Danville and Pottsville Railroad

Danville and Pottsville Railroad
Overview
Locale	Central Pennsylvania
History
Opened	1831
Closed	1842
Technical
Line length	13 mi (21 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	None

The Danville and Pottsville Railroad (D&P) was an early anthracite coal railroad constructed in central Pennsylvania during the 1830s. At the time of its charter in 1826, Danville provided access to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and served as a planned junction in the Pennsylvania canal system. The railroad’s alignment reflected an early internal improvements logic that prioritized inter-regional connections and waterborne trade routes, rather than direct access to Philadelphia. Promoters envisioned the D&P as a means to move anthracite westward to the Susquehanna for further shipment downstream via state canals. It was among the earliest attempts in the United States to establish a rail connection between the anthracite coal regions and eastern markets using fixed-track rail transport. Although never completed to its intended scope, the D&P "was not just another failed early railroad project" but rather a distinctive venture in which "ambition, topographical challenge, and private initiative intersected in a formative experiment," with engineers who would later play key roles in Pennsylvania's rail system.

In 1831, construction began on the first segment of the line, from Pottsville to Tuscarora. The intended final route would have continued northward through Minersville, Ashland, and Mount Carmel before descending to the Susquehanna near Danville. However, financial constraints, engineering difficulties, and the rise of competing lines prevented full realization of the original plan.

Construction and engineering

1831 Danville and Pottsville railroad

Revenue service on the Danville and Pottsville Railroad commenced by 1834 over a completed 13-mile segment between Pottsville and Tuscarora. This service used strap rail laid on timber stringers and was powered by horse-drawn cars, with modest coal shipments and occasional passenger traffic.

By 1838, the physical condition of the line had deteriorated. According to contemporary accounts, the Pottsville-to-Tuscarora segment remained in service, but only about 20 miles of track near Shamokin and Sunbury were actively used. Portions near Girardville and Ashland were incomplete or abandoned. Structural settling was so severe that wooden shoring had to be added to the original masonry piers.

The route included at least six inclined planes on the Pottsville end, a rare and ambitious feature for the time. Four ascended and two descended, and all were double-tracked to permit simultaneous haulage and descent. Some planes used stationary steam engines to assist with grades. One such plane near Pottsville was curved and featured iron-capped rails to reduce wear.

Although Edward Miller conducted survey work for the line and likely incorporated British railway practices based on his experience under Moncure Robinson, who was a leading early promoter of British methods in American railroading, Robinson himself had no documented role in the line's planning or construction.

Although later eclipsed by larger systems such as the Philadelphia and Reading and the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Danville and Pottsville Railroad remains a valuable example of early American railroading, illustrating both the technological ambition and organizational limitations that characterized pre-1840 rail ventures.