Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railroad
| Company type | Railroad company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1876 |
| Defunct | 1883 |
| Fate | Control passed to Philadelphia and Reading Railroad; merged into Atlantic City Railroad |
| Headquarters | Camden, New Jersey , United States |
| Products | Rail transport services |
The Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway, which was later renamed the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railroad, was established in 1876 to rival the Camden and Atlantic Railroad. By 1877, it had completed a narrow gauge route connecting Camden, New Jersey to Atlantic City, New Jersey. Due to financial instability, control of the company passed to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in 1883. Subsequently, in 1889, it merged with four additional railroads to create the Atlantic City Railroad.
History
The inaugural rail connection between Camden and Atlantic City was launched by the Camden and Atlantic Railroad in 1854. Competition intensified in the mid-1870s when the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railway was incorporated on March 24, 1876, supported by former directors of the Camden and Atlantic. Opting for a narrow gauge was intended to lower both construction expenses and operational costs. The line commenced operations on July 25, 1877; however, its first train suffered a derailment resulting in injuries.
Challenges arose from limited interchange possibilities due to its narrow gauge design, scant freight business, and dependence on diverting passengers from the Camden and Atlantic route. The company entered receivership on July 13, 1878, less than a year after opening. Nevertheless, it continued functioning and in 1880 launched the Pleasantville and Ocean City Railroad branch extending from Pleasantville to Somers Point, which was later sold to the West Jersey Railroad in 1882.
An effort by Camden and Atlantic to acquire the railway was thwarted by shareholder resistance. Following the Pennsylvania Railroad's acquisition of Camden and Atlantic in 1883, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad purchased Philadelphia and Atlantic City on October 31, 1883, reorganizing it as the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railroad. The track gauge was converted to standard gauge by October 1884. On March 29, 1889, it merged with the Camden, Gloucester and Mount Ephraim Railway, Glassboro Railroad, Williamstown and Delaware River Railroad, and Kaighn's Point Terminal Railroad to establish the Atlantic City Railroad.
References
- Coverdale & Colpitts 4
- Hilton Narrow Gauge
- Towle, Charles L., "History of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad and Associated Railroads 1852-1897", The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin, issue 73, 1948, pp.16–45
- Treese, Lorett, Railroads of New Jersey: fragments of the past in the Garden State landscape, Stackpole Book, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, 2006, ISBN 978-0-8117-3260-4