The Main Line of the
Pennsylvania Railroad was a
rail line
Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...
in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
connecting
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
with
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
via
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
. The rail line was split into two rail lines, and now all of its right-of-way is a cross-state
corridor, composed of
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...
's
Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line
The Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by Amtrak in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. This is the only electrified Amtrak line in the United States outside of the main line of the Northeast Corridor. The line r ...
(including
SEPTA
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) is a regional public transportation authority that operates bus, rapid transit, commuter rail, light rail, and electric trolleybus services for nearly 4 million people in five c ...
's
Paoli/Thorndale Line
The Paoli/Thorndale Line, or R5 commonly known as the Main Line, is a SEPTA Regional Rail service running from Center City Philadelphia through Montgomery County and Delaware County to Thorndale in Chester County. It operates along the far eas ...
service) and the
Norfolk Southern Railway's
Pittsburgh Line
The Pittsburgh Line is the Norfolk Southern Railway's primary east–west artery in its Pittsburgh Division and Harrisburg Division across the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is part of the Keystone Corridor, Amtrak-Norfolk Southern's combin ...
.
Early history
The eastern part of the PRR's main line (east of
Lancaster) was built by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
as part of the
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a package of legislation passed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1826 to establish a means of transporting freight between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It funded the construction of various long-proposed can ...
: a hybrid railroad and
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...
corridor across the state. The system consisted of the
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (P&CR) (1834) was one of the earliest commercial railroads in the United States, running from Philadelphia to Columbia, Pennsylvania, it was built by the Pennsylvania Canal Commission in lieu of a canal from Colu ...
from
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
west to
Columbia on the
Susquehanna River, the
Eastern Division Canal
The Main Line of Public Works was a package of legislation passed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1826 to establish a means of transporting freight between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It funded the construction of various long-proposed ca ...
from Columbia to Duncan's Island, the
Juniata Division Canal
The Main Line of Public Works was a package of legislation passed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1826 to establish a means of transporting freight between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It funded the construction of various long-proposed ca ...
from Duncan's Island to
Hollidaysburg
Hollidaysburg is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Blair County, Pennsylvania, Blair County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located on the Juniata River, south of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Altoona and is part of ...
, the
Allegheny Portage Railroad
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania, United States; it operated from 1834 to 1854 as the first transportation infrastructure through the gaps of the Alleghen ...
from Hollidaysburg to
Johnstown and the
Western Division Canal
The Main Line of Public Works was a package of legislation passed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1826 to establish a means of transporting freight between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It funded the construction of various long-proposed ca ...
from Johnstown to the terminus in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
. The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad had one
inclined plane
An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...
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 (the end of the
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.
It operates on of ...
) in 1832 and from Malvern to Lancaster in 1834.
[ , June 2004 Edition] A short piece of the Allegheny Portage Railroad in
East Taylor Township and
Conemaugh Township, including the
Portage Viaduct over the
Little Conemaugh River, later became part of the PRR main line; it was opened in 1834.
The
Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad
The Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy & Lancaster Rail-Road (HPMtJ&L) was an early American railroad built to connect three main population centers in east-central Pennsylvania.
History
In 1834, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania chartered the Port ...
opened from Harrisburg southeast to
Middletown and from
Lancaster northwest to
Rheems in 1836. The next year, the segment from Middletown to
Elizabethtown opened, and the line was completed in 1838 with the opening of the
Elizabethtown Tunnel.
Pennsylvania Railroad Company
Pennsylvania Railroad Company was chartered by the Pennsylvania legislature on April 13, 1846 to build a private railroad line from
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
to
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
. Construction began in 1847, and the first section opened from
Harrisburg
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
west to
Lewistown on September 1, 1849 (including the original
Rockville Bridge across the
Susquehanna River). Further extensions opened to
McVeytown on December 24,
[ , April 2005 Edition] Mount Union on April 1, 1850,
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...
on June 10, and
Duncansville
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. The population was 1,258 at the 2020 ...
(west of
Hollidaysburg
Hollidaysburg is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Blair County, Pennsylvania, Blair County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located on the Juniata River, south of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Altoona and is part of ...
