The William Penn Highway was an auto trail that ran from Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania in the west to New York City in the east. It served as the Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway west of Reading and as its branch to New York City.
81-638: The William Penn Highway Association of Pennsylvania was organized on March 27, 1916 to promote a road parallel to the Pennsylvania Railroad between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia . It was officially dedicated on November 2, 1916. The William Penn Highway in Pennsylvania has largely been superseded by U.S. Route 22 (US 22). From Pittsburgh , the highway's original route followed modern-day Pennsylvania Route 380 (PA 380) and PA 8 to Wilkinsburg , then Penn Avenue and
162-667: A canal across Pennsylvania and thus the Main Line of Public Works was commissioned in 1826. It soon became evident that a single canal would not be practical and a series of railroads, inclined planes, and canals was proposed. The route consisted of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad , canals up the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, an inclined plane railroad called the Allegheny Portage Railroad ,
243-523: A classification system for their freight cars. Similar to their locomotives, the Pennsy used a letter system to designate the various types and sub-types of freight and maintenance cars. As noted, Pennsy colors and paint schemes were standardized. Locomotives were painted in a shade of green so dark it seemed almost black. The official name for this color was DGLE (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel), though often referred to as "Brunswick Green." The undercarriage of
324-608: A continuous railroad line ran between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh over the tracks of several entities including the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1853, the Pennsy was granted trackage rights over the Philadelphia and Columbia, providing a connection between the two cities and connecting with the HPMtJ&;L at Lancaster and Columbia. By 1854, the Pennsy completed its line from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, eliminating
405-681: A government-guaranteed $ 200 million operating loan forced Penn Central to file for bankruptcy protection on June 21, 1970. In May 1971, passenger operations, including equipment, were transferred to a new government-subsidized company called the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or Amtrak . This was devised to relieve the Penn Central (and other railroads) of money-losing passenger service. Penn Central rail lines, including ex-Pennsy lines, were transferred to Conrail in 1976, and eventually Amtrak received
486-747: A mile to the Route ;24 freeway. However, this proposal was rejected by the Federal Highway Administration . Construction on the section of the Route 24 freeway between the John F. Kennedy Parkway on the Essex/Morris County border and I-78 began in 1967 and was finished in 1976. With the completion of this section, the former alignment of Route 24 between JFK Parkway and the boundary between Maplewood and Irvington , including frontage roads built alongside
567-546: A multi-modal freight transportation subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It owned oil tanker cars and used them to transport refined oil for mostly independent oil refiners during the era of John D. Rockefeller's and Standard Oil's oil refinery mergers of the 1870s. The company also owned grain freight boats on the Great Lakes and oil pipelines in the oil regions of Pennsylvania . When the company attempted to buy and build some oil refineries in 1877, Standard Oil bought
648-473: A percentage of its capital stock. Several lines were then aided by the Pennsy in hopes to secure additional traffic. By the end of 1854, the Pennsy purchased stock in the Ohio & Pennsylvania, Ohio & Indiana, Marietta & Cincinnati, Maysville & Big Sandy, and Springfield, Mt. Vernon & Pittsburgh railroads, totalling $ 1,450,000 (equivalent to $ 49.2 million in 2023). The Steubenville & Indiana
729-713: A portion of the freeway in the Short Hills area, was designated as Route 124 . The section across Chatham Borough from JFK Parkway to shortly past the still-existing unused cloverleaf interchange at the Florham Park borough line, once signed as the Triborough Road, a never-built southern extension of the Eisenhower Parkway , was built in 1973-74 but not opened as it did not provide any connections to existing roads. Plans were made to finish
810-461: A split of two mountain ravines which were cleverly crossed by building a fill and having the tracks ascend a 220-degree curve known as Horseshoe Curve that limited the grade to less than 2 percent. The crest of the mountain would be penetrated by the 3,612 ft (1,101 m) Gallitzin Tunnels , from which the route descended by a more moderate grade to Johnstown . The western end of the line
891-508: A stake in Madison Square Garden . The company began to acquire a portfolio of insurance companies in 1988. In 1994, the company reorganized as American Premier Underwriters , a subsidiary of American Financial Group , which continues to operate as a property and casualty insurance company as-of January 2024. Thomson (1808–1874) was the entrepreneur who led the Pennsylvania Railroad from 1852 until his death in 1874, making it
