Delair Bridge: Difference between revisions

Delair Bridge
Delair Bridge
	The Delair Bridge viewed from the Pennsylvania side
Coordinates	39°58′57″N 75°04′09″W / 39.98250°N 75.06917°W
Carries	Trains of New Jersey Transit Atlantic City Line and Conrail
Crosses	Delaware River
Locale	Philadelphia, PA, and Pennsauken Township, NJ
Official name	Delair Memorial Railroad Drawbridge
Characteristics
Design	Steel Lift Bridge
Total length	4,396 feet (1,340 m)
Longest span	542 feet (165 m)
History
Opened	April 19, 1896
Location

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The Delair Bridge (officially the Delair Memorial Railroad Bridge^[2]) is a railroad bridge with a vertical-lift section that crosses the Delaware River between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, just south of the Betsy Ross Bridge. The two-track bridge is part of Conrail Shared Assets Operations and is jointly used by Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation freight trains, as well as by the New Jersey Transit Atlantic City Line service.

History

The Delair Bridge, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) in 1895–1896, was the first bridge of any sort between Philadelphia and New Jersey. The steel span connected PRR tracks in North Philadelphia to southern New Jersey. It consisted of three fixed Pennsylvania truss spans and a through-truss swing-span drawbridge totaling 1,943 feet (592 m). Approach trestles of 2,129 feet (649 m) on the Pennsylvania side and 324 feet (99 m) on the New Jersey side bring its total length to 4,396 feet (1,340 m).^[3]

Starting in 1958, the PRR converted the bridge into a vertical-lift span to increase clearance for river traffic. The 542 feet (165 m) movable link was floated into place in one piece to facilitate installation and minimize delay.^[4] Work was completed in 1960. The Delair Bridge was the longest and heaviest double-track lift bridge in the world at the time. Note that the single-track Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge is 2 feet (0.61 m) longer.^[5]

The bridge was also electrified in the late 1930s,^[6] allowing freight trains hauled by electric locomotives to access the Pavonia Yard in Camden, New Jersey, from the Northeast Corridor. Electrification was removed by January 1967^[7] but was restored in May 1973.^[8] However, Conrail ceased electric freight operations in 1981 and removed the wires several years later.

Passenger train traffic on the bridge ceased in 1969 when Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines service was cut to Lindenwold station after the completion of the PATCO Speedline, but was restored in 1989 when Amtrak began the Atlantic City Express service. Amtrak service ended in 1995, but New Jersey Transit Atlantic City Line service has used the bridge continuously since 1993.

The bridge's southern track was formerly reserved for freight traffic, and the northern track only used for the Atlantic City Line. As part of the Pennsauken Transit Center project, a station complex where the River LINE passes under the Delair Bridge's eastern approach, platforms were built on both tracks. Both tracks are now used by both passenger and freight trains.

21st century rehabilitation

In December 2011, an $18.5 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant was awarded to South Jersey Port Corporation by the United States Department of Transportation, partially for rehabilitation of the bridge.^[9]^[10] The improvements were completed.^[11]

References

^ "New Delaware River Bridge". The Lewisburg Chronicle. Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. April 18, 1896. p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken Township, NJ". Office of the Federal Register. April 12, 2017.
^ Spivey, Justin M. (April 2001). "Pennsylvania & New Jersey Railroad, Delaware River Bridge" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 3. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
^ "PRR Bridge Will Set a Record". Railway Age. Vol. 145, no. 3. July 21, 1958. pp. 18–33.
^ Steinman, David B. (December 9, 1948). "The World's Most Notable Bridges". Engineering News-Record. Vol. 141, no. 24. pp. 92–94.
^ The line to Pavnoia Yard or Atlantic City is not listed in Drawing ET-1, June 10, 1935. Electrification was likely after this, although the Richmond Substation was installed by 1932.
^ "PRR Interlocking Diagram for JERSEY". January 1, 1971. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
^ Baer, Christopher T. "PRR Chronology 1973" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
^ http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/index/us-invests-62-million-in-ports/20017927100.htm ^{[dead link]}
^ "TIGER 2011 Awards: South Jersey Port Rail Improvements, DelAir Bridge" (PDF). U.S. Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
^ Ricereto, Mick (November 9, 2016). "Making Connections in New Jersey with the DelAir Bridge". Hidden City Philadelphia.

External links

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. PA-545, "Pennsylvania & New Jersey Railroad, Delaware River Bridge, Spanning Delaware River, south of Betsy Ross Bridge (State Route 90), Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA", 23 photos, 2 color transparencies, 6 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
Delair Bridge (1896) at Structurae
Delair Bridge at "Workshop of the World"
Video of rebuilding by Michael Froio 2015^{[permanent dead link]}

[1] "New Delaware River Bridge". The Lewisburg Chronicle. Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. April 18, 1896. p. 1. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] "Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken Township, NJ". Office of the Federal Register. April 12, 2017.

[3] Spivey, Justin M. (April 2001). "Pennsylvania & New Jersey Railroad, Delaware River Bridge" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 3. Retrieved February 1, 2014.

[4] "PRR Bridge Will Set a Record". Railway Age. Vol. 145, no. 3. July 21, 1958. pp. 18–33.

[5] Steinman, David B. (December 9, 1948). "The World's Most Notable Bridges". Engineering News-Record. Vol. 141, no. 24. pp. 92–94.

[6] The line to Pavnoia Yard or Atlantic City is not listed in Drawing ET-1, June 10, 1935. Electrification was likely after this, although the Richmond Substation was installed by 1932.

[7] "PRR Interlocking Diagram for JERSEY". January 1, 1971. Retrieved December 26, 2010.

[8] Baer, Christopher T. "PRR Chronology 1973" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society. Retrieved 2 September 2012.

[9] ttp://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/index/us-invests-62-million-in-ports/20017927100.htm ^{[dead link]}

[10] "TIGER 2011 Awards: South Jersey Port Rail Improvements, DelAir Bridge" (PDF). U.S. Department of Transportation. 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2018.

[11] Ricereto, Mick (November 9, 2016). "Making Connections in New Jersey with the DelAir Bridge". Hidden City Philadelphia.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox Bridge
 |bridge_name= Delair Bridge
-|image= DelairBridge.jpg
+|image= HAER-DelairBridge-pa24.jpg
 |image_size=300px
-|caption= The Delair Bridge from Pennsauken, NJ
+|caption= The Delair Bridge viewed from the Pennsylvania side
 |official_name= Delair Memorial Railroad Drawbridge
-|carries= Trains of [[New Jersey Transit]] [[Atlantic City Line]] and [[Conrail]]
+|carries= Trains of [[New Jersey Transit]] [[Atlantic City Line]] and [[Conrail Shared Assets Operations|Conrail]]
 |crosses= [[Delaware River]]
 |locale= [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania|PA]], and [[Pennsauken Township, New Jersey|Pennsauken Township]], [[New Jersey|NJ]]
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 |mainspan= {{convert|542|ft|m}}
 |length= {{convert|4396|ft|m}}
+|open=April 19, 1896<ref>{{cite news |title=New Delaware River Bridge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31736876/delaware_river_bridge_april_18_1896/ |access-date=May 19, 2019 |work=The Lewisburg Chronicle |date=April 18, 1896 |location=[[Lewisburg, Pennsylvania]] |page=1|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>
-|open= 1896
 |coordinates={{coord|39|58|57|N|75|04|09|W|name=Delair Bridge|type:landmark_region:US-PA|display=inline,title}}
 }}
-The '''Delair Bridge''', officially named the '''Delair Memorial Railroad Drawbridge''', is a railroad bridge with [[vertical-lift bridge|vertical-lift]] section, carrying the [[New Jersey Transit]] [[Atlantic City Line]] and a former [[Conrail]] line, now a [[Conrail Shared Assets Operations|shared asset]] between [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] and [[CSX Transportation]]. It crosses the [[Delaware River]] between [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Pennsauken Township, New Jersey|Pennsauken Township]], [[New Jersey]], just south of the [[Betsy Ross Bridge]]. The bridge's southern track is currently reserved for freight traffic, and the northern track is currently reserved for the Atlantic City Line. As part of the upcoming [[Pennsauken Transit Center]] project, which will involve building a station complex where the [[River LINE]] passes under the Delair Bridge's approach, a station will be constructed on the NJ approach. Since the [[Atlantic City Line]] station portion will use both tracks, both tracks will be used for passenger service in the future, with freight traffic also gaining use of both tracks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Project Scope|publisher=NJ Transit|url=http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=Project099To}}</ref> In December 2011, an $18.5 million [[Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery]] (TIGER) grant was awarded to South Jersey Port by the [[United States Department of Transportation]] for rehabilitation of the bridge.<ref>http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/index/us-invests-62-million-in-ports/20017927100.htm</ref>
+The '''Delair Bridge''' (officially the '''Delair Memorial Railroad Bridge'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/04/12/2017-07287/drawbridge-operation-regulation-delaware-river-pennsauken-township-nj |title=Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Delaware River, Pennsauken Township, NJ |publisher=Office of the Federal Register |date=April 12, 2017}}</ref>) is a railroad bridge with a [[vertical-lift bridge|vertical-lift]] section that crosses the [[Delaware River]] between [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], and [[Pennsauken Township, New Jersey|Pennsauken Township]], [[New Jersey]], just south of the [[Betsy Ross Bridge]]. The two-track bridge is part of [[Conrail Shared Assets Operations]] and is jointly used by [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] and [[CSX Transportation]] freight trains, as well as by the [[New Jersey Transit]] [[Atlantic City Line]] service.
 ==History==
+[[File:Lift span, from SW. - Pennsylvania and New Jersey Railroad, Delaware River Bridge, Spanning Delaware River, south of Betsy Ross Bridge (State Route 90), Philadelphia, HAER PA,51-PHILA,720-7.tif|thumb|left|The lift span of the bridge in 1999]]
-[[File:delairandBBbridges.jpg|left|thumb|220px|The Delair Bridge and the Betsy Ross Bridge from Pennsauken, NJ.]]
-The Delair Bridge, built by the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] (PRR) in 1895–1896, was the first bridge of any sort between Philadelphia and New Jersey. The steel span connected PRR tracks in North Philadelphia to southern New Jersey. It consisted of three fixed [[Pennsylvania truss]] spans and a through-truss [[Swing bridge|swing-span]] [[Drawbridge (American English)|drawbridge]] totaling {{convert|1943|ft|m}}. Approach trestles of {{convert|2129|ft|m}} on the Pennsylvania side and {{convert|324|ft|m}} on the New Jersey side bring its total length to {{convert|4396|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa3700/pa3755/data/pa3755data.pdf |title=Pennsylvania &amp; New Jersey Railroad, Delaware River Bridge |last=Spivey |first=Justin M. |date=April 2001 |website=Historic American Engineering Record |publisher=Library of Congress |location= Washington, D.C. |page=3 |accessdate=February 1, 2014}}</ref>
+The Delair Bridge, built by the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] (PRR) in 1895–1896, was the first bridge of any sort between Philadelphia and New Jersey. The steel span connected PRR tracks in North Philadelphia to southern New Jersey. It consisted of three fixed [[Pennsylvania truss]] spans and a through-truss [[Swing bridge|swing-span]] [[Drawbridge (American English)|drawbridge]] totaling {{convert|1943|ft|m}}. Approach trestles of {{convert|2129|ft|m}} on the Pennsylvania side and {{convert|324|ft|m}} on the New Jersey side bring its total length to {{convert|4396|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/pnp/habshaer/pa/pa3700/pa3755/data/pa3755data.pdf |title=Pennsylvania & New Jersey Railroad, Delaware River Bridge |last=Spivey |first=Justin M. |date=April 2001 |website=Historic American Engineering Record |publisher=Library of Congress |location= Washington, D.C. |page=3 |access-date=February 1, 2014}}</ref>
+Starting in 1958, the PRR converted the bridge into a [[vertical-lift bridge|vertical-lift span]] to increase clearance for river traffic. The {{convert|542|ft|m}} movable link was floated into place in one piece to facilitate installation and minimize delay.<ref>{{cite news |title=PRR Bridge Will Set a Record |journal=Railway Age |volume=145 |number=3 |date=July 21, 1958 |pages=18–33 }}</ref> Work was completed in 1960. The Delair Bridge was the longest and heaviest double-track lift bridge in the world at the time. Note that the single-track [[Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge]] is {{convert|2|ft|m}} longer.<ref>{{cite news |first=David B. |last=Steinman |title=The World's Most Notable Bridges |journal=Engineering News-Record |volume=141 |number=24 |date=December 9, 1948 |pages=92–94}}</ref>
+The bridge was also electrified in the late 1930s,<ref>The line to Pavnoia Yard or Atlantic City is not listed in [http://prr.railfan.net/ElectricTraction.html Drawing ET-1], June 10, 1935. Electrification was likely after this, although the Richmond Substation was installed by 1932.</ref> allowing freight trains hauled by [[electric locomotive]]s to access the [[Pavonia Yard]] in [[Camden, New Jersey]], from the [[Northeast Corridor]]. Electrification was removed by January 1967<ref>{{cite web |title=PRR Interlocking Diagram for JERSEY |date=January 1, 1971 |url=http://www.sjrail.com/wiki/images/9/9b/Jersey_map.gif |access-date=December 26, 2010}}</ref> but was restored in May 1973.<ref>{{cite web|last=Baer|first=Christopher T.|title=PRR Chronology 1973 |url=http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1973%20Jun%2005.pdf |publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref> However, Conrail ceased electric freight operations in 1981 and removed the wires several years later.
+Passenger train traffic on the bridge ceased in 1969 when [[Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines]] service was cut to [[Lindenwold station]] after the completion of the [[PATCO Speedline]], but was restored in 1989 when Amtrak began the ''[[Atlantic City Express (Amtrak train)|Atlantic City Express]]'' service. Amtrak service ended in 1995, but [[New Jersey Transit]] [[Atlantic City Line]] service has used the bridge continuously since 1993.
-Starting in 1958, the PRR converted the bridge into a [[vertical-lift bridge|vertical-lift span]] to increase clearance for river traffic. The {{convert|542|ft|m}} movable link was floated into place in one piece to facilitate installation and minimize delay.<ref>&quot;PRR Bridge Will Set a Record,&quot;
-''Railway Age,'' vol. 145, No. 3 (21 July 1958): 18-33.</ref> Work was completed in 1960. The Delair Bridge was the longest and heaviest double-track lift bridge in the world at the time.<ref>Note that the single-track [[Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge]] is {{convert|2|ft|m}} longer; see figures in David B. Steinman, &quot;The World’s Most Notable Bridges,&quot; ''Engineering News-Record,'' vol. 141, No. 24 (9 Dec. 1948): 92-94.</ref>
