The initial application to the Pennsylvania General Assembly for a railroad charter, around 1853, was met with fierce resistance by local farmers, who feared that trains would frighten livestock, set fires, and destroy the local farming districts. The iron company was forced to compromise and charter the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Plank Road on July 2, 1853. While plank roads were a popular improvement in transportation at the time, the short stretch that was constructed was found wholly inadequate for the haulage of ore.
In 1853, an iron company sought a railroad charter from the Pennsylvania General Assembly. However, local farmers fiercely opposed this plan, fearing that trains would harm their livestock, cause fires, and disrupt farming. The company eventually compromised by establishing the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Plank Road on July 2, 1853. Although plank roads were widely used for transportation at the time, the short section built proved insufficient for transporting ore.