A. Branches Abandoned in Place with Lease or Sale Agreements Pending with P.C.R.R.

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1 PREVIOUSLY ABANDONED RAILROAD BRANCHES WITH COAL TRAFFIC POTENTIAL A. Branches Abandoned in Place with Lease or Sale Agreements Pending with P.C.R.R. 1. USRA # 222, South Fork Branch at Ashtola,.3 mile, Somerset County The M.H. Bigen Coal Co. recently purchased the Windber High Fusing coal Tipple at the end of this line and has a current lease with the P. C. Transportation Co. for the.3 mile track serving the facility. Mr. Bigen 1 s active strip mine two miles away is producing ,000 tons a year. Though the coal is now trucked about 15 miles, he. plans to rehabilitate this track and ship his total production from here within two years. Lasky Construction has a similar sized strip operation adjacent to Bigen's and plans to eventually utilize the facility as well. Reserves tributary to these operations total 58 million tons of recoverable coal. 2. USRA # 273, Wynn Branch, Dimeling to Wynn, 2.5 miles, Clearfield County The P. C. Coal Office recently tried to locate two operators on this branch with a total annual rail shipment potential of over 7,000 carloads. Lease agreements were delayed because the companies were asked to rehabilitate 10 miles of running track from Dimeling to Clearfield Junction, and the cost in excess of $700,000 was too prohibitive at the time. The USRA has included rehabilitation of this 10 mile stretch in their repair schedule, and one of the companies, Swistock and George, is still interested in locating here to fully exploit their 3.5 million ton expanding reserve base.

2 3. USRA # 311/318, Saltsburg Industrial and Saltsburg end of the Turtle Creek Branch, 6.1 miles, Indiana and Westmoreland Counties The Rochester and Pittsburgh Coal Co. recently developed a 50 million ton block of deep coal reserves tributary to these connecting rail spurs. They are awaiting plans of a major utility company which has» voiced interest in dedicating this coal field to a new generating station. The tracks are necessary to transport the expected 2 million tons of annual coal shipments from two proposed deep mines to market. Coal shipments would not begin for at least 3 years, and perhaps longer if the utility's plans are delayed. The R.R. has offered to lease or sell the branches, but the Coal Co. is reluctant to absorb excess carrying costs so soon before actual coal shipments would begin. 4. USRA # 320/321/322/323/328, Sewickley Branch from Youngwood to Trauger and the connecting Bessemer, Margeurite, Mammoth, and Boyer Run Branches, 13.5 miles, Westmoreland County» The Old Home Manor Coal Co. has a temporary lease on these branches. They plan to build a cleaning plant and develop a million ton a year strip coal operation. Because they have not yet made track improvements, the R.R. is considering revoking the lease. The Coal Co. controls over 100 million tons in abandoned deep mines tributary to these branches and is awaiting plans of a major utility company interested in dedicating this coal field to a proposed generating station. The coal is still being marketed and mining is expected to begin within two years. Other area shippers, including a steel fabricating company, have voiced concern that they may be denied service on these lines if they were given to one company as industrial lead tracks.

3 5. USRA # 330, Hunter Run Branch at Wyano, 2.0 miles, Westmoreland County The Ringgold Coal Co. has a temporary lease from the P.C.R.R. on this branch to service an active cleaning plant and their own proposed strip mine operations nearby. They expect to spend $25,000 to rehabilitate the track within a year and ship ,000 tons of coal annually from their 4 million ton expanding reserve base. 6. USRA # 327, Yellow Creek Branch, Homer City to Terminus, 4 miles, Indiana County Three coal companies with 69 million tons of combined deep and strip coal reserves have requested service recently on this branch. One of them, Old Home Manner Coal Co., has negotiated to lease or buy the branch from the P.C., but they have delayed plans because the connecting Indiana Branch has been slated for abandonment. They have also negotiated with the proposed Blairsville and Indiana R. R. and the nearby Chessie System. Old Home Manor has applied for mining permits, ordered machinery, and has plans to dedicate a 50 million ton reserve field to a major utility company. They would ship 500,000 tons a year by rail within two years. 7. USRA # 341/342, Cokeburg and Ontario Branches, 2.3 miles, Washington County Three operators have requested leases from the P.C. to develop fast loading tipple sites here, and an agreement has been delayed due to quarrelling among them and pending marketing arrangements for the lower quality coal in the area. Langenfelder Co., one of them, has spoken further to the R.R., has mining permits pending nearby, and does not yet have rail access for their proposed 300,000-ton - a-year operation. They control 10 million tons of reserves and plan to begin production within two years.

