Connecting Railway
Encyclopedia
The Connecting Railway was a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad
, incorporated to build a connection between the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
and the PRR in the city of Philadelphia.
On July 18, 1863, the Frankford and Holmesburg Railroad was incorporated to build a line from Frankford to Holmesburg. This would have paralleled the Philadelphia & Trenton between those points. The charter was amended on April 10, 1867, to allow it to build from the Philadelphia & Trenton at Holmesburg Junction
to the nearby town of Bustleton instead. It built 4.16 miles (6.7 km) of line between the two points about 1870. On January 1, 1871, it was leased to the Philadelphia & Trenton to operate as their Bustleton Branch. The company subsequently went bankrupt and was sold at foreclosure on November 18, 1890, and was reorganized on January 12, 1891 as the Bustleton Railroad and leased to PRR.
. This project was directed by Henry H. Houston
. This line of 6.75 miles (10.9 km) was built between 1883 and 1884, closely paralleling the Chestnut Hill Railroad (controlled by the Reading), and now forms the basis of SEPTA's Chestnut Hill West Line
. Between 1892 and 1893, two additional branches were built: the Midvale Branch, running 0.85 miles (1.4 km) from Midvale to the Midvale Steel Company plant, and the Fort Washington Branch or Cresheim Branch, running 6.27 miles (10.1 km) from Allen Lane
to Fort Hill, where it connected with the Trenton Cut-Off.
. It was merged on April 14, 1891 into the Kensington & Tacony as the Frankford Street Branch. The K&T built 2.85 miles (4.6 km) further along Delaware Avenue in 1891–1892 to connect to the Philadelphia & Trenton just east of Tacony
, and extended the Frankford Street Branch 1.16 miles (1.9 km) across and parallel to Frankford Creek
1893–1894. At some point it also bought the connecting Philadelphia & Trenton line of 1.23 miles (2 km) from the P&T main down Tioga Street.
On January 1, 1902, these seven corporations were consolidated into The Connecting Railway Company. This company and all its predecessors were directly or indirectly controlled by the PRR throughout their history. On December 9, 1956, the Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad
, an agglomeration of certain PRR Lines West, was merged into the corporation. This was solely for the sake of corporate bookkeeping and had no effect on operations.
, providing through and local passenger service and extensive freight service to the many industries located in northern Philadelphia. The main passenger station on the line was North Philadelphia station
. Because of the northern alignment of the Connecting Ry., passenger trains between New York and Pittsburgh would stop there only, bypassing 30th Street Station
. The Chestnut Hill, Fort Washington and Bustleton Branches also saw passenger service; the other lines were exclusively freight lines. In particular, the Kensington & Tacony Branch served the upper Philadelphia waterfront and the Frankford Arsenal
, and the Oxford Road Branch served a Sears
distribution center near its crossing of the Reading.
Passenger service on the Bustleton Branch was discontinued in 1926, but the Chestnut Hill and Fort Washington Branches became part of the PRR suburban electrification program. Electrified service from Chestnut Hill to Broad Street Station
began in 1918 and over the Fort Washington Branch in 1924. The rest of the main line was electrified by 1935 to allow electric service to New York.
.
The loss of industry in Philadelphia began to take its toll, and many of the freight branches became little-used. In 1973, the Oxford Road Branch was abandoned north of the Reading crossing. The Connecting Railway survived as a separate corporation through the Penn Central merger, but all its tracks were sold to Conrail and Amtrak
in 1976 and the corporation was subsequently dissolved.
The main line became part of the Northeast Corridor
, and the Chestnut Hill Branch was sold to SEPTA in 1983 (although Conrail continued switching industries along the line). The Bustleton Branch, Frankford Street Branch and Engelside Branch are still operated by Conrail. The Fairhill Branch, Oxford Road Branch, Midvale Branch and the Kensington and Tacony Branch were abandoned during the 1980s.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, incorporated to build a connection between the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
The Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad was a railroad from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Trenton, New Jersey that became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. The majority of it is now part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.-History:...
and the PRR in the city of Philadelphia.
