Connection between ex-PRR and ex-RDG NYC lines?

[DeltaV]

Messing around on GoogleMaps last night, I found something interesting; what appears to be the remains of a ROW which seems to connect from the PRR NYC Main between Front and B streets (just south of St. Christophers Childrens Hospital) to a branch off the Fox Chase Line at Pennypack Park, which connects to the West Trenton line at Neshaminy Station. The ROW looks abandoned, but mostly still there, between the PRR and Pennypack park, but I'm pretty sure I see tracks on that 'Fox Chase-West Trenton branch'.

So, what am I looking at? An old connecting branch that may predate the eventual configuration of PRR & RDG lines? Who still owns it? It is in an already somewhat 'rail saturated' area, so reactivating service in this area wouldn't really be worth pursuing for local service, but it could provide an interesting alternative for Philly/NYC service.

Or am I just imagining things? Thanks!

[scotty269]

http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... n+Junction

[SEPTAR2Newark]

Yes that was a former PRR branch that I'm forgetting the name of and when it was abanded but I think it was in the 50s, don't quote me on that. Its been roughly 30% reclaimed so restoring it is a heck no. Now it doesnt actully touch the west trenton (rdg main line) or fox chase branch but it does hit the, well you could call it a bypass but was called the nyc short route since it it bypassed jenkitown and a few other places. Sadly out of 4 (I think) tracks only one is left past where the fox chase line and goes straight into the port richmond line towards the river (east falls jct) with no real connection into the septa system, in fact it doesn't even connect to the fox chase line which is now one track with a run around straight into Wayne jct.

[westernfalls]

This question (the original post) belongs over on the PRR forum where it will get a proper reply.

[westernfalls]

And now that the topic has been copied from the SEPTA Forum to the PRR Forum....

About the time the Trenton Cutoff was completed, in 1892, the PRR had an idea to create a second route between Morrisville and Philadelphia, bypassing the Philadelphia & Trenton route through Bristol. Two paper railroads were created, the Bustleton & Eastern and the Philadelphia & Bustleton. By 1896, these roads had been combined to form the Philadelphia, Bustleton & Trenton which completed the line between a connection with the Junction Railway in North Philadelphia and Oxford Road, about 3½ miles, and halted further construction to Fallsington.

In modern times, the line was known as the Oxford Road Branch and it served the Navy depot and Sears where it had a connection with the Reading's Frankford Branch. All this is now gone and the right of way is occupied by an electrical transmission line continuing beyond Oxford Ave. along Pennway St.

Maybe someone else can do research to determine just how faithfully the power line adheres to the PRR's intended route.

[JimBoylan]

The PRR's Oxford Rd branch did cross Oxford Rd. (now Ave.) on a short bridge to a bumper high up on the South side of Levick St. There is some unused embankment North of there, and a wide right of way used by the electric company along Pennway St.

[delvyrails]

There is enough evidence now or formerly on the ground to suggest that the line was intended to go farther northeast than Levick Street, and to turn eventually to the right and run end-on into the Bustleton Branch to form a loop.

I recall walking down-slope from Algon Avenue where it runs along Pennypack Park and seeing the grade parallel to that street about 250' down-slope.

Recently while walking the Pennypack Trail, I saw fills extending outward from the high ground on each side of the valley some distance toward each other.

There is a small concrete culvert at the base of the grade which is visible by looking up-slope from the trail some distance east of the trail's connection with Krewstown Road.

Where Bustleton Avenue curves gently eastward south of the Welsh Road intersection, there was a hint of a grade a few feet west of the Avenue.

A power line through that area along the grade curved abruptly eastward across Bustleton Avenue just south of Grant Avenue and into the alignment of the old end of the Bustleton Branch.

Can you imagine the possibility that it was intended to operate steam-powered commuter trains out of Broad Street Station via the Oxford Road line and returning via Holmesburg Junction, just like they once looped via West Chester?

[limejuice]

Can you imagine the possibility that it was intended to operate steam-powered commuter trains out of Broad Street Station via the Oxford Road line and returning via Holmesburg Junction, just like they once looped via West Chester?

I believe the Reading did just that via a wye at Neshaminy Falls and the NY short line until the Great Depression.

[ExCon90]

Can you imagine the possibility that it was intended to operate steam-powered commuter trains out of Broad Street Station via the Oxford Road line and returning via Holmesburg Junction, just like they once looped via West Chester?

I believe the Reading did just that via a wye at Neshaminy Falls and the NY short line until the Great Depression.

I checked the Official Guide for February 1926, and the service is there, although spread over two timetables. The through table from Bound Brook via Trenton Jct. (as it then was) shows a couple of locals apparently originating out of nowhere at Trevose (and opposing trains dropping off the table at Trevose), while the Newtown table shows two branch-line stations of Bustleton and Byberry, with similar trains apparently originating and terminating at Byberry. Putting the times together produces the following (daily except Sun.):

Lv Rdg. Term. ....*... 4.45 pm, 5.38 pm.
Ar Trevose ....*... 5.44 pm, 6.37 pm.
Lv Byberry 8.09 am*, 5.59 pm, 6.57 pm.
Ar Rdg. Term. 8.43 am* 6.42 pm, 7.35 pm.

Lv Rdg. Term. 7.10 am, 2.08 pm, 5.04 pm.
Ar Byberry 7.50 am, 2.49 pm, 5.48 pm.
Lv Trevose 8.03 am, 3.05 pm, 6.09 pm.
Ar Rdg. Term. 8.52 am, 4.04 pm, 7.14 pm.

*Can't find an outbound to Trevose; I presume a deadhead move.

Sunday service consisted of 2 round trips in each direction. By Jan. 1930 most of it was gone, and by Jan. 1934, there were no trains originating or terminating at Trevose, and Bustleton and Byberry were gone from the Newtown schedule. I never heard of that operation before.