96-477: Newtown Township , also referred to by the name of its post office of Newtown Square , is a township in Delaware County , Pennsylvania , United States. Prior to 1789, it was part of Chester County , along with the rest of Delaware County. As of the 2020 census , the population was 15,002. The first mention of the township was in 1684, when Thomas Norbury and John Humphrey were appointed collectors of
192-622: A tram engine in the UK) at the head of a line of one or more carriages, similar to a small train. Systems with such steam trams included Christchurch , New Zealand; Sydney, Australia; other city systems in New South Wales ; Munich , Germany (from August 1883 on), British India (from 1885) and the Dublin & Blessington Steam Tramway (from 1888) in Ireland. Steam tramways also were used on
288-640: A trolley service that connected West Chester to Philadelphia along the West Chester Pike between 1898 and the 1950s. Places of worship include St. David's Episcopal Church , directly split on the border of Newtown and Radnor Townships , whose graveyard and buildings begin in 1715, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The graveyard contains one of the graves of Revolutionary War hero General Mad Anthony Wayne . The Newtown Square Friends Meeting House and Burying Ground
384-520: A Vermont blacksmith, had invented a battery-powered electric motor which he later patented. The following year he used it to operate a small model electric car on a short section of track four feet in diameter. Attempts to use batteries as a source of electricity were made from the 1880s and 1890s, with unsuccessful trials conducted in among other places Bendigo and Adelaide in Australia, and for about 14 years as The Hague accutram of HTM in
480-726: A similar technology, Pirotsky put into service the first public electric tramway in St. Petersburg, which operated only during September 1880. The second demonstration tramway was presented by Siemens & Halske at the 1879 Berlin Industrial Exposition. The first public electric tramway used for permanent service was the Gross-Lichterfelde tramway in Lichterfelde near Berlin in Germany, which opened in 1881. It
576-1201: A tax collector and, in many townships, a panel of three auditors who annually audit all township accounts. The supervisors or commissioners of the township appoint a secretary and a treasurer, and may also appoint a township manager to coordinate township employees and operations. County governments may provide some or all municipal services to residents of townships, regardless of class and size, including trash collection or sewage processing. Some counties, though, leave individual municipalities to provide their own services; in some instances small groups of boroughs or townships may pool their resources to provide water, police, or other functions. The main areas of local services include police and fire protection, maintenance of local roads and streets, water supply, sewage collection and treatment, parking and traffic control, local planning and zoning, parks and recreation, garbage collection, health services, libraries, licensing of businesses and code enforcement. All municipalities in Pennsylvania, however, rely on county and state organized courts for probate, criminal, and civil court services. Under
672-508: A township of the first class and operate under the powers of the First Class Township Code, a township must have a population density of 300 inhabitants per square mile (120/km ) and voters therein must approve the change of classification in a referendum. The classes of townships differ primarily in the form of their administration. Townships of the second class are governed by a board of supervisors, elected at large by
768-946: A well-known tourist attraction . A single cable line also survives in Wellington (rebuilt in 1979 as a funicular but still called the " Wellington Cable Car "). Another system, with two separate cable lines and a shared power station in the middle, operates from the Welsh town of Llandudno up to the top of the Great Orme hill in North Wales , UK. Hastings and some other tramways, for example Stockholms Spårvägar in Sweden and some lines in Karachi , used petrol trams. Galveston Island Trolley in Texas operated diesel trams due to
864-544: A woolen factory. In the Darby Creek area a number of tenement houses were built as well as a general store to service the needs of the mill workers. In 1860, the population of Newtown Township was 830; the population of Philadelphia was approximately half a million. At this time, the railroad was laying track out of Philadelphia in all directions with services to Chester , Media , West Chester , and Radnor , but not Newtown Square. As these towns, as well as stops along
960-547: Is Pennsylvania Route 252 , which follows Newtown Street Road and heads south to Media and north to Paoli . Routes 3 and 252 meet in Newtown Square. SEPTA provides Suburban Bus service to Newtown Township along Route 104 , which follows West Chester Pike through the township on its route between West Chester and 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby ; Route 112 , which follows Media Line Road in
1056-551: Is 7a. As of 2020, there were 68.66 miles (110.50 km) of public roads in Newtown Township, of which 15.78 miles (25.40 km) were maintained by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and 52.88 miles (85.10 km) were maintained by the township. The main east–west road in Newtown Township is Pennsylvania Route 3 , which follows West Chester Pike and heads west to West Chester and east to Philadelphia . The main north–south road in Newtown Township
