Topographical plan & profile of the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road.

This map shows the rugged topography faced by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad when it went out of the Schuylkill River Valley and into the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The line was chartered in 1833 and its sole purpose was to bring coal from the mountains to Philadelphia. The coal was a profitable commodity and the railroad was an immediate success, unlike other early railroads that struggled to earn money in their early years.