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Home > Archives > Keystone Service train at Whitford, Pa., early 1980s.

Keystone Service train at Whitford, Pa., early 1980s.

Black and white photograph showing a Keystone Service train near the Whitford commuter rail station west of Philadelphia.

<i>Keystone Service</i> train at Whitford, Pa., early 1980s.

The Metroliners were high-speed Budd electric cars designed for use on the Pennsylvania Railroad's (PRR) busy line between New York and Washington. The cars generally operated as married pairs, meaning that trains had an even number of cars. Luxurious interiors and fast running times made the Metroliner Service a viable competitor to regional airlines.

In the late 1970s, Amtrak refurbished and reconfigured part of the Metroliner fleet after it had run more than 1.5 million miles of service. Electrical components were moved from the underside of the floor to a new compartment on the roof. Notice that in this image, the roof of car No. 817 has been modified. By early 1982, the original Metroliner cars were removed from Metroliner Service, and some were subsequently used on the Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg.

In the background is the Whitford bridge, built in 1905 as part of a campaign to separate freight traffic from passenger traffic along the PRR's Main Line across Pennsylvania. The steel Parker truss bridge carried the low-grade, electrified Philadelphia & Thorndale Branch (or "High Line") over the Main Line. This freight line was abandoned by Conrail in 1989, and the bridge no longer carries rail traffic. Rail fans might also recognize the Whitford Bridge from the 1949 PRR calendar.

Photographer: Unknown for Amtrak.