Central Railroad of Pennsylvania

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This article is about the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Pennsylvania lines. For the independent line between Bellefonte and Mill Hall, see Central Railroad of Pennsylvania (1893-1918).

Central Railroad of Pennsylvania
Reporting marks	CRP
Locale	Easton, PA to Scranton, PA
Dates of operation	August 5, 1946–1952
Successor line	CNJ, later Lehigh Valley
Track gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge)

The Central Railroad of Pennsylvania was an attempt by the Central Railroad of New Jersey to avoid certain New Jersey taxes on their Pennsylvania lines. The tax dodge failed, and CRP operations were merged back into those of the CNJ.

[edit] History

Most of the Pennsylvania extension of the CNJ was built by the Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad, leased to the CNJ in 1871 as their Lehigh and Susquehanna Division. By the 1940s the CNJ wished to avoid certain New Jersey taxes on its Pennsylvania lines. The Easton and Western Railroad, a short branch west of Easton, was renamed to the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania and all Pennsylvania leases, primarily the L&S, were transferred to it. The new company began operations August 5, 1946. [1] Around the same time, the CNJ logo was changed from "Central Railroad Company of New Jersey" to "Jersey Central Lines". The arrangement was struck down by the courts, and in 1952 CRP operations were merged back into the CNJ. In 1972 the CNJ's Pennsylvania lines would be sold to the Lehigh Valley Railroad.