Railroad Forums 

  • Broad Street Subway track map

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1601587  by SkirpR
 
Hi all,

I'm a transit enthusiast and grew up in Philadelphia. I've found track maps (perhaps dated) for the MFL and PATCO, but none for the BSS which seems the most interesting of all.

There are a number of prose descriptions I've found of idiosyncracies like the jog in the tracks because of being just under the east side of Broad St at the south end, as well as the alignment under City Hall, unused flying junctions, the center tracks having been completed in various stages... all of which would be much more clear in a picture is worth a thousand words kind of way.

I'd be grateful for anything someone here might have, even if it's a bit outdated.

Thanks!
 #1601684  by scotty269
 
SkirpR wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 7:18 pm Hi all,

I'm a transit enthusiast and grew up in Philadelphia. I've found track maps (perhaps dated) for the MFL and PATCO, but none for the BSS which seems the most interesting of all.

There are a number of prose descriptions I've found of idiosyncracies like the jog in the tracks because of being just under the east side of Broad St at the south end, as well as the alignment under City Hall, unused flying junctions, the center tracks having been completed in various stages... all of which would be much more clear in a picture is worth a thousand words kind of way.

I'd be grateful for anything someone here might have, even if it's a bit outdated.

Thanks!
Ask and you shall receive! A former member of this forum helped me find this years ago, happy to return the favor to someone else. There are track maps in here, but are only relevant to in-service trackage. Doesn't provide any historical context, but might be a good start for you.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzp6JH ... YmGNLJpexA
 #1601700  by mcgrath618
 
SkirpR wrote: Tue Jul 05, 2022 7:18 pm Hi all,

I'm a transit enthusiast and grew up in Philadelphia. I've found track maps (perhaps dated) for the MFL and PATCO, but none for the BSS which seems the most interesting of all.

There are a number of prose descriptions I've found of idiosyncracies like the jog in the tracks because of being just under the east side of Broad St at the south end, as well as the alignment under City Hall, unused flying junctions, the center tracks having been completed in various stages... all of which would be much more clear in a picture is worth a thousand words kind of way.

I'd be grateful for anything someone here might have, even if it's a bit outdated.

Thanks!
While I can answer any questions that you have, I'm not sure I can send you the official track charts. SEPTA EM&C used to have a website where we posted them publicly, but after the malware there's been no impetus to put that back up.

I had planned (and even obtained permission from Londonist) to make a "Secrets of the Underground" series for SEPTA, but COVID and college killed it. Now that I work for the Authority I might dust that idea off...