Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

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Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
PRSL logo.gif
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines system map
Overview
Headquarters Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
Reporting mark PRSL
Locale New Jersey, U.S.
Dates of operation19331976
Predecessor West Jersey and Seashore Railroad and Atlantic City Railroad
Successor Conrail (1976-1999); now Norfolk Southern and CSX (both since 1999)
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length413 miles (665 kilometres)

The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in South Jersey in the 20th century. It was created in 1933 as a joint consolidation venture between two competing railroads in the region: the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company.

Contents

History

In the early 20th century, Atlantic City and the southern New Jersey seashore were major seaside vacation destinations for the Philadelphia area's wealthy and working class populations. The popularity of "South Jersey"'s seashore was made possible by rail transport which provided inexpensive and fast service between the Philadelphia area's population centers and shore points. [1]

There were two competing railroad companies connecting Camden and, by ferry, Philadelphia, with the South Jersey seashore. [2] Competition was fierce and by its height in the 1920s competition between the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S), owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the Atlantic City Railroad, owned by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, was so intense that at one time both lines boasted some of the fastest trains in the world. [1] Trains often raced one another so as to be the first to arrive at their destination. Racing was encouraged by the fact that in many areas, the two lines were only several hundred feet apart. On the Cape May lines, the trains were in sight of each other for 11 miles between Cape May Court House and Cape May. Over the last 5 miles into Cape May, the tracks were only 50 feet apart.

On July 1, 1926, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge opened, spanning the Delaware River, connecting Philadelphia and Camden. [3] Car, truck, and bus usage increased as the state built roads in the 1920s and 30s next to the railroads going from Camden to the shore, cutting into profits. [2]

Ben Franklin Bridge looking south Ben Franklin Bridge.JPG
Ben Franklin Bridge looking south

On March 4, 1931, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) ordered the two companies to join their southern New Jersey lines into one company. The Consolidation Agreement decreed that the Pennsylvania Railroad had two-thirds ownership, and the Reading Company had one-third ownership. [3]

PRSL's Broadway station a few months before the final service into Camden ended on January 14, 1966 PRSL terminal in Camden.jpg
PRSL's Broadway station a few months before the final service into Camden ended on January 14, 1966

But the post-World War II rise of the automobile and the Atlantic City Expressway, built in the 1960s, along with the increase in air travel, not only caused people to abandon the railroad for their cars, but also to abandon Atlantic City for more exotic vacation destinations, such as Florida. By the late 1960s, the surviving former Camden and Atlantic City Main Line was reduced to a commuter service funded by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) running trains of Budd RDC railcars operating from a small terminal at Lindenwold PATCO station and Atlantic City.

While the P-RSL did not enter bankruptcy, its owners, the Penn Central, successor to the Pennsylvania, did. The Reading filed bankruptcy a few years after the Penn Central. As a result, Conrail took over the P-RSL on April 1, 1976. [3]

Predecessors

Map showing the predecessors to the PRSL PRSL on US map cropped.png
Map showing the predecessors to the PRSL

West Jersey and Seashore Railroad

Effective May 4, 1896, the Pennsylvania Railroad consolidated all of its railroads and several smaller properties in Southern New Jersey into the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. The WJ&S had lines coming from its Federal Street Terminal in Camden.

The "Main Line" ran to Atlantic City and to other shore points via Winslow Junction, and its line via Woodbury to Millville. It was electrified with 650 volt DC third rail and overhead lines, [3] with branches going to Salem, and Deep Water Point from Woodbury, and Bridgeton from Glassboro.

While the WJ&S line via Woodbury was a pioneering example of railroad electrification, electric multiple unit (MU) service between Newfield and Atlantic City ended September 26, 1931. The PRSL only inherited the electrified Millville–Camden commuter rail service from WJ&S. [3]

Atlantic City Railroad

Effective April 1, 1889, the Philadelphia and Reading Railway consolidated all of its railroads in Southern New Jersey into the Atlantic City Railroad (ACRR). [4]

The ACRR, a subsidiary of the Reading Company, had one line from its Kaighn's Point Terminal going to Winslow Junction with lines splitting off to Atlantic City, Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May. [2] Branch lines included the Gloucester Branch to Grenloch, and the Willamstown Branch from Willamstown Junction (on the Atlantic City Main) to Mullica Hill to the south, and Atco to the north.[ citation needed ]

On 15 July 1933, The WJ&S was leased by the ACRR, and changed its name to Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, as the Consolidation Agreement had decreed. [3]

Equipment

Steam

A Seashore Line steam train in 1901 Railway and locomotive engineering - a practical journal of railway motive power and rolling stock (1908) (14758788394).jpg
A Seashore Line steam train in 1901

The 21 steam locomotives owned by the PRSL were from the PRR subsidiary WJ&S. [3] They all consisted of PRR classes. Before dieselization the PRSL was more apt to lease its motive power from either of its parent railroads as it completely lacked any heavy passenger locomotives (like 4-6-2 Pacifics). As its parent railroads began to replace steam with diesel locomotives, the PRSL became a haven for steam locomotives during their final years of operation.

