Passenger Trains > Amtrak and SEPTA Strafford, PA

The beautiful Strafford station on the Main Line west of Philadelphia.  Amtrak 43, the Pennsylvanian, westbound on Jan. 2nd. 

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SEPTA emu train eastbound.

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Nice pics - I'm overdue for a morning visit for some photography!

Built in 1876 -

"The station was built as the Catalogue Building for the Centennial Exposition i
n Philadelphia. After the exposition the station was bought at auction by the PRR
and  moved to Wayne in 1885 and then moved to Strafford in 1887. When the
station was moved to Strafford in 1887 some of the ornamentation was removed
due to placing the station on a sloping piece of land."

https://www.west2k.com/pastations/chester.shtml

The station was restored and upgraded between 1999 and 2002 and
received additional exterior restoration in 2018.

/Mitch

Great pictures! Surprised not to see a diesel on train 43 west of Philadelphia.

Any sign of the former P&W right of way in Strafford?  I think it used to come up pretty close to the PRR station...

Is the inside of the station open to the public? Any interior photos?  Thanks for the post and historical info.

Nice catch with the electric unit on the Pennsylvanian!

Andy

pdt Wrote:
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> Any sign of the former P&W right of way in
> Strafford?  I think it used to come up pretty
> close to the PRR station...

Visiting Strafford today, one would never know that the P and W once terminated there..

PRR_4859 Wrote:
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> Great pictures! Surprised not to see a diesel on
> train 43 west of Philadelphia.

I was surprised.  I was hoping that the Amtrak heritage paint scheme that was on the eastbound train the afternoon before would be leading.  Alas, the heritage diesel was taken off and the electric motor was heading the trrain toward Harrisburg on Saturday.  

The standardized blue SEPTA station sign doesn't match the building.

Birdman, the line's the trail now, very well maintained. most of the bridges intact.

The end of the line is the Acme parking lot now though, no stopping "progress."

Rich 

While at the station, I saw no evidence of a trail and no Acme parking lot.  

Birdman, you missed it by that much...

From the station, walk or drive south on New Eagle School Rd  to Lancaster Avenue (Route 30). about 400 yards. 

As you cross Lancaster, you'll see a bridge abutment  and a pedestrial/bike ramp on the left, that's the western beginning/end of the surviving roadbed and the trail entrance. I'm not sure if Radnor Township, Delaware County or some other entity developed the trail, but it's been open for at least 10-12 years as a recreation area.

The shopping center with the Acme and the Target is on the right.

I lived in the area for 25 years. I'm pretty sure everything' still there...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/21 14:36 by RichM.

There was an ACS to P42 swap on 43 at Harrisburg a few days ago, that might have been it. No one seems to know the reason.

RichM Wrote:
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> Birdman, you missed it by that much...
>
> From the station, walk or drive south on New Eagle
> School Rd  to Lancaster Avenue (Route 30). about
> 400 yards. 
>
> As you cross Lancaster, you'll see a bridge
> abutment  and a pedestrial/bike ramp on the left,
> that's the western beginning/end of the surviving
> roadbed and the trail entrance. I'm not sure if
> Radnor Township, Delaware County or some other
> entity developed the trail, but it's been open for
> at least 10-12 years as a recreation area.
>
> The shopping center with the Acme and the Target
> is on the right.
>
> I lived in the area for 25 years. I'm pretty sure
> everything' still there...

Looking at the maps it appears right of way continued west from end of trail and looped north to east to end close to and parallel to the PRR. 

nm2320 Wrote:
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> Looking at the maps it appears right of way
> continued west from end of trail and looped north
> to east to end close to and parallel to the PRR. 

Correct; that is precisely what was built.