The Northern Liberties & Penn Township Railroad Company (NL & PT) was incorporated in Pennsylvania on April 23, 1829, to build a railroad from Front Street at the Delaware River through what was then the independent District of Northern Liberties and Penn Township (now both part of the City of Philadelphia) to connect with the state-owned Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad near Broad and Vine Streets. It constructed its tracks in Willow Street and was thus often known as the "Willow Street Railroad." It was originally operated with horsepower and served as the artery over which passenger and freight cars to and from points northwest and west entered the city. It also leased its tracks to operators of "pleasure cars" that carried people from the city to the park and amusement centers at Fairmount on the Schuylkill River. In the late 1830s, most of the long-distance passenger traffic was diverted to the city tracks on Market Street, and the NL & PT became primarily a freight line. Its stock was acquired by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company in 1857, and it was merged into the Reading on May 8, 1871. The tracks were in use until the mid-20th century.