901, 1.20 miles of the line purchased.

The property was operated by its own organization from December 18, 1897, to May 1, 1909. From the latter date to the date of demise it was operated by the Gallatin Valley, as a street railway under lease agreement dated April 23, 1909.

Gallatin Light, Power & Railway

The accounting records of the Gallatin Light, Power & Railway Company were not obtained.

The records do not indicate whether the Gallatin Light, Power & Railway Company was controlled by any individual or corporation on December 17, 1897, the date of its demise, nor, whether it controlled any common-carrier corporations.

The company owned 2.50 miles of electric street railway in Bozeman, Mont., which was acquired by construction in 1892.