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  • CSX Branch on Hog Island Near PHL Airport

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in Pennsylvania
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in Pennsylvania

Moderator: bwparker1

 #164243  by wagz
 
Hey everyone,

I'm primarily a plane spotter these days, so I spend my time at PHL on Hog Island Rd on the south side of the airport. There's an old railroad line that circles the southern perimeter of the aiport staying next to the road the whole way. On the east side it continues off to the north.

I thought this line was abandoned since nothing was ever seen on it, and the track was in horrible shape in places and occasionally floods out when it rains a lot. Twice earlier this year another plane spotter actually caught a train operating down that piece of track. Then the worst section suddenly had brand new ballast, ties and new continuous welded rail. I then caught a short 5 car train there a week or 2 ago. A CSX Geep (Road # 1550) was hauling 2 grain hoppers and 3 tank cars. It then returned a few hours later with the hoppers and tankers switched around but the engine still on the North/East end of the train pushing backwards.

Does anyone know where this line goes? I'm pretty sure it connects with the line north of the airport that heads west toward the DelCo Boeing plant (the same branch that the SEPTA Airport line shares tracks with). But where does this "Hog Island Branch" continue to the east? Some aerial photos make it look as if it just dead ends north of I-95.

Thanks for the help.

Joe
 #164511  by Ken W2KB
 
wagz wrote:Hey everyone, I'm primarily a plane spotter these days,
Joe
If you see N16019 that's me. Not very likely that I would land at PHL, though. But the transiting the PHL Class B airspace is more of a possibility. :wink:

 #167050  by choess
 
That's the ex-PRR Hog Island Branch (formally the 60th St. Branch, IIRC). The other portion remaining of the original line is the R1 from BRILL (now PHIL) interlocking to where it cuts right onto the old RDG Chester Branch. It's abandoned between there and the current end-of-track east of the airport, which (as of a few years ago) was at the edge of the Gulf Oil refinery, just north of Mingo Creek, with a sort of switchback in to serve the plant. You can make this out pretty nicely from the Penrose Ave. bridge. No idea why they'd be upgrading it, though.