The Lehigh Valley Transit Company (LVT) was a regional transport company that was headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania . The company began operations in 1901, as an urban trolley and interurban rail transport company. It operated successfully into the 1930s, but struggled financially during the Great Depression , and was saved from abandonment by a dramatic ridership increase during and following World War II .
166-633: In 1951, LVT once again financially struggled, and ended its 36-mile (58 km) interurban rail service from Allentown to Philadelphia . In 1952, it ended its Allentown-area local trolley service. It operated local bus service in the Allentown, Bethlehem , and Easton areas in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania until ultimately going out of business in 1972. Public transport in Allentown, Pennsylvania , began on May 21, 1868, when
332-609: A Kugel ball , which is a 2,200 lb (1,000 kg) dark grey granite sphere supported by a very thin film of water pumped from beneath its base. The Kugel Ball is located in Railroad Plaza, adjacent to the SEPTA Lansdale/Doylestown Line train station in downtown Lansdale. The plaza consists of a bricked patio with benches centered on the Kugel Ball and closes at 11:00 pm. An annual 5k race
498-743: A 24-hour particle pollution rating of D in the American Lung Association 's 2017 State of the Air report, which analyzed data from 2013 to 2015. The city was ranked 22nd for ozone, 20th for short-term particle pollution, and 11th for year-round particle pollution. According to the same report, the city experienced a significant reduction in high ozone days since 2001—from nearly 50 days per year to fewer than 10—along with fewer days of high particle pollution since 2000—from about 19 days per year to about 3—and an approximate 30% reduction in annual levels of particle pollution since 2000. Five of
664-495: A bachelor's degree or higher. 23.9% spoke a language other than English at home, the most common of which was Spanish (10.8%). 15.0% of the populations foreign born, roughly half of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens. 3.7% of the population are veterans. The median household income was $ 52,889 and 22.8% of the population lived in poverty. 49.5% of the population drove alone to work, while 23.2% used public transit, 8.2% carpooled, 7.9% walked, and 7.0% worked from home. The average commute
830-486: A beer garden, and local events like scavenger hunts or food drives. Every September Lansdale is home to Bike Night, where thousands of motorcyclists gather. The Rock Den was a music store that hosted weekly open mic nights and shows. It was located in the former Stuart’s music building that has been home to a music store since the 1940s. Another popular local venue was the Underground at Round Guys. In 2022,
996-578: A bleak future lay ahead. Expenses of maintaining a rail line were high. Along with rolling stock and track, LVT had to maintain AC to DC power conversion rotary converter substations along its line to generate 600 Volt DC trolley power from locally provided AC power. In 1951, it had an aging car fleet, had to pay all costs to maintain roadbed, track, drainage systems, stations, other buildings, trolley catenary, bridges, and snow removal. And it paid local property taxes. Revenues were not keeping up with expenses and
1162-454: A block with semaphore signaling at those sidings. Each larger town had a depot with a waiting room and a ticket agent plus facilities to handle trolley freight. South from its downtown Allentown terminal, the LVT's Philadelphia Division served Coopersburg , Zionhill , Brick Tavern , Quakertown , Perkasie , Sellersville , Telford , Souderton , Hatfield , Lansdale , and Norristown . Much of
1328-403: A budget of $ 371 million. The Philadelphia Parking Authority is responsible for ensuring adequate parking for city residents, businesses, and visitors. Philadelphia's architectural history dates back to colonial times and includes a wide range of styles. The earliest structures were constructed with logs , but brick structures were common by 1700. During the 18th century, the cityscape
1494-474: A city on the Delaware River to serve as a port and place for government. Hoping that Philadelphia would become more like an English rural town instead of a city, Penn laid out roads on a grid plan to keep houses and businesses spread far apart with areas for gardens and orchards . The city's inhabitants did not follow Penn's plans, however, and instead crowded the present-day Port of Philadelphia on
1660-543: A documentary "Lansdale, Then, Now and Forever" was released about the local music scene. Directed by Jason Zoblin. Classic Game Junkie opened an arcade in 2022. As of 2010 there were 46.25 miles (74.43 km) of public roads in Lansdale, of which 3.29 miles (5.29 km) were maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 42.96 miles (69.14 km) were maintained by
1826-472: A fire due to 1004's malfunctioning electric car heater at Philadelphia and Western's King Manor station. The fire also burned the station. Car 55 arrived on the LVT property in IRR's bright traction orange paint scheme and LVT's Fairview shopmen humorously labeled it the "Golden Calf." The shop crew changed the former parlor seating to coach seating and repainted the exterior with LVT's white with red trim (called by
SECTION 10
#17327944228341992-414: A following section, for the usual "two-toot" greeting that passing cars often signaled to each other. Alternatively, he may have been preoccupied in conversation with people in the front vestibule. Alongside DeKalb Pike ( US 202 ), the 1003 accelerated and rounded a curve where visibility was limited by track-side vegetation. 1003 rammed head-on into moving freight motor C14. The heavier C14 "telescoped" into
2158-497: A grid pattern between the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers that is aligned with their courses. The original city plan was designed to allow for easy travel and to keep residences separated by open space that would help prevent the spread of fire. In keeping with the idea of a "Greene Countrie Towne", and inspired by the many types of trees that grew in the region, Penn named many of the east–west streets for local trees. Penn planned
2324-716: A growth in its population in 2007, which continued with incremental annual increases through the present. A migration pattern has been established from New York City to Philadelphia by residents opting for a large city with relative proximity and a lower cost of living . Philadelphia's geographic center is about 40° 0′ 34″ north latitude and 75° 8′ 0″ west longitude. The 40th parallel north passes through neighborhoods in Northeast Philadelphia , North Philadelphia , and West Philadelphia including Fairmount Park . The city encompasses 142.71 square miles (369.62 km ), of which 134.18 square miles (347.52 km )
2490-531: A heavier Commonwealth truck design was adopted to allow more stability at speed. The IRR operated multiple car coupled trains from Indianapolis south to Louisville , so the new IRR lightweights had couplers and a rounded rear end, unlike the Red Devil's squared rear end. The round end allowed coupled car operation around tight curves in town streets. IRR abandoned operations in 1941, and LVT purchased IRR parlor car #55 to replace former Red Devil car 1004 lost in
2656-849: A horse-car line was placed in operation between the Black Bear Hotel at 9th and Hamilton Streets in Center City Allentown and the Lehigh Valley Railroad Depot at 3rd and Hamilton Streets. The transition from horsepower to electric power began in 1891, when the Allentown-Bethlehem Rapid Transit Company erected a powerhouse at Front and Linden Streets in the First Ward near the Lehigh River . In 1893,
2822-631: A joint effort between former mayors John F. Street and Michael Nutter . The zoning changes were intended to rectify incorrect zoning maps to facilitate future community development, as the city forecasts an additional 100,000 residents and 40,000 jobs will be added by 2035. The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) is the largest landlord in Pennsylvania. Established in 1937, the PHA is the nation's fourth-largest housing authority, serving about 81,000 people with affordable housing, while employing 1,400 on
2988-610: A moderately sunny climate with an average of 2,498 hours of sunshine annually. The percentage of sunshine ranges from 47% in December to 61% in June, July, and August. The January daily average temperature is 33.7 °F (0.9 °C). The temperature frequently rises to 50 °F (10 °C) during thaws. July averages 78.7 °F (25.9 °C). Heat waves accompanied by high humidity and heat indices are frequent, with highs reaching or exceeding 90 °F (32 °C) on 30 days of
3154-485: A motorman might pick up his car at 6th and Hamilton from the motorman arriving from Norristown, or an exchange could occur at 8th and St. John where the Allentown shop lead tied into the main line to 69th Street, Philadelphia. Before 1949, when LVT trolleys arrived at Norristown from Allentown, trolley poles were pulled down and secured, car power was switched from trolley to third rail, and the trip continued to 69th Street Terminal just outside Philadelphia (Upper Darby) over
3320-517: A newly-formed Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Traction Company under Johnson merged these lines and others in the Lehigh and Delaware Valleys with the plan of creating a trolley system to reach north to New York City . But Johnson died later that year, and the company fell into receivership in 1903. A 35-mile Allentown to the Chestnut Hill trolley service started the same year. Connection with
