LwS S3, E4: “A Day in Palmyra”
On the morning of July 26, 1951, John Prophet pulled his car into the parking lot of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s passenger station in Palmyra, New Jersey. Palmyra was the second stop on his three-day road trip that began in Cove, PA, and ended in Trenton. The recordings John made in Trenton can be heard in the previous episode of Living with Steam.
In 1951, Palmyra was on a very busy section of tracks running the PRR’s commuter trains, with destinations to places like Atlantic City, Trenton, Philadelphia, and New York. The line got its start as part of the Camden & Amboy Railroad. Incorporated in 1803, and opened for business in 1832, the C&A was the first railroad in New Jersey, and the second railroad in the United States.
Originally, the C&A’s roadbed ran almost parallel to the Delaware & Raritan Canal, another early entity in New Jersey’s blooming transportation industry. Eventually, over the course of its history, the C&A’s old route was straightened, leased to the PRR, and rebuilt into more of a straight and direct route between New York and Philadelphia. Perfect for a commuter line.
John arrived at the Palmyra station around 5:00 am. With the exception of a lunch break, John remained at the station for the entire day. With his “portable recording studio” in the back of his car, John sat in the driver’s seat ready to start the wire-recorder the second a train was seen in the distance. As he held his microphone out the window of the car, John caught the oncoming trains in addition to every sound the Borough of Palmyra made throughout the day. Car and truck traffic, airplanes flying overhead, pedestrians and passengers walking up to the station, kids who decided to purposely loud while John was recordings… everything was captured.
John may not have realized this at the time, but he preserved a typical day in Palmyra. If you lived in this small town in New Jersey, especially on Broad Street, Cinnaminson Ave, or Morgan Ave, the passing trains were part of your life. Every few minutes a train went by. You could almost set your watch to them.
In Palmyra, the PRR’s tracks were so straight and on a very level grade, John was able to start recording a train the moment it got to either the Arch Street station (which was south of Palmyra), or the Riverton station (which was north of Palmyra in the small Borough of Riverton). As long as John could hear even the slightest decibel of sound from an approaching train, he’s start the wire-recorder and keep it running until the train was completely out of earshot. The sequences he captured are breathtaking.
Each of the three stations on this stretch of PRR track were roughly a half-mile or more away from each other. Depending on how long the trains were, or the orientation of the engine, many of the recordings give a false sense of speed and distance. You may think the engine is right on top of John, but in reality, it could be a half-mile up the tracks but directly facing him. If anything, you’ll get a sense for how loud a steam engine could be when it blasted through a small but busy town like Palmyra.
Regardless, these recordings are probably best appreciated is you listen while wearing ear buds or headphone. There’s a lot going on in the background, and while several of the recordings only feature the engine pulling a train out of Palmyra, the majority of them contain the complete movements of the trains; starting at one station, arriving at Palmyra, then pulling out for the next station.
From a producer’s note: John’s Palmyra recordings were probably the most difficult to understand and edit together. Once again, his notes left a lot to be desired and confused me more than helped when it came to assembling a cohesive script.
I hope I gave these incredible recordings the justice they deserve.
Enjoy!
Please note: the images depicted on this page are not mine and are only used to present a visual representation of what’s discussed in this episode of the podcast. Unfortunately, I started searching the internet and downloaded anything I thought was relevant to the topic, and I neglected to note the source from where many of the images came from. No malice was intended, so if any of these images are identified by the owners, please let me know and I’ll correct any credit oversights necessary.
Above is the page of notes John took down for the Palmyra recordings. When I first saw them, I was stuck on what “starts from all three stations”, or “starts from Palmyra only” could possibly mean. Initially, I thought John was making the recordings from onboard each of the trains! It took me quite a while to realize that John was parked in one location all day (Palmyra), and the other two spots were locations of the other stations north and south of Palmyra.
Then came the difficult task of determining what trains John recorded and at what time of day they were scheduled in order to pinpoint when John was actually in Palmyra. You may ask, “who cares?” Well, determining the time of day helps to establish the identities of the trains John recorded, but it also provides the ability to confirm when John was in Palmyra and for how long.
It wasn’t easy, but I did my best to break down every recording based on the PRR public timetable. You can find the notes I made further down this page in the “Further reading” section.
But… there’s a slight problem.
John had always told me he never took pictures of trains while he was at a location specifically for making recordings of trains. It was “too difficult to operate the wire recorder and a camera at the same time.” However, the two pictures above may prove otherwise. The picture on the left shows PRR K-4s engine 3871 pulling train 2577, a Trenton to Camden local. The picture on the right shows train 2570 pulled by E-6s engine 61, likewise a Camden to Trenton local.
At first, it’s logical to assume that these are the same engines pulling the exact trains John recorded in Palmyra. While they are the same engines, John’s notes indicate the train he recorded pulled by 3871 was number 1073, running from Atlantic City to New York. But wait… why would I even think these pictures were taken at the same time John was making a recording?
It turns out these are not the same trains at all. The photos were not even taken on same date. I admit to being a little slow on the draw, but the two pictures above were taken from the set of prints I made from John’s original negatives back in the early 90s. Once the duplicate negatives and the prints were made, I put them into an album and didn’t look at them again for quite a long time.
When production of Living with Steam began several years ago, I took out the duplicate negatives and digitized them for use on the LwS website or in videos for YouTube. Since I hadn’t scanned the prints, I couldn’t remember if anything had been written on the back of each one. I did remember John telling me he had taken photos in Trenton, Camden, and Palmyra, but I had no memory of when he shot the photos or which prints were taken at those locations. Back then, all PRR engines looked alike to me.
At this point, I had no choice but to pull out the old album containing John’s prints in order to purposely examine the back of every one. Sure enough, every photo had a brief note written in John’s hand.
Mystery solved! John dated the two Palmyra photos as July 25, 1951 - a full day BEFORE he made the recordings in Palmyra! Did he spend the 25th taking photographs of all the trains running through Palmyra? The constant train activity would have been pretty much the same as what he recorded on the 26th. The answer to that question is currently “unknown” because I only have those two prints depicting activity in Palmyra. Why did John arrive in Palmyra on the 25th, but not record until the 26th. If he spent the day taking pictures, where are the other negatives/prints other than the two he brought over for me to copy?
As always, working with John’s archives brings about more questions than it ever does answers.
Above are two Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from 1911. The map on the left depicts the railroad tracks running from Riverton to Palmyra, labeled as the “Pennsylvania R.R. Camden & Amboy Division.” I’ve indicated the locations of both the Palmyra and Arch Street stations. The map on the left shows the exact location of the PRR passenger station and covered shelter at Palmyra.
In order to fully understand the movements of the trains John recorded at Palmyra, it’s necessary to take a look at the area as it looks today; courtesy of Google Earth. Obviously, Palmyra and the PRR tracks are vastly different than what they were in 1951, but fact remains that the railroad tracks and the streets surrounding them are exactly as they were when John was in the area.
Top row, left: An aerial view showing all three PRR stations. Palmyra station is called out by the center blue marker. The bottom blue marker shows the approximate location of the PRR Arch Street station. The Riverton station is the top blue marker. Since the stations were roughly a half-mile apart from each other, a long passenger train that was stopped to let passengers on or off at Riverton (or Arch Street) may have found the engine much closer to John at Palmyra. This close proximity would give the impression that the engine was AT Palmyra even though John’s notes indicate the train was pulling away from either Arch or Riverton. This audio feature caused a lot of confusion until it finally dawned on me what was actually taking place in each recording.
Top row, center: A view looking north from the corner of Cinnaminson Avenue and West Broad Street. The current Palmyra Station, now operated by New Jersey Transit, is the small shelter with the red roof on the right side of the picture. The building that was once occupied by a Rexall Drug Store is still on the corner opposite the tracks.
Top row, right: The parking area for the Palmyra Station was on East Broad street. This view shows the current station.
Bottom row, left: A view looking south from Riverton… just a few feet away from the current Riverton Station. Google Earth is a bit limiting when it comes to positioning yourself exactly where you want to be in “street view”, but this shot provides a good example of how straight and flat the PRR tracks were. It’s no wonder John was able to make such incredible recordings.
