…I suppose back filling with trash would accomplish two things, such as fill the void where the coal was removed and provide additional revenue for NS. {Not to mention getting rid of the trash}.
There sure has been a bunch of coal taken out of the Central City, Cairnbrook, Windber area over the years. Many years ago much of it was deep mining and now in the last 50 years or so much has been open strip mining…
At least it employees people and provides work and revenue for the railroad and for us fans, it keeps those branch lines intact and busy. Wish I could get to see more of it…It’s rare I get in the Windber area…but I was there just a year or so ago. Had Sunday lunch in the area.
I’m a bit surprised the line was never extended farther towards Reels Corner…{That’s south of where the ends are in general of the line{s}, up in that area…at rt. 30}.
Over the years there has been a lot of coal extracted from that area including using some of the largest drag lines {assembled on the site}, in the world. I believe now, the PBS line over at Shanksville is helping to to haul some of that production in that general area out and to market…In that case, up and over to Somerset, Rockwood and CSX’s main and on to market…Not sure if it would then go east or west…