Fox Chase-Newtown Rapid Transit Line
Encyclopedia
The Fox Chase Rapid Transit line was an experimental transit operation spearheaded by SEPTA from 1981 to 1983, utilizing Philadelphia city transit operators instead of traditional railroad workers. The operation, covering 15.2 miles (24.5 km) between Fox Chase
and Newtown, Pennsylvania
ended on January 14, 1983 mainly due to the failing train equipment (known as Budd Rail Diesel Cars
or "RDC") SEPTA inherited from the bankrupt Reading Company
that they had little interest in maintaining or operating. The line is currently known as the dormant section of SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line
: it is not officially abandoned nor railbanked
.
sold their interests to the newly government-created Consolidated Rail Corporation
(Conrail). As that time, SEPTA agreed to purchase to Reading Company's Newtown, Doylestown and Chestnut Hill branches while Conrail would perform commuter operations. By 1980, Conrail wanted to be relieved of its money-losing commuter rail operations in order to survive financially. The Reagan Administration agreed with Conrail, and granted the operator permission to exit the commuter business on January 1, 1983. Commuter railroad employees and operations became the sole responsibility of local transit agencies. Several newly-formed transit agencies were created from this decision, such as Metro-North Railroad
, New Jersey Transit Rail Operations
, and MARC
. Other regions utilized existing transit agencies to perform the commuter services, such as the MBTA
and SEPTA.
SEPTA also opted to utilize the City Transit personnel, in part, as a bargaining ploy by which SEPTA was faced with reaching contract agreements with the railroad unions in conjunction with the January 1, 1983 takeover of the electrified commuter trains from Conrail. SEPTA's goal was to prove that, if necessary, it could operate the commuter rail system as a rapid transit operation (like a subway rather than a traditional railroad) and potentially did not need the railroad unions.
Because the Fox Chase-Newtown line was operated as a transit operation, it could not travel directly to Reading Terminal
; passengers enroute to Reading Terminal had to transfer to the Conrail-operated train at Fox Chase.
to terminate all diesel-hauled commuter services on July 27, 1981, ending service to Reading
, Pottsville
, Bethlehem
and Quakertown
. This, in turn, freed up operable RDCs for operations on the Fox Chase-Newtown line.
. As the subway operators had no experience operating traditional railroad equipment, SEPTA enrolled the union in a six-week training course over the summer to bring the staff up to speed operationally. SEPTA also increased service dramatically along the line. Under Reading Railroad and Conrail auspices, service was minimal, with no more than four round trips between Newtown and Reading Terminal. The new transit operation allowed the Fox Chase-Newtown segment eight round trips, the most the line would ever see.
The timetable explained SEPTA's reasoning for operating the line as a transit operation in the time, by saying, "The cost of operating rail diesel service is excessive. In order to preserve the line between Fox Chase and Newtown, SEPTA had to come up with a way to make it affordable. Because the line is now a transit operation—as compared to a commuter railroad line—we are no longer required to pay unneeded employees to run trains with too many cars. Crew sizes and train lengths have been cut in half while the service level has been maintained, and a midday train added. This is a pioneer service." SEPTA concluded by saying the operation was a "pioneer service" and "the first operation of its kind in the United States."
The initial transition to transit operators did not go smoothly. SEPTA's attempt to eventually operate the entire commuter rail system using TWU employees instead of Conrail union employees met with hostility on the first day of operations. The 6:25 am departure from Newtown never left the station due to Conrail protesters blocking sections of the line. The following 7:43 am departure was delayed 30 minutes, resulting in six protesters being arrested at Fox Chase Station.
gasoline tanker truck at the Second Street Pike crossing next to Southampton Station
. SEPTA motorman Donald Williams was severely burned in the accident and died several days later. The accident caused flames to shoot fifty feet in the air and created a plume of black smoke visible for miles. Photographs from the fire indicate the crossing signal equipment was working properly, with lights flashing as flames shot into the air.
