It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. He looked to corner the coal market by establishing the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company in 1871. Author's collection. Hours. This consortium included a group of railroads that offered through service for shippers in the ultra-competitive New York/Boston - Chicago corridor as an alternative to the B&O, NYC, and PRR. Today, rails no longer serve this facility. A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way. Sc. Led by Reading 4-8-4 #2100 (T-1), folks lean far outside the coach windows to snap photos or just take in the sights aboard one of the railroad's popular "Iron Horse Rambles" on September 19, 1964. Backed by the P&R's overflowing wealth the beautiful Reading Terminal in downtown Philadelphia opened in January of 1893 (another McLeod endeavor), symbolizing the company's power. These popular excursions became legendary and became a fondly remembered part of Reading's history. For Emergencies: (877) 533-6913; Reading RS3 works commuter service at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal in September, 1964. By the 1930s it had electrified these lines, extending from Reading Terminal to Norristown, Chestnut Hill, Doylestown, Hatboro, and West Trenton. Quick View. It was one of Pennsylvania's earliest such operations and became a profitable venture handling anthracite from near Honesdale to Kingston. Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps. Western Maryland and Reading power layover at the latter's Rutherford Yard outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on May 10, 1970. According to Jim Shaughnessy's book, "Delaware & Hudson: The Bridge Line," on April 22, 1828 the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company first entered revenue service. Interactive Maps of U.S. Freight Railroads Railroads are the lifeblood for North America's freight transportation. Date Issued . Jerry Custer photo. Reading 4-8-4 #2119 (T-1) works hard in helper service shoving a heavy freight upgrade near Lavelle, Pennsylvania on April 12, 1956. It measures approximately 6.5 by 10 inches. In a further corporate reorganization it shed all of its non-rail interests in 1923 due to antitrust issues. [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/98688767/. Considering its dependence on coal the road surprisingly operated extensive commuter services within the Philadelphia suburbs. The Reading & Northern Railroad, officially known as the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad (or RBM&N), is an eastern Pennsylvania Class II regional railroad which operates over 300 miles of predominantly ex-Reading Railroad trackage (although the company also operates lines owned by … The P&R's other notable acquisitions included the following: The D&BB had been incorporated on May 12, 1874, opening a line five years later from Yardley (interchanging there with the North Penn Railroad) to Bound Brook Junction (near Manville, New Jersey) where it connected with the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Roger Puta photo. ACCOUNT CONTACT MY CART. The decline of this traffic began in the 1920s and hastened after World War II. PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD MAP BUREAU OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH BUREAU OF RAIL FREIGHT, PORTS, & WATERWAYS FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION CLASS I RAILROADS 3,169 Miles ... Pennsylvania Southwestern Railroad Reading Blue Mt. Industrial Sites Rail Maps of the U.S. Norfolk Southern Railway Map. The Reading Railroad (pronounced "Redding"), officially known as the Reading Company, was another of the many Northeastern anthracite carriers and arguably the most famous. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. The rest of its network consisted primarily of branch and secondary lines. The entire Northeastern industry was seriously hurt by the formation of the Penn Central Transportation in February of 1968. Map. Before the fall, it was a powerful system that, at one point, nearly cornered the lucrative coal market by holding stakes in virtually all of the region's major railroads. In 1892, due to legal difficulties, the railroad became the Harrisburg to Shippensburg Railroad for a brief period of time. Rail Diesel Car Excursions Take a train excursion through Pennsylvania’s beautiful landscape from Reading to Jim Thorpe. In 1998 a gentleman by the name of Andre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit every out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. An official, 1969 system map of the Reading Railroad by Rand McNally & Company. RAILROAD MAPS IN MY STORE: Retrieved from the Library of Congress, . Its absolute furthest run over home rails was 202 miles from Newberry Junction (near Williamsport) to Philadelphia. Map. Through the 1840s, most railroad companies operated a single route–either a passenger line like the Philadelphia, Germantown & Norristown Railroad (PGN) or a freight line such as the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad (the Reading), chartered in 1833. In some cases (yards, stations, repair facilities, etc.) Central were predominantly scrapped, Still, as the D&H operation proved, demand for anthracite was so great there remained a bright future in the business. Free shipping for many products! Printed Ephemera Collection; Portfolio 122, Folder 16. J. Knight. The P&R proved, once more, that rail transportation was superior to the canal. On May 14, 1879 it purchased the North Pennsylvania Railroad which extended service to the important steel-production center at Bethlehem and that same year added the Delaware & Bound Brook Railroad (D&BB). The PRSL faded over time but survived until the formation of Conrail in 1976. The D&BB later completed an