I saw this in the Pottstown news paper today.
Len.
Douglass rail line could be abandoned
By Matthew Reichl, Special to The Mercury
DOUGLASS (BERKS) -- An 8.6-mile line of rail in the township could be abandoned by its owner which would negatively affect a local employer.
Berks County Commissioner Mark Scott addressed the proposal to abandon the railroad at last Thursday's meeting.
"It seems ironic to me that at a time when railroads corroborate a four-to-one fuel advantage over trucking that people would be scrapping any railroads, whatsoever," Scott said. "Once this line is torn up, it will never be replaced."
The line, built in 1868, was auctioned off by the state of Pennsylvania at the beginning of this century. The state had previously spent "millions of dollars" in upgrades for the line in 1992, according to Scott, when he was a Douglass Township supervisor.
"The county bought the line for $150,500," Scott said. "We had signed an operation's agreement with an operator presently with the company, John Nolan."
Nolan was awarded the bid for the line at $170,000.
At that time, Scott suggested while agreeing to sell the railroad line to Nolan, an amendment should be made for reversion of the line to county ownership if it was resold for purposes non-railroad related. He added that a block of the line runs through Boyertown, which the borough would like to acquire to be used as parking.
Scott said there had been some discussion by Montgomery County to turn much of the Montgomery and Berks sections into a hiking trail after the line becomes officially abandoned.
The hiking trail plan was met with opposition, Scott said, from people with properties overlapping the planned trail.
Additionally, the abandonment plan was met with opposition from Boyertown company Drug Plastics & Glass Co., Inc.
The line has a 40-plus year history of delivering resin to the company, according to cspokesman Rick Hoffmann.
Drug Plastics produces moldings from the resin delivered by the railroad.
Hoffmann said the company has started looking for alternatives to the line spur since they were notified of the intention to abandon last July.
"When we've used something for that long, it's the most economical for bringing the materials in," said Hoffmann. "We have to protect our peoples' jobs."
Len.
Douglass rail line could be abandoned
By Matthew Reichl, Special to The Mercury
DOUGLASS (BERKS) -- An 8.6-mile line of rail in the township could be abandoned by its owner which would negatively affect a local employer.
Berks County Commissioner Mark Scott addressed the proposal to abandon the railroad at last Thursday's meeting.
"It seems ironic to me that at a time when railroads corroborate a four-to-one fuel advantage over trucking that people would be scrapping any railroads, whatsoever," Scott said. "Once this line is torn up, it will never be replaced."
The line, built in 1868, was auctioned off by the state of Pennsylvania at the beginning of this century. The state had previously spent "millions of dollars" in upgrades for the line in 1992, according to Scott, when he was a Douglass Township supervisor.
"The county bought the line for $150,500," Scott said. "We had signed an operation's agreement with an operator presently with the company, John Nolan."
Nolan was awarded the bid for the line at $170,000.
At that time, Scott suggested while agreeing to sell the railroad line to Nolan, an amendment should be made for reversion of the line to county ownership if it was resold for purposes non-railroad related. He added that a block of the line runs through Boyertown, which the borough would like to acquire to be used as parking.
Scott said there had been some discussion by Montgomery County to turn much of the Montgomery and Berks sections into a hiking trail after the line becomes officially abandoned.
The hiking trail plan was met with opposition, Scott said, from people with properties overlapping the planned trail.
Additionally, the abandonment plan was met with opposition from Boyertown company Drug Plastics & Glass Co., Inc.
The line has a 40-plus year history of delivering resin to the company, according to cspokesman Rick Hoffmann.
Drug Plastics produces moldings from the resin delivered by the railroad.
Hoffmann said the company has started looking for alternatives to the line spur since they were notified of the intention to abandon last July.
"When we've used something for that long, it's the most economical for bringing the materials in," said Hoffmann. "We have to protect our peoples' jobs."
