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Station Review #178: Radnor (SEPTA)

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Radnor is a station on SEPTA's Paoli-Thorndale Line. The station is  located on King of Prussia Road in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania. Radnor station is a zone three station. This is not to be confused with the other Radnor station, on the M line.  History Photo from 1856 Radnor station was originally built sometime between 1837 and 1851 by the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, possibly as a in-fill station? At the time, the station was named Morgan's Corner. The station was renamed in the 1860s, before then being rebuilt. It's likely the station was rebuilt again at some point later on to elevate the station. It clearly hasn't been rebuilt since otherwise.    At some point around the 1980s to 1990s, mini highs were added.   Tour Train at the platform Radnor station has a low platform. Considering the curve in the area and the canopy, this station would be difficult to make accessible on its own. There have been plans to rebuild th...

Station Review #177: Westmont (PATCO)

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Westmont is a PATCO station located at 100 Stoy Avenue in Haddon Township, New Jersey. The station is located within Westmont, a town which constitutes 90% of Haddon township (the rest being the unincorporated towns of West Collingswood and West Collingswood Extension).    History The old Westmont station   Originally, the southern half of PATCO was part of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad, a rail line constituting parts of PATCO and the present day Atlantic City Line. Westmont used to have another station on this line: Cuthbert, located at Cuthbert Boulevard.    Cuthbert Boulevard   In the mid 1960s, both old stations were demolished, and the entire line was elevated in the conversion to PATCO service. There was now frequent, direct service to Philadelphia, but service to Atlantic City was lost.   In 2011, Westmont station was made accessible with elevators added.   Tour The station. This is just every PATCO station s...

Station Review #176: 5th Street/Independence Hall (SEPTA)

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5th Street-Independence Hall is a station on SEPTA's L line. The station is located at Market Street and 5th Street in Philadelphia's Old City neighborhood.  History The station was originally built in 1908 by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company as part of an extension to the Market Street line to Front Street and Chestnut Street. The station was remodeled multiple times, first in the 1950s, then in 1976. Elevators were added sometime around 2010. In 2018, the station was remodeled, and its walls were covered in murals.  Tour The station head-house. 5th Street-Independence Hall is a beautiful station. From everything you can see of it, one can easily tell a  lot  of work went into the station.  Elevator tower New signage. All of the signage at this station has been replaced recently, as have most stations on the L.  Tunnel. Most other L and B stations don't have painted tunnels like this.  Stairs. ...

Station Review #175: 12th-13th and Locust (PATCO)

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12th-13th and Locust is a station on the PATCO Speedline. The station is located on Locust Street, between 12th and 13th Streets in the Gayborhood neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA.  History 12th-13th was originally a station planned for the Philadelphia Subway Loop. This would have been something comparable to Chicago's L loop, albeit completely underground. This wouldve been a loop that went along 8th, Locust, 16th, and Arch, and would've connected to a line that went up Ridge Avenue and Henry Avenue into Roxborough. Most of this never happened. What did happen though was the section of the ridge subway between Broad Street and 8th Street, and part of the loop.  The tunnels were dug out for the sections of the loop along Locust, 8th, and Arch, but after the 8th street segment north of Market got used for both the Broad-Ridge Spur and the Bridge Line, the rest of the loop tunnels stayed abandoned. Work resumed on the section of the loop between 8th and ...