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#1732783306671972-594: A tunnel across the Allegheny Mountains , and canals down the Conemaugh and Allegheny rivers to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , on the Ohio River; it was completed in 1834. Because freight and passengers had to change conveyances several times along the route and canals froze in winter, it soon became apparent that the system was cumbersome and a better way was needed. There were two applications made to
1053-695: A westbound exit and eastbound entrance and crosses into Morris Township . Route 24 crosses back into Hanover Township, where it passes over Park Avenue ( CR 623 ) and narrows to four lanes, and interchanges with Columbia Turnpike ( CR 510 ) at a cloverleaf interchange near the Morristown Municipal Airport . Just past this interchange, the freeway crosses into Florham Park , heading southeast and passing through Madison before crossing back into Florham Park. Route 24 passes under Triborough Road and enters Chatham . An abandoned cloverleaf interchange exists at this location, as Triborough Road
1134-490: A year, then the B&;O bill would become effective and the Pennsy's void, thereby allowing the B&O to build into Pennsylvania and on to Pittsburgh. The Pennsylvania Railroad fulfilled the requirements and Letters Patent were issued by the Pennsylvania governor on February 25, 1847. The governor declared the B&O's rights void the following August. In 1847, the Pennsy's directors chose J. Edgar Thomson , an engineer from
1215-754: Is a 10.4-mile (16.74 km) freeway in New Jersey , United States , that begins at a junction with I-287 in Hanover in Morris County , passes southeast through Essex County , and ends at a interchange with I-78 in Springfield in Union County . The route was created in 1927 to run from Phillipsburg to Newark , replacing pre-1927 Route 12 from Phillipsburg to Penwell and Pre-1927 Route 5 from Morristown to Newark. The route
1296-411: Is today the following routes: West of Newark, the whole alignment was designated as Route 24 in 1927. Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR ), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company , also known as the " Pennsy ", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. At its peak in 1882,
1377-630: The Broadway Limited which became the most famous train operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This train ran from New York City to Chicago, via Philadelphia, with an additional section between Harrisburg and Washington (later operated as a separate Washington–Chicago train, the Liberty Limited ). In 1890, the Pennsylvania Railroad gained control of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (PCC&StL), itself
1458-674: The 1953 renumbering . The western Route S24 replaced the William Penn Highway and ran northeast from Penwell to Hackettstown , and is now mostly Route 57. The eastern Route S24 ran from Springfield to Elizabeth , and is now mostly Route 82 . In addition, Route 24N was a planning number for the approach to the new Delaware River crossing (the Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge ) in Phillipsburg that opened in 1938. However, before
1539-604: The Congressional Limited s in both directions were the first trains in regular electric operation between New York and Washington, drawn by the first of the GG1 -type locomotives . In 1934, the Pennsylvania received a $ 77 million loan from the New Deal 's Public Works Administration to complete the electrification project begun in 1928. Work was started January 27, 1937, on the main line from Paoli to Harrisburg;
1620-690: The Georgia Railroad , to survey and construct the line. He chose a route that followed the west bank of the Susquehanna River northward to the confluence with the Juniata River, following its banks until the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains were reached at a point that would become Altoona, Pennsylvania . To traverse the mountains, the line would climb a moderate grade for 10 miles (16 km) until it reached
1701-560: The Hudson River tunnels . The next area to be electrified was the Philadelphia terminal area, where Pennsy officials decided to use overhead lines to supply power to the suburban trains running out of Broad Street Station . Unlike the New York terminal system, overhead wires would carry 11,000-volt 25-Hertz alternating current (AC) power, which became the standard for future installations. On September 12, 1915, electrification of
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#17327833066711782-766: The Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor lines. After Conrail was divided between the Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation , most of the former Pennsy's remaining trackage went to Norfolk Southern. The few parts of the Pennsylvania Railroad that went to CSX after the Conrail split were: After 1976, the Penn Central Corporation held diversified non-rail assets including the Buckeye Pipeline and
