Last run of the Lewisburg and Tyrone/WestShore Railroad

A sad but interesting event unfolded this past week and was described over in detail on the Buffalo Line Yahoo List. Here is a summary:

On January 8, 2007 NSHR 366 arrived in Lewisburg,where the PRR crossed the Reading at what was UR, a diamond interlocking at 5:30 pm, towing a fireless steam engine and two conrail cabesse. A picture of the move is available here:

http://www.standard-journal.com/news/x546811402

It is unknown what is happening, but most likely, the entire branch will be scrapped soon, if the equipment was pulled from the end of the line so it wouldn't be abandoned.

Brooks

Here is some additional background.

Conrail, which took over what remained of the east end of the PRR/PC's old Lewisburg & Tyrone line to Mifflinburg in 1976, petitioned to abandon the Mifflinburg line in 1982 or 1983. The co-op feed mill in Mifflinburg was faced with shutdown without rail service, so they, along with a couple other shippers and a group of railfans headed by Richard Sanders, incorporated the West Shore RR in October 1983. They acquired the line and a former PRR SW1 (CR/PC 8525) from Conrail. The freight operations began around Feb. 1984, and shortly thereafter a PRR P70 and a former Jersey Central(?) passenger car showed up from the former Adirondack Scenic RR (used in service to the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics), as well as that weird NYC caboose with bay windows and an aborted cupola. Passenger excursions ran at first from the Time Markets (a chain Sanders owned at the time) at Fairground Road and Rt 45 on the west side of Lewisburg west to Mifflinburg and return. Eventually, Sanders set up "excursion shop" at a "station" (actually an agricultural loading building with loading doors) in Mifflinburg, and operated there for a while. I'm showing them as acquiring the West Milton-Winfield line from Conrail in 1987 and abandoning the line through St. John St. in Lewisburg to Montandon after a ceremonial "last trip" in 1988. Sanders may have been the majority shareholder, but there were definitely other shareholders, primarily the few industries that wanted service (the Mifflinburg mill, Pennsylvania House in Lewisburg, and one or two fertilizer customers) and several of the local railfans that had "token" investments. I'm fairly certain that SEDA-COG *might* have had some arrangements regarding preserving rail service as well, but this was primarily a mill/Sanders project, not SEDA-COG's doing.

North Shore ran excursions over the line on Sundays from the late 1980's until 1997. The train originated in what is now a loading area for crop trucks, at the intersection of U.S. 15 and Hafer Road, known as Delta Place. The Country Cupboard is right across from Delta Place, and there are still some cabooses there. The line ran seasonally from Easter through the end of October. Trips went down the old Reading line to Winfield, and then a Sunday trip went to Mifflinburg and turned around by the Community Park. The original owner was the Dick Sanders, who started the excursions in 1982 during the July4th celebrations. The excursion ended in 1997 and the line has been dormant since that time.

Thanks, Brooks.

I followed the line once. Very scenic and historical...

Chris

From the Buffalo Line Yahoo group:

From todays' Daily Item: NOTICE-WEST SHORE RR Corp. and Union
County Ind. RR give notice that on or after 1/30/08, they intend to
file with the STB a Notice of Exemption, permitting the abandonment of
the 11.8 mile Mifflinburg Branch rail line in Union and Northumberland
Counties between Montandon Jct. and Mifflinburg. Appropriate offers of
financial assisstance to continue rail service can be filed with the
STB.

Would it be feasible for this line to be purchased and operated as a tourist/small independant freight line? What obstacles would need to be overcome and could it be a somewhat profitable operation?

John

JhnZ33 wrote:Would it be feasible for this line to be purchased and operated as a tourist/small independant freight line? What obstacles would need to be overcome and could it be a somewhat profitable operation?

Reading the OP, it seems that's exactly what happened 24+ years ago, freight & excursion, and the line hasn't been used for over 10 years for either.
Is that true or am I reading the OP incorrectly - did the freight business completely disappear in the 1990s (especially since the industries served were apparently stakeholders)? Any reason?

