[1951 HOME MOVIE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD FERRIES ON DELAWARE RIVER]

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1951

Description:

Shot by an unknown cameraman, this silent home movie footage (circa 1951) shows Pennsylvania Railroad ferries operating on the Delaware River, with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (formerly the Delaware River Bridge) in the background. The Pennsylvania had substantial operations on both sides of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. This footage was shot from the Philly side of the river, and the large buildings visible in some shots are the RCA Corporation and Campbells Soup plant. The New Jersey terminal was known as the Pennsylvania Railroad Federal Street Ferry Terminal aka Camden Ferry House; it closed in 1952 when ferry service was terminated and was replaced with the NJ State Aquarium. The Philadelphia side building was the Philadelphia Ferry Terminal - Market Street Wharf. At :28 the ferry Haddonfield is shown, followed at 1:45 by the Millville. At 4:31, the tugboat Mercury is shown. The tug is similar to the Jupiter, which remains in Philadelphia to this day, as part of the Penn's Landing exhibits. At 5:37 a B&O Railroad ferry, probably based in Wilmington, moves past carrying rail cars. Another tug the Coontz is seen at 6:10.

Complete Record: Shot by an unknown cameraman, this silent home movie footage (circa 1951) shows Pennsylvania Railroad ferries operating on the Delaware River, with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge (formerly the Delaware River Bridge) in the background. The Pennsylvania had substantial operations on both sides of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. This footage was shot from the Philly side of the river, and the large buildings visible in some shots are the RCA Corporation and Campbells Soup plant. The New Jersey terminal was known as the Pennsylvania Railroad Federal Street Ferry Terminal aka Camden Ferry House; it closed in 1952 when ferry service was terminated and was replaced with the NJ State Aquarium. The Philadelphia side building was the Philadelphia Ferry Terminal - Market Street Wharf. At :28 the ferry Haddonfield is shown, followed at 1:45 by the Millville. At 4:31, the tugboat Mercury is shown. The tug is similar to the Jupiter, which remains in Philadelphia to this day, as part of the Penn's Landing exhibits. At 5:37 a B&O Railroad ferry, probably based in Wilmington, moves past carrying rail cars. Another tug the Coontz is seen at 6:10.