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#17327733032161152-611: Is home to the Project Management Institute (PMI), a Lyondell Chemical Company Technology Center, and Apple Leisure Group , which also includes AMResorts and Apple Vacations. The headquarters of SAP America, a subsidiary of SAP SE , is located in Newtown. SAP America has around 3,000 employees in the area. SAP America has around 19,300 employees in United States. The Newtown Square Railroad Museum
1248-543: Is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km) (0.69%) is water. Its villages include Echo Valley, Florida Park, Larchmont (also in Marple Township,) Newtown Square, and Wyola. Waterways in Newtown township include Crum Creek and Darby Creek . The township is bordered by the Springton Lake reservoir to the south. Newtown Township has a hot-summer humid continental climate ( Dfa ) and the hardiness zone
1344-488: Is located inside of the former Pennsylvania Railroad's Newtown Square Station and features a small model train layout , a former Red Arrow trolley , a vintage steam locomotive, and various other artifacts preserving the history of the Newtown Square Branch. The Du Pont Foxcatcher Farm estate was located in Newtown. Following John Du Pont 's murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz in 1996, Du Pont
1440-640: Is still in operation in modernised form. The earliest tram system in Canada was built by John Joseph Wright , brother of the famous mining entrepreneur Whitaker Wright , in Toronto in 1883, introducing electric trams in 1892. In the US, multiple experimental electric trams were exhibited at the 1884 World Cotton Centennial World's Fair in New Orleans, Louisiana , but they were not deemed good enough to replace
1536-478: Is the oldest place of worship in Newtown. The original Quaker settlers built the Meeting House in 1711, and then it was greatly expanded and "modernized" in 1791. The architectural ghost of the original 1711 doorway and one of the original windows can be seen in the stone infill in the north wall of the expanded Meeting House. The Meeting House is still in use for worship on "First Day". Saint Anastasia Parish
1632-480: Is the only one of the four elementary Schools which serves residents of and resides in Newtown Township. Marple Newtown Senior High School lies within township borders on Media Line Road. Numerous private and parochial schools are located within Newtown Township, such as Episcopal Academy and Delaware County Christian School . The township is served by the Newtown Public Library. The township
1728-734: Is the sole survivor of the fleet). In Italy, in Trieste , the Trieste–Opicina tramway was opened in 1902, with the steepest section of the route being negotiated with the help of a funicular and its cables. Cable cars suffered from high infrastructure costs, since an expensive system of cables , pulleys , stationary engines and lengthy underground vault structures beneath the rails had to be provided. They also required physical strength and skill to operate, and alert operators to avoid obstructions and other cable cars. The cable had to be disconnected ("dropped") at designated locations to allow
1824-713: The Bleecker Street Line until its closure in 1917. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , had its Sarah Street line drawn by horses until 1923. The last regular mule-drawn cars in the US ran in Sulphur Rock, Arkansas , until 1926 and were commemorated by a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1983. The last mule tram service in Mexico City ended in 1932, and a mule tram in Celaya, Mexico , survived until 1954. The last horse-drawn tram to be withdrawn from public service in
1920-696: The Chester Transportation Center in Chester ; and Route 120 , which follows West Chester Pike through the township on its route between Cheyney University and the 69th Street Transportation Center. Newtown Township was formerly served by the Newtown Square Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad ; rail service to Newtown Square ended in 1963 and the tracks were removed in 1985. The Route 104 bus replaced
2016-870: The Lamm fireless engines then propelling the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar in that city. The first commercial installation of an electric streetcar in the United States was built in 1884 in Cleveland, Ohio , and operated for a period of one year by the East Cleveland Street Railway Company. The first city-wide electric streetcar system was implemented in 1886 in Montgomery, Alabama , by the Capital City Street Railway Company, and ran for 50 years. In 1888,
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#17327733032162112-715: The Richmond Union Passenger Railway began to operate trams in Richmond, Virginia , that Frank J. Sprague had built. Sprague later developed multiple unit control, first demonstrated in Chicago in 1897, allowing multiple cars to be coupled together and operated by a single motorman. This gave rise to the modern subway train. Following the improvement of an overhead "trolley" system on streetcars for collecting electricity from overhead wires by Sprague, electric tram systems were rapidly adopted across
2208-824: The West Midlands Metro in Birmingham , England adopted battery-powered trams on sections through the city centre close to Grade I listed Birmingham Town Hall . Paris and Berne (Switzerland) operated trams that were powered by compressed air using the Mekarski system . Trials on street tramways in Britain, including by the North Metropolitan Tramway Company between Kings Cross and Holloway, London (1883), achieved acceptable results but were found not to be economic because of
2304-421: The "Levie for the cort house and Prison for ye Township of Newtowne". Newtown Square was the name used for the townstead with the majority of early settlers being Welshmen . These Welsh "Friends" ( Quakers ) needed a road to facilitate their journey to meeting, the only established road at the time being Newtown Street Road, which ran north and south. As such, in 1687, an east–west road was laid out (Goshen Road) so
2400-704: The 17th century during the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania prior to the American Revolution . Much of the province was then occupied by Native Americans , but the colonial administration in Philadelphia brought new counties and new settlements regularly. The first communities defined by the provincial state government tended to be rural, geographically large, and sparsely populated townships. Townships or portions of them tended to become boroughs after population growth or an increase in population density and, eventually, might to reincorporate at
2496-1241: The 1850s, after which the "animal railway" became an increasingly common feature in the larger towns. The first permanent tram line in continental Europe was opened in Paris in 1855 by Alphonse Loubat who had previously worked on American streetcar lines. The tram was developed in numerous cities of Europe (some of the most extensive systems were found in Berlin, Budapest , Birmingham , Saint Petersburg , Lisbon , London , Manchester , Paris , Kyiv ). The first tram in South America opened in 1858 in Santiago, Chile . The first trams in Australia opened in 1860 in Sydney . Africa's first tram service started in Alexandria on 8 January 1863. The first trams in Asia opened in 1869 in Batavia (Jakarta), Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia) . Limitations of horsecars included
2592-713: The 1894-built horse tram at Victor Harbor in South Australia . New horse-drawn systems have been established at the Hokkaidō Museum in Japan and also in Disneyland . A horse-tram route in Polish gmina Mrozy , first built in 1902, was reopened in 2012. The first mechanical trams were powered by steam . Generally, there were two types of steam tram. The first and most common had a small steam locomotive (called
2688-420: The 1980s. The history of passenger trams, streetcars and trolley systems, began in the early nineteenth century. It can be divided into several distinct periods defined by the principal means of power used. Precursors to the tramway included the wooden or stone wagonways that were used in central Europe to transport mine carts with unflanged wheels since the 1500s, and the paved limestone trackways designed by
2784-551: The 2018 BMW Championship , 2020 Women's PGA Championship , and is set to host the 2026 PGA Championship . Those of note who were born or once lived in Newtown. Township (Pennsylvania) A township , under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania , is the lowest level of municipal incorporation of government. All of Pennsylvania's communities outside of incorporated cities , boroughs , and one town have been incorporated into individual townships that serve as
2880-404: The 2020 census, 14,369 residents identified themselves as one race alone, 13,200 as White (87.98%), 259 as African American (1.72%), 14 as Native American or Alaska Native (0.09%), 792 as Asian (5.28%), 3 as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (0.02%), 101 as from other races (0.67%), and 633 from two or more races (4.21%) As of 2010, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of
2976-481: The Australian state of Queensland between 1909 and 1939. Stockholm , Sweden, had a steam tram line at the island of Södermalm between 1887 and 1901. Tram engines usually had modifications to make them suitable for street running in residential areas. The wheels, and other moving parts of the machinery, were usually enclosed for safety reasons and to make the engines quieter. Measures were often taken to prevent
Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania - Misplaced Pages Continue
3072-625: The Board of Supervisors as employees to carry out the decisions of the Board. These bipartisan officials include the Township Manager , who is the Chief Administrative Officer and Treasurer of the township, a position currently held by Stephen Nease. Other appointed officials include Township Solicitor , Richard Sokorai, Township Engineer, Eric Johnson P.E , and Sewage Enforcement Officer, Jamie MacCombie. As of
3168-462: The British newspaper Newcastle Daily Chronicle reported that, "A large number of London's discarded horse tramcars have been sent to Lincolnshire where they are used as sleeping rooms for potato pickers ". Horses continued to be used for light shunting well into the 20th century, and many large metropolitan lines lasted into the early 20th century. New York City had a regular horsecar service on
3264-774: The Entertainment Centre, and work is progressing on further extensions. Sydney re-introduced trams (or light rail) on 31 August 1997. A completely new system, known as G:link , was introduced on the Gold Coast, Queensland , on 20 July 2014. The Newcastle Light Rail opened in February 2019, while the Canberra light rail opened on 20 April 2019. This is the first time that there have been trams in Canberra, even though Walter Burley Griffin 's 1914–1920 plans for
3360-776: The Friends could attend either Goshen or the Haverford Friends Meeting . By 1696, these friends had become numerous enough to hold their own meeting in Newtown and continued to meet in a private home until the completion of the Newtown Square Friends Meetinghouse in 1711. In the 18th century, Newtown was basically a farming community. Blacksmith and wheelwright shops emerged on the main arteries to service horse and buggy travelers. Taverns and inns were also opened to accommodate local patrons as well as drovers taking their livestock to
3456-583: The Irish coach builder John Stephenson , in New York City which began service in the year 1832. The New York and Harlem Railroad's Fourth Avenue Line ran along the Bowery and Fourth Avenue in New York City. It was followed in 1835 by the New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad in New Orleans, Louisiana , which still operates as the St. Charles Streetcar Line . Other American cities did not follow until
3552-545: The Netherlands. The first trams in Bendigo, Australia, in 1892, were battery-powered, but within as little as three months they were replaced with horse-drawn trams. In New York City some minor lines also used storage batteries. Then, more recently during the 1950s, a longer battery-operated tramway line ran from Milan to Bergamo . In China there is a Nanjing battery Tram line and has been running since 2014. In 2019,
3648-789: The North Sydney line from 1886 to 1900, and the King Street line from 1892 to 1905. In Dresden , Germany, in 1901 an elevated suspended cable car following the Eugen Langen one-railed floating tram system started operating. Cable cars operated on Highgate Hill in North London and Kennington to Brixton Hill in South London. They also worked around "Upper Douglas" in the Isle of Man from 1897 to 1929 (cable car 72/73
3744-489: The Pennsylvania constitution, each governmental entity has the right to choose its own form of self-government, and a limited ability to delegate powers and oversight to such entities as authorities, commissions and school boards. Any township, regardless of its class, may adopt a home rule charter, at which point it is no longer governed by the Pennsylvania Township Codes. While a home rule charter can incorporate unusual features, standard municipal functions are generally part of
3840-463: The Romans for heavy horse and ox-drawn transportation. By the 1700s, paved plateways with cast iron rails were introduced in England for transporting coal, stone or iron ore from the mines to the urban factories and docks. The world's first passenger train or tram was the Swansea and Mumbles Railway , in Wales , UK. The British Parliament passed the Mumbles Railway Act in 1804, and horse-drawn service started in 1807. The service closed in 1827, but
3936-413: The Second Street Cable Railroad, which operated from 1885 to 1889, and the Temple Street Cable Railway, which operated from 1886 to 1898. From 1885 to 1940, the city of Melbourne , Victoria, Australia operated one of the largest cable systems in the world, at its peak running 592 trams on 75 kilometres (47 mi) of track. There were also two isolated cable lines in Sydney , New South Wales, Australia;
Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-421: The Township did not occur until the mid-1890s, when trolley service was opened to Newtown Square. Before this time, railroad lines had been proposed, but due to a series of reorganizations and competition between companies for rights of way, as of 1892 no track had been laid. In 1894, however, a mule-drawn service was initiated by the Philadelphia and Delaware County Railroad, with steam dummies used to help out on
4128-562: The UK at Lytham St Annes , Trafford Park , Manchester (1897–1908) and Neath , Wales (1896–1920). Comparatively little has been published about gas trams. However, research on the subject was carried out for an article in the October 2011 edition of "The Times", the historical journal of the Australian Association of Timetable Collectors, later renamed the Australian Timetable Association. The world's first electric tram line operated in Sestroretsk near Saint Petersburg invented and tested by inventor Fyodor Pirotsky in 1875. Later, using
4224-410: The UK took passengers from Fintona railway station to Fintona Junction one mile away on the main Omagh to Enniskillen railway in Northern Ireland. The tram made its last journey on 30 September 1957 when the Omagh to Enniskillen line closed. The "van" is preserved at the Ulster Transport Museum . Horse-drawn trams still operate on the 1876-built Douglas Bay Horse Tramway on the Isle of Man , and at
4320-508: The advantages over earlier forms of transit was the low rolling resistance of metal wheels on steel rails, allowing the trams to haul a greater load for a given effort. Another factor which contributed to the rise of trams was the high total cost of ownership of horses. Electric trams largely replaced animal power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Improvements in other vehicles such as buses led to decline of trams in early to mid 20th century. However, trams have seen resurgence since
4416-411: The average family size was 3.06. In the township the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for a household in the township
4512-460: The busiest tram line in Europe, with a tram running once per minute at rush hour. Bucharest and Belgrade ran a regular service from 1894. Ljubljana introduced its tram system in 1901 – it closed in 1958. Oslo had the first tramway in Scandinavia , starting operation on 2 March 1894. The first electric tramway in Australia was a Sprague system demonstrated at the 1888 Melbourne Centennial Exhibition in Melbourne ; afterwards, this
4608-439: The capital then in the planning stage did propose a Canberra tram system. In Japan, the Kyoto Electric railroad was the first tram system, starting operation in 1895. By 1932, the network had grown to 82 railway companies in 65 cities, with a total network length of 1,479 km (919 mi). By the 1960s the tram had generally died out in Japan. Two rare but significant alternatives were conduit current collection , which
4704-458: The car up the hill at a steady pace, unlike a low-powered steam or horse-drawn car. Cable cars do have wheel brakes and track brakes , but the cable also helps restrain the car to going downhill at a constant speed. Performance in steep terrain partially explains the survival of cable cars in San Francisco. The San Francisco cable cars , though significantly reduced in number, continue to provide regular transportation service, in addition to being
4800-402: The cars to coast by inertia, for example when crossing another cable line. The cable then had to be "picked up" to resume progress, the whole operation requiring precise timing to avoid damage to the cable and the grip mechanism. Breaks and frays in the cable, which occurred frequently, required the complete cessation of services over a cable route while the cable was repaired. Due to overall wear,
4896-823: The characteristics of more-urbanized areas that might be associated with "towns." Because Pennsylvania's constitution provides for a progression of municipal structures based on population growth, it is not uncommon to have a township and borough of the same or similar name, generally adjacent within the same county. The 'town-like' borough might be partially or wholly surrounded by the remaining township from which it had split off. The government of Cold Spring Township ceased to function in 1961, when there were no candidates for office. Pennsylvania townships typically vary in size from 6 to 40 square miles (16–104 km ). There are two classifications of townships, first class and second class. The commonwealth initially incorporates all townships as second class townships. To become
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#17327733032164992-409: The city's hurricane-prone location, which would have resulted in frequent damage to an electrical supply system. Although Portland, Victoria promotes its tourist tram as being a cable car it actually operates using a diesel motor. The tram, which runs on a circular route around the town of Portland, uses dummies and salons formerly used on the Melbourne cable tramway system and since restored. In
5088-416: The combined coal consumption of the stationary compressor and the onboard steam boiler. The Trieste–Opicina tramway in Trieste operates a hybrid funicular tramway system. Conventional electric trams are operated in street running and on reserved track for most of their route. However, on one steep segment of track, they are assisted by cable tractors, which push the trams uphill and act as brakes for
5184-430: The downhill run. For safety, the cable tractors are always deployed on the downhill side of the tram vehicle. Similar systems were used elsewhere in the past, notably on the Queen Anne Counterbalance in Seattle and the Darling Street wharf line in Sydney. In the mid-20th century many tram systems were disbanded, replaced by buses, trolleybuses , automobiles or rapid transit . The General Motors streetcar conspiracy
5280-429: The eastern part of the township on its route between Delaware County Community College and the 69th Street Transportation Center; Route 115 , which offers weekday service along Media Line Road on its route between Delaware Community College and the Darby Transportation Center in Darby and the Philadelphia International Airport ; Route 118 , which heads south from Newtown Square along Newtown Street Road to Media and
5376-432: The electorate of the whole township for overlapping six-year terms. The number of supervisors can be increased to five by referendum. Townships of the first class, by contrast, have a board of commissioners. Between five and fifteen commissioners sit on this panel; they can be elected either at large or by wards within the township; and they serve for overlapping terms of four years in office. Other elected officials include
5472-446: The engines from emitting visible smoke or steam. Usually the engines used coke rather than coal as fuel to avoid emitting smoke; condensers or superheating were used to avoid emitting visible steam. A major drawback of this style of tram was the limited space for the engine, so that these trams were usually underpowered. Steam trams faded out around the 1890s to 1900s, being replaced by electric trams. Another motive system for trams
5568-429: The entire length of cable (typically several kilometres) had to be replaced on a regular schedule. After the development of reliable electrically powered trams, the costly high-maintenance cable car systems were rapidly replaced in most locations. Cable cars remained especially effective in hilly cities, since their nondriven wheels did not lose traction as they climbed or descended a steep hill. The moving cable pulled
5664-439: The fact that any given animal could only work so many hours on a given day, had to be housed, groomed, fed and cared for day in and day out, and produced prodigious amounts of manure, which the streetcar company was charged with storing and then disposing. Since a typical horse pulled a streetcar for about a dozen miles a day and worked for four or five hours, many systems needed ten or more horses in stable for each horsecar. In 1905
5760-463: The hills. Electrification was completed the following year and the trolley was open from Newtown to Fernwood in 1895. By 1889, the reorganized Philadelphia and West Chester Traction Company had completed the track to West Chester. At the turn of the 20th century, the automobile began to disperse the urban populations over the countryside. The trolleys , along with automobiles transformed the country farmers into suburban commuters. Farms were sold and
