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Interstate Commerce Commission, Valuation Reports, Volume 23

The Monongahela Railway

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Location and General Description of Property

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The railroad operated by The Monongahela Railway Company, herein called the Monongahela Railway, is a standard-gauge, steam railroad, located in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The railroad is single track with the exception of 1.983 miles of second main track near Brownsville, Pa. The owned railroad consists of a main line extending southerly from Brownsville Junction, Pa., to Fairmont, W. Va., with various branches. The properties used wholly under lease consist of lines extending from Brownsville to Moser Run Junction, with branches, and from Redstone Central Junction to Brier Hill, all in Pennsylvania.

The Monongahela Railway wholly owns 82.058 miles of road, all of which it uses. It also wholly uses 24.298 miles of road owned by other companies, of which 1.378 miles of branch lines, near New Salem, Pa., is a part of the road owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The remaining mileage is owned by lessors, whose entire common-carrier properties it leases and operates, as described in the following paragraphs.

The Monongahela Railway wholly owns and uses 119.191 miles of all tracks and wholly uses but does not own 43.424 miles of all tracks. These tracks are classified in the trackage table in Appendix 1.

The Monongahela Railway is controlled jointly by The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company, the Pennsylvania Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad, and serves as an important feeder line for these systems in reaching the coal fields.

Introductory

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The Monongahela Railway is a corporation of the States of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, having its principal office at Philadelphia, Pa. It is controlled jointly by The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company, Pennsylvania Company, and the Pennsylvania Railroad, through ownership of entire outstanding capital stock. The records do not indicate that this company controls any common-carrier corporation. The property has been operated by its own organization during its entire life.

Corporate History

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The Monongahela Railway was incorporated under the general laws of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, through filing with the secretary of state of Pennsylvania, July 1, 1915, and with secretary of state of West Virginia, July 10, 1915, an agreement dated November 24, 1914, for the purpose of consolidating the property, rights, and franchises of The Monongahela Railroad Company and the Buckhannon and Northern Railroad Company. The date of organization was July 1, 1915. Pursuant to the above purpose, the Monongahela Railway acquired at its organization the property, rights, and franchises of the two railroad corporations named. The following chart shows the facts as to incorporation and succession.

No. Name Incorporation Succession
1. The Monongahela Railway Company. Under general laws of Pennsylvania and West Virginia through articles of consolidation, dated Nov. 24, 1914; filed in Pennsylvania, July 1, 1915; West Virginia, July 10, 1915.
2. The Monongahela Railroad Company. Under general laws of Pennsylvania, Dec. 31, 1900. Consolidated July 1, 1915, with 3, to form 1.
3. Buckhannon and Northern Railroad Company. Under general laws of West Virginia, Feb. 7, 1902. Consolidated July 1, 1915, with 2, to form 1.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

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The owned mileage of the Monongahela Railway, 82.058 miles, was acquired partly by consolidation, July 1, 1915, from the Monongahela Railroad and the Buckhannon and Northern, and partly by completion of construction. Details as to construction follow:

[Subtotal] Miles
Monongahela Railroad, constructed by that company:
Brownsville Junction to Adah Run, Pa., 1901-1903. 19.00
Cat's Run to Martin, Pa., 1903. 1.70
Rush Run Branch, 1908-1909. 4.25
Martin, Pa., to Pennsylvania-West Virginia State line, 1910-1914. 8.40
Miscellaneous, dates not ascertained. .26
Constructed by the Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway Company, dates not ascertained:
Adah Run to Cat's Run, Pa. 5.80
Adah to Lambert, Pa. 2.97
Cat's Run Junction to Ifield, Pa. 1.19
Redstone Junction to Brownsville, Pa. 1.10
Constructed by the South-West Pennsylvania Railway Company, Huron to Edenborn, Pa., date not ascertained. 3.39
Constructed by W. J. Parshall, Parshall branch, date not ascertained. .74
48.80
Buckhannon and Northern, constructed partly by that company and completed by the Monongahela Railway:
Pennsylvania-West Virginia State line to Fairmont, W. Va., 1911-1915. 33.69
Rivesville branch, 1912. 2.32
36.01
84.81
Less mileage abandoned, portion of Rush Run branch. 2.75
Total. 82.06
Difference between recorded mileage and mileage inventoried. 0.002
Mileage inventoried as of date of valuation. 82.058

