495:
310:
20:
483:
471:
539:
447:
435:
423:
459:
97:
124:
instead. It built 4.16 miles (6.69 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
253:
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
67:
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
209:
was incorporated March 17, 1890, and built 0.62 miles (1.00 km) of track from the
Philadelphia & Trenton down Butler Street and towards Frankford Creek. It was merged on April 14, 1891 into the Kensington & Tacony as the Frankford Street Branch. The K&T built 2.85 miles
383:
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
482:
329:. 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
340:
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
470:
403:, 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
285:
was incorporated, and built 0.17 miles (0.27 km) of line from the
Connecting Railway mainline near 32nd and Jefferson Streets to near 32nd and Thompson Streets, where it connected with the Reading (former
494:
446:
434:
205:
was incorporated. From a connection with the
Philadelphia & Trenton at Tioga Street and Delaware Avenue, it built 1.65 miles (2.66 km) along Delaware Avenue between 1886 and 1887. The
407:. The Fairhill Branch, Oxford Road Branch, Midvale Branch and the Kensington and Tacony Branch were abandoned during the 1980s. The Kensington and Tacony right-of-way has been converted to a
254:
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.
422:
116:. 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
321:, 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
348:
The
Bustleton Branch diverged here (center of picture) and the K&T Branch diverged from the track leading the crossover at the bottom left. The tower closed in 1992.
257:
The Philadelphia, Bustleton & Trenton, after completing 3.55 miles (5.71 km) of the line in December 1896, built no further towards Fallsington. It crossed the
488:
Tioga Street trackage curved to the right and up a ramp to the P&T. The old roadbed ramp is now weed-covered and new curbing and railing blocks the old right of way
458:
301:, 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.
218:
1893–1894. At some point it also bought the connecting Philadelphia & Trenton line of 1.23 miles (1.98 km) from the P&T main down Tioga Street.
142:
273:
was incorporated, and built 0.78 miles (1.26 km) of line from the Connecting Railway mainline near Rosehill Street to Cambria Street 1895–1896.
356:
The little-used Fort Washington Branch was de-electrified, and passenger service discontinued in 1952. In 1953, the upper section of the branch from the
638:
243:
235:
345:
began in 1918 and over the Fort Washington Branch in 1924. The rest of the mainline was electrified by 1935 to allow electric service to New York.
322:
178:
361:
325:. Because of the northern alignment of the Connecting Railway, passenger trains between New York and Pittsburgh would stop there only, bypassing
186:
633:
297:. This company and all its predecessors were directly or indirectly controlled by the PRR throughout their history. On December 9, 1956, the
170:
648:
643:
476:
Abandoned Tioga Street trackage linking the Philadelphia and Trenton to the Kensington and Tacony Branch (tank cars are on the old P&T)
452:
Abandoned K&T Right of Way, looking North just above Frankford Arsenal. Power lines followed the branch from Port Richmond to Tacony
230:
was incorporated on March 17, 1892 to build from Front Street and Erie Avenue, on the Connecting Railway mainline, to Bustleton. The
146:
440:
Abandoned K&T Branch, Behind Frankford Arsenal, 2006. Switch buried in weeds is one siding leading into the old arsenal complex
628:
298:
239:
76:
was incorporated May 15, 1863, and between 1864 and June 1867, constructed a 6.75-mile (10.86 km) connecting line between
609:
577:
309:
210:(4.59 km) further along Delaware Avenue in 1891–1892 to connect to the Philadelphia & Trenton just east of
342:
258:
117:
169:. Between 1892 and 1893, two additional branches were built: the Midvale Branch, running 0.85 miles (1.37 km) from
287:
211:
129:
and leased to PRR. Passenger service on the Bustleton Branch ended on February 13, 1926 due to high competition.
428:
Abandoned K&T Branch, Behind Frankford Arsenal, 2006. Note rails disappearing into roadway for river access point
158:
47:
404:
380:
continued to see freight service until the late 1970s; this remnant was abandoned and removed in the early 1980s.
77:
519:
377:
334:
182:
24:
553:
538:
19:
153:. This line of 6.75 miles (10.86 km) was built between 1883 and 1884, closely paralleling the
69:
464:
Abandoned K&T Bridge over Frankford Creek behind Frankford Arsenal, looking towards Kensington
234:
was incorporated on January 27, 1893 to extend the Philadelphia & Bustleton from Bustleton to
166:
121:
109:
369:
154:
317:
The Connecting Railway mainline was operated as part of the PRR mainline from Philadelphia to
174:
43:
214:, and extended the Frankford Street Branch 1.16 miles (1.87 km) across and parallel to
100:
The Bustleton Branch splits from the Philadelphia & Trenton Line at Holmesburg Junction.
8:
326:
400:
85:
605:
500:
Repurposing of K&T Branch right-of-way as a rail trail at Lardner's Point in 2022
330:
150:
81:
585:
215:
357:
190:
622:
318:
385:
373:
365:
51:
16:
Connecting Railway: PRR subsidiary linking Philadelphia and Trenton lines
408:
113:
293:
On January 1, 1902, these seven corporations were consolidated into
368:
was abandoned. In the 1960s, part of the right-of-way was used for
96:
389:
393:
162:
80:
on the Philadelphia & Trenton and Mantua Junction (now
396:
in 1976 and the corporation was subsequently dissolved.
313:"HOLMES" Block Station (Holmesburg Junction), late 1970s
337:
distribution center near its crossing of the Reading.
139:
Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad
84:) on the PRR mainline, passing through what is now
27:
over Schuylkill River, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
554:"The K&T Trail Opens Along the Delaware River"
196:
46:, incorporated to build a connection between the
620:
602:Railroads of Pennsylvania Encyclopedia and Atlas
261:(Reading) about a mile south of its terminus.
141:was incorporated, to construct a line between
578:"Corporate Genealogy: The Connecting Railway"
248:Philadelphia, Bustleton and Trenton Railroad
57:
181:, running 6.27 miles (10.09 km) from
558:Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
179:Fort Washington Branch or Cresheim Branch
639:Railway companies disestablished in 1976
388:merger, but all its tracks were sold to
308:
95:
18:
575:
299:Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad
132:
621:
333:, and the Oxford Road Branch served a
108:was incorporated to build a line from
634:Railway companies established in 1863
599:
551:
246:. The two were consolidated into the
221:
62:
649:1976 establishments in Pennsylvania
644:1863 establishments in Pennsylvania
276:
259:Philadelphia and Frankford Railroad
91:
13:
288:Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad
264:
228:Philadelphia and Bustleton Railway
14:
660:
576:Netzlof, Robert T. (2001-03-28).
399:The main line became part of the
106:Frankford and Holmesburg Railroad
48:Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
537:
493:
481:
469:
457:
445:
433:
421:
405:Conrail Shared Assets Operations
149:. This project was directed by
629:Defunct Pennsylvania railroads
545:
526:. February 14, 1926. p. 4
512:
351:
295:The Connecting Railway Company
232:Bustleton and Eastern Railroad
203:Kensington and Tacony Railroad
197:Kensington & Tacony Branch
189:, where it connected with the
161:), and now forms the basis of
1:
600:Taber, Thomas T. III (1987).
505:
372:. The remaining section from
304:
145:(now North Philadelphia) and
7:
534:– via Newspapers.com.
281:On September 22, 1892, the
125:on January 12, 1891 as the
50:and the PRR in the city of
10:
665:
552:Boyle, John (2017-05-22).
414:
323:North Philadelphia station
74:Connecting Railway Company
72:. To resolve the problem,
524:The Philadelphia Inquirer
58:Construction and assembly
25:Connecting Railway Bridge
207:Frankford Creek Railroad
137:On January 2, 1883, the
42:was a subsidiary of the
604:. Thomas T. Taber III.
520:"Bustleton Trains Stop"
201:On March 26, 1884, the
167:Chestnut Hill West Line
23:Pennsylvania Railroad,
370:Pennsylvania Route 309
314:
269:On June 13, 1892, the
155:Chestnut Hill Railroad
120:to the nearby town of
104:On July 18, 1863, the
101:
28:
582:PRR Corporate History
312:
175:Midvale Steel Company
99:
44:Pennsylvania Railroad
22:
343:Broad Street Station
133:Chestnut Hill Branch
327:30th Street Station
157:(controlled by the
143:Germantown Junction
118:Holmesburg Junction
401:Northeast Corridor
315:
283:Engelside Railroad
271:Fair Hill Railroad
222:Oxford Road Branch
127:Bustleton Railroad
102:
86:North Philadelphia
78:Frankford Junction
63:Connecting Railway
40:Connecting Railway
29:
611:978-0-9603398-5-3
331:Frankford Arsenal
656:
615:
596:
594:
593:
584:. Archived from
568:
567:
565:
564:
549:
543:
542:
541:
535:
533:
531:
516:
497:
485:
473:
461:
449:
437:
425:
277:Engelside Branch
250:on May 1, 1893.
151:Henry H. Houston
92:Bustleton Branch
82:Zoo interlocking
664:
663:
659:
658:
657:
655:
654:
653:
619:
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546:
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508:
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474:
465:
462:
453:
450:
441:
438:
429:
426:
417:
354:
307:
279:
267:
265:Fairhill Branch
244:Trenton Cut-Off
238:, just west of
224:
216:Frankford Creek
199:
177:plant, and the
135:
94:
65:
60:
36:
35:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
662:
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456:
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439:
432:
430:
427:
420:
416:
413:
360:connection at
358:Trenton Cutoff
353:
350:
306:
303:
278:
275:
266:
263:
223:
220:
198:
195:
191:Trenton Cutoff
134:
131:
93:
90:
64:
61:
59:
56:
32:
31:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
661:
650:
647:
645:
642:
640:
637:
635:
632:
630:
627:
626:
624:
613:
607:
603:
598:
588:on 2016-03-05
587:
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559:
555:
548:
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521:
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147:Chestnut Hill
144:
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107:
98:
89:
87:
83:
79:
75:
71:
55:
53:
49:
45:
41:
26:
21:
601:
590:. Retrieved
586:the original
581:
561:. Retrieved
557:
547:
528:. Retrieved
523:
514:
398:
386:Penn Central
382:
355:
347:
339:
316:
294:
292:
282:
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268:
256:
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231:
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206:
202:
200:
138:
136:
126:
105:
103:
73:
66:
52:Philadelphia
39:
37:
352:Abandonment
290:trackage).
240:Morrisville
236:Fallsington
623:Categories
592:2016-04-30
563:2020-09-13
530:August 23,
506:References
409:rail trail
378:Allen Lane
305:Operations
183:Allen Lane
114:Holmesburg
70:Kensington
362:Fort Hill
187:Fort Hill
122:Bustleton
110:Frankford
374:Wyndmoor
366:Wyndmoor
319:New York
415:Gallery
390:Conrail
242:on the
173:to the
171:Midvale
159:Reading
608:
394:Amtrak
212:Tacony
335:Sears
163:SEPTA
606:ISBN
532:2020
392:and
226:The
38:The
411:.
376:to
364:to
185:to
165:'s
112:to
33:Map
625::
580:.
556:.
522:.
193:.
88:.
54:.
614:.
595:.
566:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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