The Federal Railroad Administration
later determined that SEPTA did not follow proper safety standards by running single-car RDC trains that were not intended to operate as single units. Members of Conrail unions who had protested in October 1981 had told the press that SEPTA was not experienced in operating commuter trains and predicted that an accident would occur. The unions also advised that all but two RDC units had to be run in sets of two in order for the crossing signal equipment to activate properly in anticipation on an oncoming train (Conrail had used four-person crews to operate the RDC trains). The two RDCs that could operate as one-car trains were car numbers 9151 and 9152, which were specially equipped with "excitation", an electronic device which assured shunting of track circuits when operated as a one-car train. Car number 9164, which was not equipped with "excitation", was involved in the fiery crash and did not activate the crossing circuits at the proper time. The flashing lights did, however, eventually activate by the time the train entered the Second Street Pike crossing.
SEPTA cut the number of cars and operators in half, and operated all trains as single-car units. David Gunn ordered additional safety precautions, and replaced the aged Reading Company railroad crossing warning devices with crossing gates and new flashing lights. As a result of the fire, SEPTA relented and operated the RDC units in groups of two moving forward and had to run shuttle buses
in place of trains for approximately one week after the incident.
, the Reading Company and Conrail. SEPTA's inexperience with operating a railroad lead to them being reactive to performance problems. As the RDCs failed, motormen were instructed to feed the units excessive amounts of oil, resulting in the destruction of head gaskets on the engines. Since only one set of 2-car RDC units operated on the line at any given time, SEPTA assumed that losing a few derelict surplus units would not greatly hamper service.
In addition, the RDCs also lacked working air conditioning. Motormen often operated the RDCs with the front doors wide open for better air circulation, but the summer of 1982 was a humid one. Sweat-drenched riders opted for the nearby electrified Warminster Line
and West Trenton Line
, which offered direct service to Reading Terminal in climate controlled cars.
SEPTA was also left without a proper facility to service the ailing RDC units. Originally, trains were serviced at the Reading Company shops at their Reading, Pennsylvania
base. With Conrail closing the shops in 1981, SEPTA was left without a maintenance location, resulting in makeshift oil changes being performed at Newtown Station
in the presence of passengers.
Changing trains at Fox Chase also caused problems. Conrail motormen were still chafing at SEPTA's choice to operate the Fox Chase-Newtown segment with transit workers. Missed connections at Fox Chase were frequent, as Conrail motormen intentionally departed early when they spotted the RDCs from Newtown approach the station. SEPTA only allowed for a four-minute window for the transfer at Fox Chase, and frustrated riders fled the ailing line.
Only one round trip between Newtown and Fox Chase was made on January 14, 1983, the final day of service. As the train approached Newtown Station, crew members discovered that a major component of the braking system had become dislodged at Bethayres. The maintenance crew took the last working train out of service and buses were called in to protect the schedule. Without operable RDC trains, all service was suspended on a temporary basis.
Since the last train operated in 1983, proposals from both private operators (i.e. Thomas E. Dyer Inc., Rail Easton, Transrail Inc., W.R. Allen, Railroad Construction Co., Railway Management Co.) and SEPTA to restore service have floated throughout the county circles. Nearly all proposals have been for resumed train service as a traditional commuter railroad vs. a transit operation.
Fox Chase (SEPTA station)
Fox Chase is the current terminus of SEPTA's Fox Chase Line. It is located just west of the intersection of Rhawn Street and Rockwell Avenue in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania...
and Newtown, Pennsylvania
Newtown (SEPTA station)
Newtown is a closed station and terminus of SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line located on Penn Street in Newtown Borough, Pennsylvania.-History:In the railroad's original plans, the line was to continue to the north, but this expansion was never built. Newtown Station was built in 1873 and torn down in...
ended on January 14, 1983 mainly due to the failing train equipment (known as Budd Rail Diesel Cars
Budd Rail Diesel Car
The Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
or "RDC") SEPTA inherited from the bankrupt Reading Company
Reading Company
The Reading Company , usually called the Reading Railroad, officially the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road and then the Philadelphia and Reading Railway until 1924, operated in southeast Pennsylvania and neighboring states...
that they had little interest in maintaining or operating. The line is currently known as the dormant section of SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line
Fox Chase Line
The Fox Chase Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail system.Originally known as the Fox Chase/Newtown Branch, service was truncated in January 1983 from Newtown to its current terminus in Philadelphia at Fox Chase due to unreliable train equipment and low ridership...
: it is not officially abandoned nor railbanked
Rail trail
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...
.
Railroad operations
In 1976, several bankrupt railroads in the Northeast U.S.Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
sold their interests to the newly government-created Consolidated Rail Corporation
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
(Conrail). As that time, SEPTA agreed to purchase to Reading Company's Newtown, Doylestown and Chestnut Hill branches while Conrail would perform commuter operations. By 1980, Conrail wanted to be relieved of its money-losing commuter rail operations in order to survive financially. The Reagan Administration agreed with Conrail, and granted the operator permission to exit the commuter business on January 1, 1983. Commuter railroad employees and operations became the sole responsibility of local transit agencies. Several newly-formed transit agencies were created from this decision, such as Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
, New Jersey Transit Rail Operations
New Jersey Transit rail operations
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of New Jersey Transit. It provides regional rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered around transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark...
, and MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
. Other regions utilized existing transit agencies to perform the commuter services, such as the MBTA
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
and SEPTA.
City Transit personnel
In anticipation of SEPTA operating all electrified Philadelphia commuter lines by 1983 (as well as already the majority of them), they decided to experiment with operating railroad lines using City Transit Division operators instead of traditional railroad workers as a cost-saving measure. As SEPTA had never run a commuter railroad before (Conrail operated the lines on SEPTA's behalf since 1976), management believed that utilizing transit operators would work just as easily, an opinion shared by City Transit personnel as well.SEPTA also opted to utilize the City Transit personnel, in part, as a bargaining ploy by which SEPTA was faced with reaching contract agreements with the railroad unions in conjunction with the January 1, 1983 takeover of the electrified commuter trains from Conrail. SEPTA's goal was to prove that, if necessary, it could operate the commuter rail system as a rapid transit operation (like a subway rather than a traditional railroad) and potentially did not need the railroad unions.
Because the Fox Chase-Newtown line was operated as a transit operation, it could not travel directly to Reading Terminal
Reading Terminal
The Reading Terminal is a complex of buildings located in the Market East section of Center City in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
; passengers enroute to Reading Terminal had to transfer to the Conrail-operated train at Fox Chase.
Rehab
In July 1981, SEPTA shut down the Fox Chase-Newtown segment of the line, ending direct service to Reading Terminal. SEPTA also terminated its contract with Conrail to operate freight service on the line, despite protests from existing freight customers along the line (James River Corporation in Southampton and Frost Watson Lumber in Newtown). Approximately $650,000 was invested in the line for upgrades and repairs. Rusting grade crossing signals and wayside signals dating from the Reading Company era were repainted and wooden ties and rails were upgraded. In the interim, SEPTA received permission from Pennsylvania Governor Dick ThornburghDick Thornburgh
Richard Lewis "Dick" Thornburgh is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 41st Governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987, and then as the U.S...
to terminate all diesel-hauled commuter services on July 27, 1981, ending service to Reading
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
, Pottsville
Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Pottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north-west of Philadelphia...
, Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
and Quakertown
Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Quakertown is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,979. The borough is south of Bethlehem and north of Philadelphia, making Quakertown a border town of both the Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley metropolitan areas...
. This, in turn, freed up operable RDCs for operations on the Fox Chase-Newtown line.
Start of Service
SEPTA initiated operation of the Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line on Monday, October 5, 1981. Branded as Route HS-1, SEPTA's chose to utilize TWU Local 234 union employees from the Broad Street SubwayBroad Street Line
The Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia...
. As the subway operators had no experience operating traditional railroad equipment, SEPTA enrolled the union in a six-week training course over the summer to bring the staff up to speed operationally. SEPTA also increased service dramatically along the line. Under Reading Railroad and Conrail auspices, service was minimal, with no more than four round trips between Newtown and Reading Terminal. The new transit operation allowed the Fox Chase-Newtown segment eight round trips, the most the line would ever see.
The timetable explained SEPTA's reasoning for operating the line as a transit operation in the time, by saying, "The cost of operating rail diesel service is excessive. In order to preserve the line between Fox Chase and Newtown, SEPTA had to come up with a way to make it affordable. Because the line is now a transit operation—as compared to a commuter railroad line—we are no longer required to pay unneeded employees to run trains with too many cars. Crew sizes and train lengths have been cut in half while the service level has been maintained, and a midday train added. This is a pioneer service." SEPTA concluded by saying the operation was a "pioneer service" and "the first operation of its kind in the United States."
The initial transition to transit operators did not go smoothly. SEPTA's attempt to eventually operate the entire commuter rail system using TWU employees instead of Conrail union employees met with hostility on the first day of operations. The 6:25 am departure from Newtown never left the station due to Conrail protesters blocking sections of the line. The following 7:43 am departure was delayed 30 minutes, resulting in six protesters being arrested at Fox Chase Station.
Fire at Southampton
On Saturday, January 2, 1982, a single-car train collided with an ARCOARCO
Atlantic Richfield Company is an oil company with operations in the United States as well as in Indonesia, the North Sea, and the South China Sea. It has more than 1,300 gas stations in the western part of the United States. ARCO was originally formed by the merger of East Coast-based Atlantic...
gasoline tanker truck at the Second Street Pike crossing next to Southampton Station
Southampton (SEPTA station)
Southampton is a derelict station located along SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line located on Second Street Pike near Knowles Avenue in Upper Southampton, Pennsylvania.-History:...
. SEPTA motorman Donald Williams was severely burned in the accident and died several days later. The accident caused flames to shoot fifty feet in the air and created a plume of black smoke visible for miles. Photographs from the fire indicate the crossing signal equipment was working properly, with lights flashing as flames shot into the air.
The Federal Railroad Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
later determined that SEPTA did not follow proper safety standards by running single-car RDC trains that were not intended to operate as single units. Members of Conrail unions who had protested in October 1981 had told the press that SEPTA was not experienced in operating commuter trains and predicted that an accident would occur. The unions also advised that all but two RDC units had to be run in sets of two in order for the crossing signal equipment to activate properly in anticipation on an oncoming train (Conrail had used four-person crews to operate the RDC trains). The two RDCs that could operate as one-car trains were car numbers 9151 and 9152, which were specially equipped with "excitation", an electronic device which assured shunting of track circuits when operated as a one-car train. Car number 9164, which was not equipped with "excitation", was involved in the fiery crash and did not activate the crossing circuits at the proper time. The flashing lights did, however, eventually activate by the time the train entered the Second Street Pike crossing.
SEPTA cut the number of cars and operators in half, and operated all trains as single-car units. David Gunn ordered additional safety precautions, and replaced the aged Reading Company railroad crossing warning devices with crossing gates and new flashing lights. As a result of the fire, SEPTA relented and operated the RDC units in groups of two moving forward and had to run shuttle buses
Bustitution
The word bustitution is a neologism sometimes used to describe the practice of replacing a passenger train service with a bus service either on a temporary or permanent basis. The word is a portmanteau of the words "bus" and "substitution"...
in place of trains for approximately one week after the incident.
Old Jordan Road
In September 1982, an additional street crossing accident occurred when a motorist traveling on Old Jordan Road in Holland attempted the cross the tracks despite the approaching train. The crossing at this site was not equipped with flashing lights at the time. Observers of the accident stated that the motorist was playing his radio quite loud and more than likely did not hear the train whistle. SEPTA added lights and crossing gates one week after the accident.Operational issues
The Fox Chase Rapid Transit Line had several operational issues when it first begun. The 17 RDC units operating on the line were in deplorable condition after years of deferred maintenance courtesy of PennDOTPennsylvania Department of Transportation
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation oversees transportation issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The administrator of PennDOT is the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation, currently Barry Schoch Presently, PennDOT supports over of state roads and highways, about 25,000...
, the Reading Company and Conrail. SEPTA's inexperience with operating a railroad lead to them being reactive to performance problems. As the RDCs failed, motormen were instructed to feed the units excessive amounts of oil, resulting in the destruction of head gaskets on the engines. Since only one set of 2-car RDC units operated on the line at any given time, SEPTA assumed that losing a few derelict surplus units would not greatly hamper service.
In addition, the RDCs also lacked working air conditioning. Motormen often operated the RDCs with the front doors wide open for better air circulation, but the summer of 1982 was a humid one. Sweat-drenched riders opted for the nearby electrified Warminster Line
Warminster Line
The Warminster Line is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail commuter rail. It serves stations between its namesake town, Warminster, and Center City, Philadelphia...
and West Trenton Line
West Trenton Line (SEPTA)
The West Trenton Line is a SEPTA Regional Rail line connecting Center City Philadelphia to West Trenton, New Jersey.-Route:The West Trenton Line connects Center City, Philadelphia with the West Trenton section of Ewing, New Jersey...
, which offered direct service to Reading Terminal in climate controlled cars.
SEPTA was also left without a proper facility to service the ailing RDC units. Originally, trains were serviced at the Reading Company shops at their Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading is a city in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, and seat of Berks County. Reading is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area and had a population of 88,082 as of the 2010 census, making it the fifth most populated city in the state after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie,...
base. With Conrail closing the shops in 1981, SEPTA was left without a maintenance location, resulting in makeshift oil changes being performed at Newtown Station
Newtown (SEPTA station)
Newtown is a closed station and terminus of SEPTA's Fox Chase/Newtown Line located on Penn Street in Newtown Borough, Pennsylvania.-History:In the railroad's original plans, the line was to continue to the north, but this expansion was never built. Newtown Station was built in 1873 and torn down in...
in the presence of passengers.
Changing trains at Fox Chase also caused problems. Conrail motormen were still chafing at SEPTA's choice to operate the Fox Chase-Newtown segment with transit workers. Missed connections at Fox Chase were frequent, as Conrail motormen intentionally departed early when they spotted the RDCs from Newtown approach the station. SEPTA only allowed for a four-minute window for the transfer at Fox Chase, and frustrated riders fled the ailing line.
End of service
Service continued throughout the early winter of 1982. SEPTA began to lose operable RDC units as each set failed. By January 1983, 15 of the 17 RDCs were sidelined due to mechanical problems. Aside from the rush hour, most train service was supplied by a shuttle bus, leading even the most dedicated riders fleeing the line.Only one round trip between Newtown and Fox Chase was made on January 14, 1983, the final day of service. As the train approached Newtown Station, crew members discovered that a major component of the braking system had become dislodged at Bethayres. The maintenance crew took the last working train out of service and buses were called in to protect the schedule. Without operable RDC trains, all service was suspended on a temporary basis.
Since the last train operated in 1983, proposals from both private operators (i.e. Thomas E. Dyer Inc., Rail Easton, Transrail Inc., W.R. Allen, Railroad Construction Co., Railway Management Co.) and SEPTA to restore service have floated throughout the county circles. Nearly all proposals have been for resumed train service as a traditional commuter railroad vs. a transit operation.