3486-411: A single dispatched "train." Climbing the grade in the wooded area approaching Old Bethlehem Pike near Three Mile Run road, the first car, 1030, disengaged from the trolley wire, lost its lights, and drifted to a stop. The second car, 1001, rounded a curve and rear ended the stalled and dark 1030. The accident could have been prevented if the motorman had flagged behind his car rather than attempt to recatch
SECTION 20
#17327944228343652-471: A steel bridge north of Hatfield known as Gehman Trestle. When LVT started improving the original route, they installed blade-style block signals at track sidings where opposing cars would pass, purchased the faster 800 class heavy, wood, arch-windowed interurban cars from Jewett Car Company , and set up railroad-style dispatching. With these changes, local service using the St. Louis cars and express service using
3818-435: A third of the passenger car which was en route from Philadelphia to Allentown, Pa., with a rush-hour load. Several of the injured were reported in critical condition at Norristown hospitals. A Philadelphia Red Cross unit, which rushed blood plasma for transfusions, was credited with saving six lives. The AP story then listed both the deceased and the injured and where the injured were taken for medical treatment. The motorman of
3984-878: A time, row houses built elsewhere in the United States were known as "Philadelphia rows". A variety of row houses are found throughout the city, from Federal-style continuous blocks in Old City and Society Hill to Victorian-style homes in North Philadelphia to twin row houses in West Philadelphia . While newer homes have been built recently, much of the housing dates to the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, which has created problems such as urban decay and vacant lots. Some neighborhoods, including Northern Liberties and Society Hill, have been rehabilitated through gentrification . As of 2014 ,
4150-596: A total area of 3.1 square miles (8.0 km ), all land. It has a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) and the hardiness zone is 7a. The average monthly temperature ranges from 30.2 °F in January to 74.7 °F in July. The average annual absolute minimum temperature is -0.4 °F. As of the 2010 census, the borough was 75.9% White, 5.9% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 13.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian, and 2.7% were two or more races. 4.4% of
4316-657: A town in Finland with a Swedish majority. In 1655, a Dutch military campaign led by New Netherland Director-General Peter Stuyvesant took control of the Swedish colony, ending its claim to independence. The Swedish and Finnish people settlers continued to have their own militia , religion, and court, and to enjoy substantial autonomy under the Dutch. An English fleet captured the New Netherland colony in 1664, though
4482-635: Is North Penn High School in Towamencin Township . The borough is also home to Mater Dei Catholic School of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia . It was formerly home to St. Stanislaus School. In January 2012, the archdiocese announced that St. Rose of Lima School in North Wales would be merging with St. Stanislaus, with students attending classes in Lansdale at St. Stanislaus. The newly combined school
4648-480: Is 31 minutes. Lansdale, Pennsylvania Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania , United States. It is a densely-populated commuter town , with many residents traveling daily to Philadelphia using SEPTA Regional Rail 's Lansdale/Doylestown Line . In the year 1900, 2,754 people lived here; in 1910, 3,551; and in 1940, 9,316 people were inhabitants of Lansdale. The population
4814-482: Is held in June, accordingly named the Kugel Ball race, which starts and ends at the actual Kugel Ball in Railroad Plaza. The Lansdale Borough Hometown Heroes Banner Program is a living tribute created for the community to recognize and honor Lansdale Veterans who are serving or are veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the borough has
4980-466: Is highly variable. Some winters have only light snow while others include major snowstorms. The normal seasonal snowfall averages 22.4 in (57 cm), with rare snowfalls in November or April, and rarely any sustained snow cover. Seasonal snowfall accumulation has ranged from trace amounts in 1972–73, to 78.7 inches (200 cm) in the winter of 2009–10. The city's heaviest single-storm snowfall
5146-492: Is home to five Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. Metropolitan Philadelphia ranks as one of the Big Five U.S. venture capital hubs, facilitated by its geographic proximity to both the entrepreneurial and financial ecosystems of New York City and to the federal regulatory environment of Washington, D.C. Greater Philadelphia is also a biotechnology hub. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange , owned by Nasdaq since 2008,
Lehigh Valley Transit Company - Misplaced Pages Continue
5312-603: Is land and 8.53 square miles (22.09 km ), or 6%, is water. Natural bodies of water include the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, lakes in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park , and Cobbs , Wissahickon , and Pennypack creeks. The largest artificial body of water is East Park Reservoir in Fairmount Park . The lowest point is sea level and the highest point is in Chestnut Hill , about 446 feet (136 m) above sea level on Summit Street near
5478-815: Is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, as part of a growing trolley and interurban collection. The LVT distinguished itself in the transit industry with its 1938-1940 rehabilitation program and the stars of the modernization were the thirteen ex-Cincinnati and Lake Erie high speed former "Red Devils." They were extensively modified by the LVT and were renumbered the 1000 and the 1020 series. This acquisition and rehabilitation probably saved LVT from an earlier abandonment. These well designed interurbans dramatically improved passenger comfort with quick acceleration and high speed capability even with poor track, which improved schedules and service, and they used less electric power than their predecessors. LVT ridership increased, and then with
5644-532: Is located to the west of the borough in Towamencin Township and connects to PA 63. Lansdale is served by SEPTA Regional Rail 's Lansdale/Doylestown Line via Lansdale station in downtown, the Pennbrook station in the southern part of the borough, and the 9th Street station in the northern part of the borough, with service to Center City Philadelphia and Doylestown along with intermediate points. Three SEPTA Suburban Division bus routes serve Lansdale:
5810-495: Is now preserved and operating at the Seashore Trolley Museum . A typical daily run for an early morning LVT car operator began at Allentown's Fairview car barn and coach yard (now a park) where he picked up his assigned equipment, usually a lightweight 1000-series car, and took it eight residential blocks on a single track along Lehigh, Cumberland, Lumber, and St. John Streets to 8th Street where he switched onto
5976-606: Is now the Trolley Station cafe. Inside this cafe there are photographs of LVT equipment and locations plus a 1938 weekend schedule. South of this building the former LVT right-of-way, including an original 1916 culvert, is now the Liberty Bell Trail for walking and biking. A right of way culvert and pole line are at Koffel Street close to the end of Squirrel Lane where the LVT entered Lansdale. Wales Junction: The original 1900 LVT trolley line to Chestnut Hill and
6142-501: Is often ranked as the nation's best city for professional sports fans. The city has a culturally and philanthropically active LGBTQ+ community . Philadelphia also has played an immensely influential historic and ongoing role in the development and evolution of American music, especially R&B , soul , and rock . As of 2022 , the Philadelphia metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of US$ 518.5 billion and
6308-598: Is one of the largest contiguous urban park areas in the U.S. The two parks, along with the Colonial Revival , Georgian and Federal -style mansions in them, have been listed as one entity on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. Within the Köppen climate classification , Philadelphia falls under the northern periphery of the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen Cfa ). Within
6474-510: Is provided by PECO Energy Company. The North Penn Water Authority provides water to Lansdale and some surrounding areas. Sewer service in Lansdale is provided by the borough, which operates a wastewater treatment facility. Trash and recycling collection in Lansdale is provided by contracts with private haulers, although the borough has plans for a single hauler serving all residents. Jefferson Health–Abington operates Jefferson Lansdale Hospital, which serves Lansdale and surrounding areas in
6640-433: Is the nation's oldest stock exchange and a global leader in options trading. 30th Street Station , the city's primary rail station, is the third-busiest Amtrak hub in the nation, and the city's multimodal transportation and logistics infrastructure also includes Philadelphia International Airport , a major transatlantic gateway and transcontinental hub; the rapidly-growing PhilaPort seaport ; and Interstate 95 ,
6806-456: The 2020 U.S. Census , there were 1,603,797 people residing in Philadelphia, representing a 1.2% increase from the 2019 census estimate. The racial composition of the city was 39.3% Black alone (42.0% Black alone or in combination), 36.3% White alone (41.9% White alone or in combination), 8.7% Asian alone, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 8.7% some other race, and 6.9% multiracial. 14.9% of residents were Hispanic or Latino. 34.8% had