+The bridge's southern track was formerly reserved for freight traffic, and the northern track only used for the Atlantic City Line. As part of the [[Pennsauken Transit Center]] project, a station complex where the [[River LINE]] passes under the Delair Bridge's eastern approach, platforms were built on both tracks. Both tracks are now used by both passenger and freight trains.
-The bridge was also electrified in the late 1930s,<ref>The line to Pavnoia Yard or Atlantic City is not listed in Drawing [http://prr.railfan.net/ElectricTraction.html ET-1], dated June 10, 1935.  Electrification was likely after this, although the Richmond Substation was installed by 1932.</ref> allowing freight trains hauled by [[electric locomotive]]s to access the [[Pavonia Yard]] in [[Camden, New Jersey]] from the [[Northeast Corridor]]. Electrification was removed by January, 1967<ref>PRR Interlocking Diagram for JERSEY, dated January 1, 1971,[http://www.sjrail.com/wiki/images/9/9b/Jersey_map.gif Retrieved] 12/26/2010.</ref> but was restored in May 1973.<ref>{{cite web|last=Baer|first=Christopher T.|title=PRR Chronology 1973|url=http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1973%20Jun%2005.pdf|publisher=Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society|accessdate=2 September 2012}}</ref> However, Conrail ceased electric freight operations in 1981 and removed the wires several years later.
+==21st century rehabilitation==
-Passenger train traffic on the bridge ceased in 1969, but was restored in 1990.
+[[File:NJT 6013 coming off the Delair Bridge, May 2015.jpg|thumb|left|An NJT Atlantic City Line train on the bridge in 2015]]
+In December 2011, an $18.5 million [[Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery]] (TIGER) grant was awarded to [[South Jersey Port Corporation]] by the [[United States Department of Transportation]], partially for rehabilitation of the bridge.<ref>http://www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/index/us-invests-62-million-in-ports/20017927100.htm {{dead link|date=December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.dev/files/docs/TIGER_2011_AWARD.pdf |title=TIGER 2011 Awards: South Jersey Port Rail Improvements, DelAir Bridge |year=2011 |access-date=December 30, 2018 |publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation }}</ref> The improvements were completed.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://hiddencityphila.org/2016/11/making-connections-in-new-jersey-with-the-delair-bridge/ |title=Making Connections in New Jersey with the DelAir Bridge |date=November 9, 2016 |last=Ricereto |first=Mick |work=Hidden City Philadelphia }}</ref>
+{{Clear}}
-A brief shot of the bridge can be seen in the movie ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen]]'' from the defunct [[PECO Energy Company|PECO]] Richmond power station on the Pennsylvania side of the river.
 ==See also==
@@ Line 35: / Line 42: @@
 ==References==
-{{Reflist}}
+{{Reflist|30em}}
 ==External links==
+{{Commons category}}
 *{{HAER |survey=PA-545 |id=pa3755 |title=Pennsylvania &amp; New Jersey Railroad, Delaware River Bridge, Spanning Delaware River, south of Betsy Ross Bridge (State Route 90), Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA |photos=23 |color=2 |data=6 |cap=2}}
-*{{Structurae |id=s0031745 |title=Delair Bridge (1896)}}
+*{{Structurae |id=20031745 |title=Delair Bridge (1896)}}
 *[http://www.workshopoftheworld.com/richmond_bridesburg/delair.html Delair Bridge] at "Workshop of the World"
+* [http://michaelfroio.com/commissionedwork/2015/4/29/delair-bridge-project Video of rebuilding by Michael Froio 2015]{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
 {{Crossings navbox
@@ Line 52: / Line 61: @@
 |downstream signs = [[File:I-676.svg|25px]] [[File:US 30.svg|20px]]<!-- Image with inadequate rationale removed:  [[File:PATCO Speedline.svg|40px]] -->''<br/>[[PATCO Speedline]]''
 }}
+{{New Jersey Transit Rail}}
+{{Authority control}}
 [[Category:Railroad bridges in New Jersey]]
-[[Category:Vertical lift bridges]]
+[[Category:Vertical lift bridges in the United States]]
 [[Category:Vertical lift bridges in New Jersey]]
 [[Category:Bridges completed in 1896]]
 [[Category:Railroad bridges in Pennsylvania]]
 [[Category:Bridges in Philadelphia]]
+[[Category:Bridges in Camden County, New Jersey]]
 [[Category:Bridges over the Delaware River]]
 [[Category:Pennsylvania Railroad bridges]]
 [[Category:NJ Transit bridges]]
-[[Category:Transportation in Camden County, New Jersey]]
 [[Category:Pennsauken Township, New Jersey]]
-[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania]]
+[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Philadelphia]]
+[[Category:Towers in Pennsylvania]]
+[[Category:Steel bridges in the United States]]
+[[Category:Pennsylvania truss bridges in the United States]]
+[[Category:Interstate railroad bridges in the United States]]
+[[Category:South Jersey Port Corporation]]

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