, ▁the ▁Nor folk ▁Southern ▁Railway ▁completed ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁the ▁D & H ▁South ▁Line ▁from ▁CP . ▁The ▁D & H ▁South ▁Line ▁is ▁ 2 8 2 ▁miles ▁long ▁and ▁connect s ▁Sch en ect ady , ▁New ▁York , ▁to ▁Sun bury , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁The ▁D & H ▁South ▁Line ▁consists ▁of ▁two ▁rail ▁lines , ▁the ▁Sun bury ▁Line ▁and ▁the ▁Fre ight ▁Line . ▁The ▁Nich ol son ▁C ut off ▁is ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁Sun bury ▁Line , ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁former ▁main line ▁of ▁the ▁Del aware , ▁L ack aw anna ▁and ▁Western ▁Rail road . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 7 9 0 s , ▁industrial izing ▁eastern ▁population ▁cent ers ▁were ▁having ▁increasing ▁troubles ▁getting ▁char co al ▁to ▁fuel ▁their ▁growing ▁kil ns , ▁sm ith ies , ▁and ▁found ries . ▁As ▁local ▁tim ber ▁was ▁den ud ed , ▁efforts ▁to ▁find ▁an ▁alternative ▁energy ▁source ▁began . ▁During ▁a ▁fuel ▁short age ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁during ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁an ▁employee ▁by ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁industrial ist ▁Jos iah ▁White ▁conducted ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁experiments ▁and ▁discovered ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁ways ▁that ▁' rock ▁coal ' ▁or ▁anth rac ite ▁could ▁be ▁successfully ▁ign ited ▁and ▁burn ed . ▁The ▁fuel ▁ther et of ore , ▁had ▁been ▁seen ▁more ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁put ▁out ▁a ▁fire , ▁than ▁a ▁fuel ▁to ▁build ▁one ▁up , ▁so ▁its ▁use ▁also