Pennsylvania Railroad – PRR

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Pennsylvania Railroad – PRR

  • 2nd Railroad to cross the Appalachian Mountains, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Ohio River in 1853.

The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), often called the “Standard Railroad of the World,” was more than just a railroad; it was an engine of American industrial power and a symbol of national ambition. At its zenith, it was the largest corporation in the world, with a vast network spanning the eastern and Midwestern United States. For over a century, the Pennsy epitomized railroad excellence, renowned for its financial stability, advanced technology, and meticulous operational standards. However, the saga of the PRR is also a cautionary tale, illustrating how even the most powerful corporations can fall victim to economic shifts, changing regulations, and managerial hubris. Its eventual collapse into the disastrous Penn Central merger marked a dramatic turning point in American railroad history, but its legacy—including iconic engineering feats like the Horseshoe Curve—endures today, primarily as a cornerstone of the Norfolk Southern Railway. The Pennsylvania Railroad’s achievement in becoming the second railroad to connect the Atlantic Ocean and the Ohio River was a monumental accomplishment that jump-started Pennsylvania’s economic dominance and cemented its place in American railroad history.

History: From canal competitor to industrial powerhouse

The origins of the Pennsylvania Railroad trace back to the intense competition among burgeoning East Coast cities for lucrative westward trade in the mid-19th century. Baltimore, having chartered the B&O Railroad in 1827, had an early advantage. Philadelphia’s answer was the state-built Main Line of Public Works, a cumbersome system of canals, railroads, and inclined planes that proved inefficient and unreliable, especially during harsh winters. In 1846, local merchants and financiers, recognizing the Main Line’s shortcomings, obtained a charter for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to build a continuous rail line from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh.

The challenge was to secure funding and build the line before the B&O could extend its tracks into Pennsylvania. Under the leadership of chief engineer and later president, J. Edgar Thomson, the PRR accomplished its initial goal, connecting Harrisburg to Pittsburgh by 1852. In 1857, the PRR purchased the entire Main Line of Public Works from the state, solidifying its trans-Pennsylvania route and eliminating its primary competition. The completion of the continuous rail link over the challenging Appalachian terrain made the PRR the second railroad to connect the Atlantic with the Ohio River, a monumental achievement that jump-started Pennsylvania’s economic dominance.

From the mid-1850s to the turn of the 20th century, the PRR pursued an aggressive expansion strategy. Through a combination of leases, acquisitions, and strategic stock purchases, the company built an empire. It secured its entry into Chicago by leasing the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway in 1869 and reached St. Louis by acquiring control of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (PCC&StL) in 1890. By the early 20th century, the PRR dominated the Northeast and Midwest, with lines extending to major cities like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, New York.

Operations and technological innovations

The PRR was famous for its high standards and commitment to technological advancement. It pioneered the use of steel rails and all-steel passenger cars, significantly improving safety and operational efficiency. The company was a major proponent of electrification, completing a massive electrification project in the 1930s that transformed its passenger and freight operations between New York, Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg. This allowed for faster, quieter, and more powerful operations, exemplified by the iconic GG1 electric locomotives.

Freight

The PRR’s core business was hauling freight, and it was a critical carrier of heavy industry. Coal was one of its most important commodities, originating from the vast bituminous and anthracite fields of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The railroad also transported enormous quantities of steel, iron ore, and other raw materials that fed the industrial heartland, earning Pennsylvania the nickname “the steel city.” The PRR’s freight operations were a finely-tuned machine, with a vast fleet of specialized rolling stock designed for specific types of cargo.

Passenger

Passenger service was a point of pride and prestige for the PRR. The company operated a fleet of celebrated named trains, including the legendary Broadway Limited between New York and Chicago. Its service on the high-speed electrified Northeast Corridor was particularly popular, with frequent trains connecting the major cities of the Eastern Seaboard. For a time, the PRR was a leader in passenger rail, but the rise of the automobile and air travel in the mid-20th century would eventually erode this once-profitable segment of its business.