Lehigh Valley Transit Company - Misplaced Pages Continue
6972-848: The Battle of Brandywine in Chadds Ford Township , on September 11, 1777, during the Philadelphia campaign , the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia was defenseless and the city prepared for what was perceived to be an inevitable British attack. Because bells could easily be recast into munitions, the Liberty Bell , then known as the Pennsylvania State Bell, and bells from two Philadelphia churches, Christ Church and St. Peter's Church , were hastily taken down and transported by heavily guarded wagon train out of
7138-624: The British Army , which was then the world's most powerful military force. Since the Declaration's July 4, 1776, adoption, its signing has been cited globally and repeatedly by various peoples of the world seeking independence and liberty. It also has been, since its adoption, the basis for annual celebration by Americans; in 1938, this celebration of the Declaration was formalized as Independence Day , one of only eleven designated U.S. federal holidays . After George Washington 's defeat at
7304-614: The Delaware River watershed , western Long Island , and the Lower Hudson Valley . Most Lenape were pushed out of the region during the 18th century by expanding European colonies, exacerbated by losses from intertribal conflicts. Lenape communities were weakened by newly introduced diseases, mainly smallpox , and conflict with Europeans. The Iroquois occasionally fought the Lenape. Surviving Lenape moved west into
7470-684: The Eastern Mediterranean during the Greek and Roman periods, including modern Alaşehir , mentioned as the site of an early Christian congregation in the Book of Revelation . As a Quaker , Penn had experienced religious persecution and wanted his colony to be a place where anyone could worship freely. This tolerance, which exceeded that of other colonies, led to better relations with the local native tribes and fostered Philadelphia's rapid growth into America's most important city. Penn planned
7636-583: The Great Migration from the South . By the 20th century, Philadelphia had an entrenched Republican political machine and a complacent population. In 1910, a general strike shut down the entire city. In 1917, following outrage over the election-year murder of a Philadelphia police officer, led to the shrinking of the City Council from two houses to just one. In July 1919, Philadelphia
7802-425: The Philadelphia and Western Railroad south of Norristown. Service on the former Inland Traction route runs from North Wales to the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia continued until 1926, and the route between central Quakertown and Richlandtown ran until 1929, both replaced by bus. The LVT and P&W both reorganized during the next twenty years (LVT twice), but trolleys continued to operate and compete with
7968-851: The Route 94 connects the southern part of Lansdale with the Montgomery Mall and Chestnut Hill , the Route 96 connects Lansdale with the Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown , and the Route 132 connects the borough with the Montgomery Mall and Telford . Lansdale is the headquarters of the Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad , a short-line freight railroad . The Pennsylvania Northeastern Railroad operates
8134-698: The Second Continental Congress , which adopted the Declaration of Independence in what was then called the Pennsylvania State House and was later renamed Independence Hall. Historian Joseph Ellis , in 2007, described the Declaration of Independence, written predominantly by Thomas Jefferson , as "the most potent and consequential words in American history," and its adoption represented a declaration of war against
8300-529: The Springfield -to- Media end of the present day 100-year-old Upper Darby Township-to-Media former Red Arrow trolley line, which is now SEPTA's Media–Sharon Hill Line , has some of these same characteristics. The Philadelphia Division Liberty Bell Line, which provided service from Allentown to Philadelphia, was an overhead wire-powered single-track high-speed trolley operation with frequent passing sidings to provide opposing car operation. Each siding defined
8466-480: The Trewartha climate classification , Philadelphia has a temperate maritime climate ( Do ) limited to the north by the continental climate ( Dc ). Summers are typically hot and muggy. Fall and spring are generally mild, and winter is moderately cold. The plant life hardiness zones are 7a and 7b, reflecting an average annual extreme minimum temperature between 0 and 10 °F (−18 and −12 °C). Snowfall
SECTION 50
#17327944228348632-448: The world's 54th-largest urban park . Philadelphia is known for its arts, culture , cuisine , and colonial and Revolutionary-era history; in 2016, it attracted 42 million domestic tourists who spent $ 6.8 billion, representing $ 11 billion in economic impact to the city and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties. With five professional sports teams and one of the nation's most loyal and passionate fan bases, Philadelphia
8798-490: The 1980s. Historic areas such as Old City and Society Hill were renovated during the reformist mayoral era of the 1950s through the 1980s, making both areas among the most desirable Center City neighborhoods. Immigrants from around the world began to enter the U.S. through Philadelphia as their gateway, leading to a reversal of the city's population decline between 1950 and 2000, during which it lost about 25 percent of its residents. Philadelphia eventually began experiencing
8964-665: The 2 square miles (5.2 km ) of Center City to the roughly 134 square miles (350 km ) of Philadelphia County . In the latter half of the 19th century and leading into the 20th century, immigrants from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Italy, and African Americans from the southern U.S. settled in the city. Philadelphia was represented by the Washington Grays in the American Civil War . The African-American population of Philadelphia increased from 31,699 to 219,559 between 1880 and 1930, largely stemming from
9130-527: The 72nd Street Freight House in Philadelphia . LVT needed to maintain interurban cars, streetcars, freight trolleys, and line maintenance equipment such as the overhead wire car and the snow sweepers. LVT's primary car storage yard and major shop was the Fairview barn southwest of downtown Allentown . Tracks to Fairview left the main line just south of the 8th Street bridge on St. John Street, ran to Lumber Street, turned south on Lumber to Cumberland, then into
9296-671: The Allentown and Lehigh Valley Traction Company was created by investor Albert Johnson through the combination of a group of local streetcar lines. In 1898, Quakertown Traction Company operated electric trolleys from Richlandtown in Bucks County, Pennsylvania , through Quakertown to Perkasie . By 1900, the Inland Traction Company ran south from Perkasie to Lansdale , and the Montgomery Traction Company ran from there to Norristown . In 1901,
9462-511: The Delaware River and subdivided and resold their lots. Before Penn left Philadelphia for the final time, he issued the Charter of 1701 establishing it as a city. Though poor at first, Philadelphia became an important trading center with tolerable living conditions by the 1750s. Benjamin Franklin , a leading citizen, helped improve city services and founded new ones that were among the first in
9628-584: The Expresses and ran Allentown to Center Valley at the north end and Hatfield to Norristown at the south end. With four cars operational at any given time, one southbound-northbound limited meet was normally at Marshall siding in Norristown and the other at Nace Siding in open country just north of Souderton and the Souderton carbarn. The Reading Railroad's Bethelehem Branch from Philadelphia served many of
9794-608: The LVT a dramatic "Picador Cream and Mountain Ash Scarlet") and numbered it LVT 1030. It stood out from its former C&LE Red Devil brothers by having more tapered front windows and the round rear end. LVT also replaced the IR Commonwealth trucks with the Cincinnati Car Company's ABC-74D trucks (bogies) salvaged from the 1004. They retained the interior club arrangement, but installed a refrigerator at
9960-421: The LVT motorman began his return trip to Allentown. A motorman's normal day was two round trips. Obviously if there had been any delays with cars operating in either direction or the need for a defective car replacement (for example, at the Souderton carbarn by standby 1912 wood coach 812) his work day would be extended into overtime. An operator was required to wait until relieved. At the normal midday shift change,
10126-410: The LVT route from Allentown to Perkasie was along today's now rural Old Bethlehem Pike, although portions of the route were in open countryside. See the Google interactive LVT route map noted in the Bibliography. In Norristown, its third-rail-equipped cars continued on the high-speed Philadelphia and Western Railroad to the 69th Street Terminal , Upper Darby terminus, which was the western terminus of
SECTION 60
#173279442283410292-532: The LVT was less expensive for frugal riders and made many more village, local, and roadside stops. Some patrons would ride the Reading, for example, from downtown Philadelphia to Lansdale, then walk across the street to the LVT station to catch the interurban home. As was customary for interurban trolleys, the LVT Philadelphia Division ran fast in open country, but once in a village or town it slowly progressed down streets, made frequent stops, and navigated sharp streetcar-like turns at intersections. In particular, there
