Olney Station demolition planned..

.. as part of Septa's upgrading of the station on the R8 Fox Chase line.
There's a community meeting tomorrow night, Oct. 23rd, at the First Presbyterian Church of Olney, 3rd St. and Tabor Ave, from 6:30 to 7:30.

This is the last original Reading station on the Fox Chase line. There are wooden ones on the disused section to Newtown, but I think that all the rest of the original stations are long gone. It's brick, so it's survived for many years, even though Septa doesn't use it any longer.

I'm curious as to how much community support there will be to save this building, so I'm going to attend the meeting tomorrow. I have fond memories of this area as a kid, since both sets of grandparents lived very close to this station, so I hope there's a way to save it.

I have a feeling the station is a goner unless there is some way to incorporate it into the new station.

How did this one end up being brick while the rest were wood? Cheltenham to Newtown were pretty much all similar in design.

I think it is brick because it may not have been the 'original' original station in that area.

I believe this station was built when the connection from the Bethlehem Branch was built, circa 1892-3, in order to route all the Reading passenger trains to Reading Terminal. I suspect that the 'original' station on the Phila, Newtown and NY RR line (via Erie Ave. yard) was built on the current right-of-way for the R8 line and the Olney station was built in its current location (on a superelevated curve) when the connection was put in.

This connection eliminated 3rd & Berks St. as a passenger station and the line became frieght & milk only.

jfrey40535 wrote:I have a feeling the station is a goner unless there is some way to incorporate it into the new station.

How did this one end up being brick while the rest were wood? Cheltenham to Newtown were pretty much all similar in design.

Considering the clientele of the neighborhood these days, I'm willing to take 5--to 1 odds the station is a goner

While it is a shame that another still-standing Reading station building is going to be demolished, I hope somebody can do what they're doing to the Lansdale watch tower, aka preserve it. Does the local Reading T&HS have any interest in the station?

Also, I wouldn't mind seeing the station being moved over to Front & Olney. It would provide easier access to bus routes 18, 26, and 57, with additional access to One Olney Plaza.

Are Churchville and Southampton two of the remaining stations up towards Newtown??

cdruhl wrote:Are Churchville and Southampton two of the remaining stations up towards Newtown??

Yup. The only two remaining.

Thanks!

I haven't been up that way in a while. I know that all or most of the crossings are paved over or cut out. Somebody appeared to be living in Churchville's station the last time I wandered by there, probably about five years ago. Somewhere I have pictures of both stations in better times. Cheltenham, too, before it burned to the ground.

limejuice wrote:

cdruhl wrote:Are Churchville and Southampton two of the remaining stations up towards Newtown??

Yup. The only two remaining.

Don't forget Bryn Athyn. It still survives as a Post Office and yes, Churchville is still being used as a private residence.

Here's some pix of the stations along the line in better days:

http://www.thebluecomet.com/rdgnewtown.html

SEPTA just replaced the roof on the Bryn Athen station. SEPTA was seeking bids a few months ago and was posted on their website, although they were careful not to call it a "train station".

The trackside awning (the flat overhang) on the Bryn Athyn station is not original. Any idea when it was added?