Union County Industrial Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Union County Industrial Railroad is a short line railroad that operates on approximately 12 miles (20 km) of track in Union County
in the U.S. State
of Pennsylvania
. It is part of the North Shore Railroad System
.
The line is along the right bank of the West Branch Susquehanna River
, roughly following U.S. Route 15
between the unincorporated
village of Winfield
in southern Union County and the village of New Columbia (in White Deer Township
) in northern Union County. Other communities served by the UCIR include Lewisburg
, the village of West Milton (in Kelly Township
), and Milton
(east across the West Branch Susquehanna River
in Northumberland County
).
Although the UCIR has no employees and owns none of the track on which it operates, its corporate offices are located in Northumberland, Pennsylvania
. There is a connection to the Norfolk Southern Railway
line at Milton (as well as an indirect connection to Canadian Pacific Railway
service at Sunbury
).
Robey Railroads, a private company, operates the Union County Industrial Railroad. The Union County Industrial Railroad has no employees, instead they are provided by the North Shore Railroad. This led the Railroad Retirement Board
to find that "the Union County Industrial Railroad is not an employer subject to the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts."
The North Shore Railroad System has trackage rights
via the Norfolk Southern line. These allow the Union County Industrial Railroad to connect to the north and west with the Lycoming Valley Railroad (at Muncy
and Linden
), the Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad (at Lock Haven
) and, to the south, with the North Shore Railroad (at Northumberland) and the Shamokin Valley Railroad (at Sunbury).
All of the lines in Union County passed into the possession of Conrail
, and were eventually abandoned or sold by it or its successors. Although the UCIR has a contract to operate on these lines between Winfield and Allenwood, and West Milton and Milton, as of 2008, the line from New Columbia north to Allenwood is out of service on account of bad track.
The UCIR formerly operated the West Shore Railroad (reporting mark
WTSE) from Lewisburg to Mifflinburg, but service ended in 1997 and the 11.8 miles (19 km) line was sold to become a rail trail
in 2008.
As of 2006, ownership of the lines in Union County is as follows:
The north-south former "Reading Williamsport Line" along the river is divided into four sections with three owners:
Union County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 41,624 people, 13,178 households, and 9,211 families residing in the county. The population density was 131 people per square mile . There were 14,684 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
in the U.S. State
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. It is part of the North Shore Railroad System
North Shore Railroad System
The North Shore Railroad System includes the following short lines:*Juniata Valley Railroad **Lycoming Valley Railroad **Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad **North Shore Railroad **Shamokin Valley Railroad *...
.
The line is along the right bank of the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
, roughly following U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15 is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Carolina to Interstate 86 and NY 17 in Painted Post, New York.US...
between the unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
village of Winfield
Winfield, Pennsylvania
Winfield is an unincorporated community in southeastern Union County, Pennsylvania, United States.-Geography:Winfield is located in Union Township south of Lewisburg along the West Branch Susquehanna River.-Notable residents:...
in southern Union County and the village of New Columbia (in White Deer Township
White Deer Township, Pennsylvania
White Deer Township is a township in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,273 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 46.6 square miles , of which, 46.5 square miles of it is land and...
) in northern Union County. Other communities served by the UCIR include Lewisburg
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
, the village of West Milton (in Kelly Township
Kelly Township, Pennsylvania
Kelly Township is a township in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,502 at the 2000 census. The United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg is located in Kelly Township, and not in the nearby Borough of Lewisburg, whose post office serves the township.-Geography:According to...
), and Milton
Milton, Pennsylvania
Milton is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, north of Harrisburg. Settled in 1770, it was incorporated in 1817, and is governed by a charter that was revised in 1890...
(east across the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
in Northumberland County
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
).
Although the UCIR has no employees and owns none of the track on which it operates, its corporate offices are located in Northumberland, Pennsylvania
Northumberland, Pennsylvania
Northumberland is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,714 at the 2000 census.-History:Northumberland was founded in 1772. The land that became Northumberland was purchased from the Iroquois in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, and the...