5856-427: The land subdivided. Newtown Square boomed. Many city dwellers retained their country estates; however, these became hidden amidst gridiron developments. Although construction slackened during the depression, another boom was experienced after World War II . Today Newtown Township has a land area of 10.11 square miles (26.2 km), and a population of 15,002 individuals. Some farms and large estates remain, but for
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#17327733032165952-444: The late 19th and early 20th centuries a number of systems in various parts of the world employed trams powered by gas, naphtha gas or coal gas in particular. Gas trams are known to have operated between Alphington and Clifton Hill in the northern suburbs of Melbourne , Australia (1886–1888); in Berlin and Dresden , Germany; in Estonia (1921–1951); between Jelenia Góra , Cieplice , and Sobieszów in Poland (from 1897); and in
6048-402: The late 19th and early 20th centuries. There was one particular hazard associated with trams powered from a trolley pole off an overhead line on the early electrified systems. Since the tram relies on contact with the rails for the current return path, a problem arises if the tram is derailed or (more usually) if it halts on a section of track that has been heavily sanded by a previous tram, and
6144-455: The legal entities providing local self-government functions. In general, townships in Pennsylvania encompass larger land areas than other municipalities , and tend to be located in suburban , exurban , or rural parts of the commonwealth. As with other incorporated municipalities in Pennsylvania, townships exist within counties and are subordinate to or dependent upon the county level of government. Townships in Pennsylvania were created in
6240-548: The level of city. Initially, each municipal organization begins as a second-class township. When a sufficient population density, currently 300 people per square mile, was attained, the township had the option of holding a referendum and, if it passed, became a first-class township. The municipality could proceed to the level of borough or city in a similar fashion. Historically, this progression has often included border adjustments or mergers with other boroughs or townships. Many communities remain townships in spite of growth that brings
6336-457: The markets in Philadelphia. During the Revolutionary War , Newtown township was visited several times by foraging parties of the British Army . On Goshen Road, west of Newtown Square, were the outpost and headquarters of General Potter . During the 19th century a number of mills sprang up along Crum Creek (the western border) and Darby Creek (in the northeast corner of the Township). These included saw mills, paper mills, shingle mills, and
6432-643: The mix regardless of how offices and powers are allocated within the jurisdiction. "Citizen's Guide to Pennsylvania Local Government, 2010" Tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in the United States) is a type of urban rail transit consisting of either individual railcars or self-propelled multiple unit trains that run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way . The tramlines or tram networks operated as public transport are called tramways or simply trams/streetcars. Because of their close similarities, trams are commonly included in
6528-422: The most part, the township was developed into a suburban community with old stone homes and structures dotting the landscape to serve as reminders of days gone by. Five sites in Newtown are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Newtown is classified as a second class township , having a Board of Supervisors of five members. Supervisors are elected at large by the all registered voting residents of
6624-475: The necessity of overhead wire and a trolley pole for street cars and railways. While at the University of Denver he conducted experiments which established that multiple unit powered cars were a better way to operate trains and trolleys. Electric tramways spread to many European cities in the 1890s, such as: Sarajevo built a citywide system of electric trams in 1895. Budapest established its tramway system in 1887, and its ring line has grown to be
6720-421: The oldest operating electric tramway in the world. Also in 1883, Mödling and Hinterbrühl Tram was opened near Vienna in Austria. It was the first tram in the world in regular service that was run with electricity served by an overhead line with pantograph current collectors . The Blackpool Tramway was opened in Blackpool, UK on 29 September 1885 using conduit collection along Blackpool Promenade. This system
6816-415: The poor paving of the streets in American cities which made them unsuitable for horsebuses , which were then common on the well-paved streets of European cities. Running the horsecars on rails allowed for a much smoother ride. There are records of a street railway running in Baltimore as early as 1828, however the first authenticated streetcar in America, was the New York and Harlem Railroad developed by
6912-531: The population. As of the census of 2000, there were 11,700 people, 4,549 households, and 3,184 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,166.0 inhabitants per square mile (450.2/km). There were 4,690 housing units at an average density of 467.4 per square mile (180.5/km). The racial makeup of the township was 96.16% White , 0.66% African American , 0.07% Native American , 2.30% Asian , 0.13% from other races , and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.69% of
