When Pennsylvania's first railroad began operations in 1827, the railroad industry laid a key cornerstone that would help it become the 19th century's biggest business. No industry affected the growth of America as significantly as the development of the ability to transport goods and people by rail. The mighty Pennsylvania Railroad became one of America's largest companies. Named "The Standard Railroad of the World," the Pennsylvania Railroad, at its height, was the largest in the world operating 7,000 locomotives and 250,000 freight cars.
The key to success for the Pennsy was its crossing of the backbone of the Allegheny Mountains through central and western Pennsylvania. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, this route was a vital artery for the Pennsy between east coast cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington and inland industrial centers such as Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Detroit. For Conrail and its new owner Norfolk Southern, this line remains a strategic linchpin to operations. This photoessay shows Conrail operations through the valleys and across the mountains of central and western Pennsylvania between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. (Click on the pictures to enlarge.)
