This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Philadelphia & Western's route from 69th Street to Strafford. On May 22, 1907, the first trolley left Upper Darby and passed through Haverford, Lower Merion and Radnor Townships to end at Strafford. The route directly competed with the Pennsylvania Railroad, and ran successfully for almost fifty years. Ridership declined over time, and the route from Villanova to Strafford was abandoned in 1956. The original portion of the P&W from 69th Street to Villanova is still in operation as Route 100, and it diverges from the original right-of-way to end at Norristown.

To commemorate the anniversary, SEPTA has applied an historical image of a trolley at St. Davids Station (see middle photograph on right) to its May monthly trailpass as well as the Route 100 schedule (PDF). The photograph is in the collection of the Tredyffrin-Easttown Historical Society.

The Rockhill Trolley Museum will be hosting a fan trip on the Route 100 on Sunday, May 20 (albeit on a new trolley car).

For more information about the P&W, visit the P&W Strafford Route page.

Further Reading:

Rockhill fan trip information (PDF document)

A P&W car riding through Wayne in 1914.