HOGRAILS.COM

Pennsy & Reading Railroads

The Pennsylvania & Reading Railroads

in Pennsylvania’s Shamokin Valley

Background

 The features PRR & RDG Railroads operations in North Central Pennsylvania from Harrisburg North and East to the Heart of Pennsylvania's Anthracite Coal Country.

Specific area modeled comprises 65 miles of trackage that includes -

•    PRR E/W Passenger 4-Track Mainline at Harrisburg. This passenger station hosted 72 daily passenger trains and was the center of the PRR system.

•    The PRR Susquehanna Division Mainline(s) from Harrisburg north for 35 miles to Sunbury. This N/S main line(s) connected Port Erie, PA and Buffalo NY to the PRR E/W Main at Harrisburg. In addition to general freight and passenger service, there was both heavy coal traffic and the of the twice daily Mt. Carmel ore trains ran south from Port Erie and left the main line at Sunbury to enter the Shamokin Valley branch.

•    The PRR Shamokin Valley Branch ran east from Sunbury to Mt. Carmel. “Ordinary” branch operations - i.e. local general freight and local passenger, coal operations and the final leg of the Mt. Carmel ore trains distinguished this small branch line.

•    A portion of The Reading Shamokin Division E/W Main Line was in very close proximity to this PRR branch from Sunbury to Mt. Carmel; continued eastward to Reading & Philadelphia.

This E/W mainline directly served coal operations, general freight and passenger service. This line also served as a “bridge” route for a number of eastern carriers - i.e. NY Central, Erie and Nickel Plate.