The Philadelphia Chapter of the

National Railway Historical Society

Established in 1936

Former Reading/Conrail trackage American Street Philadelphia PA April 23 2016

On July 2 1855, the North Pennsylvania Railroad opened with an excursion out of their Cohoquinoque Station at Front and Willow Street on the Delaware River waterfront and headed north out to the end of the line at the time, what is now Gwynedd Valley. The route they took went up American Street in Philadelphia, and 161 years later, here it is. The North Penn was subsequently leased by the Reading Company in 1879 and the much of the trackage remained in service for a century more until it was abandoned by Conrail in the early 1980's. The multi-track right of way was purchased by the city in 1978 and, in hopes to revive local industries, rebuilt with a single track running down the middle and 15 sidings to former or existing businesses (a quarter of the sidings that existed fifty years earlier). The roadway was designed to accomodate both vehicular and rail traffic and widened to 90 feet, making it one of the widest streets in the city. Although the revitalization plan ultimately failed and it hasn't seen a train in decades (and probably never will again), much of the trackage remains.

Here is the view looking south from Columbia Avenue toward Girard.

All pictures April 23, 2016

Copyright © 2016 John P. Almeida

Photographs for personal use only. All rights reserved by original owner of image. Reproduction or redistribution in any form without express written permission is prohibited.