PRR Main Line (Northeast Corridor) - Original Alignment

 abandoned / shut down, rail-trail

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This was the original alignment of the Pennsylvania Railroad's four-track Washington-New York Main Line, presently known as the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, through the town of Bristol, PA. When the line was electrified in 1930, the original alignment was found to be too restrictive for the then-new high-speed GG1 electric locomotives (tops speed: 100 mph) due to a sharp curve, so the line was then re-aligned for high speed moves.

The original alignment was subsequently downgraded from its original 4-track configuration to a single industrial track that ran through the town itself... this was later abandoned and removed. Today, the original alignment can still be seen as yard space at both ends where it joins the current alignment, as well as an industrial spur that branches off from the southern junction.