Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company

Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Railroad
Predecessor	Schuylkill East Branch Navigation Company
Founded	1826
Defunct	1952
Fate	Merged into Reading Company
Headquarters	Pennsylvania , United States
Area served	Pennsylvania
Products	Railroad transportation, coal transport

The Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company (LSRR) was a 19th-century Pennsylvania railroad that operated over a 28-mile route between Port Clinton and Tamaqua.

History

Originally incorporated in 1826 under the name Schuylkill East Branch Navigation Company, the enterprise was first empowered to construct a canal following the Little Schuylkill River. Two years later, in 1828, its charter was revised to permit railroad construction, and by 1829 the company adopted the LSRR name, gaining authorization to extend its line toward Reading, Pennsylvania.

Rail construction commenced in 1830 using wooden rails topped with strap iron. Service began in 1831 with horse-drawn cars operating between Tamaqua—situated in the coal-abundant Panther Creek Valley—and Port Clinton at the terminus of the Schuylkill Canal. Eventually, this line linked with the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company.

In 1833, LSRR imported two steam locomotives from Liverpool; however, the wooden rails were inadequate to support them. This limitation forced a reversion to horsepower, nearly causing financial collapse. The replacement of wooden rails with iron "T" rails in 1845 allowed steam locomotive operations to restart.

By 1854, the LSRR had established a connection with the Catawissa Railroad at Tamanend (also known as Little Schuylkill Junction). Three years later, in 1857, it constructed a roundhouse in Tamaqua equipped with a turntable and capacity for 21 locomotives.

The Reading Railroad leased the company in 1863 under a 93-year agreement and ultimately completed a formal merger in 1952.

See also

• List of Pennsylvania railroads