Anthracite Railroad Records

The Pennsylvania State Archives has extensive holdings on the anthracite railroads of eastern Pennsylvania, but they reside in various distinct collections, as listed below. By definition, an anthracite railroad hauled anthracite coal as one of its primary sources of freight traffic, and/or owned an anthracite mine.

The principal carriers included the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Reading Company, the Lehigh Valley, the Delaware & Hudson, the Central Railroad of New Jersey, the Lehigh & New England, the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Erie, the Erie-Lackawanna, the New York, Ontario & Western, the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley, the New York, Susquehanna & Western, the Wilkes Barre & Eastern, and the Lehigh & Hudson River railroads.

Central Railroad of New Jersey

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collections:
  • Charles B. Schlegel Collection (RR77.102) - (mostly track charts, rule books and miscellaneous CNJ information) - [Holdings] (PDF)
  • Philips Collection (principally research materials on "camelback"-type anthracite-burning steam locomotives) - [Holdings] (PDF)
  • A total of (23) boxes of records from the CNJ Office of the Superintendent, Allentown, and (4) cartons of track charts as part of MG-199 currently remains unprocessed.
    • Archives staff is not able to do research for non-visiting patrons in this series.
    • No comprehensive finding aid exists for these records.
    • Additional CNJ records are also scattered throughout:
      • Lehigh & Susquehanna Railroad (MG-311)
      • Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (MG-311)
      • Lehigh Valley Railroad holdings (MG-274)

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• Most CNJ records were destroyed.
• Hagley Museum and Library: Additional CNJ records, including New York & Long Branch and drawings of CNJ ferries, tug boats and other marine equipment.
• The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society preserves the history of this railroad.
• Some CNJ track maps may be found at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives in Strasburg, Pa.

Delaware & Hudson Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-401 Delaware and Hudson Railway Company Records.

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• D&H photographs may be found in MG-199 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pa.
• Although many of the company's records were burned in a fire in 1991 shortly after takeover by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, some additional D&H records from their Albany, NY offices are at the New York State Library.
• The Carbondale Historical Society has materials on the D&H Gravity Railway.
• The Bridge Line Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history of the D&H.
• Microfilmed D&H board minutes are at the National Canal Museum in Easton, Pa.

Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-300 Erie Lackawanna Railway Deposit - contains some EL track maps of DL&W routes.
• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection (at the State Archives), Elwin Mumford Collection of photographs and postcards taken and collected by him of Lackawanna locomotives, rolling stock and support facilities in the eastern Pennsylvania area, 1890-1974. [Holdings] (PDF)
• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection (at the State Archives) - Walter A. Lucas Collection of stereographs relating to railroads and scenic views in America, ca. 1875-1927, includes views of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. [Holdings] (PDF)

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• Extensive DL&W photographs and historical research material may be found in MG-199 the Thomas T. Taber Collection {RR75.30} at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives, Strasburg, Lancaster, County.
• The bulk of the original DL&W business records are housed at the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University.
• The University of Akron has some DL&W records.
• Smithsonian Institution NMAH Archives has a collection of DL&W records.
• Steamtown National Historic Site has some DL&W records (1849-1961), including an extensive file for the Chief Engineer, with nearly 100,000 drawings and maps and nearly 3,000 engineering field books.
• There is also DL&W historical information at the Cortland Historical Society in Cortland , NY.
• The Erie Lackawanna Historical Society also preserves the history of the DL&W and has deposited their archives at Cleveland State University, Special Collections Library in Cleveland, OH.
• The Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Historical Society also preserves the legacy of the Lackawanna.
• Hagley Museum & Library has DL&W minute books to the EL merger in 1960 plus materials on the original construction of the DL&W in the Scranton Family papers collection.
• The Lackawanna County Historical Society has records of the DL&W Coal Department and other anthracite carriers.
• The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society preserves the history of this railroad.

Erie Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-300 Erie Lackawanna Railway Deposit.
• MG-282 Pennsylvania Coal Company Records - This company, and related firms, were for many years the Erie Railroad's coal mining subsidiaries.
• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection (at the State Archives):
  • Walter A. Lucas Collection of stereographs relating to railroads and scenic views in America, ca. 1875-1927, includes views of the Erie Railroad.
  • Philips Collection contains materials relative to the Erie Railroad.

