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User:Mackensen/Bethlehem Branch

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Bethlehem Branch
History
Opened2 July 1855 (1855-07-02)
Technical
Line length55.5 mi (89.3 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map

56.6
Bethlehem
52.6
Hellertown
47.6
Centre Valley
44.8
Hilltop
40.2
Quakertown
37.2
Rockhill
35.0
Perkasie
33.6
Sellersville
30.9
Telford
29.6
Souderton
27.1
Hatfield
24.4
Lansdale
24.2
23.5
Pennbrook
22.4
North Wales
20.0
Gwynedd Valley
18.8
Penllyn
17.3
Ambler
15.9
Fort Washington
14.8
Fellwick
13.8
Oreland
13.0
North Hills
12.1
11.9
Glenside
10.9
10.8
Jenkintown
9.2
Elkins Park
8.4
Melrose Park
7.4
Fern Rock
7.0
5.9
Tabor Junction
Erie Avenue Yard
Former NPRR depot
Spring Garden
0.0

The Bethlehem Branch was a railway line in Pennsylvania. It was the main line of the North Pennsylvania Railroad, running from Philadelphia to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The line was built between 1855 and 1857. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad took control of the North Pennsylvania Railroad in 1879 the line became part of the Reading Company system. With the Reading's final bankruptcy in 1976 the line was split between Conrail and SEPTA. The portion between Tabor Junction (near Fern Rock Transportation Center) and Lansdale now forms part of the SEPTA Main Line.

History

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The North Pennsylvania Railroad opened the first 18 miles (29 km) between Philadelphia and Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, on July 2, 1855.[1] The Philadelphia terminus was at Front and Willow, on the Delaware River waterfront.[2] Another 35.5 miles (57.1 km) to Freemansburg, Pennsylvania, within the Lehigh Valley, opened on January 1, 1857. The final 4 miles (6.4 km) to South Bethlehem, branching off at Hellertown, Pennsylvania, opened on July 7, 1857.[1]

Stations

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Stations on the Bethlehem Branch can be organized into three groups: those between the original southern end at Front and Willow and the junction with other Reading lines at Tabor Junction, those between Tabor Junction and Lansdale, and those north of Lansdale. The Reading ended passenger service south of Tabor Junction in 1893 when the Reading Terminal opened. SEPTA ended passenger service north Lansdale in 1981.

This listing includes all current and former stations on the historical route of Bethlehem Branch, including stations opened by SEPTA after the era of Reading ownership.

Name Indicates the final or best known name for the station or stop
Distance For stations north of Tabor Junction, the distance from Reading Terminal. For stations south of Tabor Junction, the distance from Front and Willow.
Opened The date the station opened
Closed The date the station closed
Notes Additional information concerning name changes
Stations that are closed
Stations that opened after the conveyance from the Reading
Name Distance Opened Closed Notes
Stations south of Tabor Junction
Front and Willow 0.0 miles (0 km) 1862 Also known as Cohoquinoque
Cohocksink 1867
Third and Berks 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 1867 1893 Also known as Chatham Street or Berks Street
Tioga 3.25 miles (5.23 km)
Fisher's Lane 5.0 miles (8.0 km)
Stations north of Tabor Junction
Fern Rock Transportation Center 7.0 miles (11.3 km) 1992
Fern Rock 7.4 miles (11.9 km) 1992 Another station named Green Lane was located at this site
Oak Lane 8.1 miles (13.0 km) 1905 Moved to the current location of Melrose Park in 1905
Melrose Park 8.4 miles (13.5 km) Formerly known as Oak Lane
Melrose 8.7 miles (14.0 km) Prior to 1944 Formerly known as City Line
Elkins Park 9.2 miles (14.8 km) 1899
Ogontz 9.5 miles (15.3 km) 1899 Also known as Old York Road
Chelton Hills 10.2 miles (16.4 km)
Jenkintown–Wyncote 10.8 miles (17.4 km) 1859 Formerly known as Jenkintown, Cheltenham
Glenside 11.9 miles (19.2 km) Formerly known as Tacony, later Abington
North Hills 13.0 miles (20.9 km) 1855 Formerly known as Edge Hill, North Glenside
Oreland 13.8 miles (22.2 km)
Fellwick 14.8 miles (23.8 km) 1855 1996 Formerly known as Camp Hill, Sandy Run, Sellwick, and possibly Whitemarsh
Fort Washington 15.9 miles (25.6 km)
Ambler 17.3 miles (27.8 km) 1855 Formerly known as Wissahickon
Penllyn 18.8 miles (30.3 km)
Gwynedd Valley 18.8 miles (30.3 km) 1855 Formerly known as Gwynedd
North Wales 22.4 miles (36.0 km)
Pennbrook 23.5 miles (37.8 km)
Lansdale 24.4 miles (39.3 km)
Orvilla 26.1 miles (42.0 km)
Hatfield 27.1 miles (43.6 km) 1981
Souderton 29.6 miles (47.6 km) 1981
Telford 30.9 miles (49.7 km) 1981
Sellersville 33.6 miles (54.1 km) 1981
Perkasie 35.0 miles (56.3 km) 1981
Rockhill 37.2 miles (59.9 km)
Quakertown 40.2 miles (64.7 km) 1981
Shelly 43.7 miles (70.3 km)
Coopersburg 45.8 miles (73.7 km)
Centre Valley 47.6 miles (76.6 km) 1981
Saucon 48.6 miles (78.2 km)
Bingen 50.5 miles (81.3 km)
Hellertown 52.6 miles (84.7 km) 1981
Bethlehem 56.5 miles (90.9 km) 1981

Notes

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  1. ^ a b ICC (1931), p. 532.
  2. ^ Spivak & Meyers (2010), p. 53.

References

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  • Hare, Jay V. (1944). History of the North Pennsylvania Railroad. Philadelphia: Reading Company. OCLC 11885870.
  • Interstate Commerce Commission (1931). "Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Valuation reports". U.S. Government Printing Office.
  • Spivak, Joel; Meyers, Allen (2010). Philadelphia Railroads. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7339-7.