rate the lines

this is an open topic for anyone who wants to share their ratings 1(bad)-10(good) of any or all of the lines and branches. any personal feelings on what makes them good or bad would be nice too.

same topic also on some other forums.


my ratings (from what i've ridden frequently):

R1 Airport: 8- One of the faster lines, mixed with the airport and NE corridor. has frequent service, making it one of the most convinient and best rides.

R2 Warminster: 7- The single trackage and sharp turn at carmel make it on of the most unique lines.

R2 Wilmington: 7- Even with Amtrak, the generic, repetitive, and boring stations north of Marcus Hook downgrade it, but a real treat south of Marcus Hook.

R3 Elwyn: 6.5- A normal 2 track line with a little NE corridor run but a generic SEPTA line otherwise

R3 West Trenton: 7- A line that goes from backyards to woods into NJ, hopefully NJT will build a connecting line.

R5 Thorndale: 7.5- Similar to the R2 in that the further you get out, the better. Cheap amtrak fares make it a good round trip with Amtrak

R5 Downingtown: 6- A boring two track line that becomes an even more boring 1 tracker. Lansdale and Dale interlocking make it a little interesting.

R6 Norristown: 7.5 - Rich history and the realative amount of scenic runs make it one of the oddballs- but in a good way.

R7 Chestnut Hill East: 5- Pretty boring with stops too close together

R7 Trenton: 8- Amtrak and some interesting stations (N. Philadelphia and Trenton) with some good speeds make it one of the best rides.

R8 Fox Chase: 6.5- Short, but has a variety of station types that make it different that most of the lines

R8 Chestnut Hill West: 6- The fun ride through N. Philly, over the river and through N. Philadelphia junction make it better than its eastern R7 counterpart. I also enjoy the oddball Chelten Ave. Station

I don't think I could say much about most of the lines since I haven't taken all of the routes to their endpoints, and there are many branches, mostly on the Reading side, that I've never seen from a train. I guess I'm not much a railfan since it's been a year since I've taken a train just for the journey, and that was on the Pennsylvanian.

But I do like the R5 Paoli since it goes by both leafy suburban housing areas and small downtown business districts such as Ardmore and Bryn Mawr, and it's grade separated and mostly elevated on an embankment so you have a pretty good view.

The Route 100 (P&W) is rather nice since it goes through some similar areas. The Market-Frankford line's elevated portion also has some nice views, but currently there's a lot of boarded-up rowhomes on Market St that detract from it. I hope people will move in and fix them up once the El construction is complete.

The Media trolley is a nice ride, especially the single-track part through the middle of Media.

The R6 Norristown, when I used to ride it, was a trip through the region's industrial past, but I think the factories are being turned into apartments and condominiums these days, and ridership is up on that route. In Conshohocken, you pass by the tallest building in Montgomery County: Eight Tower Bridge. And there's a bike path right next to the tracks if you want a slower paced exploration.

What about the R6 Cynwyd and all three stations!!! I know what would make it more interesting....traveling over the Manayunk Viaduct!

R6 Norristown you might say is the former Reading's version of "The River Line". Definitely nice scenery on a nice day.

R2 Wilmington and R5 Paoli probablly have the worst ride quality since they're more like interurban trolley routes than rail lines. Same thing applies to the Chestnut Hills'.

R3 West Trenton is nice as it has some nice open stretches, although I think the MAS is lower than the R7 Trenton.

R2 Warminster is a nice tour of suburbia.

I'm not sure if I'm the only one who finds SEPTA's RR a little drab as its all Silverliners and all the same type of service. No express/limited service outside rush hour, frequent stops and they only take you about an hour from center city.

Subway/Surface Trolleys I've took trips on

13*I really love this route, the way it has all these twist's and turns on its way to yeadon, coming around 65th St,then over the PKWY, then on that street that leads to Church Lane. It suprised me at about 20mins...I was already in the tunnel on the way back.

34*Nice Route Though Short..It Is A Nice Ride. I like the little swifts and hills on the route.

36*I like this route....even though it has alot of straight route and no real swifts and turns...but on ISLAND RD..OR AVE. It tops speeds that makes it fun to ride.

continuing on the subway surface lines...
i've ridden the 13 and 11, and I have had the impression that with the exception of the 36 on Island Ave they are all VERY similar, and I give the lot of 'em a "7.5"

For some strange reason i like when the trolleys are crowded..when i'm commuting back and forth to school , during the rush hour...lol

I finally took the R5 Lansdale/Doylestown to Colmar today. Lansdale is an interesting set of tracks with the single track Doylestown branch and three tracks going towards the Quakertown direction, the Stony Creek branch coming from Norristown, and lots of sidings. There are so many grade crossings. Some of them are only a few hunderd feet apart. There are also a lot of cuts through rocky hills. Not much scenery to see when you're in the cut, but it must have been a lot of work to build that railroad in that terrain. There are also the ruins of old factories, at least one with stone walls. But otherwise it looks mostly like suburban sprawl out there.

Lucius Kwok wrote:Some of them are only a few hunderd feet apart. There are also a lot of cuts through rocky hills. Not much scenery to see when you're in the cut, but it must have been a lot of work to build that railroad in that terrain.

Sooner or later they will be removing the 5th Street grade crossing, which is the first one on the single track northbound. I have always thought the same thing about the cutting through the rocks, must have really been a massive undertaking. You should see the ice formations on those rocks, just ridiculous looking!