506:
321:
31:
494:
482:
550:
458:
446:
434:
470:
108:
135:
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
264:
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
78:
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
220:
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
394:
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
493:
340:. 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
351:
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
481:
414:, 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
296:
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
505:
457:
445:
216:
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
418:. 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
265:
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.
433:
127:. 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
332:, 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
359:
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.
268:
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
499:
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
469:
312:, 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.
229:
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.
153:
284:
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.
367:
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
649:
254:
246:
356:
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.
333:
189:
372:
336:. Because of the northern alignment of the Connecting Railway, passenger trains between New York and Pittsburgh would stop there only, bypassing
197:
644:
17:
308:. This company and all its predecessors were directly or indirectly controlled by the PRR throughout their history. On December 9, 1956, the
181:
659:
654:
487:
Abandoned Tioga Street trackage linking the Philadelphia and Trenton to the Kensington and Tacony Branch (tank cars are on the old P&T)
463:
Abandoned K&T Right of Way, looking North just above Frankford Arsenal. Power lines followed the branch from Port Richmond to Tacony
241:
was incorporated on March 17, 1892 to build from Front Street and Erie Avenue, on the Connecting Railway mainline, to Bustleton. The
157:
451:
Abandoned K&T Branch, Behind Frankford Arsenal, 2006. Switch buried in weeds is one siding leading into the old arsenal complex
639:
309:
250:
87:
was incorporated May 15, 1863, and between 1864 and June 1867, constructed a 6.75-mile (10.86 km) connecting line between
620:
588:
320:
221:(4.59 km) further along Delaware Avenue in 1891–1892 to connect to the Philadelphia & Trenton just east of
353:
269:
128:
180:. Between 1892 and 1893, two additional branches were built: the Midvale Branch, running 0.85 miles (1.37 km) from
298:
222:
140:
and leased to PRR. Passenger service on the Bustleton Branch ended on February 13, 1926 due to high competition.
439:
Abandoned K&T Branch, Behind Frankford Arsenal, 2006. Note rails disappearing into roadway for river access point
169:
58:
415:
391:
continued to see freight service until the late 1970s; this remnant was abandoned and removed in the early 1980s.
88:
530:
388:
345:
193:
35:
564:
549:
30:
164:. This line of 6.75 miles (10.86 km) was built between 1883 and 1884, closely paralleling the
80:
475:
Abandoned K&T Bridge over Frankford Creek behind Frankford Arsenal, looking towards Kensington
245:
was incorporated on January 27, 1893 to extend the Philadelphia & Bustleton from Bustleton to
177:
132:
120:
380:
165:
328:
The Connecting Railway mainline was operated as part of the PRR mainline from Philadelphia to
185:
54:
225:, and extended the Frankford Street Branch 1.16 miles (1.87 km) across and parallel to
111:
The Bustleton Branch splits from the Philadelphia & Trenton Line at Holmesburg Junction.
8:
337:
411:
96:
616:
511:
Repurposing of K&T Branch right-of-way as a rail trail at Lardner's Point in 2022
341:
161:
92:
596:
226:
368:
201:
633:
329:
396:
384:
376:
62:
27:
Connecting Railway: PRR subsidiary linking Philadelphia and Trenton lines
419:
124:
304:
On January 1, 1902, these seven corporations were consolidated into
379:
was abandoned. In the 1960s, part of the right-of-way was used for
107:
400:
404:
173:
91:
on the Philadelphia & Trenton and Mantua Junction (now
407:
in 1976 and the corporation was subsequently dissolved.
324:"HOLMES" Block Station (Holmesburg Junction), late 1970s
348:
distribution center near its crossing of the Reading.
150:
Philadelphia, Germantown and Chestnut Hill Railroad
95:) on the PRR mainline, passing through what is now
38:
over Schuylkill River, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
565:"The K&T Trail Opens Along the Delaware River"
207:
57:, incorporated to build a connection between the
631:
613:Railroads of Pennsylvania Encyclopedia and Atlas
272:(Reading) about a mile south of its terminus.
152:was incorporated, to construct a line between
589:"Corporate Genealogy: The Connecting Railway"
259:Philadelphia, Bustleton and Trenton Railroad
68:
192:, running 6.27 miles (10.09 km) from
569:Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
190:Fort Washington Branch or Cresheim Branch
650:Railway companies disestablished in 1976
399:merger, but all its tracks were sold to
319:
106:
29:
586:
310:Pennsylvania, Ohio and Detroit Railroad
143:
14:
632:
344:, and the Oxford Road Branch served a
119:was incorporated to build a line from
645:Railway companies established in 1863
610:
562:
257:. The two were consolidated into the
232:
73:
660:1976 establishments in Pennsylvania
655:1863 establishments in Pennsylvania
287:
270:Philadelphia and Frankford Railroad
102:
24:
299:Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad
275:
239:Philadelphia and Bustleton Railway
25:
671:
587:Netzlof, Robert T. (2001-03-28).
