The Reading Company (/ ˈrɛdɪŋ / RED-ing) was a Philadelphia -headquartered railroad that provided passenger and freight transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states from 1924 until its acquisition by Conrail in 1976.

Oct 7, 2021 · Classic Trains editors present the history of the former "coal road" Reading Company, the Railroad of the Month for October 2021. Reading Company, as a railroad, disappeared into Conrail more than 40 years ago.

Oct 17, 2024 · The Reading Railroad (pronounced "Redding"), officially known as the Reading Company, was another of the many Northeastern anthracite carriers and arguably the most famous. Unfortunately, despite its celebrity the carrier relied heavily on a commodity which precipitously declined after World War II.

Jan 23, 2025 · Reading Company, American railroad in Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware, absorbed into the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail) in 1976. At its peak in the first half of the 20th century, it was the largest American carrier of anthracite coal.

Jul 6, 2003 · The Reading Company was originally created as the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, chartered in 1833. It was intended to haul anthracite from the hard coal region to Philadelphia via an alignment which followed the Schuylkill River valley.

This web of lines proved difficult to manage, and the railroad, as well as its coal company, was reorganized under The Reading Company in 1896. With the 20th Century, came many difficulties for the company, which faced anti-trust lawsuits and was forced to drop its coal mine operations.

The Reading Railroad Heritage Museum is the education center of the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, A non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving the history of the Reading Railroad.

Chartered in 1871, Reading Company was the holding company for the system of railroads, canals and coal mines assembled by the predecessor Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company between 1833 and 1896.

In 1928, the Reading Company would again be the largest corporation in the world thanks to both a strong railroad and the company’s numerous real estate holdings. The real estate bubble burst the following year when the depression hit and the downward slide for many railroads in the northeast began.

Jun 20, 2023 · In its heyday, the Reading Company was a multifaceted industrial giant. Originally established as the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad in 1833 to transport anthracite coal, the pioneering 94-mile line evolved into a mighty corporation serving eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.