The Pennsylvania Railroad: A Culprit

Pennsylvania Railroad Round Houses on Chicago's South Side. The functions of these round houses caused neighbors to complain about smoke emissions. 

The Pennsylvania Railroad was chartered in 1846 and consisted of a railroad network of three administrative networks: the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, the Pennsylvania Company, and the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad. In 1910 Chicago, Illinois, the Pennsylvania provided about 10% of the city’s total train movement. [1] However, it struggled to comply with smoke control policies. Part of the problem was the divide within management over the proper response to the smoke control attempts, specifically around cost control. The Chicago Department of Smoke detection demanded that the railroad electrify as it had already done on its Long Island Railroad and New Jersey line, however, they refused. Rather, the Pennsylvania took a “policy-by-least-steps” approach, which allowed it to take its time making adjustments. Their method was to enforce behavioral change among firemen and engineers, technologically retrofit their locomotives, and sometimes use clean coal. Over several years, the Pennsylvania Railroad accumulated just $10 in fines in 7 cases. In February 1911, the city of Chicago had 28 cases pending against the railroad. [2] In short, the Pennsylvania Railroad was run in what was thought to be an efficient manner with no regard to meeting environmental goals.