Main Line (Pennsylvania Railroad) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

was a rail line in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, connecting Philadelphia with Pittsburgh via Harrisburg

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...

. It is still an important cross-state corridor, composed of Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

's Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line

Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line

The Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line is an electrified rail line owned and operated by Amtrak in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The line runs from Zoo Interlocking in Philadelphia, where it meets the Northeast Corridor, west to Harrisburg , where electrification ends, along the former...

, SEPTA's

SEPTA Regional Rail

The SEPTA Regional Rail system consists of commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and its suburbs. Service on most lines runs from 5:30 AM to midnight...

Paoli/Thorndale Line

The Paoli/Thorndale Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line running from Center City Philadelphia to Thorndale in Chester County.-Route:This branch utilizes one of the oldest sections of what is now Amtrak's Keystone Corridor, an electrified 104-mile two to four-track high-speed route between Harrisburg...

and the Norfolk Southern Railway

Norfolk Southern Railway

The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...

's Pittsburgh Line.

Early history

The eastern part of the PRR's main line (east of Lancaster

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...

) was built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the Main Line of Public Works

Main Line of Public Works

The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...

, a railroad and canal

Canal

Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...

corridor across the state. The system consisted of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad from Philadelphia west to Columbia

Columbia, Pennsylvania

Columbia, once colonial Wright's Ferry, is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles southeast of Harrisburg on the left bank Susquehanna River across from Wrightsville and York County. Originally, the area may have been called Conejohela Flats, for the many islands and islets in the...

on the Susquehanna River

Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...

, the Eastern Division Canal from Columbia to Duncan's Island, the Juniata Division Canal from Duncan's Island to Hollidaysburg

Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

Hollidaysburg is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, on the Juniata River, south of Altoona. It is the county seat of Blair County. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is one of the communities that comprises the Altoona Urban Area...

, the Allegheny Portage Railroad

Allegheny Portage Railroad

The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania, United States. It was a series of 10 inclines, approximately long, and operated from 1834 to 1854...

from Hollidaysburg to Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...

, and the Western Division Canal from Johnstown to the terminus in Pittsburgh. The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad had one inclined plane

Canal inclined plane

An inclined plane is a system used on some canals for raising boats between different water levels. Boats may be conveyed afloat, in caissons, or may be carried in cradles or slings. It can be considered as a specialised type of cable railway....

at each end; the Allegheny Portage Railroad had ten. The parts that were later included in the PRR main line opened from Philadelphia to Malvern

Malvern, Pennsylvania

Malvern is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,998 at the 2010 census. The main road through the borough is King Street, although the borough is also bordered by Paoli Pike on the south, and is near US 30 on the north. The primary cross street is Warren...

(the end of the West Chester Railroad

West Chester Railroad

The West Chester Railroad is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania in Chester County and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania in Delaware County....

) in 1832 and Malvern to Lancaster in 1834. A short piece of the Allegheny Portage Railroad in East Taylor Township and Conemaugh Township

Conemaugh Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania

Conemaugh Township is a township in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, including the Portage Viaduct over the Little Conemaugh River

Little Conemaugh River

The Little Conemaugh River is a tributary of the Conemaugh River, approximately 30 mi long, in western Pennsylvania in the United States....

, later became part of the PRR main line; it was opened in 1834.

The Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad opened from Harrisburg southeast to Middletown

Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

Middletown is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, nine miles southeast of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...

and from Lancaster

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

northwest to Rheems

Rheems, Pennsylvania

Rheems is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States situated between the boroughs of Elizabethtown and Mount Joy...

in 1836. The next year the piece from Middletown to Elizabethtown

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Harrisburg. Small factories existed at the turn of the century when the population in 1900 was 1,861. There was a slight increase in the next decade, with 1,970 people living in Elizabethtown in 1910. As of the 2000 census,...

opened, and the line was completed in 1838 with the opening of the Elizabethtown Tunnel.

Pennsylvania Railroad Company

The Pennsylvania Railroad Company was chartered by the Pennsylvania legislature on April 13, 1846. Construction began in 1847 and the first section opened from Harrisburg

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...

west to Lewistown

Lewistown, Pennsylvania

Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies along the Juniata River, northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; and in 1940, 13,017. The population was 8,998 at the 2000 census,...

on September 1, 1849 (including the original Rockville Bridge

Rockville Bridge

The Rockville Bridge, at the time of its completion in 1902, was, and still remains, the longest stone masonry arch railroad viaduct in the world. Constructed between 1900 - 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad, it has forty-eight 70-foot spans, for a total length of 3,820 feet .The bridge crosses...

across the Susquehanna River

Susquehanna River

). Further extensions opened to McVeytown

McVeytown, Pennsylvania

McVeytown, formerly Waynesburg, was settled in 1762, laid out in 1795 and incorporated in 1833. It is located in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 405 at the 2000 census. The "Father of Pennsylvania Forestry", Dr. Joseph Rothrock was born in McVeytown on April 9, 1839...

on December 24, Mount Union

Mount Union, Pennsylvania

Mount Union is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, 45 miles southeast of Altoona, on the Juniata River. In the vicinity are found bituminous coal, ganister rock, fire clay, and some timber. A major Easter grass factory is located in the northern quadrant of the borough limits; until May...

on April 1, 1850, Huntingdon

Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

Huntingdon is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, west of Harrisburg, about halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of...

on June 10, and Duncansville

Duncansville, Pennsylvania

Duncansville is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Altoona, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Duncansville is one of the communities that comprises the Altoona Urban Area...

(west of Hollidaysburg

Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

) on September 16, 1850, taking it to a connection with the Allegheny Portage Railroad

Allegheny Portage Railroad

on the east side of the Allegheny Ridge. On the other side of the ridge, the main line opened from Conemaugh (on the Portage Railroad east of Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

) west to Lockport on August 25, 1851. On December 10, 1851, sections opened from Lockport west to Beatty (west of Latrobe

Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States, approximately southeast of Pittsburgh.The city population was 7,634 as of the 2000 census . It is located near the Pennsylvania's scenic Chestnut Ridge. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999...

) and from Pittsburgh east to Brinton, with a temporary stagecoach

Stagecoach

A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...

transfer between via the Southern Turnpike and a short turnpike branch built to Beatty. Part of that gap was filled on July 15, 1852, from Brinton east to Radebaugh, and on November 29 the full line was completed, forming the first all-rail route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, though still using seven of the original ten planes of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.

Plane Number 1 of the Portage Railroad was bypassed by the PRR on April 1, 1852. Other planes began to be bypassed by the New Portage Railroad, completed in 1856, but on February 15, 1854 the PRR's new line opened, leaving the old one on the east side of the ridge in Altoona

Altoona, Pennsylvania

-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...

and running west via the Horseshoe Curve

Horseshoe Curve (Pennsylvania)

Horseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe curve in central Pennsylvania, near Altoona in the United States. Called an "engineering marvel", it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad...

and Gallitzin Tunnel

Gallitzin Tunnel

The Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, formed the Pennsylvania Railroad's passage through the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. Ownership of the tunnels has been successively transferred from the Pennsylvania Railroad to Penn Central Transportation Company, then to Conrail...

, only using a short portion of the old Portage Railroad near South Fork

South Fork, Pennsylvania

South Fork is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...

and a longer adjacent section of New Portage Railroad. A reciprocal trackage rights

Trackage rights

Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....

agreement made March 18, 1854, allowed the PRR to use that section for free.

On March 21, 1849, the PRR contracted with Eagle Line, primarily a steamboat

Steamboat

A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...

company, for through service over the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. The PRR obtained trackage rights

Trackage rights

Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....

over the Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad, opened in 1838, on April 21, providing a route from Harrisburg to the Philadelphia and Columbia at Dillerville

Dillerville, Pennsylvania

Dillerville is an extinct hamlet in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States.Dillerville was established between the Harrisburg and Manheim pikes, at the intersection of the Lancaster and Reading railroads....

, just west of Lancaster

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

. On September 1, the first section of the PRR opened, with all arrangements in place for service from Philadelphia to Lewistown.

In 1853, the PRR surveyed the Lancaster, Lebanon and Pine Grove Railroad from Philadelphia west via Phoenixville

Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...

to Salunga

Salunga-Landisville, Pennsylvania

Salunga-Landisville is a census-designated place in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States with a zip code of 17538. The population was 4,771 at the 2000 census. The name "Salunga" comes from the nearby Chiquesalunga Creek, which in turn is derived from the Lenape "Chiquesalunga", meaning...

on the Portsmouth, Mount Joy and Lancaster Railroad. This was done in order to show the state that the PRR was willing to build its own alignment around the Philadelphia and Columbia. On August 1, 1857, the PRR bought the whole Main Line of Public Works. The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad was integrated into its system. Most of the New Portage Railroad, just completed the previous year at a cost of $2.14 million, was abandoned, while short sections became local branches. The canals were abandoned, and short sections were filled and covered by rails. On January 1, 1861, the PRR leased the HPMJ&L, giving it full control of its main line.

In 1904, the New Portage Railroad east of the Gallitzin Tunnel

Gallitzin Tunnel

s (through the "Muleshoe Curve") was reopened as the New Portage Branch, a freight bypass line. Conrail closed this line in 1981.

Early history

Pennsylvania Railroad Company

Further reading