The King Coal was a passenger train operated by the Reading Railroad between Philadelphia and Shamokin, Pennsylvania.[1] The train was launched in the late 1930s, as part of Reading's introduction of streamlined trains, with equipment rebuilt by the railroad specifically for the service.[1]

King Coal
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocalePennsylvania
First serviceLate 1930s
Last serviceJune 28, 1963
Former operator(s)Reading Railroad
Route
TerminiPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Shamokin, Pennsylvania

In its latter years it was truncated to Pottsville on weekends.[2] Due to declining demand for passenger rail travel as automobiles became more prevalent, the King Coal was discontinued on June 28, 1963.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Classic American Railroads Volume III. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Company. 2003. p. 115. ISBN 0-7603-1649-X.
  2. ^ 'Official Guide of the Railways,' June 1961, Reading Railroad section, Table 3
  3. ^ "'Last train' left Shamokin 50 years ago today". The News Item. June 28, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2015.