Central Railroad of Pennsylvania facts for kids
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Reporting mark | CRP |
| Locale | Easton, Pennsylvania to Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Dates of operation | August 5, 1946–1952 |
| Successor | CNJ, later Lehigh Valley |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Imagine a big railroad company trying to save money on taxes! That's exactly what the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (CRP) was all about. It was a special company created by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ). The CNJ hoped to avoid paying some taxes in New Jersey for its train lines in Pennsylvania. However, this plan didn't work out. The CRP's operations were joined back with the CNJ just six years later.
What Was the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania?
The Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (reporting mark CRP) was a railroad company that existed for a short time. It was created by another, much larger railroad called the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ). The CNJ had many train lines, including some that ran through Pennsylvania.
Why Was This Railroad Created?
In the 1940s, the Central Railroad of New Jersey wanted to find a way to pay less in certain taxes in New Jersey. These taxes were for the parts of their railroad that were in Pennsylvania. To try and reduce these taxes, the CNJ came up with a clever idea.
They took a small branch line they already owned, called the Easton and Western Railroad. This line was located west of Easton. In 1944, they changed its name to the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania. Then, in 1946, they transferred all their Pennsylvania train lines to this new CRP company. Most of these lines had originally been built by the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad. The Lehigh and Susquehanna had been leased to the CNJ way back in 1871.
The new CRP company officially started running trains on August 5, 1946. Around this time, the CNJ even changed its own logo to "Jersey Central Lines." This was all part of the plan to make the CRP seem like a separate company.
What Happened to the CRP?
The plan to save on taxes didn't last very long. The courts decided that this arrangement was not allowed. So, in 1952, the CRP's operations were merged back into the Central Railroad of New Jersey. This meant the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania stopped being a separate company.
Years later, in 1972, the CNJ faced financial problems. A court ordered the CNJ to stop running its trains in Pennsylvania. These lines, including the old Lehigh and Susquehanna lines, were then taken over by another railroad company, the Lehigh Valley Railroad.
