Reading and Northern Railroad Heritage begins with the predecessor
railroads in northeastern Pennsylvania including Reading Company,
Pennsylvania Railroad Schuylkill Branch, Central Railroad of New Jersey
in Pennsylvania, Lehigh & New England Railroad in Pennsylvania, and
Lehigh Valley Railroad in Pennsylvania that were originally prosperous;
however, in later years they declined as anthracite coal production
declined. Passenger ridership declined with the coming of the
automobile, and growth of interstate highways plus growth of trucking
companies took away much of the former railroad freight business. In
1983, Andrew Muller leased a portion of a former Pennsylvania Railroad
line that was about to be abandoned by Conrail. That was the beginning
of what ultimately became the Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern
Railroad. Over a period of time, the railroad grew and has successfully
developed a prosperous freight and passenger business. It has restored
steam locomotives for its passenger excursions plus has re-introduced
the public to the region's railroad heritage.
