Minsi Rail Corp.
"The railroad that never was..."
Until 1985, Conrail was still operating the portion of the former CNJ main from Bethlehem to Freemansburg, then known as the Freemansburg Industrial Track to serve Scholl Lumber in Freemansburg, and the Minsi Trail Branch which served Just Born Candy and Airco. Just Born used Conrail only for incoming deliveries, mostly tank cars of corn syrup and starch in boxcars. In 1984, Conrail petitioned to abandon the line, due to poor track conditions and high maintenance costs, primarily because of water action from a natural drainage swale that was undermining the line. City engineers estimated the price of solving that problem by installing a large diameter storm sewer line at $500,000 to $600,000. Conrail has estimated that job, plus putting the track back to "Class 1" condition, at $759,000. Class 1 represents the lowest acceptable condition of track, with a freight speed limit of 10 miles per hour, the highest grade is Class 6.
Just Born and Scholl Lumber made a joint bid to buy the lines from Conrail, and Minsi Rail Corporation, a short line railroad subsidiary of Just Born, was created just for the acquisition of the 2.9 mile Freemansburg Industrial Track and the 1 mile Minsi Trail Branch. Just Born said switching to trucks would cost the company around $2,000 more per load. But the swale was badly eroding the line. A city engineer was not sure whether the system should be altered so that the swale empties directly into the Lehigh River instead of the canal. There was an idea to build a pipe under the canal to empty into the Lehigh River, as it was, the swale turned to the east after the railroad track, paralleled the canal for a time and then emptied into it. Meanwhile, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved Conrail's abandonment application but Born and Scholl petitioned a special court seeking to block the abandonment.
A consultant issued recommendations on dealing with Bethlehem's Stefko Boulevard drainage swale problem, with cost estimates ranging from $297,000 to $923,000. One plan with a price tag of $297,000 called for re-routing the swale beneath the railroad tracks near the Lehigh Canal, providing a new culvert under the tracks; reconstructing and stabilizing the portion of the channel leading to the Airco railroad siding; also stabilizing the swale in the vicinity of the Glass Concrete Co. plant, and removing an abandoned culvert at E. North Street. The alternate plan included all of the above work, and also replacing the culverts beneath Market Street and the Airco railroad siding, with an estimated cost of $923,000.
However, Conrail officially abandoned the line on September 24, 1985.
Just Born sued the city and PennDOT in 1986 after Conrail abandoned the line. The company contended the city had allowed development in the area that caused much of the runoff and that the city should correct the problem. Questions were raised over whether Conrail would reopen the abandoned spur if the swale was repaired. But in 1989, Conrail removed the tracks of the Minsi Trail Branch, and most of the Freemansburg Industrial Track into Freemansburg. There was now no more hope for Minsi Rail Corp., the railroad that never was...
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