7008-409: The population. There were 4,549 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.4% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and
7104-763: The property as well as in the form of tenements and outbuildings. In 1859, the Rose Tree Hunt Club was organized south of the township, followed by the Lima Hunt Club to the west (1885) and the Radnor Hunt Club at the intersection of Darby-Paoli and Goshen Roads in 1886. With these developments, many country estates were built in the rolling hills of Newtown Square for "either country gentlemen of Old Quaker blood ... or rich Philadelphians who loved hunting, owned good horses, and were not afraid to ride them." Major transportation developments for
7200-542: The suburban tramway lines around Milan and Padua ; the last Gamba de Legn ("Peg-Leg") tramway ran on the Milan- Magenta -Castano Primo route in late 1957. The other style of steam tram had the steam engine in the body of the tram, referred to as a tram engine (UK) or steam dummy (US). The most notable system to adopt such trams was in Paris. French-designed steam trams also operated in Rockhampton , in
7296-1112: The town for overlapping six-year terms. The board sets policies for the municipality given under the Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code. The current board consists of Chair Leonard B. Altieri, III, Esq., Vice Chair Christina Roberts Lightcap, Supervisor Paul Sanfrancesco, Supervisor Mike Russo, and Supervisor Kathryn V. Chandless, Esq. Appointed boards and commissions include the Bartram Bridge Joint Preservation Commission (Jointly operated with Willistown Township , each with 3 commissioners), Environmental Advisory Council, Leisure Services Commission (jointly operated with Marple Township ), Library Board, Municipal Authority (Sewer), Parks and Recreation Board, Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, Strategic Plan Advisory Committee, Shade Tree Commission, Finance Committee, Trails and Greenways Committee, and Historical Preservation Committee. Appointed officials are hired by
7392-558: The tracks. Siemens later designed his own version of overhead current collection, called the bow collector . One of the first systems to use it was in Thorold, Ontario , opened in 1887, and it was considered quite successful. While this line proved quite versatile as one of the earliest fully functional electric streetcar installations, it required horse-drawn support while climbing the Niagara Escarpment and for two months of
7488-416: The tram and completing the earth return circuit with their body could receive a serious electric shock. If "grounded", the driver was required to jump off the tram (avoiding simultaneous contact with the tram and the ground) and pull down the trolley pole, before allowing passengers off the tram. Unless derailed, the tram could usually be recovered by running water down the running rails from a point higher than
7584-466: The tram loses electrical contact with the rails. In this event, the underframe of the tram, by virtue of a circuit path through ancillary loads (such as interior lighting), is live at the full supply voltage, typically 600 volts DC. In British terminology, such a tram was said to be 'grounded'—not to be confused with the US English use of the term, which means the exact opposite. Any person stepping off
7680-427: The tram, the water providing a conducting bridge between the tram and the rails. With improved technology, this ceased to be an problem. In the 2000s, several companies introduced catenary-free designs: Alstom's Citadis line uses a third rail, Bombardier's PRIMOVE LRV is charged by contactless induction plates embedded in the trackway and CAF URBOS tram uses ultracaps technology As early as 1834, Thomas Davenport ,
7776-458: The way, grew and prospered, mills closed and businesses declined in Newtown Square. By 1890, the population had fallen to 648. As an agricultural community, stone farmhouses graced the country landscape throughout the 19th century. Additions were made to the early simple dwellings as families grew and more living space was required. Prosperity, due to a growing market, also enabled property owners to make additions, not only to their own homes, but on
7872-804: The wider term light rail , which also includes systems separated from other traffic. Tram vehicles are usually lighter and shorter than main line and rapid transit trains. Most trams use electrical power, usually fed by a pantograph sliding on an overhead line ; older systems may use a trolley pole or a bow collector . In some cases, a contact shoe on a third rail is used. If necessary, they may have dual power systems—electricity in city streets and diesel in more rural environments. Occasionally, trams also carry freight . Some trams, known as tram-trains , may have segments that run on mainline railway tracks, similar to interurban systems. The differences between these modes of rail transport are often indistinct, and systems may combine multiple features. One of
7968-409: The winter when hydroelectricity was not available. It continued in service in its original form into the 1950s. Sidney Howe Short designed and produced the first electric motor that operated a streetcar without gears. The motor had its armature direct-connected to the streetcar 's axle for the driving force. Short pioneered "use of a conduit system of concealed feed" thereby eliminating
