Trenton Cutoff

[jlpack153]

I live along the Trenton Cutoff in Lower Southamption Pa (NS Morrisville Line to those without a sense of history). and can remember the GG-1s hauling freight when I was a kid in the early 60's and remember watching conrail remove the overhead wire and reducing it to a single track in the 1980s.
When it was double tracked the line split around milepost 11 or 12 and ran maybe 50 yards apart with two bridges across the Neshaminy creek. Then just before Morrisville they came back together. There was an electrical substation between the tracks where they split in Lower Southampton. Does anybody know when and why this was done? I seem to remember something about it being two different grades to keep motive power from piling up in Morrisville because the east bound trains of raw material required more power than the west bound trains of finished manufactured goods.
Does this make sense and more important, when was this done?

[timz]

Is the old right-of-way still visible, with the two bridges? The two tracks weren't on the same level, were they?

[Urban D Kaye]

Is the old right-of-way still visible, with the two bridges?

If you mean the bridges at Playwicki Park, they're both there.

[timz]

Triumph II explains. It seems the Trenton Cutoff originally was built circa 1890 and wasn't converted to 0.3%-maximum eastward grade until about 1904. Eastward grade on the westward track is/was around 0.56%.

[jlpack153]

Thanks for the info. So as I understand it, the lower, brick bridge is the original and the higher stone bridge (which is still quite busy with NS is the new one) Not only is the old bridge still there, the right of way is intact, ballast and all. very popular with kids on dirt bikes.

[Schuylkill Valley]

Jlpack,
What town do you live in ?

Len.

[m2116x6]

I’m trying to find out how the Pennsylvania Railroad Trenton Cutoff crossed Maple Avenue (current name) in Langhorne when the line through there was double tracked around 1923. Back then Maple Avenue was referred to as The Road to the Buck (Hotel) and also Buck Road. Either way, it was the first road crossing east of the Neshaminy Creek.

At the time when the Trenton Cutoff was only a single track, Maple Avenue curved northwest off of the current route just east of the Neshaminy Creek and went under the Railroad before going over a steel bridge in what is now Playwicki Park. This tunnel under the railroad is still visible within the Park and is in surprisingly good shape.

When the line was double tracked around 1923, the second track was installed about 50 yards away from the original. This second track does not have a tunnel for Maple Avenue, which still crossed the railroad somehow to get to the old bridge.

In 1929 the current Maple Avenue Bridge was built over the Neshaminy, eliminating the need for the road to cross the path of either railroad track.

Does anyone have any maps or photos of this area, which would explain this?

Jim

[Zeke]

Heading west out of Morrisville ( MA ) you could get a good run on that grade dropping down hill to Neshaminy. As for tonnage going west you had some of the heaviest trains on the entire PRR system, the Venezualen iron ore traffic out of USS Fairless works ( Morrisville ), going out to USS Saxonburg, PA. Those unit trains could run as high as 15,000 tons. The usual power was either three GG-1's, three E-44's or in the last Pennsy years four to five SD-40 or 45's. Sometimes helper units would be needed to shove these Ore Xtra's out of C yard in Morrisville, and in deference to that Neshaminy Falls grade and a 30 MPH maximum speed limit for mineral trains helpers would stay with the Westbound train to Earnest.

[AlexC]

Here's a map you might want to look at.
http://historical.maptech.com/getImage. ... g&state=PA

It's been a while since I've been that way.

[jlpack153]

I'm only guessing but based on the map in the link that was posted and the current roads, I'm going to say that if you look at a current road map, and follow PA 213, the point where Bridgetown Pike intersects Maple ave indicates where the new road that runs alongside the tracks began.
If you go to the left at that point and stay on Bridgetown pike, I believe you are on the original Maple Ave. It crosses over the 1923 tracks and then passes under the old tracks in a 'S' turn configuration similar to the ones found on both Buck Road and Bristol road in the same area. Follow Bridgetown Pike past the Valley Stream Restaurant and it becomes Langhorne Ave which dead ends just before the Creek. This is where the old steel bridge would have been, crossing over the creek into the current park. This would also fit nicely with there the road passed under the old tracks after if crosses the creek. Now, a little farther up along a same straight line there are some concrete piers on either side of the 1923 tracks. I have always wondered what they were for. My bet is the road crossing over the 1923 tracks to join back to Maple ave. Comments?

[jfrey40535]

How did Conrail/NS manage to remove all of the catenary and second track which has now made it impossible to even think about building the Cross County Metro? It was all there....now its all gone!

[glennk419]

How did Conrail/NS manage to remove all of the catenary and second track which has now made it impossible to even think about building the Cross County Metro? It was all there....now its all gone!

You can actually blame the "beginning of the end" of Conrail's electrification on Amtrak. Once through freights were chased off of the NEC and Harrisburg lines by the exhorbitant mile/tonnage charges and restricted hours of access, it became economically and operationally impractical for CR to continue electric operations. As for single tracking of the cutoff, I suppose that was a result of traffic levels, especially after USS closed much of the Fairless Works as well as CR choosing the ex-LV main as it's primary corridor to NY, but it definitely appears to have been a short sighted decision for an excellent piece of railroad.

[drewh]

but it definitely appears to have been a short sighted decision for an excellent piece of railroad

Yes ... can you imagine .. high speed Amtrak Acela service from HAR, King of Prussia, Ft Washington, into NYC!! All without having to go to 30th St.

[glennk419]

Yes ... can you imagine .. high speed Amtrak Acela service from HAR, King of Prussia, Ft Washington, into NYC!! All without having to go to 30th St.

Now that's about the best idea I've heard in a long time, even better than the CC Metro. Ah, but it's nice to dream.

[drewh]

It could still happen ... the ROW is still there ... the poles for the catenary are still there. Would take a lot more interest from the state of PA though as well as funding commitment. I'm sure it could help reduce congestion on the turnpike which parallels most of the route.

Add a couple of large park and ride lots as well. Could really help mobility in this area. But PA won't even fund Septa properly let alone better roads for Eastern PA - seems everyting always goes to the west part of the state.