Hey all, I've recently begun patronizing the North Philadelphia station on SEPTA's R8, and was wondering if pictures exist of the original structure there. The original "main" North Philadelphia station is obviously still in use as a dollar store, but on the Chestnut Hill branch, outbound side, there is a large rectangular sunken area on the platform (right next to the standing "shelter", if you can call it that when it rains) that appears to be the footprint of a station. Am I insane, or was there a building there? (and once again, are there any pictures?)
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R8 North Philadelphia Station
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By waiting room, I assume you mean just 4 walls, a door, a lot of windows to see when your train was coming, and a space heater? It seems like it was solidly built from the remains of its foundation, which seems excessive for such a simple purpose (I'm thinking of the waiting room on the inbound side of Upsal for my point of reference), but the PRR didn't really do anything small, did they :D?
And so I have explored the "station" a little more, and have noticed something else I can't otherwise explain:
In the tunnel that goes under the Chestnut Hill Branch's tracks, at either end of the tunnel (perpendicular to the stairs, directly in the line of walking, if you kept goign through the wall while you're in the tunnel) there are arches that look as though they once went farther, but have been bricked in. It could, of course, just be decoration. However, it really looks as though the steps did not, at one time, descend to the ends of the tunnel, rather somewhere more in the middle.
Anyone know what I'm talking about, or better yet, know what the arches are for?
In the tunnel that goes under the Chestnut Hill Branch's tracks, at either end of the tunnel (perpendicular to the stairs, directly in the line of walking, if you kept goign through the wall while you're in the tunnel) there are arches that look as though they once went farther, but have been bricked in. It could, of course, just be decoration. However, it really looks as though the steps did not, at one time, descend to the ends of the tunnel, rather somewhere more in the middle.
Anyone know what I'm talking about, or better yet, know what the arches are for?
Umblehoon wrote:In the tunnel that goes under the Chestnut Hill Branch's tracks....To the southeast, it led to access stairways at the ends of the main line platforms. It may have continued on to the tower also.
Hi all,
History on North Philadelphia Station, Germantown Junction, now known as North Philadelphia Station, was the intersection of the Chestnut Hill branch opened in 1884 and the New York Division ( NEC ) . The two stations shown here were of the Chestnut Hill branch and the New York Division. Picture taken looking east, in 1891.
Information for On The Main Line copyrighted 1971
Len.
History on North Philadelphia Station, Germantown Junction, now known as North Philadelphia Station, was the intersection of the Chestnut Hill branch opened in 1884 and the New York Division ( NEC ) . The two stations shown here were of the Chestnut Hill branch and the New York Division. Picture taken looking east, in 1891.
Information for On The Main Line copyrighted 1971
Len.
Does anyone know when SEPTA closed the connector to the BSS? I take it the only entrance to it was out on Broad Street.
Quite a shame to see the station in its present form. Even though it was rehabbed a few years back its slowly slipping back to decay, especially since Amtrak closed its ticket office.
Quite a shame to see the station in its present form. Even though it was rehabbed a few years back its slowly slipping back to decay, especially since Amtrak closed its ticket office.