1863-686: The Senator from Boston to Washington. On July 1, 1869, the Pennsylvania Railroad leased the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway (PFtW&C) in which it had previously been an investor. The lease gave the Pennsy complete control of that line's direct route through northern Ohio and Indiana as well as entry into the emerging rail hub city of Chicago, Illinois . Acquisitions along the PFtW&;C: Erie and Pittsburgh Railroad , Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad, Toledo, Columbus and Ohio River Railroad, and Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Ashtabula Railway gave
1944-544: The 1920s, it carried nearly three times the traffic as other railroads of comparable length, such as the Union Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads. Its only formidable rival was the New York Central Railroad (NYC), which carried around three-quarters of the Pennsy's ton-miles. In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with New York Central and the railroad eventually went by
2025-468: The 20th century, the Pennsy tried electric power for its trains. Its first effort was in the New York terminal area, where tunnels and a city law restricting the burning of coal precluded steam locomotives. In 1910, the railroad began operating a direct current (DC) 650-volt system whose third-rail powered Pennsy locomotives (and LIRR passenger cars) used to enter Penn Station in New York City via
2106-645: The Delaware River from Philadelphia) to South Amboy, New Jersey (across Raritan Bay from New York City), as well as a newer line from Philadelphia to Jersey City, New Jersey, much closer to New York, via Trenton, New Jersey. Track connection in Philadelphia was made via the Pennsy's Connecting Railway and the jointly owned Junction Railroad . The Pennsy's Baltimore and Potomac Rail Road opened on July 2, 1872, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. This route required transfer via horse car in Baltimore to
2187-539: The Morris Turnpike at Springfield to service Newark by the old Springfield and Newark Turnpike , and diverged north to Hackettstown via Schooley's Mountain Road and modern-day Route 57 . That same year, the state put a part of Pre-1927 Route 12 (from Phillipsburg to Penwell ) and part of Pre-1927 Route 5 (from Morristown to Newark) on this route. In the 1927 highway renumbering , Route 24
2268-551: The New York Central Railroad. The Pennsylvania Railroad absorbed the New York Central and eventually went by the name of Penn Central Transportation Company . The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) required that the ailing New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH) be added in 1969. A series of events including inflation, poor management, abnormally harsh weather, and the withdrawal of
2349-620: The PRR began passenger train service from New York City via Philadelphia to Washington with limited stops along the route. This service became known as the "Congressional Limited Express." The service expanded, and by the 1920s, the Pennsy was operating hourly passenger train service between New York, Philadelphia and Washington. In 1952, 18-car stainless steel streamliners were introduced on the Morning Congressional and Afternoon Congressional between New York and Washington, as well as
2430-556: The Pennsy access to the iron ore traffic on Lake Erie. On June 15, 1887, the Pennsylvania Limited began running between New York and Chicago. This was also the introduction of the vestibule, an enclosed platform at the end of each passenger car, allowing protected access to the entire train. In 1902 the Pennsylvania Limited was replaced by the Pennsylvania Special which in turn was replaced in 1912 by
2511-443: The Pennsy owned 439 freight cars. By 1857, it had 1,861 cars, and in 1866, 9,379 cars. Freight equipment was either acquired new from builders or built by the railroad itself. The Pennsy acquired more cars from the railroads it absorbed. In some instances, privately owned cars were either purchased from a builder or railroad acquisition. One such example was the 1877 purchase of Empire Transportation merchandise and oil cars. By
William Penn Highway - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-566: The Pennsylvania Railroad gained control of the Northern Central Railway , giving it access to Baltimore, Maryland , and points along the Susquehanna River via connections at Columbia, Pennsylvania, or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On December 1, 1871, the Pennsy leased the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company , which included the original Camden and Amboy Railroad from Camden, New Jersey (across
2673-484: The Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest railroad (by traffic and revenue), the largest transportation enterprise, and the largest corporation in the world, on par with the London & North Western Railway . Over its existence, Pennsylvania Railroad acquired, merged with, or owned part of at least 800 other rail lines and companies. At the end of 1926, it operated 11,640.66 miles (18,733.83 kilometers) of rail line; in
2754-508: The Pennsylvania legislature in 1846. The first was for a new railroad called The Pennsylvania Railroad Company to build a line between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The second was the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which wanted to build to Pittsburgh from Cumberland, Maryland. Both applications were granted with conditions. If the Pennsylvania Railroad did not raise enough capital and contract to build enough railroad within
