RDG to Trenton?

xdamo wrote:The ROW for the "loop" connection between the current SEPTA West Trenton Line and the old Reading NY Short Line is still there and a very popular dirt bike trail. My kids nearly got run over when they found it years ago. No track but some remains of ties on the ROW as well as telephone poles in the woods. There are also some pretty substational concrete foundations and walls still there too. But what is significant is that it shows up as active track on the GPS in my car. (TomTom). Being the curious type, i drove around NE philadelphia to see what else showed up. The tom tom still has the tracks crossing US1 (Rosevelt Blvd) on the old PRR Busleton line (Between Grant and Welsh); The PRR Oxford line to Levick Street (which was torn out in 1979) and the spur into the Naval Depot on Oxford ave. Does anybody know what maps they are using? I'd love to get my hands on them because i love to explore the old lines

The ROW for the wye track can be clearly seen on Google Earth View, along with the foundations that xdamo mentioned. Does anyone know what that structure may have been? I also noticed the remains of a siding alongside the Neshaminy substation which I had never seen before.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.1443023 ... a=!3m1!1e3

Franklin Gowen wrote:My 1898 New York Branch public timetable shows obvious shuttle service between Trenton and "Trenton Junction" (future West Trenton), but no intermediate passenger stations at all. That is perplexing, as I know a few existed but do not know why they don't show on the shuttle part of the New York Branch timetable. After all, there are plenty of other local trains shown in the paperwork; it isn't just the expresses and limiteds.

Some Philly-bound local trains actually started their run at Trenton and ran through to Reading Terminal, while some outbound local trains also made the Trenton Junction stop but ran through to Trenton and terminated there.

Typical trip times between Trenton and Trenton Junction were right around 21 minutes, but there is considerable variation in that schedule; some trips took as long as 25 to 27 minutes.

I'm sure that between Jim Boylan and myself we can unearth the various mysteries of Trenton Branch passenger service in more detail. If I can find my 1949 New York Branch public timetable sometime this weekend, it will shed light on service during the late steam era / early diesel era.That PTT had a surprisingly deep level of detail about the service, including the highway buses used to supplement the rail shuttle.

JimBoylan wrote:and the Byberry - Trevose loop trains became Neshaminy Falls trains via Jenkentown.

Oh, you have got to tell me more about this tantalizing subject.....

I do know that a full wye ("SY" interlocking) near Neshaminy Falls once joined the New York Branch with the New York Short Line, but I never knew it hosted a passenger "loop" service. Please expand upon this, would you?

IIRC, the Reading also used the wye to turn pushers/helpers in steam days.