Historical Note

Founded in 1833 as one of the first railroads in the United States, the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad served eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, transporting coal over a line that initially spanned 94 miles. The company soon expanded into subsidiary interests, including coal mining, iron making, water transportation and shipbuilding. By the 1870s, the conglomerate had become the largest corporation in the world. Anti-trust laws, however, eventually forced the various entities to separate, and the railroad's operating name became the Reading Company. The company entered bankruptcy in 1971, and its lines became part of the Conrail system in 1976.

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