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INSET (1): CENTRAL PHILADELPHIA
INSET (2): WESTERN PHILADELPHIA
INSET (3): NORTH-EASTERN PHILADELPHIA
I created the above maps by overlaying OpenStreetMap (OSM) maps with my own data. Copyright on the OSM maps is © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under a CC-BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 licence).
Please note that the OSM maps used as templates for these maps correspond to the situation at the time the maps were downloaded and may show features that did not exist at the time the GS Tram Site is supposed to show. In particular, they may show bridges and highways that were built later.
ROUTES
MUNICIPAL STREETCAR ROUTES
Operator: Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC)
| 2 | 15th & 16th Streets | Lehigh Av. - 15th St. [back: 16th St.] - Pollock St. |
| 3 | Frankford-Columbia | 33rd St. - Columbia Av. [now Cecil B. Moore Av.] - W. Berks St. - Front St. - Kensington Av. - Frankford Terminal |
| 5 | Frankford - 2nd&3rd | Ritner St. - 3rd St. [back: 2nd St.] - Frankford Av. - Frankford Terminal |
| 6 | Glenside | Olney Av. - Ogontz Av. - Glenside - Roslyn - Willow Grove |
| 7 | Strawberry - 22nd & 23rd | Snyder Av. - 23rd St. [back: 22nd St.] - 29th St. - York St. [back: Dauphin St.] - Fairmount Park |
| 8 | Norris & Susquehanna | Fairmount Park - Dauphin St. [back: Susquehanna Av. - 21st St. - York St.] - Susquehanna Av. - Susquehanna Av. [back: Norris St.] - Delaware Av. |
| 9 | Strawberry - 4th & 5th | Ritner St. - 5th St. [back: 4th. St.] - Arch St. - 23rd St. [back: 22nd St.] - 29th St. - Columbia Av. - 31st St. [back: 32nd St.] - York St. |
| 10 | Lancaster Subway | City Hall - Market St. (subway) - Market St. (surface) - Lancaster Av. - Landsdowne Av. - 63rd St. - Overbrook |
| 11 | Woodland Subway | City Hall - Market St. (subway) - Market St. (surface) - Woodland Av. - Darby |
| 12 | Grays Ferry | 2nd St. - Pine St. [back: Spruce St.] - Grays Ferry Av. - Woodland Av. - Darby |
| 13 | Chester Avenue | Front St. - Walnut St. [back: Chestnut St.] - Woodland Av. - Chester Av. - Yeadon |
| 14 | 42nd St. | Market St. - 40th St. - Spruce St. - 42nd St. [Loop route, clockwise] |
| 15 | Girard Avenue | Callowhill (63rd St.) - Girard Av. - Richmond St. - Bridge St. - Bridesburg (Milnor St.) |
| 17 | South 19th & 20th | Front St. - Market St. (surface) - 19th St. N. [back: 20th St. N.] - Johnston St. |
| 18 | South 22nd & 23th | Front St. - Market St. (surface) - 22nd St. [back: 23rd St.] - Snyder Av. |
| 20 | 12th & 13th | Philadelphia Navy Yard - 10th St. - 13th St. [back: 12th St.] - Old York Rd. - Erie Av. |
| 21 | North 17th & 18th | Front St. - Market St. (surface) - 18th St. N. [back: 17th St. N.] - 17th St. N. - Pulaski Av. |
| 23 | Germantown - 10th & 11th | Oregon St. - 11th St. [back: 10th St.] - Germantown Av. - Chestnut Hill |
| 25 | Cedar - Memphis | 4th St. - Girard Av. - [Norris St. - Cedar St.] [back: Memphis St. - Susquehanna Av.] - Lehigh Av. |
| 26 | Olney Avenue | Chelten Av. Station - Chelten Av. - Chew Av. - Olney Av. - Rising Sun Av. - Lawndale - Cheltenham - Fox Chase |
| 29 | Morris & Tasker | 28th St. - Morris St. [back: Tasker St.] - Front St. |
| 30 | Haverford - Vine | Market St. - Haverford Av. - Haverford Av. [back: Vine St.] - Callowhill (65th St.) |
| 31 | Market - 63rd - Subway | City Hall - Market St. (subway) - Market St. (surface) - 63rd St. - Haverford Av. - Landsdowne Av. |
| 32 | South 17th & 18th | Front St. - Market St. (surface) - 17th St. S. [back: 18th St. N.] - Shunk St. |
| 33 | North 22nd | Front St. - Arch St. - 20th St. [back: 19th St.] - Ridge Av. - 21st St. [back: 22nd St.] - 22nd St. - Hunting Park Av. |
| 34 | Baltimore Subway | City Hall - Market St. (subway) - Market St. (surface) - Woodland Av. - Baltimore Av. - Angora (61st St.) |
| 36 | Elmwood Av. | Front St. - Market St. (surface) - 22nd St. [back: 23th St.] - Grays Ferry Av. - Grays Av. - Lindbergh Blvd. - Elmwood Av. - Colwyn |
| 37 | Chester Short Line | City Hall - Market St. (subway) - Market St. (surface) - Woodland Av. - Colwyn - Island Rd. - Eastwick - Chester |
| 38 | Baring Subway | City Hall - Market St. (subway) - Market St. (surface) - 33rd St. - Fairmount Av. - 40th St. - Parkside Av. - Fairmount Park |
| 38A | 52nd St. Extension | Fairmount Park - Parkside Av. - 52nd St. - Landsdown Av. |
| 39 | Dauphin & Susquehanna | Fairmount Park - Dauphin St. [back: Susquehanna Av. - 21st St. - York St.] - Front St. - Kensington Av. - Cumberland St. [back: Huntingdon St.] - Richmond St. |
| 40 | Lombard & South Sts. | Front St. - South St. [back: Lombard St.] - South St. Bridge - Spruce St. - [38th St. - Market St. - 41st St.] [back: 40th St.] - 40th St. - Parkside Av. - Fairmount Park |
| 41 | 63rd St. | Millbourne (Market St.) - 63rd St. - Overbrook |
| 42 | W Spruce St. | Front St. - Walnut St. [back: Chestnut St.] - Woodland Av. [back: Spruce St. - 33rd St.] - Spruce St. - 61st St. |
| 43 | Spring Garden | 1st St. - Spring Garden St. - Spring Garden Tunnel - Haverford Av. - Lancaster Av. - 44th St. - Parkside Av. - Fairmount Park |
| 46 | 58th & 60th Sts. | Woodland Av. - 58th St. - Baltimore Av. - 60th St. - Landsdowne Av. |
| 47 | Godfrey - 8th & 9th | Wolf St. - [9th St. - 7th St. - 5th St.] [back: 6th St. - Franklin St. - 8th. St.] - 5th St. - Godfrey Av. |
| 48 | Fairmount - Arch | Front St. - Arch St. - [16th St. - Fairmount Av. - 23rd St.] [back: 22nd St. - Wallace St. - 15th St.] - 29th St. - Allegheny Av. - Allegheny Depot |
| 50 | Lawndale - 4th & 5th | Oregon Av. / Ritner St. - 5th St. [back: 4th. St.] - 5th St. [back: 6th St.] - 5th St. - Wyoming Av. - Rising Sun Av. - Lawndale |
| 52 | Chelten - Midvale | East Falls (Ridge Av.) - Midvale Av. - Wayne Av. - Chelten Av. - Old York Rd. |
| 53 | Wayne - Erie | Luzerne St. - Erie Av. - Wayne Av. - Germantown (Carpenter Lane) |
| 54 | Lehigh Av, | Ridge Av. - Lehigh Av. - Kensington Av. - Somerset St. - Richmond St. |
| 55 | York Rd. | Olney Av. - Old York Rd. - Cheltenham Av. [Rush hours only] |
| 56 | Erie - Torresdale | Hunting Park Av. - Erie Av. - Torresdale Av. - Cottman Av. |
| 57 | Jefferson & Master | 29th St. - Jefferson St. [back: Master St.] - Front St. [back: 2nd St.] - 2nd St. - Erie Av. |
| 59 | Bustleton Surface Line | Frankford Av. - Oxford Av. - Castor Av. - Bustleton Av. - Bustleton |
| 60 | Richmond - Allegheny | Ridge Av. - Allegheny Av. - Port Richmond |
| 61 | Manayunk | Walnut St. - 9th St. [back: 8th St.] - Ridge Av. - Manayunk (Main St.) - Leverington Av. |
| 62 | Chester Av. Extension | Yeadon - Darby |
| 63 | Catharine & Bainbridge | Front St. - Catharine St. [back: Bainbridge St.] - Schuylkill Av. |
| 64 | Federal & Wharton Sts | Front St. - [Federal St. - Ellsworth St.] [back: Wharton St.] - 34th St. |
| 65 | York Rd. - 6th & 7th | Oregon Av. - 7th St. [back: 6th St.] - Old York Rd. - Olney Av. |
| 66 | Holmesburg | Frankford Terminal - Frankford Av. - Holmesburg (City Limits) |
| 70 | 52nd St. - Bala | Grays Av. - Baltimore Av. - 52nd St. - 54th St. - Bala (City Line) |
| 73 | Bridesburg | Frankford Terminal - Bridge St. - Bridesburg (Milnor St.) |
| 75 | Wyoming Av. | 17th St. - Erie Av. - 5th St. - Wyoming Av. - [Arrott St. - Margaret St.] [back: Orthodox St.] - Richmond St. |
| 78 | Lansdowne | Darby - Wycombe Av. - Fairview Av. |
| 79 | Snyder Av. | Swanson St. - Snyder Av. - 29th St. |
| 81 | Passyunk Av. | Swanson St. - Snyder Av. - Passyunk Av. - Schuylkill River |
FAIRMOUNT PARK TRANSPORTATION CO. STREETCAR ROUTES
| A | 44th & Parkside - Fairmount Park loop (counterclockwise) [Summer route] | |
| B | 33rd and Dauphin - Fairmount Park loop (counterclockwise) [Summer route] | |
| C | 44th & Parkside - Fairmount Park loop (counterclockwise) - 33rd and Dauphin - Fairmount Park loop (counterclockwise) - 44th & Parkside [not in summer] |
Note: Route designations for the Fairmount Park system are for convenience only, and were not used by the operator.
RAPID TRANSIT ROUTES
Operator: Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC)
| BS | Broad Street Line | Olney Av. - Erie Stn. - North Phildelphia Stn. - Girard Stn. - City Hall - Snyder Stn. |
| MF | Market-Frankford Line | 69th St. Terminal - Market St. - City Hall - 8th St. Stn. - Girard St. - Frankford Terminal |
| RA | Ridge Av. Spur Line | Girard Stn. - Ridge Av. - 8th St. & Market St. |
RAPID TRANSIT ROUTE
Operator: Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO)
| BL | Bridge Line | 8th St. & Market St. - Delaware River Bridge - Camden Broadway |
Note that the subway route abbraviations BS, MF, RA and BL are for convenience only, and were not used by the operators.
SUBURBAN ROUTES
Operator: Philadelphia and Western Railroad (P&W)
| N | Norristown Line | 69th St. Terminal - Villanova - Radnor - Bridgeport - Norristown |
| S | Strafford Line | 69th St. Terminal - Villanova - Strafford |
Operator: Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company (PST, also known as Red Arrow Lines)
| A | Ardmore Line | 69th St. Terminal - Ardmore |
| M | Media Line | 69th St. Terminal - Drexel Hill - Springfield - Media |
| SH | Sharon Hill Line | 69th St. Terminal - Drexel Hill - Clifton - Sharon Hill |
| WC | West Chester Line | 69th St. Terminal - West Chester |
Note that the suburban route abbraviations N, S, A, M, SH and WC are for convenience only, and were not used by the operators.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM
NETWORK LENGTH
- Streetcar lines: ? km.
- Light rail lines: ? km.
- Subway lines: ? km.
HISTORY
- Municipal Streetcars: (horse-powered) 26 March 1856 - ca. 1900; (electric) 1 Jan. 1889 - today.
- Fairmount Park Transportation Co. streetcars: 10 Nov. 1896 - 9 Sept. 1946.
- Cable cars: 7 Apr. 1883 - 19 June 1895.
- Light rail (Philadelphia and Western Railroad (P&W)), to Strafford & Norristown): 22 May 1907 - today.