Connecting railway
The PRR controlled the Philadelphia & Trenton, and had originally intended to directly connect the two lines through the heart of Philadelphia. However, attempts to buy out and demolish buildings in the right-of-way led to riots, and the Philadelphia & Trenton was forced to end at Kensington. To resolve the problem, Connecting Railway Company was incorporated May 15, 1863, and between 1864 and June 1867, constructed a 6.75 miles (10.9 km) connecting line between Frankford Junction on the Philadelphia & Trenton and Mantua Junction (now Zoo Interlocking) on the PRR main line, passing through what is now North Philadelphia.Bustleton Branch
Holmesburg Junction (SEPTA station)
Holmesburg Junction Station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station at Rhawn and Decatur Streets, in the Holmesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
to the nearby town of Bustleton instead. It built 4.16 miles (6.7 km) of line between the two points about 1870. On January 1, 1871, it was leased to the Philadelphia & Trenton to operate as their Bustleton Branch. The company subsequently went bankrupt and was sold at foreclosure on November 18, 1890, and was reorganized on January 12, 1891 as the Bustleton Railroad and leased to PRR.
Chestnut Hill Branch
On January 2, 1883, the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad was incorporated, to construct a line between Germantown Junction (now North Philadelphia) and Chestnut HillChestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Boundaries:Chestnut Hill is bounded as follows:...
. This project was directed by Henry H. Houston
Henry H. Houston
Henry Howard Houston was a leading Philadelphia businessman and philanthropist. He was in charge of the Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad which was built in the 1880s to link downtown Philadelphia with the wealthy and growing suburbs to the northwest.Houston attended St...
. This line of 6.75 miles (10.9 km) was built between 1883 and 1884, closely paralleling the Chestnut Hill Railroad (controlled by the Reading), and now forms the basis of SEPTA's Chestnut Hill West Line
Chestnut Hill West Line
The Chestnut Hill West Line , is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system. The route serves the northwestern section of Philadelphia with service to Germantown, Mount Airy, and Chestnut Hill...
. Between 1892 and 1893, two additional branches were built: the Midvale Branch, running 0.85 miles (1.4 km) from Midvale to the Midvale Steel Company plant, and the Fort Washington Branch or Cresheim Branch, running 6.27 miles (10.1 km) from Allen Lane
Allen Lane (SEPTA station)
Allen Lane Station is a SEPTA Regional Rail station at 200 West Allens Lane in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The station stands at the intersection of Allens Lane and Cresheim Road. The station building was built circa 1880, according to the Philadelphia Architects...
to Fort Hill, where it connected with the Trenton Cut-Off.
Kensington & Tacony Branch
On March 26, 1884, the Kensington and Tacony Railroad was incorporated. From a connection with the Philadelphia & Trenton at Tioga Street and Delaware Avenue, it built 1.65 miles (2.7 km) along Delaware Avenue between 1886 and 1887. The Frankford Creek Railroad was incorporated March 17, 1890, and built 0.62 mile (0.9977908 km) of track from the Philadelphia & Trenton down Butler Street and towards Frankford CreekFrankford Creek
Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until a sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest,...
. It was merged on April 14, 1891 into the Kensington & Tacony as the Frankford Street Branch. The K&T built 2.85 miles (4.6 km) further along Delaware Avenue in 1891–1892 to connect to the Philadelphia & Trenton just east of Tacony
Tacony, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tacony is a historic neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia, about from downtown Philadelphia. It is the oldest continuously occupied neighborhood in Philadelphia. It is bounded by Frankford Avenue on the northwest, Cottman Avenue on the northeast, Levick Street on the southwest, and the...
, and extended the Frankford Street Branch 1.16 miles (1.9 km) across and parallel to Frankford Creek
Frankford Creek
Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until a sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest,...
1893–1894. At some point it also bought the connecting Philadelphia & Trenton line of 1.23 miles (2 km) from the P&T main down Tioga Street.
