PRR Station of the past :

On this topic we can talk about the stations that are no longer standing along the rails and along old ROW`s too.

So lets take a trip back in time with H. G. Wells .
I`m not sure if you can post pictures but if you can , your more then welcome to do so.

Len.

Ok I see that i`ll have to start this topic off.

I live along the former schuylkill Valley branch. This line had 113 stations along its rails. There were two stations in my township of East Coventry ,Chester County,Pa. the one was at Parker Ford off Rt. 724 and Linfield Rd. The station was built in 1884 and removed in 1965 , it was made of wood , the other was located at Fricks Locks Village a few miles up the road from Parker Ford, This station was built 1884 and burn down in 1938 . The station was made of wood .

If you go to my web site you will see the pictures of theses two stations

Enjoy,

Len.

SV,
I'm planning on modelling the Pennsy SV branch in my basement.

Are you sure it was 113 stations? That's an awful lot (like almost subway-standards)... i knew it was many... i thought closer to 50-ish....
I read somewhere that there are 13 crossings of the Schuylkill River by this branch.

The SV branch was built pretty much out of spite. The Pennsy couldn't stand having the Reading running the show in the valley, so they went and did it themselves.
Between Norristown and Manayunk the tracks are nearly side by side, and even share catenary poles in some places.
This branch even had a spur across the Schuylkill to reach a few customers in Royersford from the Spring City side. That bridge is still visible from Bridge Street between Royersford and Spring City.
There might have been another spur like this over to Linfield...

Parts of the branch are still in use as railroad; some track between Oaks and Phoenixville; in Pottstown; north of Reading as part of the R&N.

How do I get to your website?

Hi Alex,
I`m very sure about the station along this branch . I have been doing research on the SVL for about 25 years . My Dad was born next to the line in the Village of Fricks Locks Chester county,Pa. and my Mother grew you in Spring City,Pa.

I`m slowing writing a book about the line too. sofar I`m up to 8 pages.
You can get to my website through the link that looks like this WWW its at the bottom of the post next to my profile and aim screen name .

The SVL had 113 stations, it cross the Schuylkill River 13 times and had two tunnels and was charterd June 23, 1882.

Len.

Obviously, the most "famous" of these stations would be the old Broad Street Station at Broad & Filbert Streets in Center City Philadelphia. Closed and demolished in 1953, it probably had more influence on the PRR operations in the Philadelphia Area than any other single item. The electrification of what is now the NEC, as well as the SEPTA regional rail system had its beginnings in the need to relieve the congestion at Broad Street caused by the need to turn the many steam hauled suburban trains circa 1915. The developement of the ubiquitous MP 54 MU cars was a direct result of this effort.
Congestion returned, in spite of the suburban electrification and the PRR built the adjacent, subterranean Broad Street Suburban Station ( now Penn Center Station) to finally remove all suburban traffic from Broad Street. Broad Street Station suffered two major fires and was finally closed and demolished ( along with the massive viaduct known as the "Chinese Wall which carried the tracks into Center City from West Philadelphia) in 1953.

Ahh.. found it.
Triumph III, page 213 says....

For a while the Schuylkill Valley line prospered, operating at its peak (around WWI) six through passenger trains daily, ten local trains Philadelphia to Norristown, seven Philadelphia to Phoenixville and five Philadelphia and Reading. Two through trains, the Mountaineer and the flagship Anthracite Express, ran from Philadelphia to Wilkes-Barre, utilizing Lehigh Valley trackages rights north of Pottsville. Both trains offered parlor car service in direct competition with the Reading through the Schuylkill Valley. To serve this traffic there were an unbelieveable 52 stations between 52nd street and Pottsville at this time.

I realize that the Triumph books have some errors in them, but that's a big one if true.
It also lists the length of the Schuylkill at 105 miles. Like I said, 113 stations in 105 miles is an awful lot.
Where were they? Are you counting stations on branches north of Pottsville? Minersville Branch? Morea Branch?
Are you counting stations on the LV? As far as I know, the Schuylkill Branch ended at New Boston Junction.

