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{{more citations needed|date = April 2020}}
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The '''Atglen and Susquehanna''' Branch is an abandoned [[branch line]] of the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]].
[[File:HAER PA-531-9.jpg|thumb|The Atglen and Susquehanna Branch crosses the [[Conestoga River]] on the upper span of this bridge, located at the [[Safe Harbor Dam]], Pennsylvania.]]
[[File:Atglen & Susquehanna Br PRR map 1911.jpg|thumb|right|Map of the A&S Branch in 1911]]
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The '''Atglen and Susquehanna''' Branch is an abandoned [[branch line]] of the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] that ran between [[Lemoyne, Pennsylvania|Lemoyne]] and [[Atglen, Pennsylvania]]. A portion of the line is now the '''Enola Low Grade Trail'''.


==History==
==History==
The Atglen and Susquehanna branch was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the early 1900s. The branch was built to relieve congestion on the Main Line and the railroad's Columbia Branch. It was combined with the Pennsylvania Railroad's Trenton, Philadelphia and Thorndale Branches. With these lines, combined it permitted the Pennsylvania Railroad to operate a low-grade bypass of the main line, allowing freight trains to bypass the Main Line and not having to proceed into [[Philadelphia]] at all. It met [[Amtrak]]'s [[Northeast Corridor]] at [[Morrisville, Pennsylvania]] near the [[Delaware River]]. For a long time the line flourished with freight traffic. The low-grade line even survived the Pennsylvania Railroad's short-lived successor [[Penn Central]]. The line lasted up until the era of [[Conrail]]. Under Conrail control, the railroad downgraded the line. First by removing the overhead catenary above the tracks. Then Conrail rerouted traffic over the former [[Reading Company]]'s line from Harrisburg to northern [[New Jersey]]. The line was abandoned by the [[1999]] breakup of [[Conrail]] by the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] and [[CSX Transportation]].
The Atglen and Susquehanna (A&S) Branch was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) between 1902 and 1906. The branch was built to relieve congestion on the [[Main Line (Pennsylvania Railroad)|Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line]] and the railroad's [[Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad|Columbia & Port Deposit]] (C&PD) line. With freight service on the Main Line hampered by relatively steep [[Grade (slope)|grades]], the A&S Branch—which was specifically designed with minimal grades and curves—was often known simply as the "Low Grade".

During construction of the A&S Branch, the existing C&PD stone bridge at the [[Conestoga River]] washed out. Rather than rebuild, the C&PD bridge was combined with the A&S bridge to form a unique two-line, two-level steel viaduct known as the [[Safe Harbor Trestle]]. This bridge at the Conestoga carried the C&PD line over the river, while the A&S ran parallel and approximately {{convert|100|ft|m}} above.

Construction was completed and the line opened by July 1906.<ref>HAER PA-531, Data Pages, p. 3</ref>

When combined with the railroad's [[Trenton Cutoff]] and Philadelphia & Thorndale Branch, the new line permitted the PRR to operate a low-grade bypass between [[Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania|Morrisville, Pennsylvania]] (just south of [[Trenton, New Jersey]]) and [[Harrisburg]]. This allowed freight trains to avoid the congestion of the [[East Coast of the United States|eastern seaboard]] and the steep grades of the Main Line.<ref>Except for a {{Convert|10|mi|adj=on}} section between [[Thorndale, Pennsylvania|Thorndale]] and [[Parkesburg, Pennsylvania|Parkesburg]] where freight and passenger traffic shared the four-track main line.</ref>

The line flourished with freight traffic until the decline of northeast railroads and overall reduction in traffic made the line redundant. The line survived PRR's short-lived successor [[Penn Central]] (1968–1976) and into the era of the PC's successor, [[Conrail]]. Conrail downgraded the line, removing the overhead [[overhead lines|catenary]] and later rerouting traffic over the former [[Reading Company]]'s line between [[Harrisburg]] and northern [[New Jersey]]. The last train ran on the line in 1988. Conrail petitioned the [[Interstate Commerce Commission]] to abandon the line in 1989 and track was removed around 1990.