. There is a connection to the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
line at Milton (as well as an indirect connection to Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
service at Sunbury
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
).
Robey Railroads, a private company, operates the Union County Industrial Railroad. The Union County Industrial Railroad has no employees, instead they are provided by the North Shore Railroad. This led the Railroad Retirement Board
Railroad Retirement Board
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board is an independent agency in the executive branch of the United States government created in 1935 to administer a social insurance program providing retirement benefits to the country's railroad workers....
to find that "the Union County Industrial Railroad is not an employer subject to the Railroad Retirement and Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts."
The North Shore Railroad System has trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
via the Norfolk Southern line. These allow the Union County Industrial Railroad to connect to the north and west with the Lycoming Valley Railroad (at Muncy
Muncy, Pennsylvania
For other places named 'Muncy', please see Muncy .Muncy is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The name Muncy comes from the Munsee Indians who once lived in the area. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania...
and Linden
Woodward Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
Woodward Township is a township in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 2,397 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
), the Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad (at Lock Haven
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
The city of Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the...
) and, to the south, with the North Shore Railroad (at Northumberland) and the Shamokin Valley Railroad (at Sunbury).
Union County rail lines
There are basically two rail lines in Union County (although they have five different owners as of 2006):- the former "ReadingReading CompanyThe Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
WilliamsportWilliamsport, PennsylvaniaWilliamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
Line" from Winfield to Allenwood (north-south along the river); - the former "Reading CatawissaCatawissa, PennsylvaniaCatawissa is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,589 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bloomsburg–Berwick Micropolitan Statistical Area....
Branch" from West Milton east to Milton (east-west crossing the river);
All of the lines in Union County passed into the possession of Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
, and were eventually abandoned or sold by it or its successors. Although the UCIR has a contract to operate on these lines between Winfield and Allenwood, and West Milton and Milton, as of 2008, the line from New Columbia north to Allenwood is out of service on account of bad track.
The UCIR formerly operated the West Shore Railroad (reporting mark
Reporting mark
A reporting mark is a two-, three-, or four-letter alphabetic code used to identify owners or lessees of rolling stock and other equipment used on the North American railroad network. The marks are stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with a one-to-six-digit number, which together uniquely...
WTSE) from Lewisburg to Mifflinburg, but service ended in 1997 and the 11.8 miles (19 km) line was sold to become a rail trail
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
in 2008.
As of 2006, ownership of the lines in Union County is as follows:
The north-south former "Reading Williamsport Line" along the river is divided into four sections with three owners:
- The "Lewisburg and Buffalo Creek Railroad" (LBCX) owns the track from Winfield north to West Milton. It is a non-operating railroad, although a tourist service operated on this track until the mid-1990s. As of 2006, this track is used by the UCIR for freight services.
- The "West Shore Railroad Corporation" (WSRC) owns the track from Milton, through West Milton north to New Columbia, terminating just north of Interstate 80. This track is also used by the UCIR.
- The "White Deer and Reading Railroad" (WDRR, owned by SEDA-COG JRA) owns the track from just north of Interstate 80 north to the village of White Deer (across the river from WatsontownWatsontown, PennsylvaniaWatsontown is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,255 at the 2000 census. It was named for John Watson, a local landowner.-Geography:Watsontown is located at ....
). The local NRHSNational Railway Historical SocietyThe National Railway Historical Society is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for, the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and organized into 16 regions and...
chapter also runs short excursions over this track. - The "Union County Industrial Development Corporation" owns the out-of-service track north of Allenwood, (and perhaps further north to the county line).
See also
- List of Pennsylvania railroads
- Stourbridge RailroadStourbridge RailroadThe Stourbridge Railroad is a shortline railroad that operates a route between Honesdale and the village of Lackawaxen in Lackawaxen Township . It was owned for many years by the Lackawaxen-Honesdale Shippers Association and operated under contract by Robey Railroads...
(also operated by Robey Railroads)