Marker at Morton

While waiting to pick up my wife at the Morton R3 station, I noticed a small 4-sided pyramidal stone obelisk, maybe 3 or 4 feet tall with the number "10" on it on at least 2 sides (I couldn't see 2 of them from my angle). It looked like a mile marker of some sort, but it didn't indicate measurement units to prove that, and it also didn't indicate if it was there for the railroad or the adjacent carroad (PA-420). Anyone know what it is? My guess is that it's the 10-mile mark from Arsenal (that's where the R3 branches off the NEC, right?), but I defer to those here who are much wiser than I.

That's a good question. If it is a railroad marker, and if it is old, It could signify ten miles from the Broad & Filbert site of the old Broad Street Station. ( I don't know whether Morton is ten miles from Broad & Filbert or not, but I believe it is close to that distance.) The PRR portion of the R-3 ( then the Media- West Chester Local Line) had its Philadelphia terminus at Broad Street from the 19th Century opening of the station until the opening in the 1930's of Suburban Station. Maybe there are others who can tell you exactly what that marker is.

It is fairly old, but it was difficult to determine exactly how old -- the area around it was fairly industrial for many years, and things in such areas tend to degrade more quickly. It looks old, but may be fairly young, then.

Also, a quick eyeballing of a map makes me think it wasn't the distance to Broad St, as I estimated that to about 12 miles (just a very general ballpark figure).

Finding out the age of that marker will probably be essential to determining what the "10" signifies. 12 miles is close enough to 10 miles ( as the distance to Broad Street) that slight alterations in the route of that line could account for the difference. Depending on how far back you go, there was also a streetcar line running through there prior to the early 1930's ( I believe it was one of the PRT Folsom division routes), so if the marker is old enough, it could possibly refer to a distance along that route.
( I'm just throwing out some possibilties--- if it has any age on it, it probably is not related to the NEC connection at Arsenal, as that connection did not gain a relationship to the PRR side of the R-3 until the Center City Tunnel was opened)

The marker at Morton station is the mile marker. I believe that the marker is a wooden one that was originally painted white. About two-thirds of the mile markers still remain along the line to Elwyn. I think the first marker along the line after it branches off is marker number 4. If you notice, all of the catenary poles are stensil marked from these markers such as 10-1, 10-2, etc up to the next mile marker where they start over again. Usually, there are 28 - 30 supports per mile.
I assumed that the mile markers were miles out from Suburban Station, but I am not sure. Maybe someone else would know that.

Thanks for correcting me about the material used -- I didn't get a great look at it through the rain, but it definitely could have been a whitewashed wooden post than is chipping. Where is mile post 4? If it's near the actual branching spot, then I am goign to throw my vote with walt to it being the distance from Broad St. Station. At the very least, it would be the distance from the PRR's downtown station, depending on which one was in use when the markers were placed (chances are, though, that walt is correct about it being Broad since they probably would not have waited to put the markers in until after Suburban was built).

I haven't taken a ride on that train since long before I cared about trains, so I never noticed any other markers like this; 2 hours and a $6 round-trip ticket would probably answer all my questions :D

It probably wouldn't make much difference whether the mileage ran from Broad Street or Suburban Station, since it would have been very close to the same distance. The original name of Suburban Station was Broad Street Suburban Station, and photographs of the track approaches to Broad Street Station, circa 1929, looking west, show the deep cut, which contained the track approaches into Suburban Station which was then under construction. This deep cut was immediately to the right of the Broad Street track approaches in the photo which I have seen.

( I used to ride that line all the time in PRR days, since I grew up in West Yeadon, less than a mile from the Lansdowne Station, and went to college at the then West Chester State College)

In answer to Umblehoon's question about the mile marker, mile marker 4 is between 49th St. and Angora Station - it is near the overpass near the Apple Storage Bldg. Mile marker 3 is missing. Mile marker 2 is also missing, and should be behind the old Civic Center near the large parking lot if my memory serves me correctly. Also, the old Septa schedules used to mark the distance for all of their stops to the left of the fare zone. Maybe someone has an old schedule. That should answer your question.
Also, mile marker 5 is behind that big red warehouse along the straight stretch just before the Fernwood Station going outbound. I think it is a metal mile marker. Mile marker 6 is right past the first RR crossing in Lansdowne, and it is easy to miss. Is it the Union Street crossing?

Greg 19051

The crossing to which you are referring is Union Avenue, it is almost immediately followed ( west bound) by a crossing at Wycombe Ave. just prior to the Lansdowne Station.

Thanks all very much! If I ever get on that line again, I'll be sure to watch for the mile markers.