Reading Railroad System 1942 Ceramic Tile

From www.railphotoexpress.biz; The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad (P&R) was one of the first railroads constructed in the United States. It ran along with the Little Schuylkill, with a horse drawn railroad in the Pennsylvania Schuylkill River Valley, forming the earliest components of what would become the Reading Railroad Company. In 1871 the Reading Railroad was the largest company in the world. The Reading Railway System in 1942 consisted of Steam Locomotive pulled trains, Electric MU Commuter Trains, and Bus Transportation. The Reading Company was called the Reading Railroad and operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighbouring states. Until the decline in anthracite loadings in the Coal Region after World War II, it was one of the most prosperous corporations in the United States. Reduced coal traffic coupled with highway competition and short hauls forced it into bankruptcy in the 1970s. The railroad was merged into Conrail in 1976.