![]() ![]() The Pennsylvania Railroad's predecessors were collectively known as the West Jersey & Seashore Railroad. In the years prior to the Seashore Lines speeds were even higher 4-4-2 "Camelback" designs (or "Mother Hubbards" as they were sometimes known) of the Atlantic City Railroad zipped along at speeds eclipsing 100 mph.ĭuring one particular run on July 20, 1904, led by #1027 the locomotive set a speed record of 115 mph between Brigantine Junction and Egg Harbor City carrying a five-car consist. A case in point was the PRSL trains traveling the 58 miles from the nearly arrow-straight line linking Camden with Atlantic City regularly did so in just 52 minutes with a top speed of 80 mph. This was not the case prior to 1950 when railroads spent a great amount of effort and money providing the public with efficient, high-speed service. There are few places where one can still enjoy trains traveling near or above 100 mph today. The public has largely ignored trains in favor of cars and airliners. ![]() Today, the United States does not place the important emphasis on passenger rail travel it once did. Depending upon where the trains were headed they departed from different locations, including PRR's 30th Street and Broad Street Stations in Philadelphia. Listed below are principal Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines services operating between Camden/Philadelphia and Atlantic City. In addition, the PRR and Central Railroad of New Jersey dispatched trains from the New York to Southern New Jersey the former from its main line at Trenton and the latter via its flagship Blue Comet connecting Jersey City with Atlantic City via PRSL's Winslow Junction. These trains handled more than 50,000 travelers each day (according to the article " Three Months Feast, Nine Months Famine," by Al Rung from the June, 1948 issue of Trains demand peaked at 100,000 daily riders during World War II). The ACRR property had been entirely double-tracked by 1889 as demand soared for those flocking to the beaches and escape the summer's heat.īy the 1940s the PRSL was operating 176 daily passenger trains during the summer season, 111 of which departed from either Philadelphia's Market Street Wharf or Broad Street Station bound for the New Jersey coastline. The first to offer service was the Camden & Atlantic in the 1850s, a precursor to the PRR's West Jersey & Seashore Railroad while the predecessors of Philadelphia & Reading's eventual Atlantic City Railroad began offering competition in the 1870s. The region exploded into a popular tourist destination following the Civil War. Finally, electrified service (all third-rail) extended from Camden to Bridgeton and as far as Millville via Newfield. Into the diesel era things were much more interesting as the road operated almost entirely rare Baldwin models like the S-12, AS-16, and DRS-4-4-1500. The Pennsy's motive power department was responsible for maintaining and supplying PRSL's locomotive fleet. The use of almost-entirely PRR-owned or handed-down equipment was a result of the previously-mentioned agreement. On occasion the road utilized a fleet of Pennsy' s hearty 4-6-2's (K-4s) and even a Reading 4-6-2 (Class G). Camden & Atlantic Railroad (March 19, 1852)Ĭamden - Haddonfield - Winslow - Richland - Tuckahoe - Cape MayĪll of the energized territory was the result of PRR's work on its line between Camden-Atlantic City and Woodbury-Millville while the Reading's operation was steam powered only.ĭuring the early 1940s PRSL's locomotive fleet consisted of ten 4-4-2 Atlantics (PRR Class E-6), twelve 2-8-0 Consolidations (PRR Class H), and five 0-6-0 switchers (PRR Class B). ![]()
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