Newtown Square Branch
Encyclopedia
The Newtown Square Branch was a branch line of the Pennsylvania Railroad
that diverged from the West Chester Branch
in Yeadon, Pennsylvania
and ended in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The rail line is mostly overgrown and few bridges remain, with the bridge
over Baltimore Avenue located at the Upper Darby/East Lansdowne border having been removed in 2003. The only known presence of rails is at the junction just west of the SEPTA's Fernwood-Yeadon Station. Through Upper Darby Township the former right of way
follows PECO's high tension power lines from Fernwood to the Upper Darby/Haverford border at Lansdowne Avenue and Township Line Road.
Built as the Philadelphia & Delaware County Railroad in 1888, it was taken over by a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1894. The Cardington Branch to Millbourne Mills opened the following year in 1895. Passenger service ran on the line until it was terminated in 1908 due to competition from the West Chester Traction Company
trolley lines.
The Newtown Square Branch consisted of yards at Pembroke just past Fernwood Junction and seven stations. The stations were Garretford, Arlington, Llanerch, Grassland, Brookethorpe, Foxcroft and Newtown Square. Major bridges were at Baltimore Avenue, Naylor's Run, Darby Creek, and Bryn Mawr Avenue.
Service past Grassland station stopped in 1963, and all service on the line ceased by 1981. Rails had been removed from the line by Conrail in 1985, along with most of the bridges. The right of way is still mostly intact, though it is largely overgrown with weeds and trees. In some cases, private business has obliterated portions of the line. There do remain several areas where the right of way is accessible to the public, mainly in Naylor Run Park in Upper Darby Township.
At Darby Road and West Chester Pike, Haverford Township has created a small park and painted two murals to pay tribute to both the Red Arrow trolleys and PRR Newtown Square Branch. It also pays tribute to the "Battle of Llanerch Junction". In the park there are interpative signs that describe the history of Llanerch Junction.
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....
that diverged from the West Chester Branch
West Chester Branch
The West Chester Branch was a local passenger and freight railroad line owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad and later Penn Central. The line connected with the Philadelphia-Washington Main Line at Arsenal Junction near the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia-Chicago Main Line near...
in Yeadon, Pennsylvania
Yeadon, Pennsylvania
Yeadon is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders the City of Philadelphia. The population was 11,762 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Yeadon is located at ....
and ended in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The rail line is mostly overgrown and few bridges remain, with the bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
over Baltimore Avenue located at the Upper Darby/East Lansdowne border having been removed in 2003. The only known presence of rails is at the junction just west of the SEPTA's Fernwood-Yeadon Station. Through Upper Darby Township the former right of way
Right of Way
Right of Way is a 1983 television film drama starring Bette Davis and James Stewart, and directed by George Schaefer.The TV movie stars film veterans Davis and Stewart as an elderly long-married couple who must decide how to deal with the situation of one of them being diagnosed with a terminal...
follows PECO's high tension power lines from Fernwood to the Upper Darby/Haverford border at Lansdowne Avenue and Township Line Road.
Built as the Philadelphia & Delaware County Railroad in 1888, it was taken over by a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1894. The Cardington Branch to Millbourne Mills opened the following year in 1895. Passenger service ran on the line until it was terminated in 1908 due to competition from the West Chester Traction Company
SEPTA Route 104
SEPTA Bus Route 104 currently operates between Upper Darby's 69th Street Terminal and the North Campus of West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania...
trolley lines.
The Newtown Square Branch consisted of yards at Pembroke just past Fernwood Junction and seven stations. The stations were Garretford, Arlington, Llanerch, Grassland, Brookethorpe, Foxcroft and Newtown Square. Major bridges were at Baltimore Avenue, Naylor's Run, Darby Creek, and Bryn Mawr Avenue.
Service past Grassland station stopped in 1963, and all service on the line ceased by 1981. Rails had been removed from the line by Conrail in 1985, along with most of the bridges. The right of way is still mostly intact, though it is largely overgrown with weeds and trees. In some cases, private business has obliterated portions of the line. There do remain several areas where the right of way is accessible to the public, mainly in Naylor Run Park in Upper Darby Township.
At Darby Road and West Chester Pike, Haverford Township has created a small park and painted two murals to pay tribute to both the Red Arrow trolleys and PRR Newtown Square Branch. It also pays tribute to the "Battle of Llanerch Junction". In the park there are interpative signs that describe the history of Llanerch Junction.