Class B: 0-6-0

The 0-6-0 type was assigned class B, and was used in switcher service.

Class E: 4-4-2

The 4-4-2 "Atlantic" type was assigned class E. and was used in passenger service.

Class G: 4-6-0

The 4-6-0 "Ten-Wheeler" type was assigned class G. and was used in passenger service.

Class H: 2-8-0

The 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type was assigned class H, and was used in freight service.

Class K: 4-6-2

The 4-6-2 "Pacific" type was assigned class K. and was used in passenger service.

Since the Consolidation Agreement had decreed that the PRR Mechanical Department would oversee equipment policy decisions, the PRSL did not gain ownership of any ACRR-RDG locomotives. [3]

Additional locomotives were leased as needed from PRSL's parent companies, PRR and RDG. [3]

Diesel

PRSL train led by AS-16 6025 in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1965 PRSL 6025 (Baldwin AS16) passing Haddonfield station, September 1965.jpg
PRSL train led by AS-16 6025 in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1965

Beginning in the 1950s the PRSL purchased a rather modest fleet of its own diesel locomotives to replace its steam engines for passenger and freight services. When additional power was needed for the busy summer tourist season engines were borrowed from the parent corporations (usually the PRR) as was true previously with the steam locomotives. To further supplement its small fleet the PRSL made increasing use of run through power on certain freight trains to large customers that did not require classification at the PRSL's Pavonia yard.

The first generation of PRSL diesel locomotives were all from the nearby Baldwin Locomotive Works, which was the vendor of choice for the parent PRR in both the steam and early diesel era. The PRSL's diesel locomotives were almost all painted in what is commonly referred to as Brunswick Green which was so dark it seemed almost black. The paint scheme was borrowed from its PRR parent and with the company's official name for this color being DGLE (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel). The undercarriage of the locomotives were painted in black referred to as "True Black."

Baldwin Locomotive Works

Builder Model designation/PRR ClassBuild month/yearTotal owned AAR wheel arrangement Prime mover Power output Road No.
DRS-4-4-1500 / BS-15ms4/1950
6
B-B
608SC1,500 hp (1,100 kW)6000-6005
S-8 / BS-85/19511 B-B 606800 hp (600 kW)6006
AS-16 / BS-16ms3/195310 B-B 608A1,600 hp (1,200 kW)6007-6016
S-12 / BS-12
6-7/1953
5
B-B
606A1,200 hp (890 kW)6017-6021
AS-16 / BS-16m3/19532 B-B 608A1,600 hp (1,200 kW)6022-6023
AS-16 / BS-16ms11/19534 B-B 608A1,600 hp (1,200 kW)6024-6027
S-12 / BS-12m
4/1956
6
B-B
606A1,200 hp (890 kW)6028-6033

By the late 1960s, the original Baldwin diesels were beginning to suffer reliability problems, which was exacerbated by the fact that Baldwin had gone out of business some 10 years before and could no longer provide spare parts or maintenance. With the new powerplant being constructed at Beesley's Point ready to consume several 90 car coal trains per week the PRSL was in need of more powerful and more reliable locomotives and turned to industry-leader EMD to supply 10 new second generation diesel electric locomotives.

General Motors Electro-Motive Division (GM-EMD)

Builder Model designation/PRR ClassBuild month/yearTotal owned AAR wheel arrangement Prime mover Power output Road No.
GP38 / EF-20A12/19675 B-B EMD 16-645E 2,000 hp
(1.5 MW)
2000–2004
GP38 / EF-20A3/19695 B-B EMD 16-645E 2,000 hp
(1.5 MW)
2005–2009

Passenger

PRSL RDC M407 in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1965 PRSL M407 at Haddonfield station, September 1965.jpg
PRSL RDC M407 in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1965
A PRSL passenger train at Haddonfield, September 1965 PRSL 6014 with Train 1001 at Haddonfield (2), September 1965.jpg
A PRSL passenger train at Haddonfield, September 1965

