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Mahoning Coal Railroad
The Mahoning Coal Railroad (MCR) was a railroad line in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Incorporated in 1871, it largely linked Youngstown, Ohio, with Andover, Ohio. It had a major branch into Sharon, Pennsylvania, and several small branches and spurs to coal mines and iron works along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The railroad leased itself to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway in 1873. The lease was assumed by the New York Central Railroad in 1914, when that company consolidated with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. The New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to create the Penn Central. Despite abandonment of much track, bankruptcy of the Penn Central in 1970 eventually caused the MCR's dissolution on January 7, 1982.
The Mahoning Coal Railroad Company was incorporated in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania on February 25, 1871, with a capital investment of $70,000 ($1,900,000 in 2025 dollars). The Cleveland-based company received a charter to build a line from Youngstown, Ohio, to Brookfield Township in Trumbull County, Ohio. On December 9, 1871, a supplement to the charter was obtained allowing the company to build a line from Liberty Township in Trumbull County, Ohio, to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway's Ashtabula Branch in Andover Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio. This 38-mile (61 km) branch required the company to increase its capitalization to $1.5 million ($40,300,000 in 2025 dollars).
Work began on the standard gauge Youngstown-Brookfield-Liberty-Andover line in June 1872. It opened to traffic on August 3, 1873.
As the Youngstown-Andover line was being built, the MCR constructed a 2.85-mile (4.59 km) long branch from Tyrrell, Ohio, to the coal mines in the southeast part of Vienna Township, Ohio (known as the "No. 9 Coal Bank Branch"), and a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) spur across the north side of Hubbard, Ohio to the blast furnaces of the Andrews & Hitchcock Iron Company.
On August 14, 1872, the MCR secured an amendment to its charter allowing it to build two new branch lines. The first was a 2-mile (3.2 km) long branch from Youngstown southeast to the hamlet of Struthers, Ohio. The second branch extended along the south side of the Mahoning River to the Foster #1 Coal Mine (537 West Hylda Avenue, Youngstown) and Foster #2 Coal Mine (intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Parkview Avenue, Youngstown) in the Fosterville neighborhood of Youngstown's south-southwestern side.
On May 1, 1873, the MCR was leased for 25 years to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (LS&MS), with 40 percent of the gross annual revenue retained by the original investors as rent. The LS&MS made the Youngstown-Andover Branch part of its Franklin Division.
In 1882, the MCR built a 0.73-mile (1.17 km) branch east to the Keel Ridge Coal Mines on the east side of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, from its Youngstown-Andover line near Brookfield Center, Ohio.
On July 1, 1884, the LS&MS and MCR amended their lease, making it perpetual. The agreement also transferred the rights of way, track, and all equipment of the MCR to the LS&MS, effectively ending the MCR's independent existence as a railroad.
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Mahoning Coal Railroad
The Mahoning Coal Railroad (MCR) was a railroad line in the U.S. states of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Incorporated in 1871, it largely linked Youngstown, Ohio, with Andover, Ohio. It had a major branch into Sharon, Pennsylvania, and several small branches and spurs to coal mines and iron works along the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. The railroad leased itself to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway in 1873. The lease was assumed by the New York Central Railroad in 1914, when that company consolidated with the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern. The New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 to create the Penn Central. Despite abandonment of much track, bankruptcy of the Penn Central in 1970 eventually caused the MCR's dissolution on January 7, 1982.
The Mahoning Coal Railroad Company was incorporated in the states of Ohio and Pennsylvania on February 25, 1871, with a capital investment of $70,000 ($1,900,000 in 2025 dollars). The Cleveland-based company received a charter to build a line from Youngstown, Ohio, to Brookfield Township in Trumbull County, Ohio. On December 9, 1871, a supplement to the charter was obtained allowing the company to build a line from Liberty Township in Trumbull County, Ohio, to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway's Ashtabula Branch in Andover Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio. This 38-mile (61 km) branch required the company to increase its capitalization to $1.5 million ($40,300,000 in 2025 dollars).
Work began on the standard gauge Youngstown-Brookfield-Liberty-Andover line in June 1872. It opened to traffic on August 3, 1873.
As the Youngstown-Andover line was being built, the MCR constructed a 2.85-mile (4.59 km) long branch from Tyrrell, Ohio, to the coal mines in the southeast part of Vienna Township, Ohio (known as the "No. 9 Coal Bank Branch"), and a 0.75-mile (1.21 km) spur across the north side of Hubbard, Ohio to the blast furnaces of the Andrews & Hitchcock Iron Company.
On August 14, 1872, the MCR secured an amendment to its charter allowing it to build two new branch lines. The first was a 2-mile (3.2 km) long branch from Youngstown southeast to the hamlet of Struthers, Ohio. The second branch extended along the south side of the Mahoning River to the Foster #1 Coal Mine (537 West Hylda Avenue, Youngstown) and Foster #2 Coal Mine (intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Parkview Avenue, Youngstown) in the Fosterville neighborhood of Youngstown's south-southwestern side.
On May 1, 1873, the MCR was leased for 25 years to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (LS&MS), with 40 percent of the gross annual revenue retained by the original investors as rent. The LS&MS made the Youngstown-Andover Branch part of its Franklin Division.
In 1882, the MCR built a 0.73-mile (1.17 km) branch east to the Keel Ridge Coal Mines on the east side of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, from its Youngstown-Andover line near Brookfield Center, Ohio.
On July 1, 1884, the LS&MS and MCR amended their lease, making it perpetual. The agreement also transferred the rights of way, track, and all equipment of the MCR to the LS&MS, effectively ending the MCR's independent existence as a railroad.