Harrisburg Railways Company
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Operating Name(s) | Harrisburg Traction Company (1895-1903) Central Pennsylvania Traction Co. (1903-1912) Harrisburg Railways Co. (1912-1955) Harrisburg Railways Co. (ATE) (1955-1973) |
Area Served | Harrisburg and "East Shore" area of Harrisburg, PA. |
Operated | 1895-1939 (streetcar service) ????-1973 (bus service) |
Succeeded by | Capital Area Transit |
The Harrisburg Railways Company was a previous public transit provider to the "East Shore" of City of Harrisburg, PA.
History
In 1913, the Harrisburg Traction Company created a subsidiary named Harrisburg Railways Company. By the 1950's American Transportation Enterprises acquired the company. Under ATE in 1953, another subsidiary, Keystone Charter Service began operating charter services, and that subsidiary grew its reach further in 1962, by acquiring Bushey Bus Service and merging it with Keystone Charter Service.
Harrisburg Railways Company grew further, by acquiring the assets of the Valley Transportation Company, after it abandoned bus service to the "West Shore" of Harrisburg in 1970.
After the Harrisburg Railways Company claimed bankruptcy and becoming insolvent, the City of Harrisburg, and counties of Cumberland and Dauphin created the Cumberland-Dauphin Transportation Authority, and service was surrendered to its subsidiary Capital Area Transit in 1973.
Timeline of major events
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- 1865: The first known public transportation line began with a horse-drawn trolley.
- 1873: Harrisburg City Passenger Railway purchases the previous line operation between Harrisburg and McClay Street, and begins service.
- 1875: Harrisburg and Middletown Omnibus Company was organized to connect Middletown with the trolley service.
- 1888: First test run of an electric trolley by the East Harrisburg Passenger Railway.
- 1895: Harrisburg Traction Company formed by a merger of Harrisburg City Railway and Citizens Passenger Railway Company.
- 1913: Harrisburg Traction Company formed Harrisburg Railways Company.
- 1933: Ten buses purchased to convert three streetcar lines to bus service.
- 1936: Fleet numbers 421 (Conodoquinet) and 425 (Mahantango) purchased new. These two coaches were cut down after receipt, creating open-air coaches, used in parades, and some limited special charter work. The names come from two Native American tribes, that were based along the Susquehanna River.
- 1937: Harrisburg Traction Company changes name to Harrisburg Railways Company.
- 1939: The last Harrisburg Railways Trolley was operated on July 16, 1939 on the Middletown line some 74 years after the introduction of horse drawn trolley service and 66 years after the introduction of electric powered trolley service in Harrisburg.[1] A fleet of 135 buses were now available to serve Harrisburg and "East Shore" Communities.
- 1953: Harrisburg Railways Company creates subsidiary Keystone Charter Service to offer charter services to customers.
- 1955 Harrisburg Railways Company becomes a subsidiary of American Transportation Enterprises, a management firm based in Cincinnati, OH.
- 1962: Harrisburg Railways Company acquires assets of Bushey Bus Service, extending charter services to places previously not offered.
- 1970: Valley Transportation Company abandons "West Shore" service, Harrisburg Railways Company takes over to continue offering the service.
- 1973: Harrisburg Railways Company transfers assets to Capital Area Transit.
Routes
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The Harrisburg Railways Company operated 136 trolley cars on slightly less than 75 miles of track. Cars serviced the city of Harrisburg, in addition to suburban communities of Oberlin, Middletown, Linglestown, Rockville and Hummelstown.
Primary, corridors
- Downtown Loop services
- 2nd Street lines; lines 2, A
- 3rd Street lines; line 3
- Capital Street lines; line C
- 6th Street lines; lines 4, 6, RV, 5, WP
- Cameron Street lines; 10, 11
- Herr Street lines; 18
- State and Market Street lines; 20, L, P
- Allison Hill lines; 8, 9, 23, D, H, R
- Middletown lines; 7, 8, BC, BS, EF, HS, M, S
- Oberlin/Steelton via 19th Street lines; 19, B, O
- Kerr and Vine Street lines; 9, 18, V
Route numbers and names
- 2 - Second Street-Reservoir
- 3 - Third Street
- 5 - Rockville-Oberlin
- 6 - Sixth Street
- 7 - Hummelstown-Middletown
- 8 - Paxtang-Steelton
- 9 - 23rd Street-Race-Vine
- 10 - Cameron Street
- 11 - Fairgrounds
- 18 - Herr Street-Penbrook-Linglestown
Roster
Streetcar roster
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Fleet Number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Motors | Trucks | Notes |
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35 | 1891 | Brill | |||||
58-61 | 1901 | Jackson and Sharp | Closed | Serial numbers 2132-2135.