10458-419: The LVT's 1000 Series Liberty Bell interurbans, the former Cincinnati and Lake Erie acquisitions. Perkasie: The columned former LVT trolley station with its car siding on Perkasie 's Walnut Street now houses the Perkasie Historical Society. It has been beautifully restored. A block north of this is the trolley tunnel under the Reading Railroad 's line to Bethlehem. Further north one hundred yards (91 m) are
10624-538: The Lansdale Yard in the borough and provides freight rail service out of Lansdale to several points in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia on SEPTA-owned lines. The railroad interchanges with CSX Transportation in Lansdale. Lansdale Electric, owned by the borough, provides electricity to most of Lansdale, with portions of the borough receiving electricity from PECO Energy Company , a subsidiary of Exelon . The borough's electric department purchases its electricity from American Municipal Power. Natural gas in Lansdale
10790-405: The Lehigh Valley Transit Company survived as a Pennsylvania corporation as a bus company until its dissolution on March 19, 1974. Though the Allentown-Philadelphia interurban line was abandoned in 1951, some former stations still exist, and much of the right of way north of Quakertown can be traced. Parts of the line now are an electric utility right-of-way with an earthen jeep track located where
10956-518: The Liberty Bell Limiteds were running almost empty. Service quality declined during the 1950s as the LVT lost rider revenue to pay expenses, which led to a further loss of riders. Through service to Philadelphia on the P&W ended in 1949. When the LVT cars stopped running directly to the Philadelphia 69th Street terminal and terminated at Norristown, passengers were required to transfer to Philadelphia and Western cars, travel convenience diminished. The company had become marginal regarding profitability and
11122-473: The North Penn Valley. Jefferson Lansdale Hospital has 140 beds and over 700 employees, including over 300 physicians. Services offered at the hospital include an emergency room , Orthopedic and Spine Institute, Pain Center, Sleep Center, and Wound Care Center. The hospital, which was previously known as North Penn Hospital and later as Central Montgomery Medical Center, was acquired by Abington Memorial Hospital from Universal Health Services in October 2008, with
11288-403: The North Pennsylvania Railroad (later absorbed into the Reading Railroad) during the 1850s contributed to rapid growth and expansion in Lansdale. Employment opportunities generated by the railroad brought settlers, housing, and local businesses to the area. By 1872, Lansdale Borough was officially incorporated and named after Phillip Lansdale Fox , chief surveyor of the North Penn Railroad . By
11454-458: The P&W ended in 1949, and thereafter patrons had to change to P&W trains at Norristown. All except the 430 and 1000 series cars could be, and often were, run together in two or three car trains, including combinations of both the 800 and newer 700 series cars. Across the years, equipment modifications were made by the Fairview Allentown shops. The 700 series steel cars were converted from center-entrance two-man crew to one-man cars. Coach 812
11620-401: The Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company street cars at Chestnut Hill allowed riders to continue to downtown Philadelphia . In 1905, the assets of the new Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley Traction Company were acquired by Lehigh Valley Transit Company. The company's owners started an extensive rebuilding of the Allentown to Philadelphia route. Much side of road track, which was all single track,
11786-438: The Philadelphia city subway-elevated. Philadelphia and Western Railroad crews operated the LVT cars from Norristown's Markley Street south. Much of the LVT's route was paralleled by the Reading Railroad 's steam powered Bethlehem Branch and had many of the same stops. In Lansdale , the two stations faced each other. The Reading Railroad operated passenger service directly to its busy downtown Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, but
11952-463: The Philadelphia metropolitan area, the nation's eighth-largest metropolitan area and seventh-largest combined statistical area with 6.245 million residents and 7.366 million residents, respectively. Philadelphia has played an extensive role in United States history . The city was founded in 1682 by William Penn , an English Quaker and advocate of religious freedom , and served as
12118-623: The Philadelphia transportation system. This Allentown-to-Norristown route was named the Liberty Bell Line. LVT's Allentown to Philadelphia division operating to 1951 is considered the last of the eastern U.S. single track, town street to side of road rural countryside hill and dale interurban trolleys in the United States along with the Hagerstown and Frederick and the West Penn Railways of Western Pennsylvania, although
12284-554: The Red Devils provided passengers with comfortable leather bucket seats with headrests. Two drawbacks: they were single ended and had a smaller passenger capacity than provided by the older and longer wood Ohio interurbans, but C&LE planned to increase scheduled service to make up for this. The Red Devils were 43 ft 9 in (13.34 m) long, 11 ft 4 in (3.45 m) high and weighed 24 short tons (21 long tons; 22 metric tons). A typical 1920s large steel interurban
12450-551: The Red Devils to LVT and to CRANDIC. Similar to the 1930 formation of Ohio's Cincinnati and Lake Erie interurban, a number of struggling Indiana interurban lines were combined to create the new Indiana Railroad . In 1931, the IRR ordered interurbans from the Pullman and American Car and Foundry based upon the Cincinnati Car Company Red Devil design but with improvements. More aluminum was used, and
12616-794: The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, and the city later served as the meeting place for the Constitutional Convention , which ratified the Constitution in Independence Hall in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. Philadelphia served as capital of the United States for much of the colonial and early post-colonial periods, including for a decade, from 1790 to 1800, while Washington, D.C. ,
12782-676: The Souderton depot, which was on the northeast corner of Main and Broad, there were sharp turns but track conditions were level. From Main, the southbound track turned west onto Broad Street, ran two blocks, then turned onto residential Penn Avenue where, after four blocks, at Penn and Cherry Lane it entered open country for a fast downgrade run past Gehman trestle to the stop at the Hatfield depot. A devastating fatal wreck occurred in July 1942 in East Norriton Township, north of Norristown. The motorman of northbound lightweight 1003
12948-585: The United States after Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Philadelphia's neighborhoods are divided into six large sections that surround Center City: North Philadelphia , Northeast Philadelphia , South Philadelphia , Southwest Philadelphia , West Philadelphia , and Northwest Philadelphia . The city's geographic boundaries have been largely unchanged since these neighborhoods were consolidated in 1854. However, each of these large areas contains numerous neighborhoods, some of whose boundaries derive from
13114-542: The abutments of a former long bridge just north of the same road. Within Coopersburg itself, residential Liberty Street named for the Liberty Bell line was placed on top of the former road bed. Portions both south and north are now private driveways. Quakertown: The Quakertown LVT station, an old inn, at the northwest corner of Main and Broad streets still stands and has a mural on its north wall depicting one of
13280-441: The accident: TEN KILLED AND 22 INJURED IN HEAD-ON CRASH OF INTERURBAN AND FREIGHT TRAIN. TRAIN SLICES PASSENGER CAR AT RUSH HOUR. Norristown, Pa., July 9, 1942. (AP) -- Ten persons were killed and 22 injured in the head-on crash of a crowded interurban passenger car and a freight trolley late yesterday on a curve three and one-half miles north of here. The heavy, high-floored freight, running down grade, literally sliced through nearly
13446-566: The borough. The main east–west street in Lansdale is Main Street ( Pennsylvania Route 63 ), which runs northwest–southeast. The main north–south street is Broad Street, which runs southwest–northeast. Pennsylvania Route 363 begins at PA 63 on the western edge of Lansdale and heads southwest on Valley Forge Road. The Lansdale interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension ( Interstate 476 )
13612-472: The boroughs, townships, and other communities that constituted Pennsylvania County before their inclusion within the city. The City Planning Commission , tasked with guiding growth and development of the city, has divided the city into 18 planning districts as part of the Philadelphia2035 physical development plan. Much of the city's 1980 zoning code was overhauled from 2007 to 2012 as part of
13778-468: The bridge to this day. The bridge is now called the Albertus L. Meyers Bridge. Philadelphia Philadelphia , colloquially referred to as Philly , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States , with a population of 1,603,797 in the 2020 census . The city is the urban core of the larger Delaware Valley , also known as
13944-673: The capital of the Pennsylvania Colony during the British colonial era . The city went on to play a historic and vital role during the American Revolution and Revolutionary War , serving as the central meeting place for the nation's founding fathers , hosting the First Continental Congress in 1774, preserving the Liberty Bell , and hosting the Second Continental Congress during which
