Reading Company (Reading Railroad) — Corporate Overview

Reading Company (Reading Railroad — 1833-1976) was one of the historic Pennsylvania anthracite coal-hauling Class I railroads, chartered as the Philadelphia & Reading Rail Road in 1833 to move anthracite from the Schuylkill and Lehigh coal regions to Philadelphia tidewater. Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries the Reading grew into an integrated coal-and-rail combine controlling mines, docks, and rail lines across eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware — for a period the largest corporation in the United States by capitalization.

By the mid-20th century, the Reading operated a substantial commuter-rail network out of Reading Terminal (Philadelphia) serving the Philadelphia suburbs, along with mainline freight service across the Reading PA / Harrisburg / Allentown / Bethlehem coal corridor. Major mechanical shop and yard complexes included the Reading Shops (Reading PA), Rutherford Yard (Harrisburg PA), and Port Richmond Yard (Philadelphia PA). The Reading filed for bankruptcy in 1971 amid the collapse of the U.S. anthracite market and Northeast rail industry, and its rail operations were folded into Conrail on April 1, 1976 (the non-rail Reading Company continued as a holding entity). Reading commuter service in the Philadelphia region ultimately passed to SEPTA.

Documented ACM Footprint

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) that Reading Company — and its successor Conrail — exposed the railroad workforce to asbestos through the following documented pathways:

  • Steam locomotive era: allegedly asbestos block boiler lagging, asbestos-cement smokebox insulation, and asbestos rope firebox packing on Reading’s heavy anthracite-burning steam power (through 1950s dieselization)
  • Diesel-electric locomotive era: allegedly asbestos-fabric traction motor winding insulation, asbestos arc chute plates in traction control cabinets, and asbestos exhaust manifold gaskets on Alco, EMD, and GE locomotives
  • Passenger and commuter car: allegedly asbestos-cement body insulation panels, asbestos-fabric heating duct lagging, and Vapor Clarkson steam generators on Reading Terminal commuter and Crusader / Wall Street named-train equipment
  • Freight car: allegedly asbestos brake shoe friction paired with WABCO / New York Air Brake / Symington-Gould brake components on coal-hopper and merchandise fleets
  • Roundhouse / shop: allegedly asbestos pipe covering on shop steam mains, asbestos-fabric arc chute plates in shop switchgear, and asbestos-block bay lagging at Reading Shops, Rutherford Yard (Harrisburg), and Port Richmond Yard shop complexes
  • Terminal operations: allegedly asbestos pipe covering and boiler lagging in Reading Terminal Philadelphia mechanical spaces
  • FELA note: Railroad workers may pursue Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) claims for occupational asbestos exposure — a broader remedy than state workers’ compensation.

Workers Allegedly Exposed

  • Locomotive machinists, boilermakers, pipefitters, and electricians at Reading Shops (Reading PA), Rutherford Yard (Harrisburg PA), and Port Richmond Yard (Philadelphia PA)
  • Diesel-service and roundhouse workers servicing EMD, GE, and Alco locomotives across the Reading system
  • Railroad car repairmen (carmen) replacing asbestos brake shoes at Reading coal-hopper and freight yards
  • Locomotive engineers, firemen, conductors, brakemen, and yard switchmen on Reading freight and commuter trains
  • Shop electricians (IBEW) working on allegedly asbestos-containing arc chutes in traction control cabinets and yard switchgear
  • Insulators (HFIAW) applying and stripping asbestos pipe covering on shop steam distribution and passenger-car heating systems
  • Reading Terminal Philadelphia stationary engineers and maintenance mechanics

If You Worked for the Reading Railroad

If you or a family member worked for Reading Company (Reading Railroad) — or its successor Conrail — at any shop, yard, roundhouse, terminal, or locomotive-service facility during the asbestos era and have since been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have legal rights under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) — a broader remedy for railroad workers than state workers’ compensation.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956

Plants by State

Reading Company operated shops, yards, roundhouses, and terminals across multiple U.S. states. Detailed premises information is available on the following state jobsite pages: