the prr first began its passenger service between pittsburgh and philadelphia in 1854.
the prr first began its passenger service between pittsburgh and philadelphia in 1854.
when did the prr first begin its passenger service between pittsburgh and philadelphia?
1854
his first employment with the pennsylvania railroad (prr) was as an engineer locating the line of the railroad for its extension to pittsburgh as part of the western division of the prr prior to the opening of the horseshoe curve in 1854. he then was put in charge of gallatzin tunnel construction as well as double tracking work on the eastern slope including horseshoe curve. in 1857, he was promoted to resident engineer in charge of the railroad between harrisburg and pittsburgh. in 1859, seabrook was appointed chief engineer of the western transportation company with the responsibility of survey and construction for extending the prr west of pittsburgh towards chicago. his last work for the pennsylvania railroad was building the eastern end of the west shore railroad which was sold to the new york central railroad in 1885. he died in philadelphia in 1897.
thomas seabrook
section::::career.:broad street station.









































as prr first vice-president, roberts oversaw the construction of broad street station, a seminal event in philadelphia history. before this, prr locomotives did not cross the schuylkill river, but deposited passengers at west philadelphia station (32nd street) where horse-drawn streetcars brought them into center city. construction of a new bridge and a 10-block viaduct – the "chinese wall" – carried the prr tracks two stories above street level and into the wilson brothers-designed station at broad street.
george brooke roberts