14110-500: The car to have a lower center of gravity. Two types of brakes were provided. A magnetic track brake riding between the car's wheels on each truck pressed onto the rail head when the air brakes needed supplemental stopping power. The Red Devils were known for their excellent ride at high speed on rough interurban track. Unfortunately, when the Great Depression deepened, C&LE business declined and it abandoned in 1938 and sold
14276-489: The carbarn), Lansdale, and Washington Square. The Summit Lawn brick substation still stands and has a sign stating its history. This is to the east of South Pike Avenue near the Salisbury Township police station. Ridership jumped due to gas rationing and increased industrial employment during World War II, but after the war the number of riders dropped again as they returned to driving their cars. By 1949, many of
14442-587: The city for its outlying railroad commuting towns and newer housing. The resulting reduction in Philadelphia's tax base and the resources of local government caused the city to struggle through a long period of adjustment, and it approached bankruptcy by the late 1980s. In 1985, the MOVE Bombing of the Cobbs Creek neighborhood by city helicopters occurred, killing 11 and destroying 61 homes. Revitalization and gentrification of neighborhoods began in
14608-532: The city's 17th century founding through the present, Philadelphia has been the birthplace or home to an extensive number of prominent and influential Americans . Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, the Philadelphia area was home to the Lenape Indians in the village of Shackamaxon . They were also called the Delaware Indians, and their historical territory was along
14774-456: The city's director of public safety, but political pressure still prevented long-term success in fighting crime and corruption. In 1940, non-Hispanic whites constituted 86.8% of the city's population. In 1950, the population peaked at more than two million residents, then began to decline with the restructuring of industry that led to the loss of many middle-class union jobs. In addition, suburbanization enticed many affluent residents to depart
14940-399: The city's tallest building. The Comcast Technology Center was completed in 2018, reaching a height of 1,121 ft (342 m), as the tallest building in the United States outside of Manhattan and Chicago. For much of Philadelphia's history, the typical home has been the row house . The row house was introduced to the United States via Philadelphia in the early 19th century and, for
15106-519: The city's total park space, including municipal, state, and federal parks in the city, amounts to 11,211 acres (17.5 sq mi). Philadelphia's largest park is Fairmount Park , which includes the Philadelphia Zoo and encompasses 2,052 acres (3.2 sq mi) of the total parkland. Fairmount Park's adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park contains 2,042 acres (3.2 sq mi). Fairmount Park, when combined with Wissahickon Valley Park,
15272-403: The city, Philadelphia is one of the nation's leading centers for higher education and academic research . The city is a national cultural center, hosting more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other city in the nation. Fairmount Park , when combined with adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park in the same watershed , is 2,052 acres (830 ha), representing one of the nation's largest and
15438-694: The city. The Liberty Bell was taken to Zion German Reformed Church in Northampton Town, which is present-day Allentown , where it was hidden under the church's floor boards for nine months from September 1777 until the British Army's departure from Philadelphia in June 1778. Two Revolutionary War battles, the Siege of Fort Mifflin , fought between September 26 and November 16, 1777, and the Battle of Germantown , fought on October 4, 1777, took place within Philadelphia's city limits. In Philadelphia,
15604-529: The colonies made it a natural center for America's revolutionaries . By the 1750s, Philadelphia surpassed Boston as the largest city and busiest port in British America , and the second-largest city in the entire British Empire after London . In 1774, as resentment of British colonial practices and support for independence was burgeoning in the colonies, Philadelphia hosted the First Continental Congress . From 1775 to 1781, Philadelphia hosted
15770-473: The colony. Penn made a treaty of friendship with Lenape chief Tammany under an elm tree at Shackamaxon , in what is now the city's Fishtown neighborhood. Penn named the city Philadelphia, which is Greek for "brotherly love", derived from the Ancient Greek terms φίλος phílos (beloved, dear) and ἀδελφός adelphós (brother, brotherly). There were a number of cities named Philadelphia in
15936-574: The company faced bankruptcy. Management had been petitioning the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission to abandon rail operations, and finally September 1951, they were given permission for a "trial" suspension with a conversion to buses. With no notice to the public, the formerly once an hour white and red interurban trolley cars simply didn't show up the next day. Operation was converted to buses on back roads, which dissatisfied both employees and riders, versus
16102-560: The concrete bridge abutments where the line crossed 9th Street running up grade from the north abutment to Ridge Road. This can be walked at present. Sellersville: The former LVT Sellersville station at Main and Walnut streets is now (2015) a dental office. In the 1950s following abandonment, it was a police station. The line crossed the Bethlehem Pike-Diamond Street then continued south adjacent to and crossing Perkiomen creek. Souderton: The LVT Souderton station
16268-402: The country, and the first Black Episcopal Church . The free Black community also established many schools for its children with the help of Quakers . Large-scale construction projects for new roads, canals , and railroads made Philadelphia the first major industrial city in the United States. Throughout the 19th century, Philadelphia hosted a variety of industries and businesses; the largest
16434-490: The creation of five public parks in the city which were renamed in 1824. Centre Square was renamed Penn Square ; Northeast Square was renamed Franklin Square ; Southeast Square was renamed Washington Square ; Southwest Square was renamed Rittenhouse Square ; and Northwest Square was renamed Logan Circle/Square . Center City had an estimated 183,240 residents as of 2015 , making it the second-most populated downtown area in
16600-578: The direct route served by rail. Management quickly sent crews out to rip up rails, remove signals, and take down trolley wire to prevent being ordered back to rail operation. Cars were sent to the nearby Bethlehem Steel plant for scrapping. The shutdown of the Liberty Bell Limited caused considerable loss of employment at the shops at Allentown and Souderton. According to the records of the Pennsylvania Department of State,
16766-526: The first left side window. Transit company officials introduced No.1030 to the public on September 14, 1941, and on October 3, 1941, the luxury car entered the revenue service on the Liberty Bell Route. Passenger traffic increased steadily during World War II and more passenger capacity was needed, so December 1941 and May 1942, several side-facing individual chairs were removed and replaced by forward and rearward facing sofas in order to increase
16932-620: The first modern International Style skyscraper in the United States, the PSFS Building , designed by George Howe and William Lescaze . The 548 ft (167 m) City Hall remained the tallest building in the city until 1987 when One Liberty Place was completed. Numerous glass and granite skyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in the late 1980s. In 2007, the Comcast Center surpassed One Liberty Place to become
17098-543: The first official World's fair in the U.S. Immigrants, mostly from Ireland and Germany, settled in Philadelphia and the surrounding districts. These immigrants were largely responsible for the first general strike in North America in 1835, in which workers in the city won the ten-hour workday. The city was a destination for thousands of Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Famine in the 1840s; housing for them
17264-414: The high speed Philadelphia and Western Railroad . After 1949, when decreasing ridership and increasing costs forced a service cut-back to Norristown (only freight trolleys continued running to Upper Darby), LVT motormen had to run their passenger cars in reverse down from the Norristown elevated station, back to Markley and Airy Streets to a loop track known as Rink Siding. This required the motorman to go to
17430-493: The intersection at Broad, Main Street was on a brief steep grade. During icy conditions, the southbound Main Street incline could be a nightmare for the LVT. While crews from the nearby Souderton car barn worked with ice chippers and sand to provide traction for wheels on rails, the delays were logistically problematic for LVT. The Souderton delays could force cars scheduled an hour apart to stack up waiting for enough sand to be deployed and this also blocked northbound trips. South of
17596-627: The intersection of Germantown Avenue and Bethlehem Pike at: 40.07815 N, 75.20747 W. Philadelphia is located on the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line that separates the Atlantic Plain from the Piedmont . The Schuylkill River's rapids at East Falls were inundated by completion of the dam at Fairmount Water Works . The city is the seat of its own county . The city is bordered by six adjacent counties: Montgomery to