Gas-electric car (Doodlebug)

Road NumberPRR ClassBuilderBuilder ModelBuilt month/yearPower outputNote
400OEW250ABrill250A9/1926250
401OEG350BPullman/Brill350B4/1929350 2x175

RDC

ModelNoteBuilt month/yearTotal ownedRoad Numbers
RDC-1#9/1950 - 6/195112M-402 - M-413

PRSL inherited the following from the WJ&S: [1] [3]

  • 71 PRR-Type P-70 passenger cars No.'s 9865-9936 (steel, 44 seats)
  • 21 PRR-Type PB-70 passenger-combines Cars No.'s 9938-9958 (steel, 40 seats) 9959-9962 (steel, 40 seats)
  • 17 various PRR-Type mail and baggage cars No.'s 25 (steel underfame), 6403 (steel), 6428-6438 (steel), 9963-9966 (steel)

Additional passenger cars were leased as needed from PRSL's parent companies, PRR and RDG, and sometimes from the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ). [3]

The PRSL did not own any of the P70s that carried its name. They were leased from the WJ&S. The passenger cars of the PRSL were painted Tuscan Red. This is a brick-colored shade of red.

Cabooses

ClassBuilt month/yearTotal ownedRoad Numbers
ND??21203 - 224
N-53/17 - 11/2922200 - 202, 225-242
N-11E9/693250 - 252

Successor railroads

See also

Related Research Articles

The Pennsylvania Railroad, legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia. It was named for the commonwealth in which it was established. At its peak in 1882, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad, the largest transportation enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Company</span> Defunct transport company

The Reading Company was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and freight transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states from 1924 until its acquisition by Conrail in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Railroad of New Jersey</span> Defunct Class I railroad in the U.S. state of New Jersey (1839-1976)

The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central, Jersey Central Lines or New Jersey Central, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape May Seashore Lines</span> Short line railroad in southern New Jersery, U.S.

Cape May Seashore Lines is a short line railroad in southern New Jersey that operates both freight trains and excursion trains. It offers two excursion services: a 30-mile (48 km) round trip between Richland and Tuckahoe along the Beesley's Point Secondary railroad line and a 14-mile (23 km) round trip between Rio Grande, Cold Spring Village, and Cape May City along the Cape May Branch. The track is owned by NJ Transit and leased to the Seashore Lines. The Cape May Branch is the original line operated by the Cape May Seashore Lines and runs from Cape May north to Tuckahoe, connecting to the Beesley's Point Secondary in Tuckahoe. Cape May Seashore Lines operates freight service along the Beesley's Point Secondary line between Winslow and Palermo, interchanging with Conrail Shared Assets Operations in Winslow. Tony Macrie has been president of the Seashore Lines since he formed the railroad in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic City Line</span> Commuter rail line in New Jersey and Pennsylvania

The Atlantic City Line (ACL) is a commuter rail line operated by NJ Transit (NJT) in the United States between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Atlantic City, New Jersey, operating along the corridor of the White Horse Pike. It runs over trackage that was controlled by both the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. It shares trackage with SEPTA and Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) until it crosses the Delaware River on Conrails Delair Bridge into New Jersey.

Railroad electrification in the United States began at the turn of the 20th century and comprised many different systems in many different geographical areas, few of which were connected. Despite this situation, these systems shared a small number of common reasons for electrification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pavonia Yard</span>

Pavonia Yard is a Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) rail yard in Camden, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading 902 and 903</span>

Reading Company 902 and Reading Company 903 are two preserved ex-Reading Company EMD FP7s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PRR MP54</span>

The Pennsylvania Railroad's MP54 was a class of electric multiple unit railcars. The class was initially constructed as an unpowered, locomotive hauled coach for suburban operations, but were designed to be rebuilt into self-propelled units as electrification plans were realized. The first of these self-propelled cars were placed in service with the PRR subsidiary Long Island Rail Road with DC propulsion in 1908 and soon spread to the Philadelphia-based network of low frequency AC electrified suburban lines in 1915. Eventually the cars came to be used throughout the railroad's electrified network from Washington, D.C. to New York City and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The West Jersey and Seashore Railroad (WJ&S) was a Pennsylvania Railroad subsidiary in the U.S. state of New Jersey with a connection to Philadelphia. It was formed through the merger of several smaller roads in May 1896. At the end of 1925 it operated 379 miles (610 km) of road on 717 miles (1,154 km) of track; that year it reported 166 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 332 million passenger-miles. The railroad became part of Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933.