4 8. USRA # 345/345a Westland Branch, Houston to Westland; 1.8 miles out of service miles previously abandoned = 3.8 miles excluded from Conrail, Washington County This line was abandoned by the P. C. in agreement with the Consolidated Coal Co. that it would be reserved solely for their new Westland Mine and Cleaning Plant. The abandonment proceeding was a technique to avoid serving smaller shippers and to bank the line for future voluminous coal traffic. Ringgold Coal Co. recently was refused their request to develop a 2-500,000 a year strip loading tipple here because they would have to lease the track to use it, and the R. R. feels this would interfere with Consolidation's plans. Consolidation Coal Co.'s transport plans for the new Westland Mine are not yet finalized, but they do feel another shipper could locate here. They have 80 million tons of deep coal in reserves, and plan to ship 2.5 million tons a year when the mines are fully developed. Mining could begin in 3 to 5 years, depending on increased coal consumption and available investment capital. 9. USRA # 347/348a Cherry Valley Branch, Burgettstown to Cherry Valley, 1.3 miles out of service miles previously abandoned = 4 miles excluded from Conrail, Washington County The Eugene Petricca Coal Co. requested to buy this line from the P.C., but to date he has not been made an offer. He is expanding his operation just west of Cherry Valley and plans to ship ,000 tons annually by rail within two years. He has access to 6 million tons of strip coal nearby. An adjacent block of at least 10 million tons of deep coal is presently being marketed by Penowa Coal Co. and could foster another operation on this line. Since there are two potential coal operators with plans to ship by rail within two years, the lines should be retained by the operating railroad.

5 10. USRA # 219, Martin Branch, Portage to Terminus, 2.9 miles, Cambria County The AssociatedContracting Cc. was forced to buy this line from a scrapper at an inflated cost in order to preserve rail access to their adjacent Harmony Mine. Penn Central had sold this track for removal just as Associated Contracting began developing their 10 million tons of deep coal reserves. Associated is committed to spend $1.. 2 million to reopen the mine and rehabilitate the track, and they have spent 1/3 of this money so far without any promise of rail service. Their expected annual rail shipments of 500,000 tons would be quite profitable to the R.R., but the P.C. Operations Department has refused service because of the line's grade. The Coal Co. would prefer to sell the track back to P.C. or Conrail and not be involved in the rail business themselves. 11. USRA # 164, Schuman Run Branch, East Vintondale to Terminus,.4 miles, Cambria County The Ace Drilling Co. is completing a sales agreement with the R.R. now in order to extend this track and develop it into a unit-train loading facility for their extensive reserves of 40 million tons plus 5,000 acres. From their strip mines in the area, they will be shipping 240,000 tons of coal by rail annually. Another coal operator now reclaiming refuse piles nearby wants to expand his operation and ship 100,000 tons a year by this rail spur. Arrangements to accommodate both shippers could not be made if the line remained a private industrial spur, so Conrail should also obtain title to this branch.

