▁quite ▁high , ▁with ▁no ▁at - grade ▁cross ings , ▁ ▁% ▁maximum ▁grade , ▁stone ▁ball ast , ▁block ▁signals , ▁and ▁ ▁rail . ▁ ▁The ▁Nor rist own ▁Branch , ▁which ▁opened ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁while ▁only ▁ ▁long , ▁represented ▁a ▁significant ▁construction ▁challenge ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁standards ▁maintained ▁on ▁the ▁line ' s ▁design . ▁The ▁line ▁had ▁to ▁cross ▁ 1 2 ▁high ways , ▁the ▁main ▁line ▁of ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Rail road ▁at ▁Rad nor , ▁and ▁ended ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁track ▁steel ▁bridge ▁ ▁long ▁into ▁Nor rist own . ▁Some ▁ ▁of ▁earth , ▁ ▁of ▁stone , ▁ ▁of ▁m ason ry , ▁and ▁ ▁of ▁steel ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁its ▁construction . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁Western ▁Railway ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁with ▁a ▁capital ▁stock ▁of ▁$ 4 5 0 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁was ▁originally ▁planned ▁as ▁the ▁eastern ▁link ▁of ▁a ▁trans cont inental ▁rail road ▁connecting ▁to ▁the ▁Western ▁Maryland ▁Rail road ▁at ▁York . ▁ ▁The ▁WM ▁connected ▁at ▁Con nell sv ille ▁with ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁& ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁which ▁connected ▁at ▁Pitts burgh ▁with ▁the ▁W ab ash , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Pacific , ▁then ▁the ▁Den ver ▁& ▁Rio ▁Grande ▁Western , ▁then ▁finally ▁the ▁Western ▁Pacific ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁coast - to -