| |
Overview | |
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Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Locale | Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania |
Dates of operation | 1826–1952 |
Successor | Reading Railroad |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Length | 28 miles (45 km) |
The Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company (LSRR) was a railway company in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The main line ran from Port Clinton to Tamaqua, for a total of 28 miles (45 km).
The railroad received a charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on February 28, 1826. [1] Construction began in 1830. The tracks were constructed with strap iron on wood rails. [2] Beginning with horse-drawn cars in 1831, the LSRR operated between Tamaqua, located at the end of the coal-rich Panther Creek Valley and the Port Clinton terminus of the Schuylkill Canal. It later made a rail junction with the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company. [3]
In 1833, the railroad acquired two steam locomotives, built in Liverpool, [4] but the wooden tracks did not support the engines, requiring a resumption of animal-powered operations. This over-extended investment nearly bankrupted the young company. Only in 1845 did iron "T" rails replace the wooden rails, allowing the costly English locomotives to return to regular service. [2]
In 1854, the LSRR completed a junction with the Catawissa Railroad at Tamanend (also called Little Schuylkill Junction). [1] In 1857, it built a roundhouse in Tamaqua, housing 21 locomotives and a turntable. [5]
In 1863, the company was leased by the Reading Railroad for 93 years. [6] It formally merged with the Reading in 1952.
| |
Overview | |
---|---|
Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Locale | Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania |
Dates of operation | 1826–1952 |
Successor | Reading Railroad |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Length | 28 miles (45 km) |
The Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company (LSRR) was a railway company in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The main line ran from Port Clinton to Tamaqua, for a total of 28 miles (45 km).
The railroad received a charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on February 28, 1826. [1] Construction began in 1830. The tracks were constructed with strap iron on wood rails. [2] Beginning with horse-drawn cars in 1831, the LSRR operated between Tamaqua, located at the end of the coal-rich Panther Creek Valley and the Port Clinton terminus of the Schuylkill Canal. It later made a rail junction with the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company. [3]
In 1833, the railroad acquired two steam locomotives, built in Liverpool, [4] but the wooden tracks did not support the engines, requiring a resumption of animal-powered operations. This over-extended investment nearly bankrupted the young company. Only in 1845 did iron "T" rails replace the wooden rails, allowing the costly English locomotives to return to regular service. [2]
In 1854, the LSRR completed a junction with the Catawissa Railroad at Tamanend (also called Little Schuylkill Junction). [1] In 1857, it built a roundhouse in Tamaqua, housing 21 locomotives and a turntable. [5]
In 1863, the company was leased by the Reading Railroad for 93 years. [6] It formally merged with the Reading in 1952.