Bottom, center: A view of the Riverton Station
Bottom, right: This view shows the approximate area where the Arch Street Station was located. The “photographer” is positioned on the tracks where they cross Market Street. Arch Street was one block north of this location. The station was almost between the two streets, but a little closer to Arch Street. Again, notice how straight and flat the roadbed is.
Below are some historical photos of Palmyra and Riverton. The majority of these photographs are courtesy of the Historical Society of Riverton at https://rivertonhistory.com/p-r-r-station-palmyra-n-j-c-1906/. Click on each image for a larger view.
ROW ONE
Taken from a post card, the view shows “Broad Street, Palmyra, NJ.” A note written on the original card said “The Station is across the street.”
From a postcard, “Business District of Palmyra, NJ.” This photo would have be taken roughly around the same time John was in Palmyra. The “Broadway Palace movie theater is shown on the left side of the photo.
From a postcard, “Business section, Palmyra, NY.” Judging by the cars, this image may have been taken in the mid to late 1930s. The PRR Palmyra Station is in the middle of the photo.
View showing the “PRR Station in Palmyra, NJ, 1906.” Note the trolley waiting at the station.
An earlier view of the Broadway Palace Theater, which was located on Broad, one block south of Cinnaminson.
ROW TWO
The “Nellie Bly” rolling through Riverton. Like Palmyra, Riverton had an actual passenger station in addition to the covered shelter on the opposite side of the PRR tracks.
The Riverton Station is shown at some point in the 1950s. By then, the old passenger station had been demolished leaving nothing but the covered shelter.
This photograph shows a PRR train slowing to stop at the Riverton Station. The photographer was standing in front of the main passenger station looking toward the covered shelter. Based on the cars, this photo could have been taken in the late 1930s.
In April of 1955, the old PRR Palmyra Station was demolished. The station at Riverton soon followed.
A postcard showing the “R. R. Station, Palmyra, N.J.” Date unknown.
ROW THREE
Photo showing the PRR Palmyra Station and covered shelter. The photographer took the shot at the Cinnaminson Avenue grade crossing looking north.
A 1923 view of the PRR Palmyra Station
A picture postcard showing “R.R. Station, Riverton, N.J.”
After the original passenger station was demolished in 1955, the Pennsy did some remodeling of the covered shelters at Palmyra and Riverton. This is the shelter at Palmyra.
Courtesy of Matthew Hurst and the PRR Technical & Historical Society, the above drawing shows the elevations and interior designs of the Riverton and Palmyra PRR station.
The Pennsylvania Railroad named one of its signature trains after her. This same train was even involved in a horrific wreck in 1901. But who was “Nellie Bly” and why was there a train named in her honor. To take it to the extreme, there’s an ice cream parlor in Riverton named “Nellie Bly’s Olde Tyme Ice Cream Parlor.” The name is not something cooked up by an advertising agency like Ann Landers, Betty Crocker, or Mrs. Renfro. Nellie Bly was a real person, and one that deserves to be remembered.
The following text was taken from the article “Nellie Bly, 1864-1922”, by Arlisha R. Norwood, NWHM Fellow; Updated by: Mariana Brandman, NWHM Predoctoral Fellow in Women’s History | 2020-2022 (https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/nellie-bly-0)
Nellie Bly became a star journalist by going undercover as a patient at a New York City mental health asylum in 1887 and exposing its terrible conditions in the New York World. Her reporting not only raised awareness about mental health treatment and led to improvements in institutional conditions, it also ushered in an age of investigative journalism. Her illustrious career also included a headline-making journey around the world, running an oil manufacturing firm, and reporting on World War I from Europe.
Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 in Cochran’s Mill, Pennsylvania. Her father, Michael Cochran, owned a lucrative mill and served as associate justice of Armstrong County. When Bly was six, her father died suddenly and without a will. Unable to maintain the land or their house, Bly’s family left Cochran's Mill. Her mother remarried but divorced in 1878 due to abuse. At 15, Bly enrolled at the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It was there that she added an “e” to her last name, becoming Elizabeth Jane Cochrane. Due to the family’s financial struggles, she left the school after one term and soon moved with her mother to Pittsburgh, where her two older brothers had settled.
