The Reading Terminal - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
N 39° 57.119 W 075° 09.558
18S E 486392 N 4422439
The Reading Terminal is a former train station and a Philadelphia institution. It began life in 1893 serving the passenger trains of the Reading Railroad and continued as a major stub-end train station until 1984.
Waymark Code: WM5PN3
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 01/30/2009
Views: 16
In 1984, a railroad tunnel was completed that joined the Reading Railroad commuter rail system with the Pennsylvania Railroad commuter rail system at Suburban Station. The Reading Terminal is famous for the enormous train shed it has that now serves as the Pennsylvania Convention Center; trains no longer stop at the Terminal. The Terminal also contains the oldest and perhaps the largest farmer’s market in the United States.
From the historical plaque in the front of the station – Reading Terminal & Market -
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad’s Terminal Station served passengers from 1893 - 1984. The train shed, masterpiece of Joseph H. Wilson, is an engineering feat reflecting the era when railroads vied for impressive terminals, both functional and beautiful. The market, located below the shed, descended from colonial-era outdoor markets and began operations in 1892.
On a personal note, my father took me to the Terminal in 1964 to ride the last run of the Reading Railroad’s Iron Horse Ramble trips; these were a series of train trips for rail fans featuring Northern Class 4-8-4 steam locomotives.
A great deal of information is available about the Terminal on the internet; see the following links:
Information about the Reading Terminal Market is here – (
visit link)
John Prock’s homage to the Reading Terminal - (
visit link)
Here is the Wikipedia entry for the Reading Terminal - (
visit link)
The Oliver Evans Chapter of the Society for Industrial Archeology has a page on the terminal here - (
visit link)
The Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record has a collection of period photos here - (
visit link)
The Pennsylvania Convention Center has a web site - (
visit link)