West Chester Railroad

For the former railroad, see West Chester Railroad (1831-1903).
West Chester Railroad
Locale Chester/Delaware counties, Pennsylvania, USA
Terminus West Chester, Pennsylvania
Commercial operations
Built by West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad
Original gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Reporting mark WCRL
Length 7.7 mi (12.4 km)[1]
Preserved gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
Opened November 1858
1858 West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad begins
Closed September 1986
Preservation history
1997 West Chester Railroad began operating
Headquarters West Chester, Pennsylvania
Website
westchesterrr.net
West Chester Railroad
Route map
Legend
West Chester
West Chester University
Oakbourne
Westtown
Cheyney
Locksley
Glen Mills

The West Chester Railroad is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in Chester County, and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County.

It operates on 7.7 miles (12.4 km)[1] of former Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) track on the West Chester Branch between mile post 27.5 and 20.6. It is owned by the for-profit 4 States Railway Service, Inc. and operated by the West Chester Railroad Heritage Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the railroad. All employees of the railroad are volunteers.[2]

History

The original West Chester Railroad Company was chartered in 1831 through an act of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and the company built its rail line to Malvern (later moved to Frazer). A quarter century later, West Chester got its second railroad, the West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad, which opened on November 11, 1858 with a more direct connection to Philadelphia via Media, Pennsylvania. Both lines became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) system by 1881, when they were known as the "Frazer Branch" and "Media Branch," respectively.[3]

The station at Market Street was the city's primary railroad facility. At its height, the PRR operated 24 daily passenger trains to West Chester, plus three scheduled freights and additional special trains as required. The line was electrified by the PRR in 1928.[4] Although the Market Street Station was demolished in 1968, the Penn Central and SEPTA operated passenger trains until September 1986 when service was suspended due to low ridership and mediocre track conditions between Elwyn and Glen Mills Stations. For nearly a decade, the line remained derelict until a group of railroad enthusiasts approached the Borough of West Chester about restoring SEPTA train service.[5]

The West Chester Railroad Company is owned and operated by 4 States Railway Service, Inc., a for-profit railroad management based in Yorklyn, Delaware. 4 States is maintenance and operations company dedicated to preserving the railroad line between Glen Mills and West Chester.[5]

Equipment roster

In service

West Chester Railroad ALCO #4230 C424
West Chester Railroad ALCO #1803 RS-18

Out of Service

West Chester Railroad #3 ALCO S-2

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.