West Chester Railroad

Last updated
West Chester Railroad
Wcrrseal.jpg
West Chester Station.jpg
The WCRL station in 2013
Locale Chester/Delaware counties, Pennsylvania, USA
Terminus West Chester, Pennsylvania
Commercial operations
Built by West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad
Original gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Reporting mark WCRL
Length7.7 mi (12.4 km) [1]
Preserved gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
OpenedNovember 1858
1858West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad begins
ClosedSeptember 1986
Preservation history
1997 West Chester Railroad began operating
HeadquartersWest Chester, Pennsylvania
Website
www.wcrailroad.com
West Chester Railroad
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map

Contents

Legend
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miles (km)
from 30th Street Station
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BSicon KBHFxe.svg
18.1 (29.1)
 Wawa Station (SEPTA)
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SEPTA terminus
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18.7 (30.1)
 Darlington
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WCRR eastern terminus
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20.3 (32.7)
 Glen Mills
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21.6 (34.8)
 Locksley
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22.2 (35.7)
 Cheyney
BSicon HST.svg
22.9 (38.5)
 Westtown
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25.5 (41.0)
 Oakbourne
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27.1 (43.6)
 West Chester University
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27.5 (44.0)
 West Chester (terminus)
This diagram:

The West Chester Railroad( reporting mark WCRL) is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, [2] in Chester County, and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County.

The West Chester Railroad operates 90-minute round-trip excursions over 7.7 miles (12.4 km) [1] of former Pennsylvania Railroad track on the West Chester Branch. Trains operate Sundays, June through December. Besides the regular trains, the schedule expands with Saturday rides for a number of special events including Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Halloween, and Christmas. The railroad 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. [3]

Proposed commuter rail reactivation

In 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation commissioned a feasibility study for rebuilding the line and restoring direct commuter rail service from West Chester to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. SEPTA service below the Elwyn station was terminated in 1986 due to low ridership and unsafe track conditions [4] but the area has since grown in population and has few transportation alternatives. The study concluded that restoration was feasible but the projected ridership was not high enough to qualify for capital funding. [5]

In September 2021, local officials proposed a short-term plan to upgrade the trackage in order to provide a shuttle service between the line's Market Street station in West Chester and SEPTA's new Wawa Station. [6] The proposed shuttle would use battery-powered cars rebuilt from retired London transit cars. These cars however do not meet US Federal Railroad Administration collision standards and WCRR could not operate their standard heavy weight trains while the shuttle is running. Further, a physical barrier between the shuttle cars and SEPTA cars would have to be built at the proposed Wawa transfer point. [7]

Equipment

Locomotives

Locomotive details [8]
NumberImageModelBuiltManufacturerStatus
1 WCRL 1.jpg 20-ton switcher1940s Plymouth Display
3 (B&O 9115) B&O 9115.jpg S-2 1949 American Locomotive Works Out of service
1803 Cheney station.jpg RS-18u 1960 Montreal Locomotive Works Operational
4213 WCRL 4213.jpg Century 424 1965 American Locomotive Works Out of service
6499 6499 new paint.jpg GP9 1957 Electro-Motive Division Operational
7706 WCRL 7706+RDG 9124-West-Chester.jpg GP38 1969 Electro-Motive Division Operational

Former units

Locomotive details [8]
NumberImageModelBuiltManufacturerStatus
4230 WCRL 4230.jpg Century 4241965 American Locomotive Works Sold to NDC Railroad
9 65-ton switcher 1941 General Electric Sold to private owner in Delaware

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "West Chester Railroad - West Chester, PA". www.westchesterrr.net.
  2. ↑ McGuane, Kimberly (21 November 2020). "Historic West Chester Railroad Offers One of Pennsylvania's Most Scenic Fall Train Rides". VistaToday.com. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  3. ↑ "West Chester Railroad - West Chester, PA". www.westchesterrr.net.
  4. ↑ McGuane, Kimberly (28 January 2018). "Rail service for West Chester discussed at meeting". VistaToday.com. Retrieved 6 January 2021.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ "West Chester Line Restoration Feasibility Study" (PDF). SEPTA Construction Programs. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  6. ↑ Rettew, Bill (16 September 2021). "Good news for proponents of rail service to West Chester". Local Daily News. Exton, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  7. ↑ Alan, Peter David (25 March 2025). "Pop-Up Metro: New Model for New Starts". RailwayAge.com. Omaha, Nebraska: Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Equipment Roster". West Chester Railroad. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
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