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• The Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University also holds the corporate records of the Erie Railway.
• The Erie Lackawanna Historical Society also preserves the history of the Erie and has deposited their archives at Cleveland State University, Special Collections Library in Cleveland, OH.
• Steamtown National Historic Site also preserves the records of the (AFE's JE's contracts), Erie personnel files, division engineer and chief engineers files.
• The Hagley Museum & Library's Bethlehem Steel collection includes drawings of Erie ferries.
• A sizable unprocessed collection of Erie bridge drawings and structures are in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, Division of Work & Industry.

Erie-Lackawanna Railway

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-300 Erie Lackawanna Railway Deposit.

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• About 300 cubic feet of Erie Lackawanna corporate records reside at the University of Akron. It consists of materials used and produced throughout the Railroad's final reorganization and liquidation process which began in 1972 and ended in 1991.
• The Erie Lackawanna Historical Society also preserves the history of the Erie Lackawanna and has deposited their archives at Cleveland State University, Special Collections Library in Cleveland, OH.

Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway

PA State Archives Holdings

• The State Archives does not have any records from this interurban trolley line.

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• L&WV company records reside at the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY.

Lehigh & Hudson River Railway

PA State Archives Holdings

• The State Archives does not have any records from this railroad.

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• The bulk of the business records of the Lehigh & Hudson River Railroad {RR99.57} consisting of approximately 80 cubic feet, may be found in MG-199 at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pa.
• The Historical Society of the Town of Warwick, NY also has L&HR records.
• The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society preserves the history of this railroad.

Lehigh & New England Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-311 Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company Records have extensive information on the Lehigh & Susquehanna Railroad and other LC&N properties leased to the CNJ (includes maps and structural drawings for the Lehigh & New England Railroad tracings).

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• Additional MG-311 records may be found at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives, Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pa.
• The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society preserves the history of this railroad.

Lehigh Valley Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-274 Lehigh Valley Railroad Records
• MG-2 Business Records Collection: Transportation and Industry
  • Lehigh Valley Railroad
• MG-286 Penn Central Railroad Collection also contains records from numerous LVRR companies
• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection (at the State Archives) - Walter A. Lucas Collection of stereographs relating to railroads and scenic views in America, ca. 1875-1927, includes views of the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection (at the State Archives) - Philips Collection.
  

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton houses the Lehigh Valley Railroad President's files and monomial files of the LV Chief Engineer.
• Other Lehigh Valley RR company records are held at the Smithsonian Institution NMAH Archives.
• The National Canal Museum in Easton, Pa., has some LV records.
• The Cortland Historical Society, Cortland, NY, has some LV records.
• The Sayre Historical Society, Sayre, Pa., has some LV records.
• The New Jersey State Archives in Trenton, NJ has LV records.
• Hagley Museum & Library has duplicate LV board minutes, annual reports and corporate manuals.
• The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives has LV corporate ephermera, annual reports and some photographs/negatives.
• The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society helps preserve the history of this railroad.

New York, Ontario & Western Railway

PA State Archives Holdings

• The State Archives does not have any records from this railroad. The only item in MG-199 is (1) ledger of an NYO&W Agent's Record of Milk, Cream and Potcheese forwarded from Hamilton to Weehauken, NJ, 1899. Currently this item is unprocessed.

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• Original company records reside in Middletown, NY, in possession of the New York, Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society.
• Some NYO&W glass negative collections also are deposited at the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway/Wilkes Barre & Eastern Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• The State Archives does not have any records from either of these railroads.
• WB&E business records are not known to have survived.

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• NYS&W/WB&E research notes are contained as part of the Walter A. Lucas Collection in the Curatorial and Reference series, as well as track diagrams of the WB&E in the Robert Mohowski Collection at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives.
• The New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad Technical & Historical Society helps preserve the history of this railroad.

