Rating:
No votes cast

PRR - Schuylkill River Bridge (Royersford)

Chester County, Pennsylvania, and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Photos 

Royersford/Spring City RR Bridge -- September 1, 2008

Looking from Spring City towards Royersford

Photo taken by Raymond Klein

Enlarge

BH Photo #157613

Map 

Street View 

Facts 

Overview
Abandoned pony plate girder bridge over Schuylkill River on abandoned (former PRR Schuylkill Division)rail line
Location
Spring City, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Status
Abandoned
History
Connected Pennsylvania Railroad's Schuylkill Dvision (now abandoned - soon to be a trail) with former Reading Railroad's (now Norfolk Southern) in service main line from Philadelphia to Reading, PA
Railroad
- Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)
Design
Pony plate girder
Also called
Abandoned Bridge Royersford, PA
Approximate latitude, longitude
+40.18503, -75.54682   (decimal degrees)
40°11'06" N, 75°32'49" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/453449/4448437 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Phoenixville
Inventory number
BH 44360 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Abandoned (3,382)
Chester County, Pennsylvania (150)
Girder (9,317)
Have street view (25,647)
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (215)
Pennsylvania (4,978)
Pennsylvania Railroad (661)
 Plate girder (7,123)
Railroad (14,497)
Royersford, Pennsylvania (3)
Schuylkill River (77)
Spring City, Pennsylvania (2)
Through girder (3,467)

Update Log 

  • July 4, 2017: New photos from Kevan Lutz
  • January 10, 2011: Updated by Daniel Hopkins: Renamed the bridge
  • July 25, 2010: Updated by D. Thomsen: Typos in history.
  • March 14, 2010: New photos from Raymond Klein
  • March 9, 2010: Updated by Raymond Klein: Added photos. Added Royersford, PA to name. USGS Phoenixville, PA. Added narative to histroy section, Former Schuylkill Division added to overview
  • March 7, 2010: Added by Joshua Collins

Sources 

  • Joshua Collins - Bigjc1979 [at] aol [dot] com
  • Raymond Klein - Bookshelfthe [at] msn [dot] com
  • D. Thomsen - dcthomsen [at] comcast [dot] net
  • Daniel Hopkins - chimera [at] clovermail [dot] net
  • Luke
Post a comment here
Contact webmaster

Comments 

PRR - Schuylkill River Bridge (Royersford)
Posted August 17, 2017, by george oakley (georgeoakley49 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Xavier,when in the area i will check this bridge out.As for the other bridge,is that the one that crosses the Schuylkill River above the power plant?

PRR - Schuylkill River Bridge (Royersford)
Posted August 16, 2017, by xavier luteman (legodudexavier [at] gmail [dot] com)

George, this bridge is definitely worth checking out. another bridge a few miles from this one is the Cromby bridge which used to go to the cromby powerplant. it is abandoned but the track is still in good shape and its a great walk.

PRR - Schuylkill River Bridge (Royersford)
Posted August 15, 2017, by george oakley (georgeoakley492yahoo [dot] com)

Xavier,i am actually not familiar with this bridge but i have fished the Schuylkill River below this bridge.From the pictures and what you said i agree this bridge is beyond saving.Also being that i lived and went to school while living in Lansdale i am familiar with the area very well.If and when i do get to see this bridge if it's still standing i will be careful,especially on it if possible.I know there are possibly other bridges in the area that are abandoned which i will someday take the time and look for.

PRR - Schuylkill River Bridge (Royersford)
Posted August 14, 2017, by xavier luteman (legodudexavier [at] gmail [dot] com)

George,

The current state of this bridge is rather rough. the bridge is in an extreme state of disrepair. much of it is overgrown, rotted away, or missing. the bridge deck is missing in many places and walking across can be daunting. this bridge is used by many locals as access to an island in the river. very dangerous to cross, but interesting. the tracks are gone too and the only way on the bridge is an old railroad tie. worth checking out, but proceed with caution

PRR - Schuylkill River Bridge (Royersford)
Posted July 31, 2015, by george oakley (georgeoakley49 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

If I am not mistaken this bridge is part of the schuykill branch which was a rail line that ran from Philadelphia to Pottsville.

Railroad Bridge Royersford, PA
Posted February 1, 2014, by george oakley (georgeoakley49 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

does anyone know the current status of this abandoned r.r. bridge?please let me know.thanks.

Abandoned Railroad Bridge Royersford, PA
Posted December 4, 2010, by Chester Co. Historian Leonard F. Shaner, JR. (Conrail6370 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

This bridge was built in 1898 by the Pennsylvania Railroad to service the Buckwalter Stove Company , Royerford Foundry & Machine Co.,Royersford Spring Company and Diamond Glass Co.

This spur did have a connection to the Philadelphia & Reading on the west end of this branch.

Abandoned Railroad Bridge Royersford, PA
Posted August 14, 2010, by Ken Houseal (khouseal_1 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

The PRR track on this bridge didn't connect directly to the Reading Mainline. Rather it accessed the stove founderies and glass works with street side trackage along First Avenue in Royersford. There may have been a connector westward in the vicinity of the Reading freight station which stood just west of the existing passenger station now the "Pretzel Depot". Norfolk Soutern proposed selling it to Royersford Borough along with some riverfront land but it was rejected due to potential liability issues.