Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Ebensburg and Eastern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Ebensburg and Eastern Railroad was a railroad corporation in Pennsylvania
, intended to unite two local short lines in Clearfield
, Blair
and Cambria
Counties and create a coal-hauling railroad to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad
(PRR). Highly speculative, the railroad never had the financing necessary to begin construction. Chartered in 1897, it began to lose control of the two short lines in 1900, but continued to litigate the matter until 1909. Left a paper corporation without railroad property, it was dissolved a few years later.
at Johnstown
and the Altoona and Philipsburg Connecting Railroad (A&PC) at Ramey
. The line would climb north from Johnstown along Hinkston Run to Ebensburg
, and turn east to cut across the drainages to Loretto
. From there, it would follow the PRR's Cresson and Irvona Branch, connecting with the Altoona and Beech Creek Railroad
(A&BC) at Dean
before turning away to cross the Pennsylvania and Northwestern Railroad at Utahville and descending to Ramey. It obtained a lease of the A&PC on October 20, 1897.
The principal figure behind the line was Samuel P. Langdon, a mine owner in the Clearfield Coalfield
. Rail shipments from the coalfield were almost entirely controlled by the PRR, and Langdon had already chartered and built the A&PC and engaged in a court battle for control of the A&BC. The PJE&E represented an extension of Langdon's original plan to connect the two railroads, giving Altoona and the southern Clearfield Coalfield an alternative outlet to the PRR, via the Beech Creek Railroad
(New York Central) at Philipsburg
. Langdon's earlier battle for control of the A&BC (then known as the Altoona, Clearfield & Northern) had ended in failure when a group of stockholders he had contracted with failed to deliver a controlling interest in the railroad. In the aftermath, he brought suit against the group, who subsequently gained control of the AC&N after it was foreclosed and reorganized as the A&BC. To settle the lawsuit, they leased the A&BC to the PJE&E on highly favorable terms.
engines for the A&BC in 1901. In the meantime, the lease of the A&BC was annulled by the Court of Common Pleas of Blair County in 1900, due to Langdon's failure to complete the PJE&E. The latter company appealed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
, and obtained an extension until January 1, 1902, to complete its railroad and retain the lease. It did not succeed in doing any new construction, and the Blair County sheriff ejected the PJE&E's officers from the A&BC at the end of 1901.
The PJE&E did continue to operate the A&PC from Phillipsburg to Ramey. On August 1, 1903, the PJE&E was sold to the New York and Pittsburg Central Railroad, an unincorporated railroad run by Langdon. However, suit was brought against the company by the A&PC bondholders, including W.L. Shellenberger, president of the A&BC and head of the stockholders whom Langdon had sued. They sought to have the A&PC placed in receivership
, terminating the PJE&E operation. Legal skirmishing continued for the next several years, during which Langdon sold off two of the A&PC's new engines. The case was finally settled in 1906, when the court ordered the A&PC to be sold on April 1, 1906 should it default on the first mortgage payments, as it inevitably would.
and probably a relative and agent of Samuel P. As the road was then in the hands of a court-appointed receiver, the NY&PAL's ability to carry out this transaction was highly suspect. It did briefly operate the A&PC, which in the meantime was sold to David L. Krebs, for the bondholders; the sheriff of Clearfield County turned the railroad over to him on September 27, and it was reorganized as the Philipsburg Railroad the next year. Litigation by the NY&PAL to regain control continued, unsuccessfully, until 1909. The PJE&E, which had managed to get a number of the A&PC's gondola cars returned to Langdon's Oak Ridge Coal Co. rather than to the A&PC, remained in existence as a paper railroad and was foreclosed on April 12, 1909. It was reorganized as the Philipsburg and Johnstown Railroad on September 14, 1909, and was listed as defunct by the Public Utilities Commission in 1911–1912.
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...
, intended to unite two local short lines in Clearfield
Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
Clearfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 81,642.Clearfield County was created on March 26, 1804, from parts of Huntingdon and Lycoming Counties but was administered as part of Centre County until 1812...
, Blair
Blair County, Pennsylvania
-Significant Topographic Features:*Brush Mountain*Logan Valley*Morrison Cove*Tussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061...
and 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....
Counties and create a coal-hauling railroad to compete with the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR). Highly speculative, the railroad never had the financing necessary to begin construction. Chartered in 1897, it began to lose control of the two short lines in 1900, but continued to litigate the matter until 1909. Left a paper corporation without railroad property, it was dissolved a few years later.
Charter and origins
The company was chartered on October 2, 1897, to build a railroad from a connection with the Baltimore and Ohio RailroadBaltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
at Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
and the Altoona and Philipsburg Connecting Railroad (A&PC) at Ramey
Ramey, Pennsylvania
Ramey is a borough in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 525 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ramey is located at ....
. The line would climb north from Johnstown along Hinkston Run to Ebensburg
Ebensburg, Pennsylvania
Ebensburg is a borough located in, and is the seat of, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, west of Altoona and surrounded by Cambria Township. It is situated in the Alleghenies about 2025 feet above sea level. Ebensburg is located in a rich bituminous coal region. In the past, saw mills, tanneries,...
