Darby Creek Railroad Bridges

In 1873, the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad (P&R) extended its reach southward by leasing 10.2 miles of track from the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad (PW&B), which became its Philadelphia & Chester Branch. ^[2] It extended from the Gray’s Ferry Bridge across the Schuylkill River in West Philadelphia to Ridley Creek in Ridley Park in Delaware County. ^[3]

The segment was part of the PW&B’s original 1838 line. In 1872, the company opened a new stretch of track further inland to serve more populated areas and reduce flooding incidents. On July 1, 1873, the PW&B agreed to lease the freight rights to the P&R for $350,000 at the time of the lease arrangement and $1 per year after that, stipulating that no passenger trains would use it. ^[4]

In a bid to simplify the corporate structure, the P&R ceased operations in 1924, with the Reading Company taking over operations. ^[5]

In 1916, the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad merged with several other lines to form the Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad (PB&W), which was controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). ^[1] The following year, the PB&W constructed its Chester & Philadelphia Branch to accommodate growing industrial traffic along the Delaware River, driven by economic expansion before and after World War I.

The P&R and PB&W crossed the Darby River on similar two-track bascule bridges with overhead counterweight designs. Both were likely designed by the Strauss Bascule Bridge Company of Chicago, founded by Joseph B. Strauss, who patented the bascule bridge. ^[1] The Bethlehem Steel Company of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, constructed the bridges. Each bridge featured five 42.8-foot deck girder approach spans, resulting in a total length of 283.2 feet and a deck width of 26 feet. They provided a 50-foot-wide navigable channel and rested four feet above high water when closed.

The bridges were staffed by full-time operators until 1949. ^[1]

Later Developments

In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) merged with the New York Central Railroad to form the Penn Central Railroad (PC). Although the Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington Railroad (PB&W) remained a separate legal entity, Penn Central effectively controlled and operated it.

Penn Central declared bankruptcy in 1970, followed by the Reading Company filing for bankruptcy in 1971. ^[6]

In 1976, both companies sold their railroad assets to the Consolidated Railroad Corporation (Conrail) under the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act. Conrail utilized the PB&W right-of-way between Philadelphia and Washington, while most of the former P&R right-of-way, which generally paralleled the PB&W, was abandoned and its tracks removed.

Today, CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern Railway jointly operate the southernmost Darby Creek Railroad Bridge, while the northernmost crossing is abandoned.