Leadership and ownership: The “Standard Railroad” legacy

The PRR’s long history was guided by a succession of powerful and influential leaders, from its founding engineer J. Edgar Thomson to its last president, Allen J. Greenough. Under leaders like Alexander J. Cassatt, the PRR expanded its network and undertook ambitious infrastructure projects, such as the construction of New York’s Pennsylvania Station and the tunnels under the Hudson River. For much of its history, the PRR’s ownership was characterized by a broad investor base and a reputation for financial stability. Its stock paid an uninterrupted dividend for a century, making it a favorite among investors. This financial strength allowed the PRR to invest heavily in its infrastructure and equipment, cementing its reputation as the “Standard Railroad of the World.”

The route across the Appalachians and the Horseshoe Curve

The PRR’s most famous and challenging engineering feat was its main line across the Allegheny Mountains, a formidable geographic barrier that separated the East Coast from the Midwestern interior. After acquiring the state’s Main Line, PRR engineers, under Thomson’s direction, bypassed the cumbersome inclined planes with a superior, all-rail route.

The centerpiece of this route was the legendary Horseshoe Curve, located west of Altoona. Completed in 1854, the curve was an engineering marvel, a gentle, sweeping arc that allowed trains to gain and lose elevation gradually, replacing the steep and inefficient Allegheny Portage Railroad. The Horseshoe Curve remains a functioning rail line today, a testament to the PRR’s engineering prowess, and is now a popular tourist attraction. The PRR’s main line continued west from Altoona, descending the plateau towards Pittsburgh, traversing numerous tunnels and bridges to navigate the rugged terrain.

The coal-hauling legacy

As an industrial railroad, the PRR’s role as a coal hauler was foundational to its business model. The PRR had extensive access to the rich coalfields of Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. Unit coal trains, often pulled by powerful steam and later diesel locomotives, were a common sight on the PRR’s lines. The PRR invested in specialized equipment and infrastructure, such as its Greenwich coal dumping pier in Philadelphia, to handle the massive volumes of coal it transported to power plants and steel mills. While the demand for coal declined in the latter half of the 20th century, coal traffic remained a vital component of the PRR’s business and that of its successors.

Competitors: The battle for dominance

The PRR’s primary rivals were the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad and the New York Central (NYC) Railroad.

  • Baltimore and Ohio (B&O):
    • Strengths: The first common carrier railroad in the U.S., with an advantageous water-level route following the Potomac River for much of its path across the mountains. It was known for its robust coal-hauling operations.
    • Weaknesses: Financially weaker than the PRR, often relying on government loans or outside investment. Its direct path into Pennsylvania was often blocked by the politically powerful PRR.
  • New York Central (NYC):
    • Strengths: The “Water Level Route” along the Hudson River and Great Lakes gave the NYC a significant advantage, with minimal grades and high speeds. It was a dominant player in the New York-Chicago market.
    • Weaknesses: Lacked the direct access to the profitable Appalachian coalfields that the PRR and B&O enjoyed.

The PRR’s strengths lay in its superior finances, engineering, and political influence in Pennsylvania, which it leveraged to stymie competitors like the B&O. The PRR, however, had to contend with the NYC’s more efficient “Water Level Route” for its New York-Chicago traffic.

Partnerships and acquisitions

The PRR, while a fierce competitor, also relied on partnerships and acquisitions to build its network. Some of its key partners and subsidiaries included:

  • Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway: This leased line was crucial for the PRR’s access to Chicago.
  • Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (PCC&StL): This acquisition, known as the “Panhandle Route,” provided the PRR’s link to St. Louis.
  • Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B): Acquiring a majority of the PW&B’s stock in the 1880s solidified the PRR’s route between Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

The decline and the ill-fated Penn Central merger

Despite its storied history, the PRR began to face significant challenges in the mid-20th century. The rise of air travel and the Interstate Highway System siphoned away both passenger and freight traffic. The railroad industry as a whole suffered from crippling regulations and inflexible labor rules, further exacerbating the PRR’s declining profitability. Compounding these systemic issues were the PRR’s own problems. Its management, once seen as the gold standard, became complacent and resistant to change. The company’s aging infrastructure required massive investment at a time of declining revenues.

