PRR in Royersford

Living nearby, I have noticed an old railroad bridge crossing the Schuylkill River near Royersford, PA. Knowing that Royersford was Reading trackage, I just realized that bridge was a PRR spur that went into Royersford!

http://kc.pennsyrr.com/maps/images/maps ... ylkill.jpg

Does anyone know the history of this? How old is the bridge?

Surely it must have been a big enough industry for the PRR to go through the expense of a bridge?

IIRC, there was an old (Buckwalter??)stove works in Royersford that had the spur over the river to it. The branch is listed as having been built 1892-1893. There were also extensive glass (Diamond?), Foundry, Spring and other works along First Ave. in Royersford, but not sure what all specifically that PRR branch serviced.

According to the PRR "List of Stations and Sidings..." dated 1944, the 0.5-mile Royersford Branch connected with the Schuylkill Branch Main Line at mile 32.7 from Broad Street Station. After crossing the Schuylkill, the industries served having one or more sidings were:

Capital Co. of Washington, D.C.,
Royersford Foundry and Machine,
Royersford Spring Bed,
National Knitting,
Bush Brothers (2 sidings),
Floyd-Wells (4),
Diamond Glass (2),
Snow White Bleachery, and
Belmont Iron Works.

Looks like this short branch line paid its keep in those days!

The branch line was known as the First Ave. Branch, it was built by the PRR in 1893 . The branch shot off the main west of the Bridge Street crossing and went over the river . there was later a connection built to the Reading Company. as the two railroads would interchange cars at the Royersford freight station that sat above the passenger station that still stands.

Len
Local historian for the Springford area.