) on September 16, 1850, taking it to a connection with the
Allegheny Portage Railroad
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania, United States; it operated from 1834 to 1854 as the first transportation infrastructure through the gaps of the Alleghen ...
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) west to
Lockport on August 25, 1851. On December 10, 1851, sections opened from Lockport west to
Beatty (west of
Latrobe) and from
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
east to
Brinton, with a temporary
stagecoach transfer between them 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.
[ , March 2005 Edition]
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
The New Portage Branch was a rail line which ran between the New Portage Tunnel and Duncansville, Pennsylvania.
History
The line was opened between 1852 and 1856 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a bypass of a portion of their Allegheny Port ...
, 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 and running west via the
Horseshoe Curve
A horseshoe curve is a class of climbing curve in a roadbed which reverses turn direction (inflection) twice on either side of a single tight curve that varies through an angle of about 180 degrees or more.
Such curves are more commonly found ...
and
Gallitzin Tunnel
The Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, are a set of three adjacent tunnels through the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. They were completed in 1854, 1855, and 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of the cross-state rout ...
, only using a short portion of the old Portage Railroad near
South Fork and a longer adjacent section of the New Portage Railroad. A reciprocal
trackage rights
Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies.
Operating
Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may ...
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 company, for through service over the
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (P&CR) (1834) was one of the earliest commercial railroads in the United States, running from Philadelphia to Columbia, Pennsylvania, it was built by the Pennsylvania Canal Commission in lieu of a canal from Colu ...
. The PRR obtained
trackage rights
Railway companies can interact with and control others in many ways. These relationships can be complicated by bankruptcies.
Operating
Often, when a railroad first opens, it is only a short spur of a main line. The owner of the spur line may ...
over the
Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad
The Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy & Lancaster Rail-Road (HPMtJ&L) was an early American railroad built to connect three main population centers in east-central Pennsylvania.
History
In 1834, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania chartered the Port ...
, opened in 1838, on April 21, providing a route from Harrisburg to the Philadelphia and Columbia at
Dillerville, just west of
Lancaster. 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 is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Philadelphia at the junction of French Creek and the Schuylkill River. It is in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population is 18,616 ...
to
Salunga 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
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (P&CR) (1834) was one of the earliest commercial railroads in the United States, running from Philadelphia to Columbia, Pennsylvania, it was built by the Pennsylvania Canal Commission in lieu of a canal from Colu ...
was integrated into its system. Most of the
New Portage Railroad
The New Portage Branch was a rail line which ran between the New Portage Tunnel and Duncansville, Pennsylvania.
History
The line was opened between 1852 and 1856 by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a bypass of a portion of their Allegheny Port ...
, 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
The Gallitzin Tunnels in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, are a set of three adjacent tunnels through the Allegheny Mountains in western Pennsylvania. They were completed in 1854, 1855, and 1902 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as part of the cross-state rout ...
s (through the "
Muleshoe Curve") was reopened as the
New Portage Branch, a freight bypass line.
Conrail closed this line in 1981.
See also
*
Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line
The Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by Amtrak in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. This is the only electrified Amtrak line in the United States outside of the main line of the Northeast Corridor. The line r ...
*
SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale Line
*
Norfolk Southern Pittsburgh Line
*
Keystone Corridor
The Keystone Corridor is a 349-mile (562 km) railroad corridor between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that consists of two rail lines: Amtrak and SEPTA's Philadelphia-to-Harrisburg main line, which hosts SEPTA's Paoli/Thorndale ...
*
Philadelphia Main Line
The Philadelphia Main Line, known simply as the Main Line, is an informally delineated historical and social region of suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lying along the former Pennsylvania Railroad's once prestigious Main Line, it runs ...
References
Notes
Further reading
* McGonigal, Robert S., ''Heart of the Pennsylvania Railroad: The Main Line, Philadelphia to Pittsburgh'', 1996; Kalmbach Publishing Company, Waukesha, Wisconsin
Sipes, William B., ''The Pennsylvania Railroad: Its Origin, Construction, Condition, and Connections'', 1875; published by The Passenger Department, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
{{Authority control
Main
Rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania