The Baldwin Locomotive Works was a steam age industrial giant that constructed over 70,000 locomotives between 1825 and 1956. Originally based in Philadelphia proper just west of Broad Street along the Reading City Branch, the operation eventually moved to a new site along the Delaware River in Eddystone, PA starting in 1906. As an "on line" builder, Baldwin was the PRR's second choice after its own Altoona Shoppes for the construction of steam, diesel and electric locomotives until Baldwin's closure. This relationship was so strong that the PRR decided to honor Baldwin with its own interlocking, BALDWIN, located between the Crum Lynne and Eddystone stations on the Main Line between Philadelphia and Washington. Although reduced in function, BALDWIN remains an interlocking under Amtrak with its PRR tower still standing. In addition to the main line interlocking, the Baldwin site was served by both PRR and Reading industrial tracks that crossed the Darby Creek via twin drawbridges that also stand to this day. I visited both of these in the summer of 2020 and you can find the full gallery of photos here ( mirror ).
The SEPTA Crum Lynne station on the R2 Wilmington is located just off US Route 13, just north of BALDWIN interlocking and a stone's throw from the I-95 / I-467 junction.
The southbound signal bridge for BALDWIN is visible from the platform with I-95 crossing the tracks within interlocking limits. Originally a full 4-track crossover, the plant was rebuilt as a single facing point ladder to serve a small MU storage yard for short turns. Trains turning here were labeled "R2 Baldwin", despite the fact that the last station named Baldwin was closed in 1981. I was told that the R2 Baldwin destination signs were in such short supply that the crews of the few short turn trains had to check the destination sign in and out of the trainmaster's office at Suburban Station. The Baldwin MU track along with its associated switch was removed in the 2000's.
The PRR position light signal bridges at BALWDIN employ a briefly used signal mounting style where the lower heads are offset in front of the upper heads. Here we see a Clear signal indication displayed on #3 track southbound as SEPTA Silverliner V #826 proceeds northbound on track #1.
Here is the other side of the married pair with SEPTA SL-V #825 approaching the Crum Lynne station.
BALDWIN tower was built around 1920 and is similar to another that is still standing in Harrington, DE. Closed on October, 25th, 1991 the roof is now open to the elements and the structure can be considered in danger of demolition. Some additional information on the tower and its interlocking machine can be found here.
I arrived in just in time for a burst of train action with a northbound Regional kicking thing off with ACS-86 #636.
Next was Amtrak ACS-86 #925 with a southbound Regional.
A northbound Acela Express was next with power cars #2010 and
Finally a southbound SEPTA R2 local with Silverliners IV #161 and #162. After Baldwin closed in 1956 the nearby Piasecki Helicopter Corporation, renamed Vertol, would move onto the site and after its purchase by Boeing in 1960 would go on to make a variety of twin rotor transport helicopters and rail transit vehicles.
Located just across the Boeing campus from BALDWIN tower, the Conrail Darby Creek Movable Bridge on the Chester Secondary was one of a pair of drawbridges built in that location by rivals PRR and Reading in 1923. Rebuilt and automated by Conrail in 2005, the bridge is now part of the interlocking CP-DARBY.
The duplicate Reading bridge was abandoned shortly after the Conrail takeover in 1976 and is still standing as of 2020.
The Reading bridge has become somewhat of a time capsule with the old interlocking machine and bridge controls still present in the bridge cabin. I wrote up a separate post on the Reading Darby Creek Drawbridge interlocking and cabin.
While walking around the area I found myself outfoxed by a local.
The Reading span is locked permanently in the raised position while the active Conrail bridge is just kept raised by default. A close inspection reveals an emergency call info sign on the Reading span to be in the antiquated 2 alpha + 5 digit format.
Boats get a *G* Limited Clear signal with the span is open and a *R* Restricted Proceed when it is closed.
At that point a rain squall was coming through so I had to hoof it back to my car. Without much Chester Secondary freight traffic on the weekend I wasn't missing much. Next week tune in as I stop by the famous Edgewood MARC station in Edgewood, MD.
Fantastic information! Thank you.
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