Hi,

Did anyone get the numbers or destination(s) of the cabooses?

Thanks, Roger

The cabooses and the fireless cooker are at Delta Place Station along US 15 just north of Lewisburg. I saw them there on my way to Rochester, NY last Friday, May 2nd, and again on my return trip Tuesday, May 6th.

I also noticed some passenger cars (which I presume to be from the excursion train) now appear to be land-locked at White Deer. The bridge just south of the car's location has been removed.

The cars & other items at White Deer have been landlocked for years.

When I moved from Arcade NY (Arcade & Attica RR territory) to Harrisburg, I traveled US15 from Gang Mills to Enola. Every trip I stopped to drool over teh equipment and wish I could get it.

Moved to PA in 2003, so its been five years at least.

Dad & I went to the ECLSTS (www.eclsts.com) in York in '99 I think. On our way back, we stopped and were gonna ride the excursion. The timetable didn't fit with our return trip, and the following year the tracks had been washed out.

If anyone is interested in the cooker, let me know, I know who owns it.

Last June we took our last speeder ride on the branch,sad to see it go.

Just wondering (as I did in an earlier post of mine from May), why did the freight traffic disappear from this line (seemingly 10 years ago), when the on-line shippers were among those who help 'found' this short-line?

I lived along the Lewisburg & Tyrone Railroad for about 40 years and seen many changes to the old L&T over the years. In the 70’s the local would come to town stop in front of my parent’s house and I would get on the locomotive and ride along while the crew switched Mifflinburg. This is something my son Adam will never get to experience. Mifflinburg had about 10 customers along the line with 2 more in Lewisburg. During the West Shore Railroad years the only business along the was in Mifflinburg and they were as follows: Agway feed mill which was later closed and tore down, Mifflinburg Farmers Exchange which was never a big user but did get car loads in and then switched to trucks, Yorktown Kitchens which really down sized over the years and moved most of it’s operation to the South, Play World Systems which on occasion would ship out play ground equipment and Mifflinburg Seed Company who on occasion would receive several loads. I volunteered on the West Shore Railroad in the beginning years as a conductor and now reside in Elizabeth City North Carolina and along yet another railroad the Chesapeake & Albemarle.

Lewisburg & Tyrone Railroad
Montandon Secondary
West Shore Railroad

This is a list from memory of the lines rail customers during the 1970’s and early 1980’s. As you can see over a period of time the trucking industry hurt this line just like many others.

Mifflinburg rail customers:
Yorktown Kitchens- One of the lines biggest users, Shipped out finished cabinets and received flat car loads of lumber.
Mifflinburg Farmers Exchange-One occasion received covered hoppers and box cars of feed.
Snook’s Mill-Farm Bureau-Agway-Another one of the lines big users at the time and they received covered hoppers and box cars of feed.

Mifflinburg Railroad Station unloading platform:
Ritz-Craft Corporation- On occasion received loads of lumber via flat car or box car and later switched to truck.
Mifflinburg Farm Supply- The local International Harvester dealer received farm equipment on flat cars and later switched to trucks.
QE Manufacturing- On occasion shipped out playground equipment.
Shipton’s Building Supply- On occasion received lumber via flat car or box car and later switched to truck.
Borough of Mifflinburg- Received flat car loads of utility poles and later switched to trucks.

Sanford Seeds- On occasion received box cars.

Lewisburg rail customers:
Pennsylvania House Furniture-Shipped out furniture and later switched to trucks.
Moore Business Forms-Another one of the lines big users at the time and received box cars of paper and later switched to trucks.

The Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority has announced that the line will become a rail-trail.

Someone said the last freight train used the line in 1997!?

A shame they are pulling the rails, though, as once they are gone it will be nearly impossible to put them back in!!

This line is being scrapped. Work started last week.