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R.J. Corman Railroad/Pennsylvania Lines

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R.J. Corman Railroad/
Pennsylvania Lines
Overview
HeadquartersClearfield, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Reporting markRJCP
LocaleCentral Pennsylvania
Dates of operation1996–
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

R.J. Corman Railroad/Pennsylvania Lines (reporting mark RJCP) is a railroad in the R.J. Corman Railroad Group, operating a number of lines in central Pennsylvania. It primarily carries coal between mines and Norfolk Southern Railway connections at Cresson and Keating.[1] The trackage was acquired from Conrail in 1996, when the latter company sold its "Clearfield Cluster"; Norfolk Southern acquired nearby Conrail lines in 1999. This is the longest R.J. Corman owned line, at over 300 miles in length.[2]

History

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RJCP trackage includes lines formerly owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad (from the Cambria and Clearfield Railway), New York Central Railroad (through its Beech Creek Railroad and Beech Creek Extension Railroad subsidiaries), and the jointly-controlled Cherry Tree and Dixonville Railroad.[3][4][5]

The company came under common control with the 1968 creation of the Penn Central Transportation Company, and passed to Conrail in 1976, which decided to sell the lines, which it called the "Clearfield Cluster", in 1995. RJCP began operating them on January 2, 1996.[6] The sale included the following lines, as well as a number of other branches:

Between Curwensville and Clearfield, Conrail operated via trackage rights over the Clearfield and Mahoning Railway (C&M), subsidiary of the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad (B&P), which had acquired it from CSX Transportation. B&P operations were terminated in 1992, when the line west of Curwensville was abandoned, and Conrail acquired control of the C&M in a late 1992-early 1993 swap, where the B&P acquired an isolated Conrail line for operation as Bradford Industrial Rail.[8] Conrail sold the C&M to Richard J. Corman, owner of RJCP, effective January 26, 1996,[9] and it remains a non-operating subsidiary.[10]

Trail to Rails

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In May 2012, the Surface Transportation Board granted the railroad permission to reclaim 20 miles of track in Clarence, Pennsylvania abandoned by Conrail in 1990, 10 miles which had been converted into the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails.[11][12] The decision was a major victory for both the company and the railroad industry in general, as there are few instances in the U.S. where an abandoned corridor-turned-rail trail has reverted to an active railroad.

References

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  1. ^ R. J. Corman Railroad Company Pennsylvania Lines Archived 2007-08-03 at the Wayback Machine, accessed December 2008
  2. ^ "R. J. Corman Railroad Company - Pennsylvania Lines". Archived from the original on 2010-09-14. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
  3. ^ Interstate Commerce Commission, 22 Val. Rep. 1: Valuation Docket No. 928, The Pennsylvania Railroad Company et al. (1929)
  4. ^ Interstate Commerce Commission, 27 Val. Rep. 1: Valuation Docket No. 1022, The New York Central Railroad Company and its Leased Lines (1929)
  5. ^ Interstate Commerce Commission, 22 Val. Rep. 1: Valuation Docket No. 877, Cherry Tree and Dixonville Railroad Company (1929)
  6. ^ Railroad Retirement Board, Employer Status Determination: R. J. Corman Railroad Company/Pennsylvania Lines, Inc., 1996
  7. ^ Surface Transportation Board, STB Docket No. AB-491 (Sub-No. 1X), April 3, 2001
  8. ^ Surface Transportation Board, Finance Docket No. 32240, November 14, 1997
  9. ^ Surface Transportation Board, Docket No. AB-371 (Sub-No. 1X), November 1, 1996
  10. ^ Surface Transportation Board, Finance Docket No. 34775, February 3, 2006
  11. ^ Snow Shoes Rails to Trails website
  12. ^ White, Cliff (May 22, 2012). "Railroad company gets OK to reclaim tracks; decision will eliminate half of Rails to Trails". Centre Daily Times. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
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