[PRCo] PRR Opens Washington Electrification

[Fred Schneider]

THIS ONE'S FOR DERRICK BECAUSE OF HIS MEMBERSHIP ON THE PRR HISTORICAL AND TECHNICAL SOCIETY AND HIS INTEREST IN THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD ... THE INCORRECT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THE ELECTRIFICATION WAS OPEN FROM WASHINGTON TO NEW YORK.  REALITY?  IT WAS NOW FINISHED FROM WASHINGTON TO PHILADELPHIA.   IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN OPENED FROM PAOLI TO PHILADELPHIA TO NEW YORK  (I CAN'T FIND MY JOHN BOWMAN PICTURE OF P5s IN A SNOW STORM AT PAOLI WHICH I THINK WAS 1933).  
THE PWA PROJECT CONTINUED.   THE PENNSY STILL HAD TO DO THE TRENTON CUTOFF, THE PHILADELPHIA AND THORNDALE BRANCH, THE ATGLEN & SUSQUEHANNA BRANCH, THE COLUMBIA & PORT DEPOSIT BRANCH, THE MAINLINE TO HARRISBURG AND THE EAST END OF THE YARDS IN HARRISBURG AND ENOLA.   THAT JOB WAS FINISHED IN 1938.   

AT ANY RATE DERRICK, "THIS BUDS FOR YOU."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X3EbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kksEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4966%2C1988338

 

Pittsburgh Press, January 27, 1935, page 45

 

FIRST TRAIN TO GO

PENNSYLVANIA’S ELECTRIFIED ROUTE IS

THROWN OPEN

 

   The first train will speed tomorrow (January 28, 1935) over the Pennsylvania Railroad’s newly-electrified Washington – New York route, marking completion of the largest non-Federal PWA project, which kept 25,000 men on the payroll for a year.

   PWA loaned the Pennsylvania Railroad a total of $80,650,000 a year ago for the project and the work began in February, continuing through the year.