17762-551: The last occurrence of such a temperature being July 21, 2019. The lowest officially recorded temperature was −11 °F (−24 °C) on February 9, 1934. Temperatures at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) are rare, with the last such occurrence being January 19, 1994 . The record low maximum is 5 °F (−15 °C) on February 10, 1899, and December 30, 1880. The record high minimum is 83 °F (28 °C) on July 23, 2011, and July 24, 2010. See or edit raw graph data . Philadelphia County received an ozone grade of F and
17928-546: The late 1970s and continues into the 21st century with much of the development occurring in the Center City and University City neighborhoods. But this expanded a shortage of affordable housing in the city. After many manufacturers and businesses left Philadelphia or shut down, the city started attracting service businesses and began to market itself more aggressively as a tourist destination. Contemporary glass-and-granite skyscrapers were built in Center City beginning in
18094-410: The lightweight and twelve people ultimately died, including the motorman of 1003. The motorman of C14 ran into the interior of his freight car, thus surviving, and had the presence of mind to first grab from the cab clipboard his train order authorizing his presence as the second southbound section. The wreck forced dispatching changes and a reduction in operating speeds. The Associated Press report on
18260-718: The main campus in Center Valley or online. Lansdale is served by the daily print newspaper The Reporter , owned by the Digital First Media and with a circulation of 16,364 throughout Lansdale, Hatfield, Souderton and Harleysville. As well as the online news sites North Penn Now and Montgomeryville-Lansdale Patch. WNPV (1440 AM) was a radio station broadcasting a news/talk/sports format, whose air date began October 17, 1960 and ended April 30, 2020. The station sold off its land, studio and broadcast towers to North Penn School District in July 2020. Its license
18426-456: The main line north, and ran over the 8th Street Bridge and then six blocks to the downtown Allentown station at 6th and Hamilton Sts. where he loaded any people waiting at the terminal. At the scheduled departure time, he began his trip to Norristown. About an hour and one half later, he reached Marshall siding in Norristown where a car exchange would occur with the P&;W crew from 69th Street, and
18592-438: The main line on Summit Street and running two blocks east. The reliable classic all wood arch windowed 801 was kept at Souderton as backup and was used frequently. Direct current power for the interurban trolleys on the Liberty Bell Line was produced from high voltage AC power supplied by overhead lines from Allentown by rotary converters at substations in Allentown, Summit Lawn, Coopersburg, Quakertown, Sellersville, Souderton (in
18758-636: The motormen could step directly from car to car. Then, a P&W crew took the southbound car a quarter mile down Markley Street to Airy Street where tracks turned east for four blocks, then south on Swede and a jog from Swede onto a trolley-only bridge over Norristown's Main Street and into the P&W's elevated station. The 1938 schedule showed four "Expresses" operating on the line at the same time. Hourly local service had many more stops and used typical streetcar style equipment: vintage 1902 St. Louis-built cars before 1939, and more modern ex-Steubenville Ohio lightweight cars after 1939. Local service operated between
18924-543: The name changed from Central Montgomery Medical Center to its present name. An episode of the Fox television series Fringe , which aired on September 24, 2009, was set in Lansdale. The scenes that took place in Lansdale were filmed in British Columbia , and the town was depicted as a rural area consisting primarily of corn fields and not as the densely populated suburban town that it actually is. The beginning of
19090-457: The naming conventions of the time, it should have been called Jenkintown, since the land immediately surrounding the train station was owned by the Jenkins family, but there was already a town by that name along the rail line. The Jenkins Homestead and Lansdale Silk Hosiery Compy-Interstate Hosiery Mills, Inc. are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . Lansdale is home to
19256-581: The nation's 56 founders formed the Continental Army and elected George Washington as its commander in 1775, and unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. For nine months, from September 1777 to June 1778, the city fell under British occupation during the war's Philadelphia campaign . In 1787, the U.S. Constitution was ratified in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Convention . Philadelphia remained
19422-485: The nation's largest city until 1790, and it served as the nation's first capital from May 10, 1775, until December 12, 1776, and on four subsequent occasions until 1800, when construction of the new national capital in Washington, D.C. was completed. Philadelphia maintains extensive contemporary influence in business and industry , culture , sports , and music . With 17 four-year universities and colleges in
19588-971: The nation, including a fire company , library , and hospital . A number of philosophical societies were formed, which were centers of the city's intellectual life, including the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture (1785), the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and the Useful Arts (1787), the Academy of Natural Sciences (1812), and the Franklin Institute (1824). These societies developed and financed new industries that attracted skilled and knowledgeable immigrants from Europe. Philadelphia's importance and central location in
19754-675: The nearly paralleling Reading Railroad 's Bethlehem to Philadelphia line due to lower cost to riders, particularly during the Great Depression , and then again vitally during the gasoline rationing of World War II . Lehigh Valley Transit Company (LVT) formed in 1905. It acquired the existing Lehigh Valley Traction Company, and the new owners started rebuilding of the existing trolley lines and acquisition of interurban cars. In 1912–13, and again in 1925, LVT upgraded track and rerouted lines by building private right of way between some towns, including Quakertown to Souderton , where track
19920-552: The new Jewetts began between Allentown and Norristown/Philadelphia 69th Street Terminal. In 1939, LVT purchased thirteen used lightweight high-speed Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad Red Devil cars from the abandoned Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio , interurban to augment its older, heavier, and slower 700 and 800 series interurban cars. The former Red Devils were reconditioned by the innovative LVT Allentown shops and were then operated from Allentown to Philadelphia as Liberty Bell Limiteds. The LVT advertised for and ran freight, but it
20086-512: The new line was to be profitable. For passenger service, C&LE engineers worked with the Cincinnati Car Company staff in 1929 to design and construct twenty interurban coaches with improved passenger comfort and appeal. Better performance in terms of ride, speed, and reduced power consumption was obtained through improved aerodynamics, reduced car weight, and improved truck design. Significant use of aluminum reduced weight, and
20252-488: The newer interurban line to Norristown met at Wales Junction at the Sumneytown Pike and Reading railroad. Map: Some of the former LVT right of way is visible from satellite as a faint scar across the countryside north of Quakertown to Summit Lawn. The DeLorme Company's "Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazetteer Topographic Map" shows "old railroad grades." The abandoned LVT is shown running from Quakertown to Center Valley to
20418-449: The northwest; Bucks to the north and northeast; Burlington County, New Jersey to the east; Camden County, New Jersey to the southeast; Gloucester County, New Jersey to the south; and Delaware County to the southwest. Philadelphia was created in the 17th century, following the plan by William Penn 's surveyor Thomas Holme . Center City is structured with long, straight streets running nearly due east–west and north–south, forming
20584-459: The passenger car 1003 was among the dead. The crew of the freight motor survived, and the freight motorman was briefly held by police and county coroner prior to investigation of his actions, and he was cleared of wrongdoing. A less severe collision occurred the same year just north of Perkasie one evening after the Perkasie stop. Two northbound 1000 series cars were running a few minutes apart as
20750-494: The passenger service, Lehigh Valley Transit also moved freight. It began their freight service in 1908, using converted passenger cars. By 1912, they were purchasing cars manufactured for commercial hauling. In Allentown , the freight house was behind Front Street, near the former A&B meat plant. Throughout the formative years, Lehigh Valley Transit acquired smaller companies and absorbed their freight operations, and its freight operation extended north to Stroudsburg and south to
20916-419: The population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. Lansdale has a city manager form of government with a mayor and a nine-member borough council. On June 4, 2008, local chiropractor G. Andrew Szekely was appointed by council resolution to serve the remaining 18 months of the term of Mayor Michael DiNunzio. Szekely won a full four-year term in November 2009. The current mayor of Lansdale is Garry Herbert, who
