Jersey Mike's Rail Adventures: 22-08-26 PHOTOS: JO

Friday, August 26, 2022

22-08-26 PHOTOS: JO

The JO section of the once sprawling ZOO interlocking complex is a surprisingly accessible yet under visited portion of the former PRR Main Line. Named for the former interlocking tower that was absorbed into the larger ZOO scheme in 1930, the JO section is where the west end of the New York-Pittsburgh Subway joins with the PRR Main Line from Suburban Station and today is used to shuffle westbound Amtrak and SEPTA traffic after the discontinuation of main track 4 over the Valley Flyover in 1994. Conveniently located under the Girard Street overpass, of Route 15 trolley fame, I traveled via the nearby SEPTA trolley Route 10 out to get what photos I could ( mirror ) on a weekday morning in August 2022.

Arriving back in Philly the evening before, I snagged this nighttime photo of the PRR Suburban Station main entrance across from Love Park.

The next morning I transferred from the MFL to the Route 10 at the Juniper Street trolley terminal. Here is K-Car #9055 on a Route 13 run.

From the Girard Street overpass one can make out the current arrangement of JO, from right to left one sees Main Track #1, the NY-Pittsburgh Subway, Main Track #4 and then Main Track #2.

This part of ZOO interlocking doesn't get much in the way of photos due to the high catenary shields on the bridges and the right of way being bordered by rowhomes. However some breaks in the development allow some views such as here where SEPTA Silverliner IV #406 is passing under the westbound PRR position light signal bridge. One can see that the 134R high signal for movements off the NY-Pittsburgh Subway has been recently converted into a pedestal.

While an Amtrak catenary maintenance vehicle waits at the 142L signal on Main Track #1, a SEPTA shop move consisting of Silverliners V #801 and #802 and Silverliner IV #277 crosses over from Main Track #4 to Main Track #2.

Until 1994 Main Track #4 would continue on straight ahead over the Valley Flyover, crossing above Main Track #2 and a number of freight yard tracks to drop back down onto the right side of the right of way. The Overbrook Maintenance Facility, that the Silverliners are moving towards, was constructed in 1994 to replace the ailing Paoli MU shoppes. This necessitated the realignment of Main Track #4 off the increasingly rickety flyover truss bridge, that soon saw use only for Cynwyd trains with a blanket 10mph speed restriction. The flyover would remain in service until 2018(!) until the opening of a new Cynwyd branch ground connection at PAXON interlocking. Here you can see how the Valley Flyover ramp has been recently cut at the 143 switch.

After the passage of the shoppe move, the catenary maintenance vehicle got its lineup and crossed into the NY-Pittsburgh Subway. The Subway was previously used by premier PRR east-west passenger traffic avoiding a time consuming stop/reverse move at 30th St or Broad Street stations. To save additional time the Subway track was given a straight movement onto the Main Track #4 flyover, a configuration that now delays all westbound Main Track #4 trains that have to make a 30mph diverging move through the JO section.

After the cat vehicle cleared up, a regularly scheduled westbound SEPTA R5 rolled by with Silverliner V #857 on the rear. Note that the pneumatically powered 141 switch has been restored to the normal position.

Walking back to Lancaster Ave, a SEPTA linesman was performing wire maintenance at the Route 10 / Route 15 junction.

Rear end of SEPTA K-Car #9010 at 15th St station.

Despite the fence, the green space adjacent to the Suburban Station tunnel 20th St portal is still a public green space with unlocked gates providing access. The setup is either to deter homeless camping or allow for off leash dog activities.