Sunbury and Lewistown Railroad
| Locale | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Dates of operation | 1871–1957 (sections open to present) |
| Predecessor | Middle Creek Railroad (1868-1871) |
| Successor | Pennsylvania Railroad |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 47 miles |
| Headquarters | Sunbury |
The Sunbury and Lewistown Railroad was a Class I Railroad connecting Lewistown, Pennsylvania with Sunbury, Pennsylvania.. Completed in 1874, the line was placed under an immediate lease by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), upon its completion. For over a century, the line operated between Sunbury and Lewistown, serving as a relief line for both the Pennsylvania Main Line and Bald Eagle Branch through Williamsport. The line was noteworthy as a proving ground for new railroad technology in the United States, such as the "X"-shaped railroad crossing signs in 1917 (now nearly ubiquitous in the United States) and Pulse Code Cab Signaling technology in 1925.
It is now a fallen flag railway, the name "Sunbury and Lewistown" having been phased out in 1901, when the line became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Sunbury Division. Traffic peaked on the line between 1900 an 1910, possibly in preparation for a planned (but canceled) PRR yard at Selinsgrove on the Isle of Que. This proposed trunk yard was instead constructed at Northumberland, Pennsylvania in 1912, resulting in a loss of significance to the older route through Snyder County. Declining passenger numbers after the First World War led to a cancellation of all passenger traffic after 1934, followed by a cessation of through traffic and the removal of all tracks between Lewistown and Kreamer, Pennsylvania in 1957. The remaining portion, running south from Sunbury, then across the Susquehanna River to Kreamer via Selinsgrove, was operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad until 1968, then came under the control of Penn Central (merger of the PRR and the New York Central), Conrail, and is operated today under the ownership of the Norfolk Southern Railway.