Pennsylvania Railroad Station, Monongahela, Pa

Around 1910, it was common for the people of Marianna, Pennsylvania, to catch the train to the nearby city of Monongahela. Rail travel was a key means of transportation for residents of small mining towns like Marianna, and many would make the trip to Monongahela for its larger selection of shops, markets, and other amenities that weren’t available in their own town.

The postcard image shows what the area would have looked like at that time.

Regarding the train’s color, Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) trains in the early 1900s were typically not red. The PRR is most famous for its "Tuscan Red" color, which became associated with its passenger cars and locomotives starting in the 1910s and became more prominent by the 1920s. Before this, trains were often painted in a variety of colors, including dark greens, browns, and blacks, depending on the specific railroad company and type of service.

While Tuscan Red would later become iconic for the Pennsylvania Railroad, trains in the early 1900s were more likely to be painted in darker shades like black, brown, or green, with the red color being adopted later in the decade.

Sites of Interest

The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania