Beaver Meadow Railroad and Coal Company

Beaver Meadow Railroad & Coal Company

Company type	Railroad company
Industry	Rail transport, Coal mining
Founded	April 7, 1830 (1830-04-07) in Pennsylvania, United States
Fate	Merged into Lehigh Valley Railroad
Headquarters	Beaver Meadows , United States
Products	Coal, Rail transport services

The Beaver Meadow Railroad & Coal Company (BMRC) was officially established on April 7, 1830, with the purpose of constructing a rail line from the mining areas near Beaver Meadows, Pennsylvania following Beaver Creek to Penn Haven and then along the Lehigh River through what is now Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, reaching the Lehigh Canal at Parryville, Pennsylvania. The community of Beaver Meadows originated from a land transaction in 1787 involving Patrick and Mary Keene, later owned by Nathan Beach.

History

BMRC holds the distinction of being the first railroad in the Lehigh Valley to operate with locomotives. Initially authorized to raise $250,000 in capital, the company expanded this limit to $800,000 by utilizing a charter clause that permitted ownership of up to 200 acres of coal land as an incentive for constructing railroads connecting mines to waterways.

The discovery of the Beaver Meadow Mines occurred in 1812 by Nathan Beach. After resolving land ownership conflicts through Judge Barnes acquiring Beach’s property, BMRC encountered opposition from the established Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company, which accused BMRC of speculative practices. By 1833, engineers including future coal industry leader Ario Pardee finalized plans for a route from the Beaver Meadow mines to the Lehigh River and downstream to Parryville. This line was designed to serve both the New York City and Philadelphia markets via the Lehigh Canal. Due to toll disagreements with canal operators, the company considered Allentown as an alternative terminus in 1834.

By 1836, BMRC had completed twelve miles of track linking mines to the Lehigh River; contracts were underway for an additional fourteen miles extending to Weissport. By 1837, the railroad operated three Garrett & Eastwick locomotives. The company employed innovative techniques such as transporting locomotives over steep inclined planes and using mules to haul empty cars. Pardee further enhanced coal accessibility by developing the Hazleton Railroad connecting Weatherly with Hazleton.

Initially equipped with wooden rails topped by iron straps and wood-fired engines, BMRC shifted to anthracite-burning locomotives by 1838. The locomotive Hercules introduced a groundbreaking 4-4-0 wheel configuration featuring an independent leading truck and equalizing lever, allowing effective operation on challenging terrain and setting a precedent for American railroad engineering.

In 1840, BMRC began leasing its rail line along with annual coal output ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 tons, including rolling stock and engineering personnel. Lessees comprised A. H. VanCleve & Company (1841–46), William Milnes & Company (circa 1847), Hamberger & Company (until 1850), with operations resuming under Coxe Brothers & Company in 1881 following a period of mine inactivity.

After a flood in 1841, BMRC abandoned the track segment from across Mauch Chunk to Parrysville; part of this section was later reconstructed by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1855. Due to difficulties maintaining facilities across inclined planes, the company moved its foundry and machine shops from Beaver Meadow to Weatherly in 1849.

By 1849, BMRC operated five locomotives and maintained a fleet of 297 coal cars running on improved rails that transported 84,396 tons of coal to East Mauch Chunk canal. The railroad was organized into three divisions: Upper (mines to Weatherly), Middle (Weatherly to Penn Haven), and Lower (Penn Haven to East Mauch Chunk), replacing wooden rails with flat iron rails by 1850. With the opening of a high-level route by Hazleton Railroad in 1852, BMRC acquired its abandoned line in 1855, removing two inclined planes at Weatherly and significantly reducing grade difficulties. Additionally, service extended to Honeybrook Mines by 1856.

By 1863, BMRC’s network reached Audenreid and included five engine houses plus a machine shop. Its inventory comprised nineteen locomotives alongside numerous passenger and freight cars plus over one thousand coal cars. That year saw nearly 1.6 million tons of anthracite coal transported over more than 208,000 miles; passenger and freight services added approximately 38,500 miles traveled.

On July 8, 1864, BMRC merged into the Lehigh Valley Railroad, contributing its initial coal properties and becoming known as the Beaver Meadows Branch within that corporation.