Glenside wye - anyone know details?

[RDGAndrew]

Hi folks,

Over on the SEPTA forum someone was inquiring about the former wye at Glenside. I think there was one there once, based on a map at my local Chinese take-out place, but anybody know for sure? If so, when was it removed?

[Franklin Gowen]

Yes, RDGAndrew, there was indeed a wye at Glenside. This image is an excerpt of an official Rdg. Co. document, "Sketch Showing Junction and Station Distances; Jenkintown to Hatfield PA, Plymouth Br. and Stony Creek Br." Unfortunately, the date on this document was illegible, but it looked as if it dated from sometime in the 1940s. It provides an excellent schematic, not-to-scale view of both the Glenside and Jenkintown wye arrangements!

I will hazard a guess and suggest that the wye was removed sometime after passenger service on the New Hope Branch was discontinued above Hatboro in 1952. With psgr. steam engines as well as single-ended gas-electric doodlebugs no longer needing to be turned at Glenside prior to heading back to New Hope, the wye would be rendered largely unnecessary. As to precisely *when* it was removed, alas...I don't know, either. It didn't necessarily come out during the same month that Hatboto-New Hope psgr. trains stopped running, of course.

[rdganthracite]

When I used to live in Glenside in the middle 60's the rail was still in place on the wye. It was very overgrown with weeds, but no trees.

What is interesting to me is that the map is missing the electrified pocket track at Glenside Station on the outbound side where they would park MUs and the electrified siding on the inbound side. Also there was considerable freight track at the yard across from YM. This included several team tracks. Every November the team tracks would be crammed full of Canadian Boxcars full of cut Christmas Trees.

The map is missing the coal yard siding that was just outbound from the Glenside Wye. Come to think of it there were several sidings on the inbound side between the Glenside Station and the Jenkintown Wye. There was one on the opposite side of the embankment from my doctor's office which was on the outbound side.