21082-544: The purchase of high-speed lightweight interurbans from the 1938 abandonment of the Cincinnati and Lake Erie interurban in Ohio . Ridership jumped due to gas rationing and increased industrial activity during World War II, but after the war the number of riders dropped again as they returned to their cars. Service quality declined during the 1950s as LVT lost rider revenue, which led to a further loss of riders. Through service on
21248-622: The rails had been. Places where the tracks ran close to the adjacent road (e.g., DeKalb Pike, U.S. Route 202, in Whitpain Township, Montgomery County; Old Bethlehem Pike Perkasie to Quakertown; Lanark Road in Lehigh County), highway widening has often encroached onto the former rail-bed. Coopersburg: About one quarter mile west of Main Street in Coopersburg are very distinct signs of the former right-of-way. This includes cut and fill terrain on both sides of Trolley Bridge Road, and
21414-495: The rear of the car and attach controls there. After looping at Rink, the motorman backed the car over the same four city blocks to return to the Norristown station where passengers would board for the next northbound trip. This was an awkward and unpleasant arrangement for the LVT and was indicative of its coming collapse. Souderton had a ninety degree sharp turn with incline at Main and Broad Streets, and this caused problems for southbound trains. For approximately one block prior to
21580-1405: The same towns as the LVT, with the passenger trains and trolleys occasionally pacing one another on parallel tracks. Philadelphia Division siding and station scheduled stop list (northbound, with mileage): 0.0 Norristown station.; 0.3 Rink siding (reversing loop); 0.7 Marshall siding, (mid street LVT-P&W crew exchange); 2.0/2.9 Brush siding (near Germantown Pike); 3.5 Washington Square stop; 6.5 Acorn siding(at Morris Road); Wales Jct. stop; 8.7/10.0 long Broad siding (south of Landsdale between Hancock St and Sumneytown Pike); 10.4 Lansdale station; 11.5 Couter siding (adjacent Squirrel at Main streets); 12.6 Angle siding; 13.6 Hatfield station; 14.3/14.8 Gehman stop (south of Gehman trestle); 16.1 Souderton station (Broad and Main); 16.7 Car Barn stop; 17.0 Nace siding; Cope siding (Reliance-Township Line roads junction); 20.0 Sellers siding at Sellersville station; 21.2 Perkasie backup siding at station, 22.8 Ridge siding (along Old Bethlehem Pike); 26.5 Locust siding; 27.2 Red Lion stop; 27.5 Quakertown station (Broad and Main streets); Quakertown siding at Highway 309 underpass; 29.5 Wood siding (crossed Old Bethlehem Pike); 31.4/31.9 Coopers siding; 33.0 Coopersburg stop; 34.3 Center Valley stop, 34.9 School siding, 36.9 Lehigh siding at Lanark, 39.5 Emaus Junction siding (required dispatcher phone); 41.8 Allentown, 8th & Hamilton downtown terminal. In addition to
21746-426: The scheduled stops was two to six minutes. The Germantown Pike stop to Norristown's LVT-P&W station stop took a long 14 minutes because it included the southbound-northbound car "meet" with an LVT-P&W operator swap at Marshall passing siding in the middle of Norristown's Markley Street. This siding was located between Elm Street and Marshall Street (closer to Elm). The two cars were positioned door to door so that
21912-454: The seating capacity from thirty to thirty-six. The original IR car design placed the motorman's controls on the left side, but the controller and brake stand were moved to the center by the LVT and a passenger loading door was added at the left front to provide southbound passenger access to the left side Norristown platform. This door was also used at Lansdale and Souderton on northbound trips to allow passengers to unload curbside rather than into
22078-768: The second half of the 19th century. His contemporaries included John McArthur Jr. , Addison Hutton , Wilson Eyre , the Wilson Brothers , and Horace Trumbauer . In 1871, construction began on the Second Empire -style Philadelphia City Hall . The Philadelphia Historical Commission was created in 1955 to preserve the cultural and architectural history of the city. The commission maintains the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places , adding historic buildings, structures, sites, objects and districts as it sees fit. In 1932, Philadelphia became home to
22244-472: The shop yard. To reach downtown from Fairview, LVT had the awkward situation of running interurban cars, sometimes backward, through residential areas along Lumber and St. John streets. A second maintenance facility and yard was in Souderton , at 2nd and Central Streets. This is now the location of the Souderton fire department building. The Souderton maintenance facility was reached by a track branching from
22410-612: The situation did not change substantially until 1682, when the area was included in William Penn 's charter for Pennsylvania. In 1681, in partial repayment of a debt, Charles II of England granted Penn a charter for what would become the Pennsylvania colony . Despite the royal charter, Penn bought the land from the local Lenape in an effort to establish good terms with the Native Americans and ensure peace for
22576-467: The spine of the north–south highway system along the U.S. East Coast . Philadelphia is a city of many firsts, including the nation's first library (1731), hospital (1751), medical school (1765), national capital (1774), university (by some accounts) (1779), central bank (1781), stock exchange (1790), zoo (1874), and business school (1881). Philadelphia contains 67 National Historic Landmarks , including Independence Hall . From
22742-501: The start of World War II, gasoline and tire rationing required more non-automobile transportation in the Philadelphia region and ridership increased dramatically leading to an exhausting use of LVT equipment. T he Red Devils had been the result of one successful Ohio interurban combining with two financially distressed Ohio lines in 1930 to become the 257-mile-long (414 km) Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad. C&LE management knew that passenger and freight service had to be improved if
22908-482: The street. Although the frequent stops and occasional steep grades (the climb from Souderton's Broad Street to Summit street was severe) were more demanding on traction motors than Ohio's had been, the former Red Devils and the 1030 performed well until LVT abandonment in 1951. As company earnings severely declined due to post-World War II diminishing ridership, seriously disabled cars were often set aside, not repaired, and cannibalized for parts for other equipment. Car 1030
23074-493: The surrounding Delaware Valley in the early 17th century. The first settlements were founded by Dutch colonists , who built Fort Nassau on the Delaware River in 1623 in what is now Brooklawn, New Jersey . The Dutch considered the entire Delaware River valley to be part of their New Netherland colony. In 1638, Swedish settlers led by renegade Dutch established the colony of New Sweden at Fort Christina , located in present-day Wilmington, Delaware , and quickly spread out in
23240-522: The ten largest combined statistical areas (CSAs) were ranked higher for ozone: Los Angeles (1st), New York City (9th), Houston (12th), Dallas (13th), and San Jose, California (18th). Many smaller CSAs were also ranked higher for ozone, including Sacramento (8th), Las Vegas (10th), Denver (11th), El Paso (16th), and Salt Lake City (20th). Only two of those same ten CSAs, San Jose and Los Angeles, were ranked higher than Philadelphia for both year-round and short-term particle pollution. As of
23406-629: The upper Ohio River basin. Following the American Revolutionary War and subsequent formation of an independent United States, the Lenape began moving further west. In the 1860s, the United States government sent most remaining Lenape in the eastern United States to the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma and surrounding territories as part of the Indian removal policy. Europeans first entered Philadelphia and
23572-587: The valley. In 1644, New Sweden supported the Susquehannocks in their war against Maryland colonists. In 1648, the Dutch built Fort Beversreede on the west bank of the Delaware, south of the Schuylkill River near the present-day Eastwick section of Philadelphia, to reassert their dominion over the area. The Swedes responded by building Fort Nya Korsholm , or New Korsholm , named after
23738-540: The war ended, ridership rapidly declined, and LVT again faced bankruptcy and abandonment as it had during the Great Depression . The extensive Pennsylvania construction of paved highways and the public's increased ownership of automobiles like the Ford Model T in the 1920s caused the financial decline of most interurbans in the U.S. Many were abandoned prior to and definitely during the Great Depression . LVT struggled also during this time but survived, primarily due to
23904-737: The west of present-day Route 309 . The LVT periodically ran adjacent to today's Old Bethlehem Pike and PA Route 309. In 1911, LVT needed a new span across Little Lehigh Creek in order to carry its interurban and trolley cars from center Allentown to the south side. It organized the Allentown Bridge Company and commissioned noted bridge engineer Benjamin H. Davis to design the bridge. The resulting seventeen arch concrete span cost over $ 500,000 (equal to $ 15,414,141 today) and required 29,500 cubic yards (22,600 m) of concrete and 1,100,000 pounds (500,000 kg) of metal reinforcing rods . When opened for traffic on November 17, 1913, it