410:The main line became part of the
117:Frankford and Holmesburg Railroad
59:Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad
548:
504:
492:
480:
468:
456:
444:
432:
416:Conrail Shared Assets Operations
160:. This project was directed by
640:Defunct Pennsylvania railroads
556:
537:. February 14, 1926. p. 4
523:
362:
306:The Connecting Railway Company
243:Bustleton and Eastern Railroad
214:Kensington and Tacony Railroad
208:Kensington & Tacony Branch
200:, where it connected with the
172:), and now forms the basis of
18:Kensington and Tacony Railroad
13:
1:
611:Taber, Thomas T. III (1987).
516:
383:. The remaining section from
315:
156:(now North Philadelphia) and
7:
545:– via Newspapers.com.
292:On September 22, 1892, the
136:on January 12, 1891 as the
61:and the PRR in the city of
10:
676:
563:Boyle, John (2017-05-22).
425:
334:North Philadelphia station
85:Connecting Railway Company
83:. To resolve the problem,
535:The Philadelphia Inquirer
69:Construction and assembly
36:Connecting Railway Bridge
218:Frankford Creek Railroad
148:On January 2, 1883, the
53:was a subsidiary of the
615:. Thomas T. Taber III.
531:"Bustleton Trains Stop"
212:On March 26, 1884, the
178:Chestnut Hill West Line
34:Pennsylvania Railroad,
381:Pennsylvania Route 309
325:
280:On June 13, 1892, the
166:Chestnut Hill Railroad
131:to the nearby town of
115:On July 18, 1863, the
112:
39:
593:PRR Corporate History
323:
186:Midvale Steel Company
110:
55:Pennsylvania Railroad
33:
354:Broad Street Station
144:Chestnut Hill Branch
338:30th Street Station
168:(controlled by the
154:Germantown Junction
129:Holmesburg Junction
412:Northeast Corridor
326:
294:Engelside Railroad
282:Fair Hill Railroad
233:Oxford Road Branch
138:Bustleton Railroad
113:
97:North Philadelphia
89:Frankford Junction
74:Connecting Railway
51:Connecting Railway
40:
622:978-0-9603398-5-3
342:Frankford Arsenal
16:(Redirected from
667:
626:
607:
605:
604:
595:. Archived from
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578:
576:
575:
560:
554:
553:
552:
546:
544:
542:
527:
508:
496:
484:
472:
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448:
436:
288:Engelside Branch
261:on May 1, 1893.
162:Henry H. Houston
103:Bustleton Branch
93:Zoo interlocking
21:
675:
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476:
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461:
452:
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428:
365:
318:
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276:Fairhill Branch
255:Trenton Cut-Off
249:, just west of
235:
227:Frankford Creek
210:
188:plant, and the
146:
105:
76:
71:
47:
46:
45:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
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427:
424:
371:connection at
369:Trenton Cutoff
364:
361:
317:
314:
289:
286:
277:
274:
234:
231:
209:
206:
202:Trenton Cutoff
145:
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104:
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75:
72:
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67:
43:
42:
41:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
672:
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658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
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624:
618:
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609:
599:on 2016-03-05
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158:Chestnut Hill
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98:
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90:
86:
82:
66:
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60:
56:
52:
37:
32:
19:
612:
601:. Retrieved
597:the original
592:
572:. Retrieved
568:
558:
539:. Retrieved
534:
525:
409:
397:Penn Central
393:
366:
358:
350:
327:
305:
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293:
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149:
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137:
116:
114:
84:
77:
63:Philadelphia
50:
48:
363:Abandonment
301:trackage).
251:Morrisville
247:Fallsington
634:Categories
603:2016-04-30
574:2020-09-13
541:August 23,
517:References
420:rail trail
389:Allen Lane
316:Operations
194:Allen Lane
125:Holmesburg
81:Kensington
373:Fort Hill
198:Fort Hill
133:Bustleton
121:Frankford
385:Wyndmoor
377:Wyndmoor
330:New York
426:Gallery
401:Conrail
253:on the
184:to the
182:Midvale
170:Reading
619:
405:Amtrak
223:Tacony
346:Sears
174:SEPTA
617:ISBN
543:2020
403:and
237:The
49:The
422:.
387:to
375:to
196:to
176:'s
123:to
44:Map
636::
591:.
567:.
533:.
204:.
99:.
65:.
625:.
606:.
577:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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