6 ABANDONED RAILROAD COAL BRANCHES PENDING LEASE OR SALE USRA # Branch Name # miles Annual Carloads Anticipated Reserves T (tons) A (acres) 167 South Fork Branch 0.3 9, M.T.* 151 Wynn Branch, Dimeling to Wynn 2.5 5, M.T. 311/318 Saltsburg & Turtle Creek, at Saltsburg , M.T, 32O/32I/322/ Youngwood Branches, 323/328 to Trauger , M.T. 330 Hunter Run at Wyano 2.0 7, M.T. 327 Yellow Creek Branch, Homer City to end 4.0 9, M.T. 341/342 Cokeburg- & Ontario Branches 2.3 4, M.T. 345/345a West land Branch 2V 6 35, M.T. 347/348a Cherry Valley 2.7 1, M.T. 219 Martin Branch at Portage 2.9 7, M.T. 223 Schuman Run at,e. Vintondale 0.4 4,857 22,300 A Total: 39,9 127, M.T, 22,300 A * Million Tons

7 B. Branches Abandoned in Place; Candidates for Coal Branch Land Banking 1. USRA # 188, Scott Branch, Bradey to Terminus, 1.9 miles, Northumberland County Kerris and Helfrich Inc. are rebuilding their Mayfield pre-cleaning plant at the end of this line and will demand rail service within the next five years to ship semi-cleaned anthracite to their Glen Burn colliery at Shamokin. There are sizable reserves of strip and culm bank anthracite near the Mayfield plant which are now being mined. 2. USRA # 271, Philipsburg Branch, Philipsburg to Hawk Run, 1.4 miles, Clearfield County There are 26.5 million tons of coal reserves in three land holdings tributary to this branch. The Stott Coal Co. controls 20 million of these tons and is now shipping on the adjacent Ophir Branch. They are developing unit-train capacity to serve a major utility company and are expanding rail shipments to 1,300 carloads a year. Optimum through routing of Stott's coal and that of other potential operators would be via Philipsburg rather than the present route via Munson due to the heavier rail here and the shorter long haul to market. There is also a proposed industrial park requiring rail service along this line which would more properly utilize a Pennsylvania state water purification plant at Hawk Run. 3. USRA # 289, Canoe Creek Branch, B&O Francis Branch at Rossiter to Terminus, 1.4 miles, Jefferson and Indiana Counties Large strip coal holdings are dependent on this line for transport access, including 37.5 million tons owned by Paul V. Last. They have become economically recoverable within the last two years, and are available for development pending consumer demand.

8 4. USRA # 291, Creson Branch, Mundorf to Fordham, 1.7 miles, Jefferson County The Light Brothers Coal Company has. a. mine at Fordham with 4 million tons of mineable coal. A small stripper is mining and shipping scattered cars at Mundorf now, but re-opening of the mine depends on the reactivation of this rail spur. 5. USRA # 290, Elk Run Branch, Punxsutawney to Anita, 5.0 miles, Jefferson County There are substantial deep coal reserves within 8 miles of Anita and considerable remaining strip coal reserves in several abandoned mines. The P.C. Coal Department had reserved this line for future coal traffic for several years, but there hasn't been any demand for service recently, and a timber tressel here would demand extensive repair before the line could be used. This line is the sole rail access to this mountainous area since the B&O removed their parallel line. % 6. USRA # 292, Hastings Branch, Garway to Hastings, 4.9 miles,*cambria County Two active coal companies have interest in large coal reserves in a hollow between this line and the Chest Creek. Potential tipple sites lie just north of this segment and in the middle and bottom end of this line. North Cambria Fuel controls 5,000 acres of coal and expects to ship 500,000 tons annually by rail within 5 years. Hepburnia Coal Company controls 500 acres of Clearfield Bituminous Coal's several thousand acre reserve field in this hollow at St. Bonface, and expects to ship at least 250,000 tons annually. Another 5,500 acres of available strip lands nearby are controlled by Barnes and Tucker Coal Company and Munster-Summerhill Coal Company.

