EBT Virtual Tour
Shade Valley Branch

As early as 1872 and 1873 the RI&C Co. had secured ore leases in Sade valley with the expectation that the RI&C tramway extending from Orbisonia to Groves Quarry would be extended there..However it was not until the boon expansion to meet the South Pennsylvania Railroad in 1883-85 was their movement to do so. In February 1885 a contract was awarded for the construction of the branch up Shade Valley departing the Shade Gap Railroad at Shade Gap. Work was terminated on the South Penn in July 1885 and the subsequently work was terminated on the SGRR, having laid rail as far as Shade Gap by November 1884. In 1886 with the prospects to the south gone, the line was extended up the Shade Valley to the mine at the RI&C Co.'s lease at Stair. This was considered part of the Shade Gap Railroad, not the EBT, though it was operated by the EBT under lease. In 1887 the line was extended about two miles to a new mine at Goshorn and again just under two miles to Nancy mine near Richvale in 1890. Both sites would receive a wye. The first extension was part of the Shade Gap Railroad, while the later extension was owned by the RI&C Co. though both were operated by the EBT.

As the fortunes of the Iron Furnaces waned, so did that of the Shade Valley Branch. The closure of the furnaced in 1893 dried up most of the branch's freight traffic. During a business downturn for the RI&C Co., passenger service beyond Shade Gap was ended in 1895, though passenger service would later run on the yet to be built line to Neelyton. Trackage north of Goshorn was dismantled in 1902, just after the iron furnaces had been reactivated after a six year lull. In 1904 the Nancy mine was to be reactivated but a conflict with the landowner. This would have required the reconstruction of most of the branch. Having seen no traffic since 1901, the remainder of the branch was dismantled. About 1909, the vacant grade of the Shade Valley Branch was sold to the EBT as part of finantial manuverings.

The stub of the Shade Valley Branch in Shade Gap was later used as one leg of the Shade Gap wye until that section of the Shade Gap Branch was removed in 1948.

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