John "Jack" J. O'Brien (1932-) worked as both a railroad clerk and yardmaster for more than forty-four years. O'Brien started his career with the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Line (PRSL) in the early 1950s. Eventually, the PRSL became part of Conrail, the railroad from which he ultimately retired. This small collection documents policies and procedures for railroad employees at the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line (PRSL), Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), Penn Central, and Conrail.

The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) was chartered in 1846 to complete an all-railroad network across the state. Between 1855 and 1874, the PRR underwent rapid expansion and emerged as one of the two largest railroad systems in the region east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio. In 1910, the PRR entered Manhattan through tunnels under the Hudson and East Rivers. This collection consists of flyers and a brochure for Pennsylvania Railroad special fares or trains.