The Williamsport Train Stations

 

When I  hear "Williamsport Train Station", I typically think of the Trinity Station, which, shown above,  was located beside the Park Building in Williamsport.  That's where the notable photos were often taken, of things like the Liberty Bell, the McKinley Funeral Train, etc.  But there were a variety of train stations in Williamsport, not just that one.  Here's a quick, and incomplete, look at a few of the stations, and notable events.  As with most of the posts on this blog, I'll continue to add as I come across more information.

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Notable Trains & Visitors At Williamsport Stations

1893 Liberty Bell   1901 McKinley Funeral Train

1939 King & Queens Train   1969 Freedom Train

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The Stations & A Brief Timeline

West Williamsport     Trinity Street Station   Market Street Station  

 Trenton Avenue Station   5th Street Freight Station   Pine Street Station 

 Arch Street Station   Maynard Street Station    West Williamsport

• Jan 12 1839 The first local railroad line opened,  between Williamsport and Ralson 
• September 9 1854 The First train from Elmira on the new extension of the Williamsport RR Company from Ralston to Elmira, arrived.  The line was renamed the Elmira and Williamsport Railroad.'
• December 18 1854 - The Sunbury and Erie Railroad was completed.
• 1861 - The  Sunbury & Erie Railroad became the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
• By October of 1864 It was possible to travel from Philadelphia to Erie, by way of Williamsport, on the Pennsy.
• 1865 - Original Depot abandoned, office and station moved to the basement of the Park Hotel.
• November 30 1871 - the First Passenger train on the reading line came to Williamsport.  Shortly thereafter the passenger station was built at the foot of Pine Street.
• April 30 1971 - The last passenger train, Pennsylvania Railroad to Harrisburg,  left Williamsport.  

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MARKET STREET STATION

Once located north of old City Hall (Today, City Hall Grand) along what is now Little League Boulevard, but was once 5th street.  It was on the south side of the tracks, just west of Market Street.  The first station built here was a small wood frame depot.  It was replaced by this brick station.

The round structure behind the station rood was the artificial gas storage tank of the gas plant on Mulberry Street.

Battery "D" entraining for duty, Market Street Station

(World War I)

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PINE STREET STATION

1910 photo of the Station for the P&R, on the south end of pine street in Williamsport

Built in 1884 on or near the site of the original Catawissa Railroad station.

In the 1850s and 1860s, the Sunbury and Erie Railroad (S&E) local passenger station was located between Pine and Laurel Streets on the south side of the tracks.

This was a union station, being used jointly by the S&E and Elmira and Williamsport Railroad, and the Catawissa [Later the Reading] Railroad.  The offices of the S&E were in a brick house on the north side of the tracks.

 

These buildings stood near the river, close to the Market Street Bridge, in the area across the highway from where the Holiday Inn Stands today.  

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Trinity Place Station

1872-1979

This station was connected to the Park Hotel via a wooden walkway.

The Park Hotel, and the Pennsylvania Railroad Station

The station was built in 1871, and opened in 1872.

This is the area of the former Transportation Museum, on Nichols Place Road.

Built in 1872, this station was one of 5 in Williamsport.

Peter Herdic convinced the Pennsylvania Railroad station to move it's main passenger station from Pine Street to this location.  He planned to build a large hotel here, which would furnish meals to the pasengers.

[This was the 4 story Herdic Hotel , later known as the Park Hotel.  Two stories of the Park building still stand today.)

1901 McKinley Funeral Train

In its peak years, as many as 20 trains a day stopped here.

The Liberty Bell, the Mckinley funeral train, and a train carrying King George V and Queen Mary are just a few of the notable events to happen here.  Harry S. Truman made a whistle stop appearance here in 1952.

It was known as the Park Hotel Station of the Pennsylvania Railroad, then later the Penn Central, and finally Conrail station.

 In 1968, Penn Central chose Williamsport as the side of its Northern division headquarters. Equipment and personnel were moved from NY to Williamsport.  The large room that had included ticket offices, newsstand and lunch counter, and baggage rooms, was all remodeled into offices.

Three years later,  Penn Central Headquarters were moved from Williamsport to Altoona.

Daytime passenger trains were suspended in August of 1967, and the last passenger train left Williamsport for Harrisburg on April 30th 1971.

1969

The Passenger Station at Trinity Place was destroyed by fire on August 31 1979.  It was torn down a week later.  See Photos of the fire here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2022/04/fire-at-passenger-railroad-station.html

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5th Street Freight Station

Rathwell Dray Line trucks at the 5th Street Freight Station, in Williamsport

A drayman was historically the driver of a dray, a low, flat-bed wagon without sides, pulled generally by horses or mules that were used for transport of all kinds of goods.

The 5th Street Freight Station was originally a brick freight house, a large wooden addition was added sometime between 1891 and 1912. With this new configuration the brick portion served as the inbound freight house and wood section was the outbound part. 

The wood section was damaged by fire in August, 1938.  Today, the address where it was once located would be roughly 440 Little League Boulevard, Williamsport Pa.

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West Williamsport Station

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The Reading Railroad shops, Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Dallin Aerial Surveys March 23 1930

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