Pennsylvania rail authority dedicates siding in memory of Nittany & Bald Eagle's first GM

On July 18, the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority (JRA) dedicated a Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad (NBER) siding in Milesburg, Pa., in memory of the late James Miller, who was NBER's first employee in 1984.

Miller, who died in 2011, was a dedicated railroader who spent his entire 42-year career working for short lines, JRA officials said in a press release. He served the Bellefonte Central Railroad right after high school and eventually joined NBER, where he became the short line's first general manager. Miller later served as GM for the Juniata Valley Railroad.

The 5,000-foot siding was constructed by the JRA in 2012 with funds from a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery II grant and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation grant. Miller Siding is used by NBER trains and also might be used by Norfolk Southern Railway trains that operate under trackage rights on the short line's mainline, JRA officials said.