Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines

Effective May 4, 1896, the Pennsylvania Railroad consolidated all of its railroads and several smaller properties in Southern New Jersey into the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. The WJ&S had lines coming from its Federal Street Terminal in Camden.

The "Main Line" ran to Atlantic City and to other shore points via Winslow Junction, and its line via Woodbury to Millville. It was electrified with 650 volt DC third rail and overhead lines,[3] with branches going to Salem, and Deep Water Point from Woodbury, and Bridgeton from Glassboro.

While the WJ&S line via Woodbury was a pioneering example of railroad electrification, electric multiple unit (MU) service between Newfield and Atlantic City ended September 26, 1931. The PRSL only inherited the electrified Millville–Camden commuter rail service from WJ&S.[3]

Effective April 1, 1889, the Philadelphia and Reading Railway consolidated all of its railroads in Southern New Jersey into the Atlantic City Railroad (ACRR).[4]

The ACRR, a subsidiary of the Reading Company, had one line from its Kaighn's Point Terminal going to Winslow Junction with lines splitting off to Atlantic City, Ocean City, Wildwood, and Cape May.[2] Branch lines included the Gloucester Branch to Grenloch, and the Willamstown Branch from Willamstown Junction (on the Atlantic City Main) to Mullica Hill to the south, and Atco to the north.

On 15 July 1933, The WJ&S was leased by the ACRR, and changed its name to Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, as the Consolidation Agreement had decreed.[3]

A Seashore Line steam train in 1901

The 21 steam locomotives owned by the PRSL were from the PRR subsidiary WJ&S.[3] They all consisted of PRR classes. Before dieselization the PRSL was more apt to lease its motive power from either of its parent railroads as it completely lacked any heavy passenger locomotives (like 4-6-2 Pacifics). As its parent railroads began to replace steam with diesel locomotives, the PRSL became a haven for steam locomotives during their final years of operation.

The 0-6-0 type was assigned class B, and was used in switcher service.

• B-6sb
• B8

The 4-4-2 "Atlantic" type was assigned class E. and was used in passenger service.

• E-3sb
• E6s

The 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type was assigned class H, and was used in freight service.

• H-6sb
• H9s
• H10s

Since the Consolidation Agreement had decreed that the PRR Mechanical Department would oversee equipment policy decisions, the PRSL did not gain ownership of any ACRR-RDG locomotives.[3]

Additional locomotives were leased as needed from PRSL's parent companies, PRR and RDG.[3]

PRSL train led by AS-16 6025 in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1965

Beginning in the 1950s the PRSL purchased a rather modest fleet of its own diesel locomotives to replace its steam engines for passenger and freight services. When additional power was needed for the busy summer tourist season engines were borrowed from the parent corporations (usually the PRR) as was true previously with the steam locomotives. To further supplement its small fleet the PRSL made increasing use of run through power on certain freight trains to large customers that did not require classification at the PRSL's Pavonia yard.

The first generation of PRSL diesel locomotives were all from the nearby Baldwin Locomotive Works, which was the vendor of choice for the parent PRR in both the steam and early diesel era. The PRSL's diesel locomotives were almost all painted in what is commonly referred to as Brunswick Green which was so dark it seemed almost black. The paint scheme was borrowed from its PRR parent and with the company's official name for this color being DGLE (Dark Green Locomotive Enamel). The undercarriage of the locomotives were painted in black referred to as "True Black."

• (†) All were built with dual control stands
• (‡) were rated for 65 mph
• (฿) did not have mu installed, and rated for 60 mph
• (₡) were rated for 70 mph
• (₣) 6011-6016 were painted in the ivy green AKA "Green Hornets"
• (₭) 6011-6016 & 6024–6027, they were rated for 80 mph
• (£) were built for freight service, and rated for 65 mph
• (♦) were a cancelled order by RDG, No. 551 to 554 were built in 1953 with dynamic brakes and conventional mu (as opposed to BLW's air-controlled design). In 1956 the PRSL acquired the units and had the dynamic brakes removed, BLW air-controlled mu and steam boilers installed
• (♥) have M.U. installed, and rated for 60 mph

By the late 1960s, the original Baldwin diesels were beginning to suffer reliability problems, which was exacerbated by the fact that Baldwin had gone out of business some 10 years before and could no longer provide spare parts or maintenance. With the new powerplant being constructed at Beesley's Point ready to consume several 90 car coal trains per week the PRSL was in need of more powerful and more reliable locomotives and turned to industry-leader EMD to supply 10 new second generation diesel electric locomotives.

• (♣) built with dual control stands, which required the front of the cab to be built out an extra foot to allow extra room in the cab.

• (†) Ex-PRR No. 4635 acquired May 7, 1935; retired May 6, 1952; scrapped
• (‡) Ex-PRR No. 4654 acquired May 7, 1935; retired May 6, 1952; sold to F.C. de Tunas Railway, Cuba

• (#) M-404 and M-412; destroyed in Camden shop fire on February 16, 1958.

PRSL inherited the following from the WJ&S:[1][3]

• 71 PRR-Type P-70 passenger cars No.'s 9865-9936 (steel, 44 seats)
• 21 PRR-Type PB-70 passenger-combines Cars No.'s 9938-9958 (steel, 40 seats) 9959-9962 (steel, 40 seats)
• 17 various PRR-Type mail and baggage cars No.'s 25 (steel underfame), 6403 (steel), 6428-6438 (steel), 9963-9966 (steel)

Additional passenger cars were leased as needed from PRSL's parent companies, PRR and RDG, and sometimes from the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ).[3]

The PRSL did not own any of the P70s that carried its name. They were leased from the WJ&S. The passenger cars of the PRSL were painted Tuscan Red. This is a brick-colored shade of red.

• (†) PRR Class, built by PRR
• (‡) Penn Central Class
• (♥) Inherited from the WJ&S, all retired in 1950.
• (♠) No.'s 200-202 inherited from the WJ&S. No. 200 built 3/17 to Conrail, No. 201 built 8/17 retired 9/9/69, No. 202 built 4/19, retired 9/9/69.
• (♣) No.'s 225-242 rebuilt by the PRR and sold to PRSL in 1950. No. 232 retired 9/9/1969, No. 237 retired 8/12/1972, No.'s 241-242 retired 1/20/1973, rest to Conrail.
• (♦) Built new by the Penn Central's Hollidaysburg shops; all went to Conrail.