The Atlantic City Railroad was a Philadelphia and Reading Railway subsidiary that became part of Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933. At the end of 1925, it operated 161 miles (259 km) of road on 318 miles (512 km) of track; that year it reported 43 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 204 million passenger-miles.

Pennsylvania Railroad's E1 class comprised three experimental Atlantic 4-4-2 locomotives built in 1899 to compete with the Reading Railroad on the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Atlantic City, New Jersey, high-speed seashore passenger train service. These engines were designed as cab-center or camelback locomotives with wide fireboxes and 80" drivers that carried 50,000 lbs per axle. They proved capable in fast service but the inherent danger of separating the engineer from the fireman was unacceptable to the PRR so they were sold to their subsidiary the Long Island Rail Road in 1903. While the camelback design was unfavorable the Atlantic style proved to be everything the Pennsylvania Railroad needed at that time. They went on to acquire 596 additional units over the next fifteen years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penns Grove Secondary</span>

Penns Grove Secondary is a rail freight line in the Delaware Valley in the southwestern part of New Jersey. Part of Conrail's South Jersey/Philadelphia Shared Assets it runs for approximately 20 miles (32 km) between its it southern terminus at Penns Grove and Woodbury at the north where it joins the Vineland Secondary about 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of Pavonia Yard in Camden. At its southern end the Deepwater Point Running Track continues another 3.7 miles (6 km) through Carneys Point to Deepwater.

The Vineland Secondary is a rail line owned, operated and maintained by Conrail Shared Assets Operations for the use of CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway. It begins at Pavonia Yard in Camden and heads south, with a spur serving the Port of Camden. At Woodbury it junctions with the Salem Branch and Penns Grove Secondary, and continues to Millville, passing through namesake Vineland. At its southern end it connects to the OmniTRAX-owned Winchester and Western Railroad. The line is used exclusively for freight, however, the northern portion is planned to be used for the proposed Glassboro–Camden light rail line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem Branch</span>

The Salem Branch is a rail freight line in the southwestern part of New Jersey in the United States between the Port of Salem and Woodbury Junction where it and the Penns Grove Secondary converge with the Vineland Secondary, approximately 8.5 miles (13.7 km) south of Pavonia Yard in Camden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape May City Rail Terminal</span> Passenger rail station, Cape May City, NJ U.S.

The Cape May City Rail Terminal is a passenger train station in Cape May, New Jersey. The station offered train service from 1863 through 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodbury station</span>

Woodbury is a defunct commuter railroad station in the city of Woodbury, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Located at the junction of Station Road and Cooper Street, the station served multiple lines of the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines and the Pennsylvania Railroad. Trains out of Woodbury serviced lines to Salem, Millville, Penns Grove/Carneys Point and Cape May. Woodbury station consisted of two side platforms and a 72-by-20-foot brick station depot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glassboro station</span>

Glassboro is an inactive train station in Glassboro, New Jersey which served passengers from 1863–1971. Its station house was restored c. 2015. It is located at the edge of the Rowan University campus. Listed as the West Jersey Rail Road Glassboro Depot, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 2020, for its significance in architecture and transportation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic City Union Station</span> Former railway station in Atlantic City, New Jersey (closed 1964)

Atlantic City Union Station was an intercity passenger rail station located at 2121-2125 Arctic Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was opened in 1934 by the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines (PRSL) and consolidated the operations of the two previously competing rail lines. In 1964, construction of the Atlantic City Expressway severed the rail connection to the station. It was then renovated and became the Atlantic City Municipal Bus Terminal while rail service was relocated north to a more modest building on Bacharach Boulevard. It served as a bus terminal until 1997 when it was demolished. The former station site is now occupied by a retail outlet mall.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kramer, Frederick L. (1980). Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines: an illustrated history of South Jersey's jointly-owned railroad. Ambler, Pa.: Crusader Press. ISBN   0-937156-02-7.
  2. 1 2 3 The Reading seashore lines : a pictorial documentary of the Atlantic City Railroad. Palmyra, NJ: West Jersey Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. 2007. p. 168. LCCN   2005936161.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Gladulich, Richard M. (1986). By rail to the boardwalk. Glendale, Calif.: Trans Anglo Books. ISBN   0-87046-076-5.
  4. Atlantic City Railroad : The Royal Route To The Sea. Palmyra, NJ: West Jersey Chapter, National Railway Historical Society. 1980. p. 172.

Further reading