The Newtown Square Branch was a branch line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) that diverged from the West Chester Branch in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, and ended in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. The rail line is mostly overgrown and few bridges remain, with the bridge over Baltimore Avenue located at the Upper Darby/East Lansdowne border having been removed in 2003. The only known presence of rails is at the junction just west of the SEPTA's Fernwood-Yeadon station. Through Upper Darby Township the former right-of-way follows PECO's high tension power lines from Fernwood to the Upper Darby/Haverford border at Lansdowne Avenue and Township Line Road.
Map of the Philadelphia and Delaware County Railroad
A small bridge over Harvard Road in Haverford, Pennsylvania
Built as the Philadelphia & Delaware County Railroad in 1888, it was taken over by a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1894. The Cardington Branch to Millbourne Mills opened the following year in 1895. Passenger service ran on the line until it was terminated in 1908 due to competition from the West Chester Traction Company trolley lines. Of the ten passenger stations along the line, all except Llanerch and Newtown Square were flag stops. These latter two stations featured single-story frame station houses.[1]
The Newtown Square Branch consisted of yards at Pembroke just past Fernwood Junction and seven stations. The stations were Garrett Road, Arlington, Llanerch, Grassland, Brookethorpe, Foxcroft, The Hunt and Newtown Square.[2] Major bridges were at Baltimore Avenue, Naylor's Run, Darby Creek, and Bryn Mawr Avenue. The stone piers from the Darby Creek bridge are still extant, while large concrete abutments remain visible on the west side of Bryn Mawr Avenue south of Goshen Road.
Service past Grassland station ended in 1963 due to the deterioration of the bridges past that point and all service on the line ceased by 1981. Conrail obtained permission to abandon the line in 1982 and removed the tracks and bridges in 1985.[3] The roadbed remains intact, though largely overgrown with weeds and trees. In some cases, private business has obliterated portions of the line. Several areas of the roadbed are accessible to the public, mainly in Naylor Run Park in Upper Darby Township.
At the intersection of Darby Road and West Chester Pike, Haverford Township has created a small park, Llanerch Crossing Park.[4] The Park commemorates the "Battle of Llanerch Junction", an 1895 confrontation at that site between track workers from the PRR and the West Chester Rail Company. Interpretive signs and two murals describe the history of Llanerch Junction.
The western terminus of the line was the Powell Lumber Yard on Newtown Street Road in Newtown Square. The lumber yard burned down in the 1980s. The old freight station was threatened with demolition in the late 1990s. The Newtown Square Historical Preservation Society raised money to have the old freight station moved to its current location west of town at the Drexel Lodge property on West Chester Pike. The Newtown Square Railroad Museum has been created at that location, with engines and other rolling stock, and memorabilia related to the line.
Station listedit
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (January 2015)
Philadelphia Terminal Division Map (Pennsylvania Railroad Historical Society)
May 03, 2024
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Newtown Square Branch news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2014 Learn how and when to remove this message The Newtown Square Branch was a branch line of the Pennsylvania Railroad PRR that diverged from the West Chester Branch in Yeadon Pennsylvania and ended in Newtown Square Pennsylvania The rail line is mostly overgrown and few bridges remain with the bridge over Baltimore Avenue located at the Upper Darby East Lansdowne border having been removed in 2003 The only known presence of rails is at the junction just west of the SEPTA s Fernwood Yeadon station Through Upper Darby Township the former right of way follows PECO s high tension power lines from Fernwood to the Upper Darby Haverford border at Lansdowne Avenue and Township Line Road Map of the Philadelphia and Delaware County Railroad A small bridge over Harvard Road in Haverford Pennsylvania Built as the Philadelphia amp Delaware County Railroad in 1888 it was taken over by a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1894 The Cardington Branch to Millbourne Mills opened the following year in 1895 Passenger service ran on the line until it was terminated in 1908 due to competition from the West Chester Traction Company trolley lines Of the ten passenger stations along the line all except Llanerch and Newtown Square were flag stops These latter two stations featured single story frame station houses 1 The Newtown Square Branch consisted of yards at Pembroke just past Fernwood Junction and seven stations The stations were Garrett Road Arlington Llanerch Grassland Brookethorpe Foxcroft The Hunt and Newtown Square 2 Major bridges were at Baltimore Avenue Naylor s Run Darby Creek and Bryn Mawr Avenue The stone piers from the Darby Creek bridge are still extant while large concrete abutments remain visible on the west side of Bryn Mawr Avenue south of Goshen Road Service past Grassland station ended in 1963 due to the deterioration of the bridges past that point and all service on the line ceased by 1981 Conrail obtained permission to abandon the line in 1982 and removed the tracks and bridges in 1985 3 The roadbed remains intact though largely overgrown with weeds and trees In some cases private business has obliterated portions of the line Several areas of the roadbed are accessible to the public mainly in Naylor Run Park in Upper Darby Township At the intersection of Darby Road and West Chester Pike Haverford Township has created a small park Llanerch Crossing Park 4 The Park commemorates the Battle of Llanerch Junction an 1895 confrontation at that site between track workers from the PRR and the West Chester Rail Company Interpretive signs and two murals describe the history of Llanerch Junction The western terminus of the line was the Powell Lumber Yard on Newtown Street Road in Newtown Square The lumber yard burned down in the 1980s The old freight station was threatened with demolition in the late 1990s The Newtown Square Historical Preservation Society raised money to have the old freight station moved to its current location west of town at the Drexel Lodge property on West Chester Pike The Newtown Square Railroad Museum has been created at that location with engines and other rolling stock and memorabilia related to the line Station list editThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items January 2015 Locality Milepost Station Lat long Notes Connections Newtown Square 15 4 5 Newtown Square Currently used as the Newtown Square Railroad Museum Radnor Township 13 4 6 The Hunt Marple Township 12 7 7 Foxcroft Haverford Township 11 8 8 Brookethrope Havertown 10 3 9 Grassland Served the Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corporation factory Llanerch 8 9 10 Llanerch Highland Park 8 0 11 Arlington Upper Darby Township 7 3 12 Garrett Road SEPTA Routes 101 and 102 bridge over the R O W still exists today Lansdowne 6 8 13 Wycombe Pembroke 6 1 14 Pembroke Cardington Branch converges Yeadon 5 5 15 Fernwood 39 56 22 81 N 75 15 22 93 W 39 9396694 N 75 2563694 W 39 9396694 75 2563694 Line abandoned in 1981References edit Klaus Philip Winter 1986 1987 The Newtown Square Branch The High Line 7 2 Philadelphia Chapter PRR T amp HS 3 4 Wartell David ed October 7 2011 Hobo s Guide to the Pennsy Newtown Square Branch Keystone Crossings Klaus Phil Spring Summer 1987 The Newtown Square Branch Part II The High Line 7 3 amp 4 Philadelphia Chapter PRR T amp HS 32 33 Llanerch Crossing Park WikiMapia Klaus 1987 p 31 Klaus 1987 p 26 Klaus 1987 p 26 Klaus 1987 p 26 Klaus 1987 p 25 Klaus 1987 p 21 Klaus 1986 1987 p 14 Klaus 1986 1987 p 10 Klaus 1986 1987 p 10 Klaus 1986 1987 p 8 Klaus 1986 1987 p 7 External links editKML file edit help Template Attached KML Newtown Square BranchKML is from Wikidata Newtown Square Railroad Museum Philadelphia amp Delaware County Railroad Route Map and History Philadelphia Terminal Division Map Pennsylvania Railroad Historical Society Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Newtown Square Branch amp oldid 1191823630, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
