Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroads

Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroads PDF Author: Kenneth C. Springirth
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738573472
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 132

Book Description
Erie's rail link to Philadelphia was achieved in 1864 with the completion of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad, which later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. By 1869, railroad lines from Buffalo through Erie to Chicago were consolidated into the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, which later became part of the New York Central Railroad. Completed in 500 days, the parallel New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly known as the "Nickel Plate Road," was a 513-mile, well-designed railroad that emphasized excellent service. South of the lakeshore, the wide-gauge Erie Railroad enhanced east to west connections. Through vintage photographs, Northwestern Pennsylvania Railroads brings to life the history of the railroads that have served the region.

Greater Erie Trolleys

Greater Erie Trolleys PDF Author: Kenneth C. Springirth
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738539386
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

Book Description
When the first electric trolley car entered service in Erie in 1889, it revolutionized public transportation in the region. Within a few years, Erie became a major trolley hub linking the eastern and central United States. With the exception of a 15-mile gap at Little Falls, one could travel from New York City to Chicago via Erie. Greater Erie Trolleys covers the network of trolley lines that operated between Erie, Conneaut, Buffalo, and Meadville. Greater Erie Trolleys illustrates the vital role trolley cars played in the expansion of the urban population. It documents the beginning of pleasure travel with photographs of the special trolley car excursions from Erie to Elk Park for picnics, dances, and sporting events. Ridership began to decline just as the automobile came on the scene and dirt roads became paved highways. Eventually the lines were abandoned, but the trolleys left an important mark in transportation history.

Railroad Depots of Northwest Pennsylvania

Railroad Depots of Northwest Pennsylvania PDF Author: Dan West
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467105775
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 128

Book Description
From 1860 until the decline of the railroads nearly 100 years later, Pennsylvania led the nation in railroad miles. The zenith came in 1920, when the state boasted 11,500 miles of track. The northwest corner of the state was home to the Pennsylvania oil rush in the late 19th century, coal mines, timber forests, and stone quarries. The landscape was dotted with railroad depots every couple of miles. These depots were waypoints for business transactions, family reunions, outings to amusement parks, and soldiers leaving for or returning from service; they also became hangouts for pickpockets, targets for nighttime burglars, and sometimes storage sheds for explosives. Although Pennsylvania still has over 5,000 miles of track, only a few stations remain, and most of them have been repurposed as museums and businesses. This book captures the stories these stations told when rail was king in the early 20th century.

Branch Line Empires

Branch Line Empires PDF Author: Michael Bezilla
Publisher: Indiana University Press
ISBN: 0253029910
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 390

Book Description
The saga of a fierce business rivalry: “Absorbing, well-written . . . will appeal to American history scholars and railroad enthusiasts.” —Choice The Pennsylvania and the New York Central railroads helped to develop central Pennsylvania as the largest source of bituminous coal for the nation. By the late nineteenth century, the two lines were among America’s largest businesses and would soon become legendary archrivals. The PRR first arrived in the 1860s. Within a few years, it was sourcing as much as four million tons of coal annually from Centre County and the Moshannon Valley and would continue do so for a quarter-century. The New York Central, through its Beech Creek Railroad affiliate, invaded the region in the 1880s, first seeking a dependable, long-term source of coal to fuel its locomotives but soon aggressively attempting to break its rival’s lock on transporting the area’s immense wealth of mineral and forest products. Beginning around 1900, the two companies transitioned from an era of growth and competition to a time when each tacitly recognized the other’s domain and sought to achieve maximum operating efficiencies by adopting new technology such as air brakes, automatic couplers, all-steel cars, and diesel locomotives. Over the next few decades, each line began to face common problems in the form of competition from other forms of transportation and government regulation—and in 1968, the two businesses merged. Branch Line Empires offers a thorough and captivating analysis of how a changing world turned competition into cooperation between two railroad industry titans. Includes photographs

Railroads of Pennsylvania

Railroads of Pennsylvania PDF Author: Lorett Treese
Publisher: Stackpole Books
ISBN: 9780811726221
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292

Book Description
Discover Pennsylvania's railroad past in this exploration of the industry. The book profiles the great railroads that crossed the Keystone State, tells the stories of the individuals and events that shaped railroad history, and locates the state's rail-culture relics-steam and diesel locomotives, routes, inclined planes, bridges, stations, and landmarks - as well as tourist railroad lines, museums, and Rails to Trails paths.

Rail-Trails Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York

Rail-Trails Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York PDF Author: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Publisher: Wilderness Press
ISBN: 0899976670
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
Across the country, more than 1,600 unused railroad corridors have been converted to level, public, multiuse trails, where people can enjoy a fitness run, a leisurely bike ride, or a stroll with the family. In this newest addition to the popular series, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy presents the Northeast's finest rail-trails. Rail-Trails Northeast covers one hundred of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania's rail-trails. With a rich industrial and passenger rail history, the Northeast is one of the densest rail-trail regions in the country. Rural, suburban, or urban, rail-trails serve as the backbone of an impressive trail system. This two-color book includes succinct descriptions of each trail from start to finish, plus at-a-glance summary information indicating permitted uses, surface type, length, and directions to trailheads for each trail. Every trip has a detailed map that includes start and end points, trailhead, parking, restroom facilities, and other amenities.

The Railroads of King of Prussia, PA

The Railroads of King of Prussia, PA PDF Author: Michael Stefan Shaw
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780988697799
Category : King of Prussia (Pa.)
Languages : en
Pages : 185

Book Description
2013 is the 175th anniversary of the year railroads first entered Upper Merion Township. Resident and historian, Michael Shaw, spent the better part of a year diligently researching the history of King of Prussia's railroads, from the past to the present. Here's the scoop on the glorious and often understated history of Upper Merion's railroads, from the Merion/Abrams Yard site to the Trenton Cut-Off and through the Chester Valley Railroad. The future of the rails may lead back to the past with a reintroduction of passenger service. Climb aboard!
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