2835-584: The Route 24 freeway west to US 22 in Phillipsburg. In the 1970s, this western extension was cut back to US 206 in Chester . It was put on hold in 1982, largely because its route was planned through protected wetlands and forests. In 1970, the Route 24 freeway was planned to become part of a western extension of I-278 , which would have run northwest from its current terminus at US 1/9 in Linden to I-78, which it would have followed west for
2916-538: The William Penn Highway up to an alignment since absorbed by Interstate 376 (I-376). From here, the road weaves between I-376, still known as the Old William Penn Highway, bypassing the old Northern Pike to the north. From here to Armagh , the highway closely follows modern-day US 22, though this route bypasses town centers historically served by the William Penn. At Armagh, a loop following
2997-419: The average capacity of a Pennsylvania Railroad freight car increased from 31 to 54 short tons (28 to 48 long tons; 28 to 49 t). This increased to 55 short tons (49 long tons; 50 t) in the mid-1930s and then to 56 short tons (50 long tons; 51 t) in 1945. By the start of 1946, the Pennsy's freight car ownership decreased to 240,293 cars and in 1963, down to 140,535. The Pennsylvania Railroad used
3078-410: The bridge opened, Route 24N was instead built simply as an extension of Route 24. Between 1938 and 1941, this segment was also designated as part of a rerouted US 22 . In the 1953 renumbering, Route 24’s western terminus was cut back to US 22 in eastern Phillipsburg (removing the concurrency in that town) and the incomplete section of Route 24 between Penwell and Long Valley
3159-464: The company. The controlling, non-institutional shareholders of the PRR during the early 1960s were Henry Stryker Taylor , who was a part of the Jacob Bunn business dynasty of Illinois, and Howard Butcher III, a principal in the Philadelphia brokerage house of Butcher & Sherrerd (later Butcher & Singer). On February 1, 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with its longtime arch-rival,
3240-659: The course of the Great Minisink Trail, and old Lenape trail running from Minisink Village in what is now Montague Township to Navesink . In 1801, the Morris Turnpike was legislated to run along this trail from Newton through Morristown to Elizabeth. In 1806, the Washington Turnpike was legislated to run from Morristown to Philipsburg. In 1916, both of these routes were incorporated into the William Penn Highway , which diverged from
3321-633: The electrified trackage are still in use, owned and operated by Amtrak as the Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor high-speed rail routes, by SEPTA , and by NJ Transit . The Pennsylvania Railroad's corporate symbol was the keystone , the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's state symbol, with the letters "PRR" intertwined inside. When colored, it was bright red with a silver-grey inline and lettering. The Pennsylvania Railroad bought its first 75 freight cars in 1849. Two years later,
William Penn Highway - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-476: The end of the century, a third and fourth track were added. Over the next 50 years, the Pennsy expanded by gaining control of other railroads by stock purchases and 999-year leases. At the end of its first year of operation, the Pennsylvania Railroad paid a dividend, and continued the dividend without interruption until 1946. The Pennsy's charter was supplemented on March 23, 1853, to allow it to purchase stock and guarantee bonds of railroads in other states, up to
3483-741: The exception of bypasses of Myerstown and Womesldorf . The route entered Reading on Penn Avenue and left on US 222 Business . With the exception of bypasses of Kutztown and Trexlertown, the route follows US 222 and PA 222 into Allentown. It exited Allentown on Hanover Avenue and entered Bethlehem on Broad Street. From Bethlehem to the New Jersey border, the highway followed modern-day Linden Street and Easton Avenue in Bethlehem; William Penn Highway between Bethlehem and Easton; and Butler Street, 13th Street, and Northampton Street in Easton. The road
3564-528: The first passenger train, the Metropolitan, went into operation over the newly electrified line from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. On April 15, the electrified freight service from Harrisburg and Enola Yard east was inaugurated, thus completing the Pennsy's eastern seaboard electrification program. The railroad had electrified 2,677 miles (4,308 km) of its track, representing 41% of the country's electrically operated standard railroad trackage. Portions of
3645-526: The formation of Conrail. It reorganized in 1994 as American Premier Underwriters , which continues to operate as a property and casualty insurance company. With the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 and the beginnings of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in 1828, Philadelphia business interests became concerned that the port of Philadelphia would lose traffic. The state legislature was pressed to build
