[?]

Spring 2006 Trip Part 2 SEPTA, The River Line and PATCO

I left the Holiday Inn Express and walked two blocks to Broad Street finding the stairway to the Broad Street Subway. This is the north/south subway line in Philadelphia and I had no idea what the cars would look like until one showed up. The station is at Walnut/Locust where I boarded a southbound train that took me to Lombard-South, Ellsworth-Federal, Tasker-Morris, Synder, Oregon and then the last stop at Patterson.

I reboarded after taking a picture heading back north through all those stations I had already been through then onto City Hall, Pace-Vine/Convention Center, Spring Garden, Fairmont and Girard. Cecil B Moore/Temple University, Susquehanna-Dauphin, North Philadelphia, Allegheny, Eire, Hunting Park, Wyoming, Logan, Olney and onto the Fern Rock Transportation Center. Here we made a loop around the shops before we stopped at the station.

A picture of the train at Fern Rock. There is a seat right behind the operator on the left that gives a great view of operations and an excellent view looking ahead. The tunnel walls have graffiti most of the way throughout the route. I returned to the City Hall Station where I would transfer to the other subway line.

Up some stairs, follow the signs which takes you right to your next train.

I would first go out to 69th Street Terminal then head east to the Frankford Transportation Center. The train came in and went to 30th Street, 34th Street, 40th Street before we rose into daylight/night light in this case. The route then became elevated with 46th Street, 52nd Street, 56th Street, 60th Street, 63rd Street, Millbourne and the last stop at the 69th Street Terminal. Here I went up and over showing my transfer to head east to the Frankford Transportation Center boarding Car 1082. We returned through all the station to City Hall before entering more new trackage for me. We stopped at 13th Street, 11th Street, 8th Street, 5th Street, 2nd Street before we left the underground and remained elevated for the rest of the way. We went to Spring Garden, Girard, Berks, York-Dauphin, Huntingdon, Somerset, Allegheny, Tioga, Erie-Torresdale, Church, Margaret-Orthodox and lastly the Frankford Transportation Center.

Car 1123 on the return to City Hall. I transferred at City Hall to the Broad Line for the one stop to Walnut/Locust where I returned to the Holiday Inn Express for the night.

4/17/06 I walked to the Market Street SEPTA Station, stopped at Dunkin' Donuts before finding the track for the R6 Train for the first of the last two regional rail lines I need to still ride in Philadelphia.

I boarded Car 336 and at 6:36 AM I was off. The first stop was Temple University followed by North Broad. Under the Northeast Corridor we turned onto new trackage for me before we ran to Allegheny, East Falls, Wissahickon and Manayunk. The line runs up the valley then passed under a former electric line now a bike route. We are following the Sckuykill River as we stopped at Ivy Ridge, Miquon, Spring Mill and Conshohocken then onto the Norristown Transportation Center where I will connect to Route 100 on the way back. The train then traveled to Main Street and came to the end of the line at the Norristown Elm Street.

Picture of my train at Elm Street.

SEPTA set ready to be put in service at Elm Street.

SEPTA 239 at Elm Street.

My train switching onto the longer train set.

SEPTA 336 at Elm Street. I boarded SEPTA Train 6617 and we departed shortly there after. At the Norristown Transportation Center I paid the conductor the cash fare from Elm Street as I got off. I walked over to the Route 100 station and went upstairs to a waiting train.

This is the first of SEPTA High Speed Trolley routes that I will ride this morning. This trolley only stops if you press button in the station or someone wants to get off. It is a fast efficient form of transportation and it is a pleasure to finally ride it. We left at 7:42 AM and crossed high over the Sckuykill River. We stopped at Bridgeport then King Manor, Hughes Park, Gulph Mills, Matsonford followed by County Line. This part of the line is highly scenic. Before Radnor we passed beneath the former Pennsylvania Railroad Harrisburg Line known also as SEPTA R5 Line. We made our way turning southeast to Villanova, Stadium, Garrett Hill, Rosemont, Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Ardmore Ave, Ardmore Jct, Wynnewood Road, Beechwood- Brookline, Penfield, West Overbrook, Parkview and then to 69th Street Terminal which is the end of Route 100. I detrained and went looking for Route 102 starting point my next ride.