- Light rail (Phil. & West Chester Traction Company; later Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company (PST)): 1895 - 1896; (electric): 1896 - today.
- Subway: 4 March 1907 - today.
GAUGE
- Streetcars (including Fairmount Park Transportation Co.): 1588 mm.
- Light rail (except Norristown line): 1588 mm.
- Market-Frankford line: 1588 mm.
- Other rapid transit (including Norristown high-speed line): 1435 mm.
SOURCES
- Cox, H.E. Philadelphia car routes. Self-published, 1962.
- Cox, H.E. "The tram subways of Philadelphia [Map]" Modern Tramway & Light Railway Review, June 1963 (26: 306), p.205-214.
- Cox, H.E. "The tram subways of Philadelphia - A history and a forward look" Modern Tramway & Light Railway Review, Jan. 1964 (27: 313), p.24.
- DeGraw, R. "Pig and Whistle: The story of the Philadelphia & Western Ry" Central Electric Railfans' Association Bulletin 2007 (#140).
- DeGraw, R. The Red Arrow. Newtown Square (PA): Haverford Press, 1972.
- Demery, L.W. "US transit funding - Part 6: Elsewhere in the USA (East Coast) [Boston]" Modern Tramway & Light Rail Transit, July 1990 (53: 631), p.225-226.
- Gillham, J. Philadelphia Suburban Transportation map #118. Self-published, 1952.
- Jackson, R.E., Walker, P.J. & Wyse, W.J. "The Lyndenwold Rapid" Modern Tramway & Light Railway Review, July 1970 (33: 391), p.228-236.
- Jenkins, M. "Philadelphia's route 23" Modern Tramway & Light Rail Transit, Aug. 1987 (50: 596), p. 255-262.
- PTC Map of Philadelphia showing street car, bus and subway-elevated lines. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Transportation Company, 1940.
- Simons, V. "A sunny future in Philadelphia" Tramways & Urban Transit, Jan. 2023 (86: 1021), p.10-15.
- Skelsey, G. "A street car named Endure: Rail transit in Philadelphia - Part 1: The city and its character" Tramways & Urban Transit, Jan. 2006 (69: 817), p.10-15.
- Skelsey, G. "A street car named Endure: Rail transit in Philadelphia - Part 2: Heavy rail and SEPTA" Tramways & Urban Transit, Feb. 2006 (69: 818), p.53-55.
- Skelsey, G. "A street car named Endure: Rail transit in Philadelphia - Part 3: Rail transit in Philadelphia" Tramways & Urban Transit, March 2006 (69: 819), p.94-97.
- Szilagyi, M. Montgomery County trolleys. Mount Pleasant (SC): Arcadia Publishing, 2018
- Taplin, M.R. Tramways of North America, including rapid transit [Tramway Handbooks No.4] Hassocks (West Sussex, England): Light Rail Transit Association, 1981.
WIKIS
- Broad Street Line
- Market–Frankford Line
- Norristown High Speed Line
- PATCO Speedline
- Philadelphia and Western Railroad
- River Line (NJ Transit)
- SEPTA
- SEPTA City Transit Division surface routes
- SEPTA Route 15
- SEPTA Route 23
- SEPTA Route 56
- SEPTA Route 103
- SEPTA Routes 101 and 102
- SEPTA Subway–Surface Trolley Lines
WEB SITES
- Fairmount Park Trolley Trail (history and maps) [by David Shaver]
- PATCO (Port Authority Transit Corporation)
- Philadelphia (on UrbanRail.Net)
- Philadelphia trolley tracks
- SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority)
Special thanks to Russell Powers from Denver CO for information on the history of the Philadelphia system and to Jerry Silverman for pointing out that it is Strafford, not Stafford.
Copyright Gabor Sandi 1998-2024
Disclaimer: Everything on this site was written and/or prepared at the author's discretion. The author has tried to be accurate where facts are presented, but this does not mean that these facts are necessarily accurate. People needing more reliable information should refer to appropriate sources presented, on the Internet or elsewhere, by authoritative professional or academic bodies.
To get in touch with the webmaster, send an e-mail to g_sandi at hotmail.com.
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