3726-461: The freeway closely to the north as a two-way road, and Route 24 crosses into Summit before passing under NJ Transit 's Morris & Essex Lines . The freeway then interchanges with Broad Street ( CR 512 ) with a westbound exit and entrance and eastbound exit and Morris Avenue ( CR 527 ) with an eastbound exit and entrance, entering Springfield . Route 24 continues southeast toward its terminus at an interchange with Interstate 78 . Route 24 follows
3807-632: The freeway forms the border between Summit in Union County and Millburn. After bisecting the Canoe Brook Country Club, the highway interchanges with Summit Avenue ( CR 657 ). Route 24 continues along the Summit-Millburn border until it fully enters Millburn and interchanges with Hobart Avenue ( CR 608 ) with a westbound exit and eastbound entrance. Past this interchange, the Route 124 frontage road ends, with Route 124 following
3888-728: The freeway, the former signed route of Route 24 between the intersection with US 202 in Morristown and the JFK Parkway became a western extension of Route 124. The western portion between Route 57 and Route 182 in Hackettstown and US 202 officially had the Route 24 designation removed as the road has always been county-maintained rather than state-maintained. The New Jersey Department of Transportation has tried to remove signs from this section, but locals protested because of their familiarity with
3969-428: The highway paralleled the Pennsylvania Railroad closely, turning north on US 220 Business and Old US 220 to Tyrone , then south to Water Street, where it meets today's course of US 22 again. From Alexandria to Huntingdon , the old Northern Pike was bypassed by a route to the south, which US 22 has in turn bypassed in part. US 22 again bypasses the original route from Lewiston to Thompsontown . From Millerstown ,
4050-547: The largest business enterprise in the world and a world-class model for technological and managerial innovation. He served as the Pennsy's first Chief Engineer and third President. Thomson's sober, technical, methodical, and non-ideological personality had an important influence on the Pennsylvania Railroad, which in the mid-19th century was on the technical cutting edge of rail development, while nonetheless reflecting Thomson's personality in its conservatism and its steady growth while avoiding financial risks. His Pennsylvania Railroad
4131-541: The lettering and outlining was originally done in real gold leaf. After World War II, the lettering was done in a light shade of gold, called Buff Yellow. For most of its existence, the Pennsylvania Railroad was conservative in its locomotive choices and pursued standardization, both in locomotive types and their component parts. Almost alone among U.S. railroads, the Pennsy designed most of its steam locomotive classes itself. It built most of them at Altoona Works , outsourcing only when Pennsy facilities could not keep up with
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#17327833066714212-547: The line from Philadelphia to Paoli, Pennsylvania, was completed. Other Philadelphia lines electrified were the Chestnut Hill Branch (March 30, 1918), White Marsh (1924), the main line to Wilmington, Delaware (September 30, 1928), West Chester (December 2, 1928), Trenton line (June 29, 1930), and completed on July 20, 1930 the Schuylkill Branch to Norristown, Pennsylvania, later followed by
4293-474: The line served the coal region of southern Illinois and as a passenger route for the Pennsylvania Railroad's Blue Ribbon named trains The St. Louisan , The Jeffersonian , and the Spirit of St. Louis . By 1906, the Pennsylvania built several low-grade lines for freight to bypass areas of steep grade (slope) and avoid congestion. These included: Some other lines were planned, but never completed: Early in
4374-464: The locomotives were painted in black, referred to as "True Black." The passenger cars of the Pennsy were painted Tuscan Red , a brick-colored shade of red. Some electric locomotives and most passenger-hauling diesel locomotives were also painted in Tuscan Red. Freight cars of the Pennsy had their own color, known as "Freight Car Color," an iron-oxide shade of red. On passenger locomotives and cars,
4455-679: The low-grade freight line from Morrisville through Columbia to Enola Yard in Pennsylvania; the Port Road Branch from Perryville, Maryland, to Columbia; the Jamesburg Branch and Amboy Secondary freight line from Monmouth Junction to South Amboy; and the Landover-South End freight line from Landover, Maryland, through Washington to Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia. In less than a year, on January 15, 1938,
4536-458: The merged product of numerous smaller lines in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Commonly called the Panhandle Route , this line ran west from Pittsburgh to Bradford, Ohio , where it split, with one line to Chicago and the other to East St. Louis, Illinois , via Indianapolis, Indiana . In 1905, the acquisition of the Vandalia Railroad gave the Pennsy access across the Mississippi River to St. Louis, Missouri . Double-tracked for much of its length,
4617-448: The mid-1860s, the railroad had 9,379 freight cars; a decade later, 32,718; the mid-1880s, over 49,000; 1896, more than 87,000. The Pennsy changed its car reporting methods around 1900. The railroads owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad system were now included in reports, in addition to the Pennsylvania Railroad proper. So, in 1900, the Pennsy had over 180,000 freight cars; by 1910, 263,039. The zenith of freight car ownership
