Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-24
OVERLOOK AGAINST
P. R. R. FREIGHT YARD
PLANS FOR SUBURB
Residents Say Smoke and
Engines Would Ruin NAL
vern Avenue Homes.
Want Road Electrified.

Residents of Overlook are making a
decided stand against the Pennsylvania
Railroad, which purposes the building
of large freight yards in that suburb
and the laying of new road which
will be used for freight transportation
from Glenloch and Frazer to the Penn
sylvania Railroad Wharves at the foot
of Washington avenue, via Overlook
ana SD street. They say the road as
now planned will ruin the handsome
residential district.
The railroad was granted franchise
by the city of Philadelphia for the
carrying out of this plan in 1906 This
expires in 1915. Since the company has
not begun the work it would be i'm
possible to complete it before the time
limit expires, and therefore the com
pany has applied for an extension on
the permit. The citizens of Overbrook
represented in the Overbrook Associas
tiOn and the Overbrook Club, have made
such vigorous protest that the City
Council has informed the railroad that
II will have to come to some under
standing with the citizens of that To-
caity before the permit will be ex-
tended.
That part of the PENNSYLVANIA Rail-
roads project which is most Objectionable
to residents of Overbrook is the fact
that the new incoming line will run to
the proposed freight yard along NAL
Vern avenue, a handsome residential dis
trlct, which would be ruined by the
smoke of the engines that would con-
stantly be passing along the line The
freight yard will not be ELECTRIFIED. ac-
cordlnS to the plans projected bv the
company, and so would ruin, the resi-
dents say. the extensive residential de-
velopments which are being carried on
between Overbrook and Wynnetield.
NOT TO ELECTRIFY YARDS
In referring to this point John J.
Coyle, president of the Overbrook Ass0-
citation, said that the city of Philadel-
phla would lose from 100000 to Sl50000
annually in taxes alone through the
depreciation In value of real estate i'm
tlat neighborhOod, which would prob-
ably be at least 80 per cent. He believes
that the Comphny's claim that it would
pr lnlpo""lhle 10 eiectlify a freight yard
OF suCh magnitude as theirs is 10 be Is
untrue, for he says that not only the
members of the OverhrOok Committee
hut also representatives Of the Citt
council have visited the electrified wards
"l o'her cities ana are convinced Tint
the proposition could not only be handled
mere but that 1t could be proftabIv
managed.
hNt rather th"n electrified lines and
freight yards, the people of Overbrook
would nave IN" railroad extend their
bI'SeN spur lne connecting the Wash
nHEtpn street Wharve8 with Ncwtown
| square VIA FTrnWood, TO Glenloch and
Frazer cutting out the Overbrook and
ga street yards. This they claim. could
hr done at vastly smaller expense and
at saving of considerable mileage. and
incidentally leaving the fashionable resi-
dental sections of Oyerbrook undisturbcd
The railroads plan as it now stands is
To .,E h. HI
brook, eventually laying 100 tracks far
this purpose. These limos wonId mass
underneath the Main Line passenger
tracks al Malvern avrDur. and rn,,ti.',a