I boarded CAR 1061 with us leaving 69th Street Terminal stopping at Fairfield Ave, Walnut Street, Bywood, Hilltop Road, Beverly Hills, Congress Avenue, Lansdowne Ave, Drexel Park, Irvington Road before coming to Drexel Hill Junction. Route 101 and 102 share all the stations up to this point. At Drexel Hills Junction we went straight then turn left Garrettford, Drexel Manor, Marshall Road, Oakview, Baltimore Pike, Penn Street, Springfield Road, Clifton Road{a connection with SEPTA R3 Line}, Shisler Ave, Providence Road, Magnolia Ave, North Street, Bartram Ave, Andrews Ave, Collingdale and finally Chesterfield/Sharon Hill.

A pair of pictures of SEPTA 106 at Sharon Hill. I reboarded for the trip back to Drexel Hill Junction.

My trolley at Drexel Hill Junction and then leaving. Now we will see what shows up at Drexel Hill Junction.

A trolley from Media.

A Sharon Hill outbound.

A Media inbound trolley.

I boarded Car 117 for Media. We went through Drexel Hill Junction and proceeded to Huey Ave, School Lane, Aronimink, Anderson Ave, Drexelbrook, Drexeline, Scenic Road and Springfield Road. We went on to Saxer Ave, Leamy Ave, Woodland Ave, Thomson Ave, Springfield Mall, Paper Mill Road and Pine Ridge. It was then onto Beatty Road, Bowling Green, Manchester Ave, Edgemont Street, Jackson Street, Olive Street, Veteran Square, and into Media, the final stop.

After some pictures of Car 117 sitting in the middle of State Street. I was now off down Orange Street to find the SEPTA Media R3 Station which I did. I purchased my ticket to Elwyn then went to a market for some snacks before waiting for SEPTA 331 to Elwyn.

R3 Train 331 picked me up for the trip to Elwyn for the four minute trip crossing high over Ridley Creek on the way there.

I boarded CAR 170 and waited for departure time back to 30th Street Station. The conductor sold me a ticket to get me all the way to Trenton.

This is my final SEPTA Regional Rail Line to ride. We crossed the Ridley Creek and then we arrived into Media to pick up about twenty passengers. Moylan/Rose Valley has a post office in the station. Wallingford has a very unique station building. Swarthmore has a beautiful stone station. With Morton a brick station. We stopped at Secane, Primos and Clifton Alder where you connect with the SEPTA Route 102. We crossed a high bridge over Darby Creek just before Lansdowne with a familiar looking Pennsylvania Railroad Station Sign on the building. Fernwood- Yeadon is just a platform as is Angora. From here we return to the inner city of Philadelphia complete with row houses. We stopped at 49th Street then along the Northeast Corridor to the University City before we arrived at the 30th Street Station and I have now completed every regional rail mile of SEPTA. I went over a platform to wait for my train to Trenton. I now had time to take a few pictures at SEPTA 30th Street station.

A train comes in going to Chesnut Hill East.

That train heading towards the downtown Phialelphia stations.

A train coming into 30th Street Station heading for Elwyn.

The train pulled out of 30th Street station upper level with me in Car 349 on time and once passed Zoo Tower would enter the Northeast Corridor for the run to Trenton. We stopped at North Philadelphia, Bridesburg, Tacony, Holmesburg, Torresdale, Cornwells Heights, Eddington, Croydon, Bristol and Levittown before we crossed the Delaware River into Trenton, New Jersey.

I detrained, walked up into the station, picked up some River Line Schedules for myself and other Orange County Railroad Historical Society Members. I walked out the station front door and to my right saw my new ride.

After a few quick photos and I bought my ticket for my trip on this newest light rail line. We departed at 1 PM but stop to change crews at the Trenton Shops. The engine shut down and after several attempts as well as help from our previous operator, they managed to get it started. Remember, the River Line is a diesel light rail line. No overhead wires for the River Line. We stopped at Hamilton and Cass Street then the line runs through some lowlands and forests. It is a very scenic line to ride and I'm enjoying this ride very much. A curved bridge took us across the Crosswick Creek before Bordentown then entered the joint freight line. Freight trains use this line after the River Line goes to bed. We run along the Delaware River then passed the first two sidings with freight cars on them of this trip. The train stopped at Roebling then by the old Florence station still standing before we stopped at Florence Park. Our train continued its sprint by a CSX freight and the large US Pipe Plant before we curved down a median down Broad Street in Burlington. The Burlington Station now houses the local Police. We next stopped at Burlington South then ran onto the Beverly Station/Edgewater Park. We stopped at the Delanco Station before we crossed Rancocas Creek then made our way to Riverside where that station now is the Lourdes Thrift Depot.