, and turn east to cut across the drainages to Loretto
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is officially part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area as recognized by the US Census Bureau, but local sources list it as part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania area due to its proximity to...
. From there, it would follow the PRR's Cresson and Irvona Branch, connecting with the Altoona and Beech Creek Railroad
Altoona and Beech Creek Railroad
The Altoona and Beech Creek Railroad was a narrow gauge railroad in Blair and Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania which operated during the late 19th and early 20th century. It carried passenger traffic up from the vicinity of Altoona to Wopsononock and coal and timber down from Wopsononock and...
(A&BC) at Dean
Dean, Pennsylvania
Dean is a borough within Dean Township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
before turning away to cross the Pennsylvania and Northwestern Railroad at Utahville and descending to Ramey. It obtained a lease of the A&PC on October 20, 1897.
The principal figure behind the line was Samuel P. Langdon, a mine owner in the Clearfield Coalfield
Clearfield Coalfield
The Clearfield Coalfield is a bituminous coal mining area in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, USA. The coal seams are found in most parts of Clearfield County, with the notable exception of the northern part of the county.-Mining history:...
. Rail shipments from the coalfield were almost entirely controlled by the PRR, and Langdon had already chartered and built the A&PC and engaged in a court battle for control of the A&BC. The PJE&E represented an extension of Langdon's original plan to connect the two railroads, giving Altoona and the southern Clearfield Coalfield an alternative outlet to the PRR, via the Beech Creek Railroad
Beech Creek Railroad
Beech Creek RailroadIn 1890 the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad took out a long term lease of the Beech Creek Railroad yet the Beech Creek maintained independent operations until July 1899...
(New York Central) at Philipsburg
Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
There are three places named Philipsburg in the state of Pennsylvania:*Philipsburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania*Philipsburg, Fayette County, Pennsylvania*Philipsburg, Washington County, PennsylvaniaAlso, Phillipsburg in the state of Pennsylvania:...
. Langdon's earlier battle for control of the A&BC (then known as the Altoona, Clearfield & Northern) had ended in failure when a group of stockholders he had contracted with failed to deliver a controlling interest in the railroad. In the aftermath, he brought suit against the group, who subsequently gained control of the AC&N after it was foreclosed and reorganized as the A&BC. To settle the lawsuit, they leased the A&BC to the PJE&E on highly favorable terms.
Failure
Langdon's plan was speculative in the extreme. Construction south of Loretto would be difficult and the grade steep; nor was the A&BC's steep, twisting line into Altoona particularly suitable for heavy coal traffic. Short on funds, no construction work was done on the PJE&E proper. It did order two narrow gaugeNarrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
engines for the A&BC in 1901. In the meantime, the lease of the A&BC was annulled by the Court of Common Pleas of Blair County in 1900, due to Langdon's failure to complete the PJE&E. The latter company appealed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
, and obtained an extension until January 1, 1902, to complete its railroad and retain the lease. It did not succeed in doing any new construction, and the Blair County sheriff ejected the PJE&E's officers from the A&BC at the end of 1901.
The PJE&E did continue to operate the A&PC from Phillipsburg to Ramey. On August 1, 1903, the PJE&E was sold to the New York and Pittsburg Central Railroad, an unincorporated railroad run by Langdon. However, suit was brought against the company by the A&PC bondholders, including W.L. Shellenberger, president of the A&BC and head of the stockholders whom Langdon had sued. They sought to have the A&PC placed in receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
, terminating the PJE&E operation. Legal skirmishing continued for the next several years, during which Langdon sold off two of the A&PC's new engines. The case was finally settled in 1906, when the court ordered the A&PC to be sold on April 1, 1906 should it default on the first mortgage payments, as it inevitably would.
Legal maneuvers
On April 1, it was announced that the A&PC had been bought by the New York and Pittsburgh Air Line Railroad, which had been organized on March 22, 1906. One of the directors was John Langdon, a mine owner in Huntingdon CountyHuntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,913.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, from part of Bedford County. Its county seat is Huntingdon.-Geography:According to the U.S...
and probably a relative and agent of Samuel P. As the road was then in the hands of a court-appointed receiver, the NY&PAL's ability to carry out this transaction was highly suspect. It did briefly operate the A&PC, which in the meantime was sold to David L. Krebs, for the bondholders; the sheriff of Clearfield County turned the railroad over to him on September 27, and it was reorganized as the Philipsburg Railroad the next year. Litigation by the NY&PAL to regain control continued, unsuccessfully, until 1909. The PJE&E, which had managed to get a number of the A&PC's gondola cars returned to Langdon's Oak Ridge Coal Co. rather than to the A&PC, remained in existence as a paper railroad and was foreclosed on April 12, 1909. It was reorganized as the Philipsburg and Johnstown Railroad on September 14, 1909, and was listed as defunct by the Public Utilities Commission in 1911–1912.