Beech Creek Extension Railroad Co. - 1902 dated Pennsylvania Railway Stock Certificate

Stock printed by Goes. Certificate note glued to front of stock. The Beech Creek Railroad was a now-defunct railway that functioned in central Pennsylvania, connecting Jersey Shore and Mahaffey. It was initially chartered in 1882 and subsequently leased to the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, which later became known as the New York Central Railroad, in 1890. Following this lease, the railroad was operated directly by the New York Central. Although a significant portion of the line was abandoned during the latter half of the 20th century, some segments at both ends remain operational. The railroad was originally established as the Susquehanna and South Western Railroad on August 12, 1882. The charter for this company outlined plans for a 100-mile (160 km) route from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to the southern boundary of Clearfield County.

The initiative for this line was supported by the New York Central Railroad as part of a broader strategy to secure access to bituminous coal reserves. Since the New York Central did not extend into the coalfields, it faced vulnerabilities from both coal operators and competitors like the Pennsylvania Railroad, which transported the coal. Coal operators in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, many of whom already utilized the New York Central through the Fall Brook Coal Company's rail system, encountered significant labor issues and the looming depletion of their mines. In response to these challenges, William H. Vanderbilt, the president of the New York Central, devised a strategy to penetrate the Clearfield Coalfield, which had previously been dominated by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Vanderbilts aimed to finance a consortium of Tioga coal operators and Clearfield businessmen, organized as the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Company, to acquire coal lands discreetly. The Fall Brook's rail network, which extended down Pine Creek via a fictitious railroad known as the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway, would facilitate the New York Central's trains reaching Jersey Shore, located on the West Branch Susquehanna River to the west of Williamsport.

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