Main Line by Rail: Its History and Transformation

Main Line by Rail: Its History and Transformation written by George McKean Harding, describes the origins of the rail line known as the Main Line. The Pennsylvania Railroad, frustrated by the roundabout and inefficient route of the Whitehall Line, decided to straighten the tracks. So they bought 400-odd acres of land in 1857 (270 in Whitehall and Humphreysville—now Bryn Mawr), laid the tracks in a straight shot between Ardmore and Rosemont, and then set to work making good use of the remaining land it had.