8064-532: The world's first hydrogen fuel cell vehicle tramcar at an assembly facility in Qingdao . The chief engineer of the CSR subsidiary CSR Sifang Co Ltd. , Liang Jianying, said that the company is studying how to reduce the running costs of the tram. Trams have been used for two main purposes: for carrying passengers and for carrying cargo. There are several types of passenger tram: There are two main types of tramways,
8160-401: The world. Earlier electric trains proved difficult or unreliable and experienced limited success until the second half of the 1880s, when new types of current collectors were developed. Siemens' line, for example, provided power through a live rail and a return rail, like a model train , limiting the voltage that could be used, and delivering electric shocks to people and animals crossing
8256-480: Was $ 65,924, and the median income for a family was $ 82,557. Males had a median income of $ 61,688 versus $ 37,319 for females. The per capita income for the township was $ 39,364. About 1.8% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 10.1 square miles (26 km), of which 10.0 square miles (26 km)
8352-682: Was a case study of the decline of trams in the United States. In the 21st century, trams have been re-introduced in cities where they had been closed down for decades (such as Tramlink in London), or kept in heritage use (such as Spårväg City in Stockholm). Most trams made since the 1990s (such as the Bombardier Flexity series and Alstom Citadis ) are articulated low-floor trams with features such as regenerative braking . In March 2015, China South Rail Corporation (CSR) demonstrated
8448-512: Was arrested by the Newtown Township Police Department. The events were made into the 2014 film Foxcatcher . Aronimink Golf Club is located within Newtown Square. The course is considered one of the nation's top golf courses. The club hosted the 1962 PGA Championship , 1977 U.S. Amateur Championship , 1997 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship , 2003 Senior PGA Championship , the 2010 and 2011 AT&T National ,
8544-491: Was built by Werner von Siemens who contacted Pirotsky. This was the world's first commercially successful electric tram. It drew current from the rails at first, with overhead wire being installed in 1883. In Britain, Volk's Electric Railway was opened in 1883 in Brighton. This two kilometer line along the seafront, re-gauged to 2 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 825 mm ) in 1884, remains in service as
8640-522: Was founded in 1912 to serve the small Catholic population. In 1930, a Catholic school was opened. Post-World War II, the church and school expanded to serve the rapidly growing Catholic population of Newtown Square. Newtown Township lies entirely within the Marple Newtown School District together with Marple Township . The district has four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. Culbertson Elementary School
8736-487: Was installed as a commercial venture operating between the outer Melbourne suburb of Box Hill and the then tourist-oriented country town Doncaster from 1889 to 1896. Electric systems were also built in Adelaide , Ballarat , Bendigo , Brisbane , Fremantle , Geelong , Hobart , Kalgoorlie , Launceston , Leonora , Newcastle , Perth , and Sydney . By the 1970s, the only full tramway system remaining in Australia
8832-621: Was restarted in 1860, again using horses. It was worked by steam from 1877, and then, from 1929, by very large (106-seat) electric tramcars, until closure in 1960. The Swansea and Mumbles Railway was something of a one-off however, and no street tramway appeared in Britain until 1860 when one was built in Birkenhead by the American George Francis Train . Street railways developed in America before Europe, due to
8928-628: Was tested in San Francisco , in 1873. Part of its success is attributed to the development of an effective and reliable cable grip mechanism, to grab and release the moving cable without damage. The second city to operate cable trams was Dunedin , from 1881 to 1957. The most extensive cable system in the US was built in Chicago in stages between 1859 and 1892. New York City developed multiple cable car lines, that operated from 1883 to 1909. Los Angeles also had several cable car lines, including
9024-635: Was the Melbourne tram system. However, there were also a few single lines remaining elsewhere: the Glenelg tram line , connecting Adelaide to the beachside suburb of Glenelg , and tourist trams in the Victorian Goldfields cities of Bendigo and Ballarat. In recent years the Melbourne system, generally recognised as the largest urban tram network in the world, has been considerably modernised and expanded. The Adelaide line has been extended to
9120-411: Was the cable car, which was pulled along a fixed track by a moving steel cable, the cable usually running in a slot below the street level. The power to move the cable was normally provided at a "powerhouse" site a distance away from the actual vehicle. The London and Blackwall Railway , which opened for passengers in east London, England, in 1840 used such a system. The first practical cable car line
9216-878: Was widely used in London, Washington, D.C., and New York City, and the surface contact collection method, used in Wolverhampton (the Lorain system), Torquay and Hastings in the UK (the Dolter stud system), and in Bordeaux , France (the ground-level power supply system). The convenience and economy of electricity resulted in its rapid adoption once the technical problems of production and transmission of electricity were solved. Electric trams largely replaced animal power and other forms of motive power including cable and steam, in
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