4698-446: The name of Penn Central Transportation Company , or "Penn Central" for short. The former competitors' networks integrated poorly with each other, and the railroad filed for bankruptcy within two years. Bankruptcy continued and on April 1, 1976, the railroad gave up its rail assets, along with the assets of several other failing northeastern railroads, to a new railroad named Consolidated Rail Corporation , or Conrail for short. Conrail
4779-412: The next day, ending Pennsylvania Air Line service. In the early 1880s, the Pennsylvania acquired a majority of PW&B Railroad's stock. This action forced the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) to build the Baltimore and Philadelphia Railroad to keep its Philadelphia access, where it connected with the Reading Company for its competing Royal Blue Line passenger trains to reach New York. In 1885,
4860-427: The north bank of the Conemaugh River serviced Johnstown , and has since been replaced by PA 403 and William Penn Avenue, connecting back to the main highway at Mundy's Corner . The highway then went to Ebensburg , where it branched off from both its predecessor and successor thoroughfares by traveling along Manor Drive to Loretto , then Syberton Road to PA 53 to Ashville , and PA 36 to Altoona . From here,
4941-424: The original highway serviced the cities of Lebanon and Reading directly. It left Harrisburg on Derry Street, which at the time Grayson Road over the Reading Railroad. After a brief stretch of modern US 322, the road passed through Hummelstown on Main Street, then crossed over the Reading again to follow Chocolate Avenue through Hershey . Through Lebanon to Reading, the route is still serviced by US 422 , with
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#17327833066715022-402: The other lines heading north from the city. On June 29, 1873, the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel through Baltimore was completed. The Pennsylvania Railroad started the Pennsylvania Air Line service ("air line" at the time being understood as a nearly-straight and nearly-flat route with distance similar to "as the crow flies") via the Northern Central Railway and Columbia, Pennsylvania. This service
5103-407: The railroad's needs. In such cases, subcontractors were hired to build to PRR designs, unlike most railroads that ordered to broad specifications and left most design choices to the builder. The Pennsy's favorite outsourced locomotive builder was Baldwin Locomotive Works , which received its raw materials and shipped out its finished products on Pennsy lines. The two companies were headquartered in
5184-416: The rest of the freeway to I-287; however construction was halted for many years due to legal, environmental and budgetary problems. Construction finally began on this portion of freeway in 1988. Route 24 was finally completed through to the interchange with I-287 in Hanover on November 17, 1992, and at that time the Route 24 designation was limited to strictly that freeway. Following the completion of
5265-440: The rest of the main line to Trenton, New Jersey. In 1928, PRR's president William Wallace Atterbury announced plans to electrify the lines between New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Harrisburg. In January 1933, through main-line service between New York and Philadelphia/Wilmington/Paoli was placed in operation. The first test run of an electric train between Philadelphia and Washington occurred on January 28, 1935. On February 1
5346-412: The route services Liverpool via present-day PA 17 and US 11/15 . Through the highway's early history, it serviced Downtown Harrisburg directly. From the west, it entered the city by Front Street, and may have used Market Street through Downtown Harrisburg. The route crossed over the Pennsylvania Railroad using Mulberry Street using a connection with Fourth Street. From Harrisburg to Allentown ,
5427-408: The same city; Pennsy and Baldwin management and engineers knew each other well. When the Pennsy and Baldwin shops were at capacity, orders went to the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio. Only as a last resort would the Pennsy use the American Locomotive Company (Alco), based in Schenectady, New York, which also built for Pennsy's rival, the New York Central. New Jersey Route 24 Route 24
5508-417: The use of the inclined planes of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. In 1857, the PRR purchased the Main Line of Public Works from the state of Pennsylvania. This purchase included 275 miles (443 km) of canal, the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad, and the New Portage Railroad (which replaced the now abandoned Allegheny Portage Railroad). The Pennsy abandoned most of the New Portage Railroad in 1857 as it
5589-407: Was 54.5 miles (87.7 km) longer than the old route but avoided the transfer in Baltimore. The Union Railroad line opened on July 24, 1873. This route eliminated the transfer in Baltimore. Pennsy officials contracted with both the Union Railroad and the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B) for access to this line. The Pennsy's New York–Washington trains began using the route