The culmination of these factors was the ill-fated 1968 merger with its longtime rival, the New York Central. The rationale was to create a railroad giant, the Penn Central, that could withstand the pressures of the modern transportation market. However, the merger was a spectacular failure. The two railroads had vastly different corporate cultures, incompatible operating systems, and a glut of duplicate trackage. The management of the new company was plagued by infighting and poor decision-making. The government-mandated absorption of the bankrupt New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad further strained the new company’s resources. Within two years, Penn Central was bankrupt, marking the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time.

The end of the line: Conrail and the NS/CSX split

Following the Penn Central bankruptcy, the U.S. government was forced to intervene to prevent a catastrophic collapse of the Northeast’s rail network. In 1976, the Consolidated Rail Corporation, or Conrail, was formed to absorb the rail assets of Penn Central and several other bankrupt Eastern railroads. Conrail operated as a government-owned entity, shedding unprofitable trackage and improving operations. By the 1980s, Conrail had become a profitable railroad, and the government eventually put it up for sale.

In 1999, Conrail was jointly purchased and divided between the two major remaining Eastern railroads, Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX Transportation. NS acquired 58% of Conrail’s assets, including almost all of the remaining former PRR trackage. CSX received the remaining 42%, including smaller parts of the PRR’s former network. Today, the former PRR main line and the majority of its Eastern network are operated by Norfolk Southern, forming a critical component of its freight operations. The electrified passenger lines, including the original Northeast Corridor and the Keystone Corridor, were transferred to Amtrak and continue to operate as vital passenger arteries.

Preserving the legacy: The Pennsylvania Railroad museums and archives

While the Pennsylvania Railroad no longer exists as a corporate entity, its legacy is preserved in several museums and archives that celebrate its rich history.

  • The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania: Located in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, this museum holds an extensive collection of PRR locomotives and rolling stock, offering a deep dive into the railroad’s history and its impact on the state. It also houses a library and archives with PRR records, publications, and photographs.
  • The Railroaders Memorial Museum: Situated in Altoona, this museum focuses on the PRR’s storied history in the city, particularly the construction of the Horseshoe Curve. It manages the Horseshoe Curve visitor center, allowing railfans and history buffs to appreciate this engineering marvel firsthand.
  • Hagley Museum and Library: Located in Wilmington, Delaware, this museum holds a significant collection of PRR and Penn Central records, covering corporate matters, departmental files, and technical and financial information. It also houses photographs related to the railroad.
  • The Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society: The society maintains its archives in the former PRR station in Lewistown, Pennsylvania. It contains a large body of records, maps, publications, and photographic negatives, including those related to the “Lines West” operations.
  • The Pennsylvania State Archives: The state archives in Harrisburg have various collections related to the PRR and other railroads, including the Penn Central Railroad Collection, maps, and photographic collections.
  • Pennsylvania State University Libraries: The libraries house several relevant collections, including some PRR and New York Central records, photographs, and records from the Penn Central Railroad reorganization proceedings.
  • Temple University Libraries: The Special Collections Research Center at Temple University houses a significant portion of the PRR’s surviving records, particularly focusing on the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The collection includes corporate and departmental files.

Pennsylvania Railroad History Timeline

Click here to see a history timeline of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Pennsylvania Railroad Maps

Click here to see maps of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Pennsylvania Railroad Diesel and Electric Locomotive Roster

Click here for a diesel and electric locomotive roster for the Pennsylvania Railroad.

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the railroads or model railroading.

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