Oxford Road Branch
The Philadelphia and Bustleton Railway was incorporated on March 17, 1892 to build from Front Street and Erie Avenue, on the Connecting Railway main line, to Bustleton. The Bustleton and Eastern Railroad was incorporated on January 27, 1893 to extend the Philadelphia & Bustleton from Bustleton to Fallsington, just west of Morrisville on the Trenton Cut-Off. The two were consolidated into the Philadelphia, Bustleton and Trenton Railroad on May 1, 1893. The Philadelphia & Bustleton had done only a little grading and built several cuts and viaducts. The cuts and viaduct work that were performed can be seen today, as they are used as a bridle path through the Pennypack Park that run about 1/2 mile that runs from Krewstown Road to about 1/4 of a mile west of Bustleton Avenue on the south side of the Pennypack Creek. On the north and south sides of the creek, there is evidence of approach work for a trestle over the Pennypack Creek. The Philadelphia, Bustleton & Trenton, after completing 3.55 miles (5.7 km) of the line in December 1896, built no further towards Fallsington. It crossed the Philadelphia and Frankford Railroad (Reading) about a mile south of its terminus.Fairhill Branch
On June 13, 1892, the Fair Hill Railroad was incorporated, and built 0.78 miles (1.3 km) of line from the Connecting Railway main line near Rosehill Street to Cambria Street 1895–1896.Engelside Branch
On September 22, 1892, the Engelside Railroad was incorporated, and built 0.17 mile (0.2735878 km) of line from the Connecting Railway main line near 32nd and Jefferson Streets to near 32nd and Thompson Streets, where it connected with the Reading (former Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad trackage).On January 1, 1902, these seven corporations were consolidated into The Connecting Railway Company. This company and all its predecessors were directly or indirectly controlled by the PRR throughout their history. On December 9, 1956, the Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad
The Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad was a railroad company in the U.S. states of Ohio and Michigan that existed from 1926 to 1956. Its sole purpose was to simplify the corporate structure of the Pennsylvania Railroad by merging subsidiaries into a common company leased to the PRR; the PO&D...
, an agglomeration of certain PRR Lines West, was merged into the corporation. This was solely for the sake of corporate bookkeeping and had no effect on operations.
Operations
The Connecting Railway main line was operated as part of the PRR main line from Philadelphia to New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, providing through and local passenger service and extensive freight service to the many industries located in northern Philadelphia. The main passenger station on the line was North Philadelphia station
North Philadelphia (SEPTA Regional Rail station)
North Philadelphia, formerly Germantown Junction Station, is a railroad station on the Northeast Corridor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is an above-ground station at 2900 North Broad Street in the city's North Philadelphia section...
. Because of the northern alignment of the Connecting Ry., passenger trains between New York and Pittsburgh would stop there only, bypassing 30th Street Station
30th Street Station
30th Street Station is the main railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the five stations in SEPTA's Center City fare zone. It is also a major stop on Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridors...
. The Chestnut Hill, Fort Washington and Bustleton Branches also saw passenger service; the other lines were exclusively freight lines. In particular, the Kensington & Tacony Branch served the upper Philadelphia waterfront and the Frankford Arsenal
Frankford Arsenal
The Frankford Arsenal was a United States Army ammunition plant located adjacent to the Bridesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, north of the original course of Frankford Creek.-History:...
, and the Oxford Road Branch served a Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
distribution center near its crossing of the Reading.
Passenger service on the Bustleton Branch was discontinued in 1926, but the Chestnut Hill and Fort Washington Branches became part of the PRR suburban electrification program. Electrified service from Chestnut Hill to Broad Street Station
Broad Street Station (Philadelphia)
Broad Street Station at Broad & Market Streets was the primary passenger terminal for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1881 to the 1950s...
began in 1918 and over the Fort Washington Branch in 1924. The rest of the main line was electrified by 1935 to allow electric service to New York.
Abandonment
The little-used Fort Washington Branch was de-electrified, and passenger service discontinued in 1952. In 1953, the middle of the branch, from Sunnybrook to Wyndmoor was abandoned. The remaining stubs were removed in the 1980s. In the 1960s, part of the right-of-way used for Pennsylvania Route 309Pennsylvania Route 309
Pennsylvania Route 309 is a major highway which runs for 134 miles through Pennsylvania in the United States. It connects Philadelphia and its northern suburbs to Allentown, Hazleton, and Wilkes-Barre. A limited-access highway portion of PA 309 in the Wilkes-Barre area is known as the North...
.
The loss of industry in Philadelphia began to take its toll, and many of the freight branches became little-used. In 1973, the Oxford Road Branch was abandoned north of the Reading crossing. The Connecting Railway survived as a separate corporation through the Penn Central merger, but all its tracks were sold to Conrail and Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
in 1976 and the corporation was subsequently dissolved.
The main line became part of the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
, and the Chestnut Hill Branch was sold to SEPTA in 1983 (although Conrail continued switching industries along the line). The Bustleton Branch, Frankford Street Branch and Engelside Branch are still operated by Conrail. The Fairhill Branch, Oxford Road Branch, Midvale Branch and the Kensington and Tacony Branch were abandoned during the 1980s.