extension to Woodbridge, New Jersey where Port Reading was opened in 1889 along the New York Harbor. Because of the company's condensed, spaghetti-like network it could not enjoy the lucrative, long-haul movements of merchandise freight that trunk lines like the B&O, NYC, and PRR enjoyed. Map of Reading Railroad and principal interchange points. Wes Barris's SteamLocomotive.com is simply the best web resource in the study of steam locomotives. From Wikipedia: The Lebanon station, also known as the Reading Railroad Station, is a historic train station in Lebanon PA. The rudimentary operation was slow and ground to halt during the late fall through early spring when frigid temperatures kept the canals frozen and unnavigable. It then purchased the Lebanon Valley Railroad on March 20, 1858 which linked Reading with the state capital at Harrisburg (the LVRR opened on January 18, 1858). Rail Road and its branches, May, 1873. Almost immediately the PC began to crumble and along with it most other carriers. Its growth into the modern-day Reading Company unofficially began on January 1, 1850 when it acquired a portion of the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad between Philadelphia and Columbia. Jerry Custer photo. This is an interactive system map of Norfolk Southern, a class I rail carrier along the east coast. There are seven major railroads in the United States (Class I railroads) and over 500 shortline and regional railroads (Class II & Class III railroads). Contact Us. The Reading, as it was affectionately called, played an integral part in the economic development of Philadelphia and the Schuylkill River Valley. Alas, in 2013 the site closed by thankfully Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource). LC Railroad maps, 75 Description derived from published bibliography. ; On verso of Copy 1: M.C. Today, these large Class I's continue to operate segments of the old Reading while others sections have been spun-off to short lines (notably the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern, a successful Class II regional). Ephraim Railway, which connected its namesake cities in New Jersey. When the clean-burning fuel, known as anthracite coal, was discovered in northeastern Pennsylvania during the mid-18th century individuals began studying ways of transporting the product for commercial use. All content copyright American-Rails.com (unless otherwise noted). The early examples wore a striking livery of black with green and yellow pinstriping while later locomotives were clad in a bright green and yellow scheme featuring a large black diamond below the cab with the company name. Available... Outline map indicating the railroad network in central Pennsylvania, parts of Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Today, there are tens of thousands of miles scattered throughout the country. It is a must visit! Today, some of its lines remain in use by various agencies handling both freight and passenger assignments. ... (Philadelphia - Harrisburg) converges with the Reading Line (Allentown - Reading) at CP Valley Jct. The Library of Congress is providing access to these materials for educational and research purposes and is not aware of any U.S. copyright protection (see Title 17 of the United States Code) or any other restrictions in the Map Collection materials. Sketch map of the Phila. It planned to move coal from mines near the Panther Creek Valley at Tamaqua to Port Clinton (about 20 miles) where the product would then be transferred to the Schuylkill Navigation Company's canal linking Reading and Philadelphia. Beautiful antique Pennsylvania railroad maps and map prints restored to excellent quality suitable for framing. A trio of Reading RS3's have the "Schuylkill" (Philadelphia - Pottsville) near Tuckerton, Pennsylvania circa 1955. As the P&R's success blossomed it expanded by acquiring other railroads, most of which branched in every direction away from Reading. When the vacationing market to New Jersey's beaches sprang up after the Civil War the P&R looked to expand into the region. Realizing the severity of the situation the federal government stepped and setup the Consolidated Rail Corporation, Conrail. Author's collection. These problems ranged from an incompatible management team to constricting regulations which had harmed the industry for decades. Philadelphia, 1884. Interestingly, this 93-mile route was the only true main line the Reading ever operated. According to Mike Schafer's book, "Classic American Railroads: Volume III," in 1844 it handled 42,843 tons of coal, surpassing the Schuylkill Canal. This branch of the Reading Railroad was almost absorbed by Conrail in 1976 if it was not for SEPTA, who purchased the line outright with the intent on running a commuter rail service between Fox Chase (near downtown Philadelphia) northeast to the end-of-the-line at Newtown, PA. Many were pulled up in the 1970's and 1980's although others were removed long before that. Author's collection. Map of the Pennsylvania, Reading, and Lehigh Valley Railroads, and their connections. Reading power is lined up next to Western Maryland BL2 #82 and the Delaware & Hudson's famous PA's at Hagerstown, Maryland during February of 1972. From Doggett's Railroad Guide, New York, (1848), p. 56. The P&R was not the only carrier to flourish by handling hard, or stone coal. All photos and videos, copyright individual owners/organizations. 1:3,000,000. As time passed and railroads proved their superiority the resistance evaporated. They were so popular they kept running through the 1964 season. © Copyright 2007-2021 American-Rails.com. 4 Rail Transit Commission (RTC) owned - Switching and terminal operations (Madison Terminal Railway, LLC, Rail & Transload, Inc. in Watertown, Port of Milwaukee, Wisconsin Rapids Railroad) are not shown. Roger Puta photo. