The Pennsylvania Railroad was the dominant railroad with predecessor railroads converging on Columbia from four directions.

East—Philadelphia and Columbia reached Columbia in 1834.
West—Wrightsvile, York and Gettysburg crossed the Susquehanna in 1840.
North—Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mount Joy and Lancaster completed a branch in 1850.
South—Columbia and Port Deposit finished its line in 1877.

In 1863 the Reading and Columbia, later part of the Reading Company, arrived bringing anthracite coal for transfer to canal boats Baltimore bound. By 1906 the PRR had at its Columbia hub a 360° roundhouse, turntable, machine shop, two yards, passenger station, freight station, and a steel bridge. The Reading Company had a passenger station, freight station, and a steel bridge. The Reading Company had a passenger station, freight house, turntable, and engine house. That year PRR opened its Atglen and Susquehanna Branch, a low-grade freight bypass through Columbia, and drastically cut back on the crews working from Columbia. The PRR built "Cola" tower and electrified Columbia tracks in 1938 resulting in electrically powered trains running for 50 years. During 1958 PRR closed its bridge and ceased its remaining yard operations. Today diesel-powered freight trains continue to run along the river



and east to Lancaster.

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The Old Columbia Public Grounds Co.
Columbia: a Transportation Hub
Columbia
Railroads During the Civil War
Columbia
Lincoln Highway
Susquehannock Apartments
First National Bank
"The Returned Soldier", a War Memorial
Samuel Wright

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