Advancements in Electrified Railroads

Advancements in Electrified Railroads. . , The Camden and Amboy Railroad, incorporated in 1830, was the first commercially successful railroad constructed in New Jersey. In 1871, the Pennsylvania Railroad took control of the alignment. The Pennsylvania Railroad was often called "The Standard Railroad of the World" because of its contribution to the advancement of American railroad technology and operations., American railroads relied upon steam locomotives throughout the 1800s, however, by the early 1900s, urban and suburban passenger traffic was rapidly increasing and cities were looking for ways to reduce air pollution. The rapid development of electric generation and propulsion technology during the early 20th century enabled railroads to experiment with electric engines and begin using them to replace steam locomotives. The Pennsylvania Railroad began a program of electrification in and around Philadelphia in 1914. By 1930, electrification had reached Trenton and, by 1935, the entire Washington, D.C. to New York City corridor had been electrified., On the Pennsylvania Railroad, overhead electrified wires, called catenary, were suspended between trackside poles or bridges, and distributed power to the electric locomotives. Signal bridges, spanning over the tracks, supported the signals that controlled the movement of trains. The Pennsylvania Railroad signal bridge at the center of this parking lot was originally located north of Cove Road in Pennsauken and spanned three tracks. The signal bridge and eight catenary poles (four on each side of this parking lot) are two examples of the evolving technology of railroading in the mid-20th century.