Pennsylvania Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-286 Penn Central Railroad Collection (Relevant series include: PRR General Office Library Photograph File; Penn Central Auction Photographs; Conrail Public Affairs Photographs; Thomas Hollyman Photographs, digitized microfilm of track and property atlases (incomplete). Also contains the surviving minutes and other minutes of PRR's anthracite mining companies).
• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection (at the State Archives) - Walter A. Lucas Collection of stereographs relating to railroads and scenic views in America, ca. 1875-1927, includes views of the PRR. [Holdings] (PDF)
  • MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection (at the State Archives) - DuBarry Photo Albums (RR72.1 {#199m.41})

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• Original PRR records may be found at the Hagley Museum & Library in Greenville, Del.
• Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives in Strasburg, Pa., has the PRR Library Collection, Annual Reports, Ephemera and Original and Secondary sources in the Curatorial and Reference File Series.
• New Jersey State Archives has PRR records.
• Penn State University Paterno Library in State College, Pa., has PRR Records.
• New York Public Library has PRR records.
• Temple University Urban Archives has the PRR VRD Employee Records.
• University of Michigan Library has some PRR Records.
• Cincinnati Historical Society Library has some PRR records.
• Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum has some PRR records, mostly from the Test Plant facility at Altoona.
• Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society Archives in Lewistown, Pa. has mostly records retreived from the attic of the Pittsburgh station and the bulk of their holdings document PRR Lines West activities. The PRRT&HS also preserves the history of the PRR.

Philadelphia & Reading Railway/Reading Company

PA State Archives Holdings

• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collections:
  • Walter Fister Collection - Reading Co. Photographs (Fister was the Reading Company Superintendent of Motive Power & Rolling Equipment {#199m.57}.)
  • Robert Phillips draft of unpublished RDG Co. history with rare photographs. (Includes some Reading Railroad tracings) [Holdings] (PDF)
  • Luther Cummings Collection (Includes photographs and negatives of Reading trains {#199m.30}.)
  • Elwin Mumford Collection (Comprises of a collection of photographs and postcards taken and collected by him of Reading Railroad locomotives, rolling stock and support facilities in the eastern Pennsylvania area, 1890-1974 {#199m.82}.)
  • Reading steam locomotive tracings. In particular, {series #199.88} (PDF) contains mechanical engineering drawings of Reading steam/diesel locomotives and freight/passenger rolling stock. {Mechanical Drawing Index} (PDF). A limited volume of track and right of way drawings [Holdings] (PDF) are also part of the collection.
• MG-286 Although the Reading never became a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the State Archives does hold some materials relating to the Reading Railroad in our Manuscript Group 286. We received from the Penn Central a subset of architectural drawings of stations originally built along the Reading Line (series #286m.254) [Partial Holdings Part1] (PDF) [Partial Holdings Part 2] (PDF).
• MG-289 George M. Hart Collection (Mostly comprises of 47 photographic prints, 1910-1921, and 1940, of eastern Pennsylvania coal region views along the Philadelphia & Reading printed from original 8 x 10 glass negatives, taken system-wide showing steam locomotives, rolling stock, yards, coal breakers, inclined planes, engine houses, signals, and trackside.)

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• The Hagley Museum and Library in Delaware houses the largest collection of Reading documents and photographs held by any research institution, including Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines records.
• The Athenaeum in Philadelphia holds drawings of Reading RR structures designed by the Wilson Brothers.
• Some Reading ephemera, negatives, photographs and right-of-way half-mile and quarter-section mile maps are in the MG-199 collections of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives, Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pa.. Of note, at Strasburg, is the Reading Co. Public Relations Department file, 10 cu. ft., which includes Reading photographs of locomotives, rolling stock, trains, depots, yards, employees and events. Also, the Robert J. Linden collection, collected by a former Conductor, contains extensive Reading Company material.
• Additional unprocessed Reading archival materials are in possession of the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society in Hamburg, Pa.
• The Smithsonian Institution's NMAH Archives houses some P&R Engineering Department records, which are chiefly 19th century Chief Engineer's letterbooks.
• In addition to the RCT&HS, the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society helps preserve the history of this railroad.

Wilkes Barre & Eastern Railroad

PA State Archives Holdings

• See New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway.