Alex,
The book you speek of is way off on it information on the Schuylkill Valley line. I have a friend that worked for the PRR Schuylkill Valley line and he was the despt. that asign the trains to their route . He worked for the PRR for 35 years.

He and three other men a range the Reading Co. Iron Horse Rambles .
His Name a Art Acker . When my Mother and Dad were growing up there were alot of trains going east as well as west on the PRR . 100 car frieght trains and 20 car passenger trains.

The man that wrote that book works for walden books in the coverny Mall , Pottstown,Pa.

In fact the infomation for the Fricks Locks area, is mostly wrong . he has a picture of the station and said the picture is from the 40`s well infact the station was burn down in 1938 .

the line went from 52nd. street station on the PRR Main line to Pottsville , most of the stations along the line were made of wood or Red brick. there were flag stops too. a small platform and a signal .

What is your email address ? I`ll send you a copy of what I`m writing on this line.

Len.

Please send me a list.
I'd like to see the 100+ stations.
[email protected]

Just located the 1972 Harry Albrecht "pamphlet" "Broad Street Station"---

The first Broad Street Station was opened in 1881 following completion of the "Chinese Wall" which was one block wide,( between Market and Filbert Streets) and 2,042 feet long ( from Shock Street at the Schuylkill to 16th Street)

Station enlarged in 1892 by construction of a ten story office building ( designed by Frank Furness) and a massive one block wide ( 306 ft.), 591 ft long, 100 ft. high at its peak, train shed which had a glass covered roof.

The first of two major fires occurred on June 11, 1923 and so weakened the train shed that it had to be demolished. As soon as the skeleton had sufficiently cooled, train service resumed running from the western end of the shed and operated while the demolition and repair of the inner platforms was being carried out. Umbrella shelters replaced the shed.

A second major fire hit the station on September 12, 1943, and the last train left Broad Street on April 27, 1952 ( not 1953 as I indicated in my earlier posting) making 30th Street Station the main Philadelphia PRR station. 30th Street had been constructed in 1930 generally on the site of the old West Philadephia Station.

Some good info in your docs SV, but I'm still dubious about the station count.
Do you have a list of them?

There are a number of good web sites which list PRR Stations- past and present-- just do a search on either PRR Stations or Pennsylvania Railroad Stations and you'll find a long list of sites.

Well, as for another long-gone station.. There was one in Whiting, Indiana. It was used for only the Chi-Valpo Commuter Train. The line was torn up in 1993 between Whiting (Just past the Amtrak Station) to a point in Gary, In where it goes back to the Prr right before it crosses the B&OCT Frieght main. (CSX Main to barr yard) Unfortunatly, the R-O-W was bought by the city and they're in the process of building homes on the site of the depot. Near the location of Whiting Tower where the Prr crossed the B&OCT branch The city had 2 donated Cabooses From The EJ&E and IHB railroads, I am one of the volunteers working on the project now, Also, a portion of the Prr R-O-W past the former tower site has been set aside for a Railroad Museum, One of the Projects is to build a 3/4 model of the Old Depot and move the cabooses onto panel track in front of it.

That`s real cool stuff PRR Guy, any way of getting a picture of that when completed love to see .

Len.

Sure thing. Well, we're trying to put together a web site for our railroad days in town, its not much, put hopefully, I'll be able to add more pics soon.

The Frick's Lock station on the Schuylkill Valley looks very similiar to the West Jersey & Seashore/PRSL station in Collingswood NJ. The Collingswood station was removed to make way for the Patco high speed line. As for me, I live close to the Chester Creek Branch so the stations that stood at Upland and Toby Farms are the two closest ex-PRR stations to me. Ihaven't had an ounce of luck finding any info on either. The 1945 CT1000E indicates they were still standing at that time.

Drew