Help Needed on Reading RR info

[Canadian Viking]

I'm working on a new scenario in the Pennsylvania - New York region that begins in 1855. The map will have the major railroads (run by AI) that were already built at that time. Can anyone tell me if the Philadelphia & Reading RR (commonly know by it's more modern name of Reading) extended north or west of Pottsville on January 1st, 1855?

I have several bookshelves filled with railroad books, but nary a one on the Reading. And I'm having trouble finding info on the net. I have learned that the Reading had a double-track mainline from Philadelphia through Reading to Pottsville, but haven't found info on when it built, or absorbed, rail lines north of Pottsville or Port Carbon. Also, I found that the Reading - Harrisburg line opened in 1856.

Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated, and may help get a new scenario on-line a little faster!

[nedfumpkin]

Here's a site I found to be very helpful. It's got a gazillion maps of PA, and perhaps you can find out by digging through them.

http://www.mapsofpa.com/antiquemaps3.htm

[Canadian Viking]

Thanks for the tip, Ned. There are some helpful maps there. It appears that there were other railroads north of Pottsville, but they were all shortlines that had not yet been absorbed by the Reading or Pennsy.

[nedfumpkin]

I found the maps useful when comparing them between years because it helped narrow down the dates of town names and what was known at the time.

I'll look through some of the other stuff I have to see if I can't find anything else of assistance. I have a lot of maps from that site, but also some from others that might give you an idea.

Something else to look into is about the Reading Coal Company. I think there may have been a connection to the RR, and it might reveal something.