Cambria and Indiana Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Cambria and Indiana Railroad (C&I) is a railway company
that is located in the southeastern part of Indiana County, Pennsylvania
in the United States
. Incorporated in 1904 and built in 1910 with the intention of carrying lumber
, coal
was discovered in the area soon after its construction, and C&I's fortunes subsequently became closely intertwined with the coal industry.
C&I became the "richest railroad in the country", generating the most revenue per mile of track, during the 1930s and 1940s. The increasing use of electricity
for heating purposes, however, dealt a severe blow to C&I and in 1995, C&I divested almost all its assets. The decision by the International Steel Group
(ISG) of Cleveland to reopen a mine (Mine 33) near Ebensburg primarily to produce coke
for steel
-making may yet give renewed hopes for C&I after a long hiatus.
to haul its lumber. Soon after its construction, coal was found in the area and the subsidiary was subsequently purchased by John Heisley Weaver and B. Dawson Coleman for USD$100,000 in 1910 to serve its coal interests in the Cambria
and Indiana
counties.
At the time of purchase, the B&YC was only ten miles long but the railroad was extensively extended soon after its acquisition to better serve its new purpose. Construction began in February, 1911 and the name of the company was officially changed on 20 April 1911 to reflect the name of the two counties that it served. By 1919, C&I was also serving 23 other mines in the area. Scheduled passenger service started in 1914 until 1 December 1931, after which, it only ran only when needed until the late 1930s.
The first locomotive on the C&I was a Baldwin Steam Locomotive #3 which was subsequently sold in January 1930. The C&I became the "richest railroad in the country", generating the most revenue per mile of track, during the 1930s and 1940s. All this, however, was to change as a result of the declining use of coal for heating homes in preference for electricity. By 1962, there were only four mines left on the line, spelling the apparent demise of the C&I.
Fortunately, business picked up when Bethlehem, a subsidiary of BethEnergy, opened Mine 33 near Ebensburg in 1963, and Barnes & Tucker opened a large mine at Stiles in 1965., thus sustaining C&I for another thirty years. However, in the summer of 1994, Bethlehem closed down Mine 33, spelling the apparent demise of the C&I. A year later, C&I sold almost all its trackage as scrap and donated most of its abandoned right-of-way to the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority to become part of the Ghost Town Trail
for use by bicyclists and walkers. C&I locomotives were dispatched to other Bethlehem subsidiary railroads. In 1998, 9.6 miles of the abandoned C&I railroad was sold to Bethlehem Steel's Cambria and Indiana Railroad.
In 2004, nearly 10 years following the closing of Mine 33 and the end of C&I operations, the International Steel Group
(ISG) of Cleveland reported plans to reopen Mine 33 to produce coke
primarily for steel-making by 2006, and also to generate electricity. This development was shelved in late 2006 due to economic conditions.
Railway company
A railway company or railroad company is an entity that operates a railroad track and/or trains. Such a company can either be private or public...
that is located in the southeastern part of Indiana County, Pennsylvania
Indiana County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 58,077 registered voters in Indiana County .* Democratic: 26,653 * Republican: 24,159 * Other Parties: 7,265 -County commissioners:*Rodney Ruddock, Chairman, Republican...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Incorporated in 1904 and built in 1910 with the intention of carrying lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
, coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was discovered in the area soon after its construction, and C&I's fortunes subsequently became closely intertwined with the coal industry.
C&I became the "richest railroad in the country", generating the most revenue per mile of track, during the 1930s and 1940s. The increasing use of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
for heating purposes, however, dealt a severe blow to C&I and in 1995, C&I divested almost all its assets. The decision by the International Steel Group
International Steel Group
International Steel Group was a steel company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2004 it was ranked #426 on the Fortune 500. It was created after the turn around fund, WL Ross & Co. LLC, purchased LTV Steel in February 2002...
(ISG) of Cleveland to reopen a mine (Mine 33) near Ebensburg primarily to produce coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
for steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
-making may yet give renewed hopes for C&I after a long hiatus.
Brief history
The Cambria and Indiana Railroad, originally named Blacklick and Yellow Creek Railroad (B&YC), was founded in 1904 by Vinton Lumber Company as a subsidiary companySubsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
to haul its lumber. Soon after its construction, coal was found in the area and the subsidiary was subsequently purchased by John Heisley Weaver and B. Dawson Coleman for USD$100,000 in 1910 to serve its coal interests in the Cambria
Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Cambria County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 143,679....
and Indiana
Indiana County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 58,077 registered voters in Indiana County .* Democratic: 26,653 * Republican: 24,159 * Other Parties: 7,265 -County commissioners:*Rodney Ruddock, Chairman, Republican...
counties.
At the time of purchase, the B&YC was only ten miles long but the railroad was extensively extended soon after its acquisition to better serve its new purpose. Construction began in February, 1911 and the name of the company was officially changed on 20 April 1911 to reflect the name of the two counties that it served. By 1919, C&I was also serving 23 other mines in the area. Scheduled passenger service started in 1914 until 1 December 1931, after which, it only ran only when needed until the late 1930s.
The first locomotive on the C&I was a Baldwin Steam Locomotive #3 which was subsequently sold in January 1930. The C&I became the "richest railroad in the country", generating the most revenue per mile of track, during the 1930s and 1940s. All this, however, was to change as a result of the declining use of coal for heating homes in preference for electricity. By 1962, there were only four mines left on the line, spelling the apparent demise of the C&I.
Fortunately, business picked up when Bethlehem, a subsidiary of BethEnergy, opened Mine 33 near Ebensburg in 1963, and Barnes & Tucker opened a large mine at Stiles in 1965., thus sustaining C&I for another thirty years. However, in the summer of 1994, Bethlehem closed down Mine 33, spelling the apparent demise of the C&I. A year later, C&I sold almost all its trackage as scrap and donated most of its abandoned right-of-way to the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority to become part of the Ghost Town Trail
Ghost Town Trail
The Ghost Town Trail is a rail trail in Western Pennsylvania that stretches from Black Lick, Indiana County, to Ebensburg, Cambria County. Established in 1991 on the right-of-way of the former Ebensburg and Black Lick Railroad, the trail follows the Blacklick Creek and passes through many ghost...
for use by bicyclists and walkers. C&I locomotives were dispatched to other Bethlehem subsidiary railroads. In 1998, 9.6 miles of the abandoned C&I railroad was sold to Bethlehem Steel's Cambria and Indiana Railroad.
In 2004, nearly 10 years following the closing of Mine 33 and the end of C&I operations, the International Steel Group
International Steel Group
International Steel Group was a steel company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2004 it was ranked #426 on the Fortune 500. It was created after the turn around fund, WL Ross & Co. LLC, purchased LTV Steel in February 2002...
(ISG) of Cleveland reported plans to reopen Mine 33 to produce coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
primarily for steel-making by 2006, and also to generate electricity. This development was shelved in late 2006 due to economic conditions.