Pennsylvania Company
| Reporting mark | PRR |
|---|---|
| Locale | Pittsburgh, PA to Chicago, IL |
| Dates of operation | April 1, 1871–January 1, 1918 |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Pennsylvania Company was a major holding company, owning and operating much of the Lines West territory (west of Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania) of the Pennsylvania Railroad, including the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway, the PRR's main route to Chicago. It also owned but did not operate the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (Pan Handle Route), another line to Chicago.
The Pennsylvania Company was incorporated April 7, 1870 in Pennsylvania as a holding company with a broad charter. It was organized June 1, with president William Thaw of the PRR. Tom Scott replaced Thaw as the president January 20, 1871. On April 1 of that year the company began operating several railroads; others were acquired later.
The Pennsylvania Company operated the Erie Canal of Pennsylvania from September 16, 1870 to February 4, 1871.
On January 1, 1918, soon after the United States Railroad Administration took over all U.S. railroads, all Pennsylvania Company leases were transferred to the PRR. On March 1, 1920, when the lines were returned to the PRR, they were separated into four regions - the Eastern Region, Central Region, Northwestern Region and Southwestern Region.
The Pennsylvania Company however stayed around as a holding company, and was reincorporated in Delaware on December 12, 1958 and reorganized December 16. Its new purpose was to diversify into real estate and other fields, and the company lasted through the 1968 PRR merger into Penn Central Transportation.
...
Wikipedia