9 7. USRA # 306, Alexandria Branch, Donohoe north to New Alexandria, 7.9 miles, Westmoreland County Two large coal companies and several independent operators are developing coal holdings in this area consisting of undeveloped deeper veins of coal and remaining reserves in abandoned mines and refuse banks. One set of 2,000 acres of reserves could generate 500,000 tons annually, and another.potential coal field of 25,000 acres could produce 1 million tons annually to be shipped by rail within a ten year period. 8. USRA # 307, Jamison Branch, Crabtree to Terminus, 1.5 miles, Westmoreland County Consolidation Coal Company controls 5,000 acres of undeveloped deep veins of coal here that are expandable to a field of 25-30,000 acres producing 1 million tons of rail coal annually within years. Watson Coal Company controls 1.5 million tons of refuse bank coal west of Crabtree, and is studying the development of a rail oriented cleaning plant here in the near future. 9. USRA # 319, Schenley Branch, Leechburg to Terminus, 2.1 miles, Armstrong County There are 1,369 acres of deep mine coal which could possibly be mined via the old Leechburg Mine-head at the end of this line. Present mining firms in this area have alternative rail access now, and the mining of this coal is marginal at this time.

10 10. USRA # 348, Langloth Branch, Langloth to Studa, 6.1 miles, Washington County Bologna Coal Company leases the first mile of this branch, shipped 2,025 carloads of coal in 1974, and will be expanding to 5,200 carloads by They have an expanding reserve base of 1 million tons. USRA has guaranteed them service, but this segment should be acquired by Conrail so that it can be part of a future running track instead of just an industrial spur. There are over 33 million tons and 6,717 acres of deep and strip coal reserves tributary to the Cedar Grove mine-head at Studa. Coal owners include the P.C.R.R.'s subsidiary Manor Real Estate and Mr. A. J. Cindrich. The reserves at Cedar Grove are being marketed to an industrial consumer and have potential to generate up to 500,000 tons of coal by rail annually. 11. USRA # 282a, Moshannon Branch, Madera to Belsina Mills, 2.6 miles, Clearfield County This section has been retained by P.C. Clearfield District operating personnel to utilize as a connecting track between the Madera and Moshannon Branches to complete the formation of the "Clearfield Loop." The piece of track belonged to the old Pennsylvania Railroad, and it contains heavier rail and stronger bridges than the parallel N.Y.C. Madera Branch segment. There is also an industrial site here suitable for locating a sizable cleaning plant, and a large utility company is studying this potential now. The Clearfield Loop plan would bring coal down river at grade from Smoke Run to Madera and then to Clearfield, allowing optimum operating conditions for present coal shippers, and allowing several new ones to complete pending-plans. The USRA has accepted the Clearfield Loop plan as part of Conrail, but they have not yet recognized this track as part of the concept.

11 12. USRA # 332/329, Yukon Branch Hutchinson's Mines to Cowansburg, and the Hempfield Branch, Cowansburg to Gratztown, 4.5 miles, Westmoreland County Though the rails have been lifted, the rights-of-way are owned in fee by the Penn Central Transportation Company. These tracks lead into the Connellsville Basin with several billion tons of undeveloped viens of deep coal which could be reached by a deep mine nearby. 13. USRA # 922, Herndon Branch, Treverton to Dunkelbergers, Reading Railroad, 3.6 miles, Northumberland County. The Steinhart Coal Co. controls 600 acres of strip reserves and another 2000,000 tons of refuse coal near their cleaning plant at Dunkelbergers. Since the 1972 flood, the railroad has refused to service them, and has even received I.C.C. approval to remove the spur to their plant. The plant cannot reach its potential without direct rail access, as 12,000 tons a year had gone by rail, and could increase if service were restored, The USRA has acknowledged that this track is still in place but they have not included it in their list of recent abandonments.

12 BRANCHES ABANDONED IN PLACE; CANDIDATES FOR COAL BRANCH LAND BANKING USRA # Branch Name # miles Annual Carloads Projected Reserves T (tons) A (acres) "i :<«2a 332/ Scott Branch Philipsburg Branch Canoe Creek Branch Cresson Branch Elk Run Branch Hastings Branch Alexandria Branch Jamison Branch Schenley Branch Langloth Branch Moshannon Branch Yukon and Hempfield Herndon Branch past M.T.* M.T M.T ,714 11,000.0 A ,429 2,000.0 A , M.T ,369.0 A , M.T. 2.6 Branches 4.5 Treverton M.T A. Total: , M.T, 21,686.0 A. * Million Tons