Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad

Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad
Company type	Subsidiary (from 1928)
Industry	Railroad
Founded	1888
Founder	David Jewett Waller
Defunct	1972
Fate	Became subsidiary of Reading Company in 1928; shut down in 1972
Headquarters	Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States
Key people	James Corcoran, Thomas Wheeler, Charles R. Buckalew (president from 1886)
Products	Freight and passenger rail transport
Number of employees	150 (1915)

The Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad, founded in 1888, operated as an independent shortline railroad within Columbia County, Pennsylvania until 1928. At that time, it became a subsidiary of the Reading Company, which managed the line until its shutdown in 1972. The railroad extended over 29 miles, running from south of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania through the town itself to Jamison City, Pennsylvania, and included 4.45 miles of yard trackage. Around the early 1900s, it was one of five railroads serving the Bloomsburg area.

Based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, leadership was under James Corcoran and Thomas Wheeler. By 1917, the railroad's assets comprised five locomotives and seven railcars. The Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad primarily focused on transporting freight regionally, supporting local industries and enhancing market access throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.

History

During the 1870s and early 1880s, The Columbian, Bloomsburg’s local newspaper, advocated for a rail line to connect Bloomsburg with Sullivan County, emphasizing the area's timber, coal, and iron ore resources. David Jewett Waller, the company’s founder, was instrumental in initiating this railroad project. A meeting held in Benton in August 1883 led to the official chartering of the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad in November of that year. The right-of-way acquisition was handled by H.J. Connor and Silas McHenry.

In 1886, Charles R. Buckalew assumed the presidency. Track construction near Orangeville and Bloomsburg occurred between 1886 and 1887, reaching Benton within that same period. John Bush oversaw construction efforts with a crew of roughly fifty Italian laborers, advancing at an average pace of about three-quarters of a mile daily. The railroad was completed and commenced operations on November 30, 1888. Although surveys were conducted for an extension north to Bernice to connect with the Lehigh Valley Railroad, these plans were never realized.

The first freight shipment took place in June 1887, followed by passenger service initiation in September that year. By November 1888, lumber shipments from Jamison City to destinations along the U.S. East Coast became routine. By 1915, six passenger trains ran daily alongside several freight services; however, traffic volumes had been more substantial in earlier years.

A significant event occurred during the 1904 Susquehanna Valley flood when the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad remained operational while others ceased service. Nevertheless, decline set in after the closure of a sawmill in Jamison City in 1912 and worsened following a tannery shutdown in 1925. Service beyond Benton was discontinued, and tracks within Jamison City were dismantled by 1925 due to diminishing lumber and tanning industry activity.

Following bankruptcy in 1928, control passed to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. Passenger service to Benton ended by 1930, with the final major passenger train running in 1934. Flood damage in 1969 caused freight operations to cease and led to track removal between Lightstreet and Benton. Tracks within Bloomsburg were taken up in 1971 during street repaving efforts; however, service between Bloomsburg and Lightstreet continued until Hurricane Agnes struck in 1972.

Financial information

Funding for the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad primarily came from Philadelphia-based bankers and lawyers, with Benton K. Jamison as a prominent investor. Construction costs totaled roughly $500,000. By 1917, stock capital stood at $600,000. Net earnings fell from $40,004 in 1910 to $31,936 by 1915. Although never highly lucrative, the railroad played a crucial role in developing Fishing Creek valley and Jamison City between 1888 and 1892.

Initially enjoying a monopoly on transportation to upper Fishing Creek valley, competition arose after a road to Benton was built in 1892. By 1915, the railroad employed around 150 workers and operated six daily passenger trains alongside freight services. However, closures of local sawmills combined with increased truck usage mid-20th century contributed significantly to its eventual decline.

Route

The southern endpoint of the railroad was located in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, where it connected with both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company. From there, the line traced the west side of the Susquehanna River until reaching Fishing Creek. It then advanced northward through Rupert, running alongside Fishing Creek through Bloomsburg and continuing on to Lightstreet and Orangeville. Beyond Orangeville, the route crossed Fishing Creek near Pennsylvania Route 487, passed through Zaners adjacent to conserved land, and proceeded north through Stillwater and Benton before terminating at Jamison City on West Branch Fishing Creek.

A branch line split off heading northwest at Central, Pennsylvania, while additional smaller branches appeared in the northern segments according to maps from 1947.

Stations and intersections

Stations operated by the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad included Bloomsburg, Lightstreet, Orangeville, Forks, Stillwater, and Jamison City in Pennsylvania. At its southern terminus, it linked with both the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Railroad. Other points of intersection featured the Susquehanna, Bloomsburg, and Berwick Railroad in Scott Township, as well as the Lackawanna and Reading Railroad within Bloomsburg.

In Benton, separate facilities for passenger and freight services existed on Market Street under the name Benton Station. Although track segments extending to Jamison City were dismantled during the 1920s, the former station building there remained intact as of 2021. Laubach Station also served as a notable stop along the line.

Uses

The railroad’s primary freight consisted of timber and agricultural goods but also offered passenger transport. Shipments included lumber, leather produced in Jamison City, rock lime, animal hides destined for a local tannery, paper from two mills situated along the route, and mining products from Forks. Moreover, it provided convenient access to events at the Bloomsburg Fair.

External links

Map of the Bloomsburg and Sullivan Railroad