We continued south to the Cinnaminson station then I took a picture inside the train. The train took us next to Riverton and minutes later to the Palmyra Station. It was then over Pennsauken Creek before we arrived at the Route 73/Pennsauken Station. We passed under the NJT Atlantic City Line then had a great view of downtown Philadelphia before we arrived at the 36th Street Station. The train next passed the main River Line Shops and by the NS Yard.

The engines at the facilities at this yard. We entered Camden, New Jersey and stopped at the Walter Rand Transportation Center. We proceeded to Cooper Street/Rutgers University then the Aquarium Station then onto the last stop at the Camden Entertainment Center where I detrained for some pictures.

What a fantastic job New Jersey Transit did when they built this unique light rail line. I had to wait twenty minutes for my trip back to the Rand Transportation Center and my connection with PATCO.

I went into the Center, bought my tickets and went down stairs to wait for my first ride on PATCO.

This will be my first time riding this system as well.{It has been plenty of firsts in the last couple of days with more to come later today and tomorrow.}

I rode the first train out to Lindenwold but will give trip details for the whole westbound trip.

Meeting a westbound train after it had passed us.

My eastbound train at Lindenwold before it went out of service.

My 3:11 PM westbound train for the 15-16th Locust Station in downtown Philadelphia ready for boarding.

I took the front railfan seat in the car as an eastbound PATCO Train arriving Lindenwold with the NJT Atlantic City Line off to the right. I met the operator and he told me no cameras are allowed on PATCO so I put mine away with the operator and I talking all the way into Philly. We left Lindenwold with our first stop being Ashland then Woodcrest, Haddonfield, Westmont, Collingswood and Ferry Avenue are all above ground stations. We entered the tunnel for our Broadway and Camden City Hall Stations. We exited the tunnel onto the Ben Franklin Bridge over the Delaware River back into Pennsylvania. At the western end of the bridge, we returned underground for the rest of the trip. We turned south to the unused Franklin Square Station then went into the 8th and Market Station. Our route turned right to the last three stations at 9-10th Locust, 12-13th Locust and then the last stop at 15-16th Locust. The PATCO Tunnels are graffiti free. I said my goodbyes to my new friend the operator and then returned to 8th and Market to ride my last piece of the Broad Street Subway.

I exited PATCO and it was fun to ride as I headed back to SEPTA. This was the last Philadelphia Subway that I needed to ride but had to do it today as it doesn't run on Sunday. With it getting later in the day and wanting to relax tonight, I will just ride one trolley route and save the others for another trip. We departed 8th and Market at 3:53 PM making our way to Chinatown and then Fairmont but the operator told me to stay on to Girard in order to return to City Hall. I said thanks to the operator then went up and over where I found the "Long Train" waiting. Back on the Board Street Line I returned to the City Hall Station for my last SEPTA Trip for the day. I got off at City Hall went upstairs to a waiting Route 36 Trolley to Eastwick.

I boarded Car 9012 for my exiting of Philly. We stopped at 19th, 22nd, 30th, {33rd bypassed}, 36th and 37th Street Stations which are all below ground stations. At 40th street Portal there is a major trolly line junction with the 34 Route to Angora leaving then a block later the 13 Route for Yeadon takes off. We dropped off people all the way along the route so I won't tell about each stop. On Woodland Avenue we went to 49th street which we turned left leaving Route 11. We were now on our own route and soon crossed the Northeast Corridor. We turned South down Lindbergh Blvd to Elmwood Blvd. We went over the SEPTA Airport and then ran through some interesting neighborhoods from the safety of the trolley. Our route passed the car barns before we turned left onto Island Road to the end of the route at the turning loop near the Penrose Plaza Shopping Center near 80th & Eastwick.

SEPTA Car 9015

SEPTA Car 9072 which would take me back to the city.

SEPTA 9012 which brought me out to Eastwick. I boarded the 9072 and relaxed the rest of the trip back as I was one happy but tired train rider. The operator and I got talking the rest of the way back. We got back in town and soon we went around the downtown turning loop. I do get lucky sometimes without having to ask. I made my way back to the hotel, called home and got my own voice on the answering machine.

I went to Ritz Camera for two more camera batteries after my extra pair died at the north end of Board Street Line last evening. I always carry spare batteries with me on my trips. I walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner and had a New York Strip Steak something I didn't get on Amtrak and relaxed. Despite all that I did today, I'm still really on vacation. I returned to the hotel, checked E-mails, called home with better results and after watching Deal/No Deal on NBC I called it a night.

[?]

Create your own free Rail Blog or Website! Advertise | About Us | Contact Us | Sign up for our Newsletter