Other General Sources of Anthracite Railroad Information

PA State Archives Holdings

• RG-12 Department of Highways (Photographs in the series that show railroad details for roads in the anthracite region featuring crossings, towers, various buildings, etc., [ca.1910-1977].)
• RG-17 Records of the Land Office: Board of Canal Commissioners.
• MG-11 Map Collection: Section VI: Transportation Maps.
• MG-199 Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Collection, housed at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Library and Archives, Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pa., contains annual reports for most of the anthracite railroad companies, reference and curatorial files containing ephemera, documents and notes, and audio-visual and graphic materials.
• MG-393 Pullman Standard Manufacturing Company of Butler Records (May contain information on rolling stock built for the anthracite railroads.)
• MG-218 General Photograph Collections: Transportation Section.
• MG-219 Philadelphia Commercial Museum Collection (photographs).
• MG-213 Postcard Collection.
• Aerial Photograph Collections, including:
  • RG-31 Records of the Dept. of Commerce
  • Aerial Photographs and Index of the 1940 Aerial Survey of Pennsylvania, 1937-1942. {#31.18}
    • images for these and other years available online via the PennPilot project
  • MG-416 Aero Service Corporation Photographs, [ca. 1926-1948].
  • MG-281 Samuel W. Kuhnert Papers, [ca. 1912-1976].
  • MG-425 Ebasco Environmental Company Aerial Photographs, [ca. 1980-1985]
• RG-37 Records of the Public Utility Commission: Bureau of Transportation.
  • Annual Reports of Transportation Utilities for Large and Small Carriers.
• RG-14 Records of the Dept. of Internal Affairs: Various Annual Report Series relating to railroads (some of which may be continued in RG-37).
  • Annual Census Reports of Motor Bus and Electric Transportation Carriers {#14.6}
  • Annual Census Reports of Railroads and Railroad Repair Establishments {#14.7}
    
  • Annual Reports of Passenger and Street Railway Companies {#14.15}
  • Annual Reports of Railroad and Street Railway Companies to the Auditor General and the Department of Internal Affairs {#14.18}
  • Registers of Steam Railroads, Street Railways, Canals, Telegraph and Telephone Companies {#14.26}
• RG-52 Records of the Dept. of Transportation: Local and Area Transportation Files

Additional Resources at Other Institutions

• Refer to the Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Records at the National Archives, College Park, MD, which includes maps, photos and inventories of the physical plant of many anthracite railroads.
• The New York Public Library is believed to have substantial records of the maritime operations of several anthracite railroads.
• The Mariners Museum and Steamship Historical Society also have some collections on anthracite railroads maritime operations.
• The University of Maryland, Baltimore County's Albert O. Kuhin Library houses the George Bretz Collection, which contains a rich assemblage of anthracite railroad photographs, some of which have been digitized into a virtual gallery.

Acknowledgements

• Chris Baer-Hagley Museum & Library
• Craig Orr-National Museum of American History Archives, Smithsonian Institution
• Richard Jahn-Anthracite Railroads Historical Society
• Rick Bates-Reading Company Technical & Historical Society
• Michael Knies-University of Scranton Archives
• Patrick McKnight-Steamtown National Historic Site
  
  

Topics

• Central Railroad of New Jersey
• Delaware & Hudson Railroad
• Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad
• Erie Railroad
• Erie-Lackawanna Railway
• Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway
• Lehigh & Hudson River Railway
• Lehigh & New England Railroad
• Lehigh Valley Railroad
• New York, Ontario & Western Railway
• New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway/Wilkes Barre & Eastern Railroad
• Pennsylvania Railroad
• Philadelphia & Reading Railway/Reading Company
• Wilkes Barre & Eastern Railroad
• Other General Sources of Anthracite Railroad Information
• Acknowledgements

Related Resources

• Baldwin Locomotive Works, MG-427
• Baldwin Locomotive Works, Other Record Holders
• PRR (the Pennsylvania R.R. Co.), MG-286
• PRR Accidents
• PRR Architectural Drawings
• PRR Employee Cards
• PRR Locomotive and Car Drawings
• PRR, Other Record Holders
• PRR Subsidiaries and Successors
• Railroad Employees
• Railroad Maps
• Railroad Microfilm
• Railroad Photographs
• Railroad Record Collections