Lehigh Valley Railroad 2nd Century of service Metal Tree Decoration

Lehigh Valley Railroad-A Second Century of Service Originally known as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad, the Lehigh Valley Railroad (LVRR) competed for the lucrative anthracite coal transport trade in northeastern Pennsylvania. It dominated the industry in eastern Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, becoming known as the "Route of the Black Diamond." The Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad was first suggested by prominent members of Lehigh and Northampton Counties, and the bill was carried through the legislature by Dr. Jesse Samuel, then a representative from Lehigh County. In August 1847, the necessary certificate to the Governor was signed for the purpose of obtaining a charter of incorporation. The name of the company was changed to Lehigh Valley Railroad Company by an act of assembly on January 7, 1853. Although the railroad did carry passengers, it depended mainly on the transportation of coal as its source of profit. The demise of the coal industry and the rise of auto and air transportation in the 1950s led to its financial ruin and a takeover by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1960. On April 1, 1976, major portions of the assets of the bankrupt Lehigh Valley Railroad were acquired by Conrail,