Bly looked for work to help support her family, but found fewer opportunities than her less-educated brothers. In response to an article in the Pittsburg Dispatch that criticized the presence of women in the workforce, Bly penned an open letter to the editor that called for more opportunities for women, especially those responsible for the financial wellbeing of their families. The newspaper’s editor, George Madden, saw potential in her piece and invited her to work for the Dispatch as a reporter. She used the pen name Nellie Bly, which she took from a well-known song at the time, “Nelly Bly.” Bly was a popular columnist, but she was limited to writing pieces that only addressed women and soon quit in dissatisfaction.
Wanting to write pieces that addressed both men and women, Bly began looking for a newspaper that would allow her to write on more serious topics. She moved to New York City in 1886, but found it extremely difficult to find work as a female reporter in the male-dominated field. In 1887, Bly stormed into the office of the New York World, one of the leading newspapers in the country. She wanted to write a story on the immigrant experience in the United States. The editor, Joseph Pulitzer, declined that story, but he challenged Bly to investigate one of New York’s most notorious mental asylums, Blackwell’s Island. Bly not only accepted the challenge, she decided to feign mental illness to gain admission and expose firsthand how patients were treated. With her courageous and bold act, she cemented her legacy as one of the most notable journalists in history.
Bly’s six-part series on her experience in the asylum was called Ten Days in the Madhouse and quickly made Bly one of the most famous journalists in the country. Her reporting on life in the asylum shocked the public and led to increased funding to improve conditions in the institution. Furthermore, her hands-on approach to reporting developed into a practice now called investigative journalism. Bly continued to produce regular exposés on New York’s ills, such as corruption in the state legislature, unscrupulous employment agencies for domestic workers, and the black market for buying infants. Her straightforward yet compassionate approach to these issues captivated audiences.
Bly’s successful career reached new heights in 1889 when she decided to travel around the world after reading the popular book by Jules Verne, Around the World in 80 Days. The New York World published daily updates on her journey and the entire country followed her story. Her trip only took 72 days, which set a world record. But Bly held the record for only a few months before it was broken by businessman George Francis Train who completed the journey in 67 days.
Bly continued to publish influential pieces of journalism, including interviews with prominent individuals like anarchist activist and writer Emma Goldman and socialist politician and labor organizer Eugene V. Debs. She also covered major stories like the march of Jacob Coxey’s Army on Washington, D.C. and the Pullman strike in Chicago, both of which were 1894 protests in favor of workers’ rights.
At the age of 30, Bly married millionaire Robert Seamen and retired from journalism. Bly’s husband died in 1903, leaving her in control of the massive Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and American Steel Barrel Company. In business, her curiosity and independent spirit flourished. Bly went on to patent several inventions related to oil manufacturing, many of which are still used today. She also prioritized the welfare of the employees, providing health care benefits and recreational facilities. Unfortunately, Bly did not manage the finances well and fell victim to fraud by employees that led the firm to declare bankruptcy.
In her later years, Bly returned to journalism, covering World War I from Europe and continuing to shed light on major issues that impacted women. While still working as a writer, Bly died from pneumonia on January 27, 1922. In a tribute after her death, the acclaimed newspaper editor Arthur Brisbane remembered Bly as “the best reporter in America.”
But about that “wreck” in 1901…
It was on February 21st, 1901 that a tragic train accident happened in New Jersey, according to the book This Day in New Jersey History. An express train that ran between New York and Atlantic City collided head on with a local passenger train in Bordentown which was traveling from Camden to Trenton.
Both trains caught fire with engines and cars tumbling into the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Seventeen people were killed and 21 were injured. Unfortunately, the Nellie Bly, which normally pulled two passenger cars, had added a third car for the first time that day because of heavy demand, according to John Blackwell of The Trentonian on CapitalCentury.com.
It was the passenger train that was at fault. While the two trains shared a track, the local was supposed to pull over to a siding to let the express pass. While he pulled over while the first two sections passed, he misread the order to pull over and didn’t realize there was a third section. That’s the one with which he collided. Several people were crushed while others burned to death. About half the dead and wounded were Italian laborers from New York who were on their way to a construction project in AC. The tragedy became known as “The Wreck of 1901,” or to locals, simply known as “The Wreck."
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