24070-406: The wire in the dark. A Saturday-Sunday schedule for April 1938 shows Allentown to Philadelphia interurban "Expresses" leaving Allentown on the hour from 6 am to 10 pm. There were scheduled stops but many more stops occurred simply by a rider "buzzing" the motorman or by flagging the car down. Scheduled arrival at the P&W Norristown station was 1 hr 38 minutes later. Typical running time between
24236-491: The year. The average window for freezing temperatures is November 6 to April 2, allowing a growing season of 217 days. Early fall and late winter are generally dry, with February having the lowest average precipitation at 2.75 inches (70 mm). The dewpoint in the summer averages between 59.1 and 64.5 °F (15 and 18 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918. Temperatures at or above 100 °F (38 °C) are not common, with
24402-516: Was 18,773 at the 2020 census. Lansdale is the center of the North Penn Valley , a region which includes the surrounding townships and boroughs. It is located 27 miles (43 km) southeast of Allentown and 21 miles (34 km) north of Philadelphia . The earliest known settlers in Lansdale were members of the Jenkins family. At the peak of its growth, the Jenkins homestead occupied approximately 120 acres of land. The construction of
24568-486: Was 30.7 in (78 cm), which occurred in January 1996. Precipitation is generally spread throughout the year, with eight to eleven wet days per month, at an average annual rate of 44.1 inches (1,120 mm), but historically ranging from 29.31 in (744 mm) in 1922 to 64.33 in (1,634 mm) in 2011. The most rain recorded in one day occurred on July 28, 2013, when 8.02 in (204 mm) fell at Philadelphia International Airport . Philadelphia has
24734-466: Was a classic arch window large interurban coach typical of 1912 construction. It was built in the LVT shops as a private car and later converted to regular passenger service. It operated to the last day of rail operation in 1951. The LVT color scheme was an all red body with silver roof until the lightweight 1000 series cars arrived in 1939. Some of the older fleet was then retired and the rest repainted white with red trim and silver roof. Restored LVT car 801
24900-487: Was a small part of the business. Like most interurbans, its primary income was from passenger service. Box motor freight trolleys usually operated at night, but LVT sometimes ran scheduled passenger trips as a "mixed" train with a freight box motor coupled behind the older 800 or 700 series of passenger coaches. The former C&LE Liberty Bell Limiteds were not built with couplers. During World War II , LVT carried full loads including standees on its overworked equipment. When
25066-405: Was around 56 ft (17.07 m) long, 14 ft (4.27 m) high, and weighed 60 short tons (53.6 long tons; 54.4 metric tons). A new truck design was a major part of the improved ride. The truck carried four new design compact 100 horsepower (75 kW ) motors provided by General Electric. It had smaller diameter wheels (28 in or 711 mm) and a smaller truck frame. Both allowed
25232-535: Was at the side of rural roads and had made frequent 90-degree turns at road intersections causing slow operation. At Wales Junction on the original Chestnut Hill line, a totally new route was constructed northward to Lansdale and southward to Norristown , beyond which trolleys would run on the third rail Philadelphia and Western to the Philadelphia subway terminal at 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby Township . This allowed LVT passengers to change to
25398-472: Was being constructed and prepared to serve as the new national capital. In 1793, the largest yellow fever epidemic in U.S. history killed approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people in Philadelphia, or about ten percent of the city's population at the time. The capital of the United States was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 upon completion of the White House and U.S. Capitol buildings. The state capital
25564-514: Was developed south of South Street and later occupied by succeeding immigrants. They established a network of Catholic churches and schools and dominated the Catholic clergy for decades. Anti- Irish , anti-Catholic nativist riots erupted in Philadelphia in 1844. The rise in population of the surrounding districts helped lead to the Act of Consolidation of 1854 , which extended the city limits from
25730-482: Was dominated by Georgian architecture , including Independence Hall and Christ Church . In the first decades of the 19th century, Federal and Greek Revival architecture were the dominant styles produced by Philadelphia architects such as Benjamin Latrobe , William Strickland , John Haviland , John Notman , Thomas Walter , and Samuel Sloan . Frank Furness is considered Philadelphia's greatest architect of
25896-563: Was donated to Four Rivers Community Broadcasting. North Penn Television is a television station owned by the North Penn School district that broadcasts the North Penn School District Board of School Directors meetings, along with various events around the school district such as sports games and concerts. Lansdale hosts a first friday during the warmer months, it includes live music, food trucks,
26062-409: Was extensive center street operation with 90-degree turns at Perkasie-Sellersville, Souderton, and Lansdale. Long stretches of 80-mile-per-hour operation existed north of Quakertown, and the operator could go to a shunted field motor setting for maximum speed. Open-country private right of way existed, particularly north of Quakertown. Another stretch existed between Souderton and Lansdale and included
26228-529: Was moved from Philadelphia to Lancaster in 1799, then ultimately to Harrisburg in 1812. Philadelphia remained the nation's largest city until the late 18th century. It also was the nation's financial and cultural center until ultimately being eclipsed in total population by New York City in 1790. In 1816, the city's free Black community founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church , the first independent Black denomination in
26394-470: Was on northwest corner of Broad and Main across from the bank and is now gone. The line left town streets southbound from Souderton at Penn and Cherry streets. The former right-of-way is very distinct here and is a jeep trail and pole line. About one mile south are the very distinct two abutments of the former Gehman trestle over Township Line Road north of Cowpath Road. Hatield and Lansdale: The house-like two story Hatfield former LVT station at Main Street
26560-406: Was one of more than 36 industrial cities nationally to suffer a race riot during Red Summer in post- World War I unrest as recent immigrants competed with Blacks for jobs. In the 1920s, the public flouting of Prohibition laws, organized crime , mob violence, and corrupt police involvement in illegal activities led to the appointment of Brig. Gen. Smedley Butler of the U.S. Marine Corps as
26726-540: Was renamed from St. Stanislaus to Mater Dei, Latin for "Mother of God." Calvary Baptist School is a pre-K-12th grade Christian school. Lansdale area private high schools include Lansdale Catholic High School and Dock Mennonite Academy . Dock is in Towamencin Township. The DeSales University Lansdale Area Campus was an institute of higher education , with a campus specifically designed for adult students. The campus closed in 2019, with classes moved to
26892-442: Was replaced by track running in open country. However, considerable older side-of-road trackage remained, particularly south of Quakertown . Heavy wood arch-windowed interurban coaches were purchased for high-speed operation. This upgrading program culminated a high-capacity interurban line running from Allentown to Norristown . Beginning December 1912, car trains operated from Allentown to Philadelphia's 69th Street Terminal using
27058-414: Was the textile industry . Major corporations in the 19th and early 20th centuries included the Baldwin Locomotive Works , William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company , and the Pennsylvania Railroad . Established in 1870, the Philadelphia Conveyancers' Association was chartered by the state in 1871. Along with the U.S. Centennial in 1876, the city's industry was celebrated in the Centennial Exposition ,
27224-421: Was the longest and highest concrete bridge in the world. It operated as a toll bridge from its November 17, 1913 opening until the 1950s, at which time the toll was five cents for an automobile. The Liberty Bell Limiteds crossed the bridge to begin their run to Philadelphia and also to reach the Fairview car barn to the west of Eighth Street. Concrete poles that once supported the trolley wire are still standing on
27390-624: Was voted into office in January, 2018. The borough is part of the Fourth Congressional District (represented by Rep. Madeleine Dean ), Pennsylvania's 53rd Representative District (represented by Rep. Steve Malagari ) and the 12th State Senate District (represented by Sen. Maria Collett ). The community is a part of the North Penn School District . K-6 public elementary schools in Lansdale include Gwynedd Square Elementary, Knapp Elementary, Oak Park Elementary, Inglewood Elementary, Walton Farm Elementary, and York Avenue Elementary. Penndale Middle School serves grades 7–9. The area public high school
27556-400: Was waiting at Brush siding near Germantown Pike and had dispatcher's orders to wait for both a southbound passenger car followed by a southbound freight motor, but he proceeded from the siding, violating the horizontal "stop" semaphore signal, and moved onto the main line after only the first passenger car had passed. He may have misinterpreted the "one-long and two-short" horn signal, indicating
#833166