5670-421: Was assisted by the Pennsy in the form of a guarantee of $ 500,000 worth of bonds. In 1856, a controlling interest was purchased in the Cumberland Valley Railroad and the Pennsy constructed additional lines in Philadelphia. In 1857, the aforementioned Main Line of Public Works was purchased for $ 7,500,000 ($ 245 million in 2023). The Empire Transportation Company was founded in 1865 by Joseph D. Potts and became
5751-522: Was bridged by signing the route along the former Route S24 and CR 517 . Around 1970, Route 24 west of Hackettstown became part of Route 57. Plans for the Route 24 freeway originate in 1950 when a bypass of the many congested towns along the route was planned; this bypass was designated as a freeway in 1952. In 1959, the freeway was planned on its current alignment, running from I-287 near Morristown to I-78 in Springfield , with approval in 1960. In 1962, plans were made to extend
5832-404: Was completed between the abandoned Triborough Road interchange and the JFK Parkway interchange in the 1970s but was not opened until 1992, when the rest of the freeway to I-287 was completed after years of legal, environmental and budgetary problems. At this time, the alignment of Route 24 between US 202 in Morristown and JFK Parkway became a western extension of Route 124 while the route
5913-726: Was created to run from Downtown Phillipsburg at the Northampton Street Bridge over the Delaware River east to Route 25 (now US 1/9 ) in Newark, almost completely superseding the William Penn Highway. The only diversion from that route was a proposed highway from Penwell to Long Valley , closely paralleling the Washington Turnpike. Two spurs of Route 24 numbered Route S24 were created in 1927, both of which were renumbered in
5994-500: Was extended west to the new Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge in 1938 but was cut back to U.S. Route 22 (US 22) in the eastern part of Phillipsburg in 1953. The western terminus was cut back further around 1970 to Hackettstown with the route west of there becoming part of Route 57 . The freeway alignment of Route 24 between JFK Parkway and I-78 was completed in 1976. With the completion of this freeway, Route 24 east of JFK Parkway became Route 124 . The freeway
6075-548: Was in his day the largest railroad in the world, with 6,000 miles of track, and was famous for steady financial dividends, high quality construction, constantly improving equipment, technological advances (such as replacing wood fuel with coal), and innovation in management techniques for a large complex organization. The railroad's other presidents were: The Pennsylvania Railroad's board chairman/CEOs were: The railroad's vice-presidents were: The Pennsy's main line extended from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1861,
6156-415: Was itself purchased and split up in 1999 between the Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation , with Norfolk Southern getting 58 percent of the system, including nearly all of the remaining former Pennsylvania Railroad trackage. Amtrak received the electrified segment of the Main Line east of Harrisburg. The Penn Central Corporation held several non-rail assets which it continued to manage after
6237-481: Was now redundant with the Pennsylvania Railroad's own line. In 1861, the Pennsy leased the HPMtJ&L to bring the entire stretch of road between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia under its control. The Johnstown to Pittsburgh stretch of canal was abandoned in 1865 and the rest of the canals sold to the Pennsylvania Canal Company in 1866. The main line was double track from its inception, and by
6318-429: Was officially eliminated between Hackettstown and Morristown as it followed county-maintained routes. The former route between Hackettstown and Morristown is still referred to as Route 24 by many and is still signed as such due to local outcry. Route 24 begins at an interchange with I-287 in Hanover , Morris County , heading southeast on a six-lane freeway. The route interchanges with Whippany Road ( CR 511 ) with
6399-416: Was reached in 1919 when the Pennsy owned a reported 282,729 freight cars. Steel in freight car construction began during the later part of the 19th century, when cars were now being built with a steel underframe and wooden bodies or were all steel. The Pennsy steadily replaced their wooden cars with steel versions until there were no more wooden cars by 1934. During the first quarter of the 20th century,
6480-562: Was simultaneously built from Pittsburgh, eastward along the Allegheny and Conemaugh rivers to Johnstown, while the eastern end was built from Harrisburg to Altoona. In 1848, the Pennsy contracted with the Harrisburg, Portsmouth, Mountjoy and Lancaster Railroad (HPMtJ&L) to buy and use equipment over both roads, providing service from Harrisburg east to Lancaster. In 1851, tracks were completed between Pittsburgh and Johnstown. In 1852,
6561-465: Was to be an extension of Eisenhower Parkway . Route 24 crosses into Millburn , Essex County , widens to six lanes, and passes over the Passaic River . In Millburn Township, the route interchanges with Route 124 , JFK Parkway ( CR 649 ), and River Road. This interchange provides access to The Mall at Short Hills . Past this interchange, Route 124 becomes a frontage road for Route 24 and
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