Philadelphia Area Questions

[alewifebp]

I have two questions about some former lines in the Philadelphia area.

1. Outside of the 30th Street station yard, heading from Zoo is an elevated line that appears to be freight now. But, it has catenary poles indicating that it was once a passenger line. What is the history on this line?

2. Off the NEC at the location of the St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, there is what is some very obvious remnants of a ROW. That ROW heads towards Pennypack Park, and joins an active ROW that heads towards Neshiminy Falls. What line was this?

[CarterB]

2. That may have been the Philadelphia Bustleton and Trentkon, later the Bustleton Branch of PRR.

[chuchubob]

1. PRR used electric motors to haul freight. The only passenger trains I ever saw on the West Philadelphia High Line were going to the Army-Navy Game at Municipal Stadium, later named JFK Stadium.

[ExCon90]

1. As to the history, the High Line (as it was called by almost everybody) dates from 1904 and was built to keep freight and passenger trains out of each other's hair by lifting the freight tracks up and out of the complexity of the passenger network below. Through movements were possible from the direction of Baltimore as well as from the various Philadelphia piers either westward toward Enola or eastward toward northern New Jersey without conflicts with passenger trains. As chuchubob pointed out, the only passenger trains ran one day a year--most from New York, and some from Washington, as well as an MU local from Paoli, which many fans rode just to get the mileage and the view--never mind the actual game. Greenwich Yard was cleared of freight cars for the day to make room for the passenger trains, which discharged passengers within easy walking distance of the (then) Municipal Stadium, where the game was played.

[alewifebp]

Thanks for the replies. I've been passing these things for years and was always very curious about them.

I'm not sure it is the Bustleton Branch though, even though it does end up in Bustleton. Rather, it appears it is the Oxford Road Branch.
https://goo.gl/maps/WMYEbLtufc4rf6nUA

[CarterB]

I would now agree it is the Oxford Rd. (Ave.) Branch,
A bit of history: The Philadelphia, Bustleton & Trenton, after completing 3.55 miles (5.71 km) of the line in December 1896, built no further towards Fallsington. It crossed the Philadelphia and Frankford Railroad (Reading) about a mile south of its terminus https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-im ... m/RC-028-y

[CarterB]

I would now agree it is the Oxford Rd. (Ave.) Branch,
A bit of history: The Philadelphia, Bustleton & Trenton, after completing 3.55 miles (5.71 km) of the line in December 1896, built no further towards Fallsington. It crossed the Philadelphia and Frankford Railroad (Reading) about a mile south of its terminus https://www.philageohistory.org/rdic-im ... m/RC-028-y

Was that branch ever electified?

[choess]

No. The poles were there to carry high-voltage lines (I think for PECO rather than the railroad), although presumably they could have been converted to catenary supports had it ever been needed. This was also the case on the Kensington & Tacony Branch and part of the Newtown Square Branch.

[NYCRRson]

Pretty sure the "High Line" at 30th St. Station was electrified for use by freight motors.

https://media.hiddencityphila.org/wp-co ... t_1960.jpg

The PRR had several Electric motors for freight only (E33 & E44 ?) and the GG1's did an impressive job on freight trains.

I once saw a long freight go through Newark De with triple headed G's on the point. The ground was shaking pretty good.

[ExCon90]

Yes; as pointed out above, the line was electrified until Conrail discontinued electrified freight operation systemwide. Even the Army-Navy Game specials from New York used the High Line electrification to get to the stadium.