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad then became the owner of the Lurgan branch. The two most popular reasons for wishing to consult railroad-related land records are property ownership investigations and historical research. There were also other notable trains such as the King Coal, Queen of the Valley, Schuylkill, and Wall Street. During the next few decades the Reading maintained a highly profitable and well-managed operation thanks to its rich sources of coal. In 1884 it purchased the narrow-gauge Camden, Gloucester & Mt. It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. Get directions, reviews and information for Reading & Northern Railroad Co in Orwigsburg, PA. Reading & Northern Railroad Co 1 Rolling Mill Rd Orwigsburg PA 17961. (1884) Map of the Pennsylvania, Reading, and Lehigh Valley Railroads, and their connections.Philadelphia. The railroad is an icon that many people have forgotten yet some nostalgically cling to. Philadelphia, 1884. Transportation. Unfortunately, it was inescapable requirement that most railroads were unable to shed until the early 1980s. The maps in the Map Collections materials were either published prior to 1922, produced by the United States government, or both (see catalogue records that accompany each map for information regarding date of publication and source). Into the diesel era it experimented with examples from all of the major manufacturers, including Fairbanks-Morse's unique H24-66 "Train Master" of the 1950s. The road truly came of age when Franklin Gowen was elected president in early 1870. PhillyHistory.org. Alter, R. H., Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co & Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. As the years passed, however, these operations lost increasingly more money, a problem facing all other Northeastern carriers. Reading 4-8-4 #2102 (T-1) charges around a curve over the Western Maryland's "Dutch Line" on February 6, 1972. Alter, R. H, et al. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1918 READING RAILROAD SYSTEM MAP RDG RR HISTORY DEPOTS STATIONS at the best online prices at eBay! Transportation. Outline map showing railroads between Port Trevorton and Catawissa on the Susquehanna River and the Port Richmond Wharves in Philadelphia. The train was tailored towards business clientele connecting New York/Jersey City (in conjunction with the CNJ via Jersey City Terminal) with Philadelphia. Unfortunately, despite its celebrity the carrier relied heavily on a commodity which precipitously declined after World War II. Jul 29, 2014 - This Pin was discovered by Daniel Newman. The map is in very good condition and the reverse side is blank. Depicts railroad lines from Raleigh, N.C., through South Carolina and Georgia, highlighting in purple ink the particular train route Sneden took as a prisoner. The amount of information found there is quite staggering; historical backgrounds of wheel arrangements, types used by virtually every railroad, preserved and operational examples, and even those used in other countries (North America and beyond). The Reading’s oldest corporate predecessor, however, was the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company incorporated, a canal company, making the Reading the oldest railroading corporation in the United States. Port Reading was built in the late 19th century by the Reading Railroad of Pennsylvania to serve their shipping needs, especially coal from the Pennsylvania anthracite coal fields. The Reading Railroad logo. 1951. Roger Puta photo. This newfangled technology could run in every type of weather as the Baltimore & Ohio, Mohawk & Hudson, South Carolina Canal & Rail Road, and others were all proving. Crusader: (New York/Jersey City - Philadelphia), Harrisburg Special: (Jersey City - Harrisburg), King Coal: (Philadelphia - Shamokin, Pennsylvania), Queen of the Valley: (Jersey City - Harrisburg), Wall Street: (Philadelphia - Jersey City). Reading & Northern Breaks All Traffic Records in 2020 Customer Service Freight - 610-562-2100 Construction of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. The railroad was only able to complete it’s rail line to Shippensburg, Pa. The first to do so successfully was the Lehigh Coal Mine Company of 1792. Its best-remembered was the steamlined Crusader. APA citation style: Alter, R. H., Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Co & Lehigh Valley Railroad Company. Unfortunately, the loss of its key traffic source quickened through the 1960s and by 1975 it was handling less than 2 million tons. It was coal fired and Porter steam locomotives without fireboxes were used to move stored coal around the coalyard after delivery by Reading and PRR. At this time the P&R controlled over 70% of the anthracite business and appeared would enter the 20th century as the region's largest railroad. https://www.loc.gov/item/98688767/. Norfolk Southern Map. 5 out of 5 stars (3,059) $ 27.50 FREE shipping Only 1 left Favorite Add to Vintage Railroad Paper Lot BellaCascada. The CNJ via Jersey City Terminal ) with Philadelphia even as late as the 1960s unfolded the anthracite market almost... Secondary lines Pennsylvania, Reading, as the years passed, however, was! Key traffic source quickened through the 1960s unfolded the anthracite market had almost dried. Wishing to consult Railroad-related Land Records complete or accurate: //hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3791p.rr005210 full text in.... 'S Reading Terminal in Philadelphia during September of 1964 superiority the resistance evaporated, serials, and Wall Street excellent!, 75 Description derived from published bibliography to crumble and along with it most other carriers on August 15 1970! 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