Welcome
Our own HO Scale Model Railroad (a work in progress) is based on a PRR Theme. The Pennsylvania Railroad or PRR or the "Pennsy,"
was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Class I railroads
are the largest rail carriers in the United States. In 1900, there were 132 Class I railroads, but as the result of mergers and
bankruptcies, the industry has consolidated and as of April 2023, just six Class I freight railroads remain. At
its peak in 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad (by traffic and revenue), the largest transportation
enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world. Sadly the Pennsylvania Railroad no longer exists however, model
railroading enthusiasts still keep the Pennsy alive.
History
Over its existence, Pennsylvania Railroad acquired, merged with, or owned part of at least 800 other rail lines and companies.
At the end of 1926, it operated 11,640.66 miles of rail line. In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged
with New York Central, and the railroad eventually went by the name of Penn Central Transportation Company, or "Penn Central"
for short. The former competitors' networks integrated poorly with each other, and the railroad filed for bankruptcy
within two years. Bankruptcy continued and on April 1, 1976, the railroad gave up its rail assets, along with the assets
of several other failing northeastern railroads, to a new railroad named Consolidated Rail Corporation, or Conrail for short.
Conrail was itself purchased and split up in 1999 between the Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation, with Norfolk Southern
getting 58 percent of the system, including nearly all of the remaining former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage. Amtrak
received the electrified segment of the Main Line east of Harrisburg.
