All Aboard with the Correct Answer in the Historic Photo Challenge

You wouldn't know it from looking at the spot now, but a train station once stood on Vanderslice Street near the high bridge.

Many of you . Kevin R. Pound, Matt Fink, Greg Downing, David B. Meadows, Ed Villanova and Mark Chester all chimed in with the right location, and via e-mail A.M. Matonak had the correct answer, as well.

Meadows shared some recollections of the spot:

This building was last in use as the Penn Central freight station and did have a significant fire sometime around 1990. My father who was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad and later Penn Central worked out of this station in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time it was used as an office for local frieght management and by train crews. Prior to becoming a frieght station, it was in use as the Phoenixville passenger station of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

I believe this passenger service ended around 1950. My brother Gary and I were given a special treat and allowed to ride in an engine around 1960. We each took turns sitting on the engineers lap and were allowed to pull back on the throttle and blow the train horn.

On Saturdays, I would ride my bicycle from my home on Washington Avenue to the Trio Restaurant on Bridge Street to buy my father a cheese zep and then deliver it to him at this train station. It was always exciting to ride over the Gay Street bridge and then down the long winding driveway to the station. I was always allowed to hang out at the station for an hour or so.

I also have distant memories of climbing in the old switching tower located here and playing with the out of service switch levers. It was a sad night when I helped to fight the fire here having all of my old memories here.

Here's the official word from :

The Pennsylvania Railroad Station was located on Vanderslice Street west of the Gay Street bridge.

The Pennsylvania Railroad built this attractive depot on the side of Black Rock Hill in 1883 and landscaped the grounds with flowerbeds. The interior contained a central ticket office flanked by separate waiting rooms for men and women. During its heyday the depot served as the gateway for visitors and patients from all over the U. S. to the Valley Forge General Hospital.

When passenger service on the Schuylkill Valley was discontinued in the early 50s the station interior was remodeled for freight use. After a massive fire in 1985 the building was razed in 1986.