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62-65 | 1902 | Jackson and Sharp | Closed car | Serial numbers 2261-2264.
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66-69 | 1903 | Jackson and Sharp | Closed car | Serial numbers 2409-2412.
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94-95 | 1903 | Jackson and Sharp | Half-side | Serial numbers 2413-2414.
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116-119 | 1901 | Jackson and Sharp | 15 bench | Serial numbers 2185-2188.
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150 | 1889? | Brill | Open car. | ||||
152 | 1890? | Brill | Open car. | ||||
250-254 | 1906 | Brill | Closed 20' |
Order number 16692. | |||
255-259 | 1909 | Brill | Closed 20' |
Order number #. | |||
307 | |||||||
400-404 | 1905 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | Order number 14646.
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450-454 | 1906 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | Order number 14971.
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500-504 | 1906 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 30'8" |
Order number 15475.
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505-507 | 1909 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 30'8" |
Order number 16690.
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508-509 | 1911 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 30'8" |
Order number 17609.
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600-605 | 1911 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 25' |
BR 39E | Order number 17611.
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606-611 | 1911 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 25' |
BR 39E | Order number 17931.
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612-617 | 1911 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 25' |
BR 39E | Order number 18091.
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618-623 | 1914 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 25' |
BR 39E | Order number 19467. | ||
624-626 | 1916 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 25' |
BR 39E | Order number 19898. | ||
627-631 | 1918 | Brill | Semi-Conv. 25' |
BR 39E | Order number 20158. | ||
700-706 | 1913 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | BR 27MCB1 | Order number 19018. | ||
707-710 | 1914 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | BR 27MCB1 | Order number 19465.
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800-801 | 1916 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | BR 27MCB1 | Order number 19899. | ||
802-806 | 1916 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | BR 27MCB1 | Order number 20159. | ||
807-811 | 1917 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | BR 27MCB1 | Order number 20434. | ||
812-816 | 1919 | Brill | Semi-Conv. | BR 27MCB1 | Order number 20814.
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Bus roster
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Fleet Number(s) | Thumbnail | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
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200-217 | 1937 | ACF | 26-S | Hall Scott Gasoline |
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421 Condoquinet |
1936 | Open air coach used on sightseeing excursions or parade use. | |||||
425 Mahantango |
1936 | Open air coach used on sightseeing excursions or parade use. | |||||
501-505 | 1960 | GMC | TDH-4517 | Detroit Diesel 6V71N | Allison VH | Assumed to Cincinnati, Newport and Covington Transportation Company, 706-710. | |
601-615 | 1961 | GMC | TDH-4517 | Detroit Diesel 6V71N | Allison VH | 606-610 to Virginia Transit Company 221-225 (2) in 1964. | |
801-840 | 1947 | ACF | C-36 | Hall Scott Gasoline |
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951 | 1954 | Flxible/Twin Coach |
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1001-1005 | Twin Coach | 38-SP | Propane | Unknown year | |||
1006-1010 | Twin Coach | 38-S | Unknown year | ||||
1041-1058 | 1947 | Twin Coach | 41-S |
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1101-1118 | White | [2] | |||||
1201-1210 | 1950 | GMC | TDH-3612 | Detroit Diesel 4-71 | Allison VH | ||
1251-1265 | 1953 | GMC | TDH-4512 | 1257 is preserved by the Cincinnati Transit Historical Association. | |||
1266-1280 | 1953 | GMC | TDH-4512 | ||||
1281-1285 | 1958 | GMC | TDH-4512 | ||||
4112-4113 | 1959 | GMC | PD-4104 |
Further reading
- “Street Railways of Harrisburg” by Richard H. Steinmetz and Harold E. Cox
- “Valley Railways” by C.L. Siebert, Jr. and Richard H. Steinmetz.
- “Trolleys of the Pennsylvania Dutch Country” by John D. Denney, Jr.
- “This Was Harrisburg” by Richard H Steinmetz, Sr. and Robert D. Hoffsommer
- “Images of America – Harrisburg” by Linda A. Ries