23-04-04 PHOTOS: Reading Viaduct

In 2020, with transit on the ropes and outdoor activities all the rage due to the pandemic, I converted my usual SEPTA Mid-Winter transit trip into an all-day rail history walking tour. Part of this tour included abandoned Reading Company rights of way including the City Branch and the famous Reading Viaduct in and around the old Spring Garden St station. While on this excursion I discovered the secret entrance up onto the viaduct itself, but since I was unable to suddenly transition my event to one of urban exploration, I had to retreat from the viaduct with a plan to return at a future time. In September of 2021 I acted on this plan due to the impending demolition of the Reading Spring Garden Station platforms and northbound head house. Not only was I too late in terms of the demolition, but I found the summertime viaduct to be a to be completely overgrown with vegetation, blocking sight lines and hiding homeless persons who might not take kindly to having their living space intruded upon by a long explorer with camera gear. Again I made a plan to return during the winter months when the vegetation would be more see through and I could return with a buddy. A planned attempt to return in early 2022 fell through when an interested urbexer flaked out and once again I had to put off the trip. Finally, in the Spring of 2023 did I find someone with schedule availability and we were able to get up on the viaduct as the leaves were just starting to re-appear. You can find the photos from my exploration of the viaduct and related spring transit photos here ( mirror ).

We begin at the BWI Airport rail station with Amtrak ACS-86 #659 at the head of a southbound Regional.

Two views of SEPTA Silverliner V #829 at both 30th St Station and Market East.

Back down at BWI on a rather foggy March night.

Between NEC trips I managed to sneak down to Garrett Park, MD to catch the westbound Capitol Limited led by P42DC #83.

On the day before my planned Reading Viaduct expedition I was back at BWI to catch an Acela Express lead by power car #2006.

SEPTA Slverliners V #709 and IV #425 at 30th St station.

The Reading Viaduct was largely constructed in the 1890's in conjunction with the Reading Terminal we all know and love, replacing a previous station near Broad and Vine that had been accessed via a right of way along the Schuylkill River. The viaduct ran from the old Philadelphia and Germantown Railroad terminal near today's North Broad to the new Reading Terminal at 12th and Market. Construction is largely of steel, however there is a brief section of fill between Buttonwood and Hamilton Streets. Shown below is the structure as it crosses Noble St at Ridge Ave.

Reading Terminal served as an active railroad station until November 6th, 1984 when all service was rerouted to the new Center City Commuter tunnel and the replacement Market East station. After the closure of Reading Terminal both the train shed, the approaches and most of the related infrastructure south of the cutover point at Fairmount Ave were abandoned in place. This included overhead signaling infrastructure like the southbound home signal for RACE STREET interlocking seen here.

The reason most of the infrastructure was left intact was due to the continued use of the Reading Callowhill rail traction power substation at the southern apex of the old City Branch Wye at Callowhill St. The substation made use of the 12kv overhead catenary and 24kv feeders as well as the rails and also required SEPTA to generally maintain and secure the right of way. In 2010 the substation was retired and most maintenance activities ceased.

Around 1990, the section of the viaduct between Vine and Arch streets was demolished to make way for the new Pennsylvania Convention Centre, which would also adaptively reuse the old Reading Terminal train shed.

After its decommissioning in 2010, the Callowhill substation building, which had housed the 12kv breakers and auxiliary equipment, was converted into a homeless shelter.

Although SEPTA had removed all of the copper wiring and switchgear, the original 1933 vintage autotransformers and 24kv circuit breakers were left in the switchyard. Some enterprising locals even cut into the transformer tanks to get at the wiring inside.

My trip turned out to be particularly well timed as just a few weeks later crews hit the viaduct with a major clean up effort, removing both the litter and all of the 1933 substation equipment except for the building and the jungle gym of support I-beams.

This was due to a deal with the Reading Entertainment Company that owns the land on which SEPTA had been running its trains, and the city to turn the viaduct into an NYC High Line style linear park. Emerging as the corporate successor of the Reading Railroad after its 1976 bankruptcy, Reading Entertainment got all of the random parcels of real estate along with ancillary holdings such a chain of movie theatres (hence the name Reading Entertainment company). In 2018 the city converted the portion of the viaduct it owns, shown below, into a showcase for the entire project. However Reading Entertainment was holding out for more money than the city was prepared to pay, delaying work on the remaining portions of the viaduct.

Traveling the viaduct northward there are two additional automatic signal gantries that remain fairly intact.

A young black cherry tree begins to bloom in the warm April weather.

Although the Spring Garden Station platforms have been demolished, the old station building has been converted into offices and luxury apartments. The whole Spring Garden St corridor is rapidly gentrifying, likely due to the promise of the future park as evidenced by a NORAC signal rule themed building.

On my return trip I captured a meet between PATCO cars #1045 and #1109 at Haddonfield.

I'll finish up with a photos of the Market Street Bridge, Main Post Office and FMC Building in Philly.

Next week check back as I poke around the area south of Baltimore where the PRR and B&O cross paths.