Schuylkill East Branch Navigation 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 Railroad
Headquarters	Tamaqua , United States
Area served	Pennsylvania
Products	Coal transportation, railroad services

The Little Schuylkill Navigation, Railroad and Coal Company (LSRR) was a railroad operating in the 19th century within Pennsylvania, spanning a distance of 28 miles 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 along the Little Schuylkill River. Two years later, in 1828, its charter was revised to authorize the building of a railroad. Subsequently, in 1829, the company adopted the name LSRR and received permission to extend its rail line toward Reading, Pennsylvania.

Rail construction commenced in 1830 utilizing wooden rails topped with strap iron. The company began operations in 1831 employing horse-drawn cars to transport coal from the resource-rich Panther Creek Valley at Tamaqua to the Schuylkill Canal terminus located at Port Clinton. Eventually, this route connected with the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company.

In 1833, LSRR imported two steam locomotives from Liverpool; however, the wooden rails were unable to support their weight, resulting in a reversion to animal-powered transport and pushing the company close to insolvency. It was not until 1845 that iron "T" rails were laid, which allowed steam engines to operate consistently once again.

By 1854, LSRR established a junction with the Catawissa Railroad at Tamanend (Little Schuylkill Junction). Three years later, in 1857, a roundhouse accommodating 21 locomotives along with a turntable was constructed in Tamaqua.

The LSRR entered into a lease agreement with the Reading Railroad in 1863 for a term of 93 years and was ultimately merged into the Reading system in 1952.

See also

• List of Pennsylvania railroads