The Kimberton Train Station
by Michael Pilligalli
The historic Kimberton Train Station. Now the offices of our Sponsor James Cochrane Inc.
Up to the early 1830s, there was discussion of bringing a railroad through the Kimberton area for local transportation. It was on April 3, 1869, that the Pickering Valley Railroad Company was incorporated and thus we had a railroad to supply the needs for the area. It was only a spur from a major line, but this spur line was proposed to run through the Pickering Valley from Phoenixville to Byers (Eagle) and would provide a route to move mail, milk and produce goods, livestock and passengers. The largest number of daily passengers would probably have been the students and teachers of the Pennsylvania State Soldiers’ Orphans School located at Yellow Springs. On September 20, 1871, the first excursion train, made up of 15 passenger cars, 4 freight cars, and several baggage cars, departed Phoenixville. However, after several stops picking up passengers and baggage, the weight became too much for the single engine, so another engine had to be brought in and hooked to the rear to complete the trip. Quite a large fleet of train for a short run of 11.3 miles from start to end of line.
The Pickering Valley Railroad, as it was called, somewhat followed the path of the Pickering Creek, with stops starting at Phoenixville, and to include Main Street, French Creek (Ironsides), Kimberton, Hallman’s, Pikeland, Chester Springs, Cambria (Anselma), Lionville, and ending in Byers. In those early times, some stations like Kimberton were attended by ticket agents, and the others were unattended “flag down stops” where someone raised a handy, available red flag if he or she needed the train to stop. Constructed at the Kimberton Station were side spots to drop off goods to local businesses. There was a coal business which received deliveries of 12–25 tons of coal at a time and a feed warehouse for local farm animals. Horses and cattle were shipped regularly to the Kimberton stop as animal auctions were held at the Kimberton Hotel. And, toward the end of its first year of operation, in December 1871, the first commercial shipment of iron ore was carried from Byers to Phoenixville which gave it another line of need satisfied.
After a successful run of years, a fatal train wreck occurred on October 4, 1877, about 1 mile east of Kimberton. Known in the annals as the “Pennypacker Tragedy,” it was considered Chester County’s worst railroad disaster of its time. Many of the passengers on the train were members of the Pennypacker family, returning from a family reunion by train. Then, toward the end of the year on October 4th, a horrific rainstorm caused the stone, gravel and dirt fill located under the tracks to wash away, leaving the ties and rails exposed in midair. Twas said, almost 2 inches of rain fell in one hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. A total of 4.92 inches of rain drenched the area that day. Around 7 p.m. that night, the engineer, failing to see the washout ahead, had no control as the engine plunged down a ravine, falling about 50 feet. There were 123 people on board the train and of those, 9 died and 85 passengers were injured. Following the tragedy, repairs were made, and the railroad continued to operate until after World War I. As the nation’s highway trucking system improved, however, it became more economical to move materials and finished goods by trucking rather than by rail. The railway usage dwindled but stayed in service on a limited basis for years.
In 1934, passenger service was finally discontinued, and in 1948, even the regular freight service was discontinued due to train transportation costs. Into the 1960’s, some freight started again on a lesser amount, to be moved. This time it brought to the area bulk items again like coal, and occasionally livestock, mostly pigs which were delivered to a local meat packing operation. In 1968, the purpose was expanded and hopefully revitalized when several local businessmen formed the Valley Forge Scenic Railway Company. The organization ran tourist-oriented excursions extending from Ironsides to Kimberton. The venture lasted only a few years as local tourism waned, and the remaining tracks were taken up and the line abandoned shortly thereafter.
The station and several other station buildings in the village of Kimberton were originally constructed in 1871 as frame structures. Some of the auxiliary support buildings included a milk-receiving station for the railway to transport dairy from neighboring farms. Part of the Milk Receiving station was used as an icehouse to cool the incoming milk before shipping to Phoenixville and further on other lines to Philadelphia. The Kimberton Station was one of several along the branch that burned in 1918. The brick station we see today was constructed in 1919, and over the years has undergone renovation and housed different businesses.