While the track had been removed prior to the 1999 breakup of Conrail by the [[Norfolk Southern Railway|Norfolk Southern]] (NS) and [[CSX Transportation|CSX]], the [[Right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]] was retained due to disputes over the historical nature of the line's bridges and passed to NS. A group called Friends of the Atglen–Susquehanna Trail proposed using the line as a [[rail trail]], which was opposed by local residents and ultimately failed. In July 2008, NS sold a portion of the abandoned line to eight municipalities,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=April 2012 |title=Enola Low-Grade Trail – Providence Township Section Master Plan – Draft – Supervisors Review v1.0 |url=http://providencetownship.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Enola_Low_Grade_Master_Plan_-_Low_Resolution_Draft.pdf |website=Providence Township, PA}}</ref> charging each $1 and supplying a total of $1.4 million in grants for bridge removal or repair.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}} NS also contributed $1.25 million to [[Manor Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Manor Township]] to develop their portion of the right of way.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Long |first=Sue |date=October 2014 |title=Enola Low Grade Rail Trail |url=https://www.lancastercountymag.com/enola-low-grade-rail-trail/ |access-date= |website=Lancaster County Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> After being abandoned, much of the right of way had been overgrown with heavy brush, and while the rail and [[Railroad tie|ties]] had been removed, a rough surface of loose [[track ballast]] remained.


==Modern day==
==Modern day==

Currently, the right-of-way still stands in many areas located under heavy brush. The only way you can tell where the former Pennsylvania Railroad line is by noticing the still standing Pennsylvania Railroad catenary supports still carrying electricity to this day. There are hopes of turning the line into a [[rail trail]]. But so far, not much has materialized.
=== Enola Low Grade Trail ===
⚫
[[Category: Pennsylvania Railroad lines]]
[[File:Enola Lowgrade Trail SafeHarbor (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Enola Low Grade Trail over the Safe Harbor Trestle 2022]]
The portion of the right of way that was transferred to the Lancaster County municipalities is now a {{convert|29|mi|km|adj=on}} rail trail named the Enola Low Grade Trail.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.traillink.com/trail/enola-low-grade-trail.aspx |title=Enola Low Grade Trail |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date= |website=TrailLink |publisher=Rails-to-Trails Conservancy |access-date=2015-03-14}}</ref> The eight municipalities have opened their sections at varying rates, with the first opening in September 2011. The portion in Manor Township opened in 2013,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crable |first=Ad |date=2013-08-20 |title=Manor Township rail-trail worth the wait |url=https://lancasteronline.com/news/manor-township-rail-trail-worth-the-wait/article_762968a7-1c8f-5ac8-941c-004093c57fd4.html |access-date= |website=Lancaster Online |language=en}}</ref> while [[Martic Township, Pennsylvania|Martic]] and [[Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Conestoga]] townships opened their improved portions in the first half of 2017, and a pedestrian bridge over [[U.S. Route 222|U.S. 222]] north of [[Quarryville, Pennsylvania|Quarryville]] opened in April 2018. The [[Safe Harbor Trestle]] opened in June 2022 after a multi-year overhaul, and in October 2022, a trestle in Martic Township reopened (it had first opened for trail users in 2015 but burnt down in 2018), forming a continuous {{Convert|19|mi|abbr=on}} improved segment between Manor Township and Quarryville.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-10-24 |title=Phoenix Rising: Martic Forge Trestle reopens after devastating 2018 fire |url=https://unchartedlancaster.com/2022/10/24/phoenix-rising-martic-forge-trestle-reopens-after-devastating-2018-fire/ |access-date= |website=Uncharted Lancaster |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Enola Low Grade Rail Trail |url=https://quarryvilleborough.com/recreation/enola-low-grade-rail-trail/ |access-date= |website=Quarryville Borough}}</ref>

Of the remaining {{Convert|10|mi|abbr=on}} of unimproved trail, the portions in [[Eden Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Eden]] and [[Bart Township, Pennsylvania|Bart]] townships are expected to be improved in 2023–24, while funding is being sought to improve the final, easternmost segment through [[Sadsbury Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania|Sadsbury Township]] to Atglen, including a connection with the [[Chester Valley Rail Trail]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crable |first=Ad |date=2022-05-29 |title=$9 million conversion of historic Safe Harbor trestle may be national draw |url=https://lancasteronline.com/sports/outdoors/9-million-conversion-of-historic-safe-harbor-trestle-may-be-national-draw-column/article_73482880-dde3-11ec-a3c9-1bad519c7a74.html |access-date= |website=Lancaster Online |language=en}}</ref>

