Trenton Cutoff

Hi Folks
I've lived close to the Cutoff in Fort Washington for over 20 years. Seen some interesting rail events over the years.... Barnum and Bailey circus trains, military train with tanks aboard, and a restored pullman rail car.

I'm looking to monitor traffic along this line...Have had these in the scanner for a few days but no clear transmissions.
160.800
160.860
160.980
161.070

Thanks
JP

RDG467 wrote:I remember seeing a WB light engine move stop at Guiseppe's Pizza in Willow Grove. The conductor hopped off w/his cell phone and cash, ran inside and came back out with a pizza and bag of food.

He hopped back on the lead unit and away they went!! Total time stopped was about 1.5 minutes..... Giuseppe's parking lot was at the edge of the ballast, so this was easy to accomplish!

This was at least 5 years ago, and possibly longer. Don't think I had my camera that day, either.

I used to be able to see this stretch of track from my house when I lived up the hill from there in '68-78. I could see from York Rd to just behind the PECO substation off of Fitzwatertown Rd., depending on which upstairs room I was in. I have some vague memories of PC black engines on merchandise freights, but no pix. I was only 2 when we moved in.....

We moved to a new house in '78 that was still within earshot of the tracks, and I was able to bike up along Moreland Road to take some pix. Still have a few of CR's electric freight ops around somewhere.

I live in Willow Grove about 400 yards from the Trenton Cutoff. I too have seen trains stopped at Giuseppe's pizza. Just yesterday I could see between the houses a train of double stacks heading eastbound. This line is still very active. When I come home from work around 3:30 - 4:00 in the morning trains are passing by.

In the late 80's my brother & I worked for a company on County Line Road just west of the grade crossing. We ran out to go to lunch one summer afternoon, on the way back a nasty thunder storm blew in. While we were passing the grade crossing a bolt of lightning struck the running rail. It almost knocked my brother's little Chevy Chevette off the road.

Does anyone know if the line had passenger service on it? I read in some of the Upper Moreland history that a station once existed around Terwood & Old York Road.

Fwik, the Cutoff has always been freight only.

160.800 was Amtrak's Springfield line
Don't know what it is now
160.920 is the northeast corridor

160.980
Amtrak operations channel 10
Poughkeepsie, New York to Albany, New York
CSX channel 58 River Line

Here is a list of freq's that might be of some help.....

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?aid=3237

Jim

Thanks I'll check it out
Really appreciate the help

RE: A station on the cutoff near Terwood rd, and Old York rd....
The cutoff does not cross Terwood rd.. However, the New Hope / Ivyland RR does. Its an overpass near the schools. May have been a station near there at one time?...

Jim

Just found this thread. There was passenger service on the cutoff way back, but I don't have any Official Guides handy. I think there was some service as late as the 1930's. I'll try to look sometime next week.

Appears that there may have been passenger service on the cutoff from 1890s into the 20th century.

http://books.google.com/books?id=3JbTwt ... ins&f=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RE: Passenger service on the Cut-Off.

After reading the article in the above link. It appears that there was passenger service of sorts on the line for a short period. The cutoff was not completed until 1892, but apparently had made its way to the Upper Dublin area by 1888. I cannot find any records of the time-line of construction. With passenger service being discontinued in 1902, Its likely trains were going as far as Trenton. I checked some Topo maps from the late 1800's and the only RR that comes near Dreshertown is the cutoff. So that supports the Dreshertown station article. The cutoff was designed as a 'freight only' RR to bypass Philly and therefore expedite the movement of goods thru the region. Coincidently (with the stoppage of passenger service) 1902 was the year the grade improvements were completed between Feasterville and the western end of the Morrisville yard. A project that would allow for much heavier loads to be hauled.

Jim

On occasion when the main line between Trenton and Philadelphia was blocked due to a wreck thru NY- Harrisburg passenger trains would detour over the Trenton cut off. There are a few pictures of the Broadway limited traversing the cut-off in the mid 1960's on the internet and in Pennsy books.

So that's how they get the circus train into trenton....! Cool to know.... i've seen part of the red unit parked east of trenton station on a siding a few years ago.

They used to side that train at "Fairgrounds" siding, but I hear they now tie it down somewhere at the NJT end of the old Morrisville yard.

J

Jim in S.E. Pa. wrote:They used to side that train at "Fairgrounds" siding, but I hear they now tie it down somewhere at the NJT end of the old Morrisville yard.

J

Is that related to the namesake "Fair" interlocking? If so, interesting info i've not heard of before.