Historical Discussion

[kyleg]

Was there ever a station between Elkins Park and Melrose Park? At Old York Road (PA 611) there's a building that looks just like a station building but I've never seen a station there on any older maps. Currently, that building is the home of a model train club.

Here's the building on Google Street View:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 1.5,,0,3.2

[glennk419]

Yes, that building is, in fact, an ex-RDG, ex. ex. Philadelphia and Reading, nee. North Pennsylvania RR station. It was originally known as Old York Road station, later renamed Ogontz.

Here's the link to the club: http://cheltenhillsmrr.arkowitz.com/index.html

[Matthew Mitchell]

And like several other model railroad clubs, they hold an open house various weekend days in January and February.

Fun place to spend some time with children and nephews/nieces

Chelten Hills is notable for the big lift bridge in the middle of the layout.

[aquadan005]

Was there ever a station between Elkins Park and Melrose Park? At Old York Road (PA 611) there's a building that looks just like a station building but I've never seen a station there on any older maps. Currently, that building is the home of a model train club.

Here's the building on Google Street View:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 1.5,,0,3.2

Actually it is between Jenkintown and Elkins Park.

[kyleg]

Was there ever a station between Elkins Park and Melrose Park? At Old York Road (PA 611) there's a building that looks just like a station building but I've never seen a station there on any older maps. Currently, that building is the home of a model train club.

Here's the building on Google Street View:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 1.5,,0,3.2

Actually it is between Jenkintown and Elkins Park.

Ah yes, that is what I meant. I should have known - I ride past that place about 12 times a week.

[delvyrails]

Was there ever a station between Elkins Park and Melrose Park? At Old York Road (PA 611) there's a building that looks just like a station building but I've never seen a station there on any older maps. Currently, that building is the home of a model train club.

Here's the building on Google Street View:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 1.5,,0,3.2

Actually it is between Jenkintown and Elkins Park.

Ah yes, that is what I meant. I should have known - I ride past that place about 12 times a week.

There were several no-longer-existing stations in place before the current line-up replaced them. According to an 1893 "Official Guide", the stations and mileages from the then-new Reading Terminal:

Fern Rock, 6.6 miles at Godfrey Avenue,
Lawnton, near 66th Avenue?, 7.0.
Oak Lane, at the north end of the cut near the street named Oak Lane?, 7.5,
Melrose (sic), later Oak Lane and now Melrose Park, 7.9,
Ashbourne, 8.3 (at Ashbourne Road, former grade crossing where the pedestrian tunnel is),
Ogontz as described, 8.8,
Chelton (sic) Hills (at Washington Lane, John Wanamaker's all-but-private stop) 9.7, and
Jenkintown, 10.1.

[limejuice]

I find it peculiar that the station at Old York Rd. was called the Ogontz station, and Wanamaker's stop at Washington Lane was called Chelton Hills. Because Wanamaker's estate there was named Ogontz, while the residential area nearest the Old York Rd. station is known as Chelten Hills. This station also houses the Chelten Hills model railroad club. I don't suppose this was a mistake?

[Matthew Mitchell]

And another thing is that the siding track at Elkins (did I have that right?) was known as the Chelten Hills Layoff.

BTW, is "layoff track" a term particular to the Reading, like "cabin car" was to the PRR?

[rdgrailfan]

layoff track was at Jenkintown just below the inbound platform, it was only taken out within the past few years.
Elkins never had a service track.
Oak Lane (Melrose Park) had a two track yard with a hand crank crane and a storage building made out of an old wooden box car( now the outbound upper level parking lot) on the northbound side, and a center track that ran from the Cheltenham Ave bridge up to just below the foot bridge along Mountain avenue.

[Matthew Mitchell]

layoff track was at Jenkintown just below the inbound platform, it was only taken out within the past few years.
Elkins never had a service track.
Oak Lane (Melrose Park) had ... a center track that ran from the Cheltenham Ave bridge up to just below the foot bridge along Mountain avenue.

Thank you. Now where did that term come from, and how specific was its meaning?

[aquadan005]

What year was the Fern Rock station built? Not the Subway terminal but the regional rail station. When I was a young lad going to school, many's a time I'd walk the tracks from Melrose Park down to the where the frieght tracks diverged at around Chew St, then I'd jump on the tracks that are now the Fox Chase line and walk over to Mascher and Tabor and hop off on my way to Olney High. Saved ALOT of token money that way, and used it for lets just say recreational purposes !
Anyway I don't recall the station being there back then.

[tgolanos]

What year was the Fern Rock station built? Not the Subway terminal but the regional rail station. When I was a young lad going to school, many's a time I'd walk the tracks from Melrose Park down to the where the frieght tracks diverged at around Chew St, then I'd jump on the tracks that are now the Fox Chase line and walk over to Mascher and Tabor and hop off on my way to Olney High. Saved ALOT of token money that way, and used it for lets just say recreational purposes !
Anyway I don't recall the station being there back then.

The current Fern Rock Trans. Center was built during Railworks. My guess would be 1990 or 91. The original Fern Rock station was at Godfrey Ave, if I'm not mistaken.

[Matthew Mitchell]

What year was the Fern Rock station built?

Opened for RailWorks (NSM) in 1992.

[aquadan005]

What year was the Fern Rock station built? Not the Subway terminal but the regional rail station. When I was a young lad going to school, many's a time I'd walk the tracks from Melrose Park down to the where the frieght tracks diverged at around Chew St, then I'd jump on the tracks that are now the Fox Chase line and walk over to Mascher and Tabor and hop off on my way to Olney High. Saved ALOT of token money that way, and used it for lets just say recreational purposes !
Anyway I don't recall the station being there back then.

The current Fern Rock Trans. Center was built during Railworks. My guess would be 1990 or 91. The original Fern Rock station was at Godfrey Ave, if I'm not mistaken.

Now that I think about it I do recall what was the shelter at Godfrey Ave. Not much to it as I remember.

[glennk419]

What year was the Fern Rock station built? Not the Subway terminal but the regional rail station. When I was a young lad going to school, many's a time I'd walk the tracks from Melrose Park down to the where the frieght tracks diverged at around Chew St, then I'd jump on the tracks that are now the Fox Chase line and walk over to Mascher and Tabor and hop off on my way to Olney High. Saved ALOT of token money that way, and used it for lets just say recreational purposes !
Anyway I don't recall the station being there back then.

The current Fern Rock Trans. Center was built during Railworks. My guess would be 1990 or 91. The original Fern Rock station was at Godfrey Ave, if I'm not mistaken.

Now that I think about it I do recall what was the shelter at Godfrey Ave. Not much to it as I remember.

The original Fern Rock Station at Godfrey Avenue had a full station building on the inbound side and a passenger waiting room (gutted in later years) on the outbound side.

http://www.thebluecomet.com/rdgFernRock.jpg