=== Amtrak power line ===
{{Main|Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system#Conestoga to Atglen transmission line}}
[[Amtrak]], which received ownership of PRR's [[Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system|electric traction system]], operates a power transmission line along the right of way under [[easement]]. Its two 138 kV lines supply electricity from [[Safe Harbor Dam]] to Amtrak's Parkesburg traction substation. In 2011, Amtrak moved the line's cables from the old Pennsylvania Railroad catenary supports to new monopoles,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-04-28 |title=Amtrak is Working on the Railroad in 2010: $1 billion construction program funds projects to improve reliability, safety and security (Press release no. ATK-10-062) |url=http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249208864661&blobheader=application/pdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_ATK-10-062_Amtrak_2010_.pdf |url-status=dead |website=[[Amtrak]] |access-date=2012-07-20 |archive-date=2012-09-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915053513/http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/BlobServer?blobcol=urldata&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobkey=id&blobwhere=1249208864661&blobheader=application/pdf&blobheadername1=Content-disposition&blobheadervalue1=attachment;filename=Amtrak_ATK-10-062_Amtrak_2010_.pdf }}</ref> upgrading the surface to crushed stone at the same time.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{HAER |survey=PA-531 |id=pa3741 |title=Pennsylvania Railroad, Safe Harbor Bridge, Spanning mouth of Conestoga River, Safe Harbor, Lancaster, PA |photos=11 |data=5 |cap=1}}
*AbandonedRails.com. [http://www.abandonedrails.com/Atglen_and_Susquehanna_Branch "The Atglen and Susquehanna Branch"]
*{{cite news |last= Crable|first= Ad|date= 2013-08-20|title= Manor Township rail-trail worth the wait|url= http://lancasteronline.com/news/manor-township-rail-trail-worth-the-wait/article_762968a7-1c8f-5ac8-941c-004093c57fd4.html|newspaper= Lancaster New Era|location= Lancaster, PA|access-date= 2015-03-14}}

{{Susquehanna Valley Railroads}}

⚫
[[Category:Pennsylvania Railroad lines]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Railroad Through-freight Lines]]
[[Category:Railroad cutoffs]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1906]]
[[Category:Railway lines closed in 1989]]
[[Category:Closed railway lines in the United States]]

Latest revision as of 09:15, 22 August 2024

The Atglen and Susquehanna Branch crosses the Conestoga River on the upper span of this bridge, located at the Safe Harbor Dam, Pennsylvania.
Map of the A&S Branch in 1911

The Atglen and Susquehanna Branch is an abandoned branch line of the Pennsylvania Railroad that ran between Lemoyne and Atglen, Pennsylvania. A portion of the line is now the Enola Low Grade Trail.

History

[edit]

The Atglen and Susquehanna (A&S) Branch was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) between 1902 and 1906. The branch was built to relieve congestion on the Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line and the railroad's Columbia & Port Deposit (C&PD) line. With freight service on the Main Line hampered by relatively steep grades, the A&S Branch—which was specifically designed with minimal grades and curves—was often known simply as the "Low Grade".

During construction of the A&S Branch, the existing C&PD stone bridge at the Conestoga River washed out. Rather than rebuild, the C&PD bridge was combined with the A&S bridge to form a unique two-line, two-level steel viaduct known as the Safe Harbor Trestle. This bridge at the Conestoga carried the C&PD line over the river, while the A&S ran parallel and approximately 100 feet (30 m) above.

