Carbon County has sold its railroad.

On Thursday, the commissioners entered into an agreement with Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad for the purchase of 19.5 miles of the Panther Valley line, which Carbon has owned since Sept. 30, 1981.

“It has been a very long time coming,” Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said after the board voted unanimously to the $4.7 million sale.

“The county never made a dime off the railroad other than in the parking lot,” Nothstein said. “Everything we received from trackage rights and rental from railroad was always put back into the railroad. We never put anything back into the county coffers.”

Now, the county will receive 75 percent of the $3 million in cash for the sale, while Lansford, which served as the applicant in 1981 for the federal grant that was used to purchase the line, will receive 25 percent. That means that of the $2 million in closing costs, Lansford will receive $500,000 and then $31,250 for each year over the next eight years.

Lansford Borough Council President Bruce Markovich said council has not discussed what it plans to do with its proceeds from the sale.

Thursday’s meeting was the first time that he heard that the railroad was being sold.

Markovich said he was surprised that council wasn’t informed beforehand.

“If you own a quarter of a house with somebody, and they want to sell it, you would think that they would call you and tell you what you’re entitled to,” Markovich said.

Rick Forgay II of Lansford, railroad commission member representing Lansford and son of Richard E. Forgay, the former Lansford borough secretary who was instrumental in the original purchase of the former Nesquehoning line in 1981 and a charter member of the county railroad commission, said he was happy to see this through.

“It is a great day for Carbon County,” he said. “I’m proud and grateful to represent Lansford and my dad’s legacy. Lansford has benefited quietly over the years with a nice check and now they will benefit greatly.”

Forgay also said that this is the beginning of a strong partnership.

“When you play well together, everyone wins,” he said. “This is a good example to Carbon County and all the counties who represent what could happen when people play well together and see a greater vision.”

Commissioners Rocky Ahner and Chris Lukasevich also spoke about their feelings on the sale.

Ahner pointed out the liabilities the railroad posed to the county.

“People have to realize the county is not in the railroad business,” he said.

“Originally the property was purchased with good intention and with the county retaining valuable property such as the train station, Josiah White Park and the parking lots makes the sale an asset to the county and its residents.”

He was happy to see that this rail line will be improved over the coming years.

Lukasevich spoke about the journey that occurred over the last several years to get to this point.

He said the railroad was a liability to the county and the taxpayers and he felt even before he was commissioner that something had to change.

“Governments shouldn’t be owning, operating or controlling or directing that which private companies can do better,” Lukasevich said.

He said he thought about previous generations of railroaders and recognized a former retired railroad employee Al Luetdke as well as current railroad employee Bill Solomon for their help in his research.

He spoke about the visions the railroad had that led him to his desire to sell.

He thanked the railroad for their time and dedication to Carbon.

Nothstein thanked everyone involved in getting the agreement of sale completed.

Andy Muller, owner and CEO of Reading Blue Mountain and Northern, said this process went smoothly and quickly because the board was committed to getting this done.