Leased Railway Property

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The Monongahela Railway uses on date of valuation property owned by other companies and other companies use property owned by the Monongahela Railway to the extent indicated in the statement below. The description of the property, the period and terms of use, and rentals accrued and charged or credited to income for the year ending on date of valuation are as follows:

Rentals
Solely owned, but jointly used, used with—
The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company and the Pennsylvania Railroad Company:
Tracks, 1.11 miles, Brownsville Junction to Brownsville, Pa., and passenger and freight terminals, Brownsville, Pa., for indefinite period; maintenance and operation divided on basis of ticket sales, freight tonnage, and engine and car mileage; rental accrued not ascertained. ......
Solely used, but not owned, owned by—
Connellsville & Monongahela: Entire property; lease assumed from the Pennsylvania Railroad, indefinite period from July 1, 1915; stipulated payment equal to 4 per cent on valuation of $1,861,340.34, taxes and maintenance. $72,614.80
Redstone Central: Entire property, without formal agreement; basis of use and the rental accrued not ascertained. ......
Pennsylvania Railroad: Tracks, 1.378 miles, known as Shamrock branch; indefinite period from September, 1903; stipulated payment of 4 per cent on valuation of $18,125.84, taxes, and maintenance. 725.03

Lessor Companies

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Predecessor Companies

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The Monongahela Railroad Company

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Introductory

This company was incorporated December 31, 1900, in the State of Pennsylvania. It was controlled jointly on July 1, 1915, the date of consolidation, by the Pennsylvania Railroad and The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company, through ownership of capital stock. The records reviewed do not indicate that this company then controlled any common-carrier corporations. The property was operated by its own organization from September 1, 1903, when its original road was opened for operation, to date of consolidation.

The railroad operated by the company was a standard-gauge, steam railroad, located in Pennsylvania and aggregated 74.99 miles. The owned mileage amounted to 48.80 miles and consisted of a main line extending from Brownsville Junction, Pa., to the Pennsylvania-West Virginia State line, with various branches. The mileage operated under lease amounted to 26.19 miles and consisted of the owned mileage of the Connellsville & Monongahela, 22.43 miles, Redstone Central, 2.39 miles, and the Shamrock branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, 1.37 miles, all in Pennsylvania.

Development of Fixed Physical Property

Although the returns of the Monongahela Railway in response to our valuation order No. 20, corporate history, state that, of the 48.80 miles of road owned by the Monongahela Railroad on date of consolidation, it had constructed 39.89 miles, the records reviewed indicate that this company had acquired 11.06 miles of road from the Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway Company, 3.39 miles of road from the South-West Pennsylvania Railway Company, without acquiring the rights and franchises of those companies, and 0.74 mile by donation from W. J. Parshall, leaving 33.61 miles constructed by the company. It is not known whether the construction work was performed by the company's forces or by contract. Further details with respect to the construction of this property are given in the chapter on development of fixed physical property in the report on the Monongahela Railway.

Buckhannon and Northern Railroad Company

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Introductory

This company was incorporated February 7, 1902, in West Virginia. It was controlled jointly on July 1, 1915, the date of consolidation, by the Pennsylvania Railroad and The Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Company, through ownership of capital stock. The records reviewed do not indicate that this company then controlled any other common-carrier corporations. The property of the company was not placed in operation prior to the date of consolidation.

The company owned on date of consolidation 36.01 miles of uncompleted railroad, wholly in West Virginia, that extended from a connection with the railroad of the Monongahela Railroad at the Pennsylvania-West Virginia State line to Fairmont, W. Va., 33.69 miles, with the Rivesville Branch, that projected therefrom, 2.32 miles, which had been acquired by construction in 1911-1915. The construction work was performed principally under contract by the Patterson, Moran and Luck Company and the Rhinehart and Dennis Company. The records reviewed do not indicate that either of these firms were affiliated with the company.