Construction was completed and the line opened by July 1906.[1]

When combined with the railroad's Trenton Cutoff and Philadelphia & Thorndale Branch, the new line permitted the PRR to operate a low-grade bypass between Morrisville, Pennsylvania (just south of Trenton, New Jersey) and Harrisburg. This allowed freight trains to avoid the congestion of the eastern seaboard and the steep grades of the Main Line.[2]

The line flourished with freight traffic until the decline of northeast railroads and overall reduction in traffic made the line redundant. The line survived PRR's short-lived successor Penn Central (1968–1976) and into the era of the PC's successor, Conrail. Conrail downgraded the line, removing the overhead catenary and later rerouting traffic over the former Reading Company's line between Harrisburg and northern New Jersey. The last train ran on the line in 1988. Conrail petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon the line in 1989 and track was removed around 1990.

While the track had been removed prior to the 1999 breakup of Conrail by the Norfolk Southern (NS) and CSX, the right-of-way was retained due to disputes over the historical nature of the line's bridges and passed to NS. A group called Friends of the Atglen–Susquehanna Trail proposed using the line as a rail trail, which was opposed by local residents and ultimately failed. In July 2008, NS sold a portion of the abandoned line to eight municipalities,[3] charging each $1 and supplying a total of $1.4 million in grants for bridge removal or repair.[citation needed] NS also contributed $1.25 million to Manor Township to develop their portion of the right of way.[4] After being abandoned, much of the right of way had been overgrown with heavy brush, and while the rail and ties had been removed, a rough surface of loose track ballast remained.

Modern day

[edit]

Enola Low Grade Trail

[edit]
Enola Low Grade Trail over the Safe Harbor Trestle 2022

The portion of the right of way that was transferred to the Lancaster County municipalities is now a 29-mile (47 km) rail trail named the Enola Low Grade Trail.[5] The eight municipalities have opened their sections at varying rates, with the first opening in September 2011. The portion in Manor Township opened in 2013,[6] while Martic and Conestoga townships opened their improved portions in the first half of 2017, and a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 222 north of Quarryville opened in April 2018. The Safe Harbor Trestle opened in June 2022 after a multi-year overhaul, and in October 2022, a trestle in Martic Township reopened (it had first opened for trail users in 2015 but burnt down in 2018), forming a continuous 19 mi (31 km) improved segment between Manor Township and Quarryville.[7][3][8]

Of the remaining 10 mi (16 km) of unimproved trail, the portions in Eden and Bart townships are expected to be improved in 2023–24, while funding is being sought to improve the final, easternmost segment through Sadsbury Township to Atglen, including a connection with the Chester Valley Rail Trail.[9]

Amtrak power line

[edit]
Main article: Amtrak's 25 Hz traction power system § Conestoga to Atglen transmission line

Amtrak, which received ownership of PRR's electric traction system, operates a power transmission line along the right of way under easement. Its two 138 kV lines supply electricity from Safe Harbor Dam to Amtrak's Parkesburg traction substation. In 2011, Amtrak moved the line's cables from the old Pennsylvania Railroad catenary supports to new monopoles,[10] upgrading the surface to crushed stone at the same time.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ HAER PA-531, Data Pages, p. 3
  2. ^ Except for a 10-mile (16 km) section between Thorndale and Parkesburg where freight and passenger traffic shared the four-track main line.
  3. ^ a b "Enola Low-Grade Trail – Providence Township Section Master Plan – Draft – Supervisors Review v1.0" (PDF). Providence Township, PA. April 2012.
  4. ^ Long, Sue (October 2014). "Enola Low Grade Rail Trail". Lancaster County Magazine.
  5. ^ "Enola Low Grade Trail". TrailLink. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Retrieved 2015-03-14.
  6. ^ Crable, Ad (2013-08-20). "Manor Township rail-trail worth the wait". Lancaster Online.
  7. ^ "Phoenix Rising: Martic Forge Trestle reopens after devastating 2018 fire". Uncharted Lancaster. 2022-10-24.
  8. ^ "Enola Low Grade Rail Trail". Quarryville Borough.
  9. ^ Crable, Ad (2022-05-29). "$9 million conversion of historic Safe Harbor trestle may be national draw". Lancaster Online.
  10. ^ "Amtrak is Working on the Railroad in 2010: $1 billion construction program funds projects to improve reliability, safety and security (Press release no. ATK-10-062)" (PDF). Amtrak. 2010-04-28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-15. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
[edit]
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