The 
Hagley Library is pleased to announce the digital release of Chris Baer's completed Pennsylvania Railroad Chronology. This remarkable document traces the full arc of the PRR's history — and the broader context surrounding it — from 1700 through 2024, spanning well beyond the railroad's founding in 1846 and its eventual dissolution in 1968. Drawing on a wide range of sources, most significantly the vast Pennsylvania Railroad archive.
Comprised of over 20,000 pages, the chronology stands as an extraordinary record of one of America's most consequential railroad companies. In addition to the chronological history, it also includes a glossary and bibliography as well as details about named trains along the PRR's expansive network.
Click here to browse or search the PRR Chronology in the Hagley Digital Archives
Chris Baer was an institution at Hagley where he helped countless historians with their research while also publishing his own work. Among his many accomplishments, he played a pivotal role in preserving and processing the massive Pennsylvania Railroad archive. (Read Salvaging History, to learn about his efforts to save the PRR archive.)
Chris passed away in 2024. We encourage you to read the tribute we wrote here last year to learn more about his remarkable life