Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA

One expression of the Pennsylvania Railroad's interest in its employees' well being was its sponsorship of the Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA. Philadelphia's Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA building, located at 41^st St. & Westminster Ave., was dedicated in 1894. That same year the YMCA picked up sponsorship the "Pennsylvania Railroad" football eleven, which had existed in Philadelphia, in one form or another, since at least as early as 1886. Through the turn of the next century the PRR YMCA football team, sometimes referred to as the "Railroaders," regularly played against strong minor college teams and successful athletic clubs from throughout the region. This squad was composed of former college players employed by PRR and was typical of several such teams sponsored by the railroad. Another, composed entirely of players who worked PRR's Panhandle Division in Ohio, went on to become the Columbus Panhandles of the National Football League. Although the Philadelphia based eleven met with only limited success on the field, it received regular press coverage from the city's newspapers.

Through the 1902 season the Railroaders played home games on a field at 52^nd & Jefferson Sts. That field, however, was eventually closed to allow for the expansion of the 46^th Street Rail Yard. A new athletic facility, located at Belmont & Parkside Aves., was opened on May 2, 1903.

1886 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 9	?	Tioga AA	0	35	L
Sat, Oct 16	H	Oxford Club of Frankford (Phila.), PA	44	0	W
Sat, Nov 6	?	Riverton AC	10	0	W

1893 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Tue, Nov 7	?	Phila. & Reading Railroad	12	0	W
Sat, Nov 11	?	Phila. & Reading Railroad	0	10	L
Sat, Nov 18	?	Phila. & Reading Railroad	28	0	W
Thu, Nov 30	?	Kenderton Camping Club	4	0	W
Sat, Dec 2	?	Phila. & Reading Railroad	16	8	W

1894 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Nov 10	?	West Philadelphia YMCA	4	6	L
Sat, Nov 1 7	?	Credendas FBC	0	0	T
On April 13, 1894, the Pennsylvania Railroad football team amalgamated with the new Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA of Philadelphia.

1895 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 5	A	Phoenixville AA of Phoenixville, PA	0	12	L
Sat, Oct 12	H	Wizbet Wheelmen	1	0	W*
Sat, Oct 19	H	Credendas	22	0	W
Sat, Oct 26	A	Tremont AA	0	12	L
Sat, Nov 2	H	United AA	14	0	W
Sat, Nov 9	?	Phila. & Reading Railroad	12	0	W
Sat, Nov 16	A	Philadelphia YMCA	4	4	T
Sat, Nov 23	H	United AA	0	6	L
* Victory by forfeit

1896 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 24	H	Phila. & Reading Railroad	25	0	W
Sat, Oct 31	A	West Chester	0	8	L
Sat, Nov 14	A	Lancaster Cresents AA	0	0	T
Sat, Nov 21	H	United AA	0	1	L*
Sat, Nov 26	?	Mt. Holly AC of Mt. Holly, NJ	0	4	L
* Loss by forfeit

1897 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 2	A	Warren AC of Wilmington, DE	0	10	L
Sat, Oct 9	?	Conshohocken YMCA of Conshohocken, PA	0	0	T
Sat, Oct 16	H	Hammondton AA	12	0	W
Sat, Oct 23	A	Quaker City Wheelmen	28	0	W
Sat, Oct 30	A	Phoenixville AC at Phoenixville, PA	0	4	L
Sat, Nov 6	H	Kennilwoth Wheelmen	4	4	T
Sat, Nov 13	?	Phila. & Reading Railroad	14	0	W
Sat, Nov 20	?	Columbia FC of Philadelphia, PA	?	?	?
Thu, Nov 25	A	Columbia FC of Philadelphia, PA	0	6	L

1898 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 1	H	Franklin & Marshall College	0	5	L
Sat, Oct 8	H	University of Penna. Scrub	0	5	L
Sat, Oct 15	H	Trinity AA of Philadelphia, PA	5	5	T
Sat, Oct 22	H	Ursinus College	1	0	W*
Sat, Oct 29	H	Phila. & Reading Railroad	6	0	W
Sat, Nov 5	H	Riverton AA of Riverton, NJ	No game
Sat, Nov 5	?	Turner AC	54	0	W
Tue, Nov 9	A	Univ. of Pennsylvania	0	5	L
Sat, Nov 12	A	Trinity AA at Philadelphia, PA	23	6	W
Tue, Nov 16	H	Riverton AA	6	0	W
Thu, Nov 24	H	Ormiston AA** of Philadelphia, PA	?	?	?
* Winner by forfeit ** PRR YMCA Reserves

1899 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Sep 30	A	Franklin & Marshall at Lancaster, PA	11	0	W
Sat, Oct 7	H	University of Penna. Scrub	16	17	L
Sat, Oct 14*	H	Susquehanna University	?	?	?
Sat, Oct 21	H	Villanova College	6	11	L
Sat, Oct 28	H	Princeton Scrub	11	12	L
Sat, Nov 4*	A	Ursinus College at Norristown, PA	?	?	?
Sat, Nov 11*	H	Bucknell University	?	?	?
Thu, Nov 30	A	Phoenix AA at Phoenixville, PA	12	5	W
* While the outcome of these games is unlisted each has been confirmed as scheduled thru newspaper announcements in the Philadelphia daily newspapers in the days prior to the contests.

The following appeared in the October 19, 1899, edition of Philadelphia's Evening Bulletin:

"The fourth game of the college series arranged by the P. R. R. Y. M. C. A. will be played next Saturday at 52d & Jefferson sts. when Villanova College will be the opponents of the railroaders. The schedule arranged by the P. R. R. Y. M. C. A. includes such strong teams as Princeton University Scrub, Bucknell University, Ursinus College, besides which games with Baltimore Medical College and Orange Athletic Club are pending."

While games against Baltimore Medical College and the Orange Athletic Club have not been confirmed by other sources, they may have been scheduled for the two Saturdays falling between the November 11 game against Bucknell University and the Thanksgiving Day game against the Phoenix AA

1900 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Tue, Oct 2*	A	Orange AC at Orange, NJ	0	10	L
Sat, Oct 27	H	Princeton Scrub	16	0	L
Sat, Nov 3	H	Susquehanna University	?	?	?
Sat, Nov 10	H	Manhattan College	?	?	?
?	A	Lebanon Valley College	16	0	W
* Played as the "Philadelphia All-Collegiates"

1901 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 8	H	Jefferson Medics Jefferson Medical College	?	?	?
Sat, Oct 12	A	Orange AC at Orange, NJ	0	5	L
Sat, Oct 16¹	H	Jefferson Medics Jefferson Medical College	?	?	?
Sat, Oct 19	?	Phila. Dental School	6	0	W
Sat, Oct 26	H	Princeton Scrub	10	12	L
Sat, Nov 2	H	Univ. of Penna. Freshmen	23	0	W
Sat, Nov 6	A	Princeton University	10	12	L
Sat, Nov 16²	A	Orange AC at Orange, NJ	6	0	W
Thu, Nov 28	A	Frankford AA at Wistar Park, Phila., PA	18	0	W
¹ Scrimmage ² The PRR squad played as the "Philadelphia All-Collegiates" with a line-up almost identical to that of the previous week's game against the University of Pennsylvania Freshmen.


1902 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 11	A	Pittsburgh Stars at Pittsburgh, PA	0	30	L
Sat, Oct 25	A	Steelton YMCA at Harrisburg, PA	0	16	L
Sat, Nov 1	A	Philadelphia Athletics Columbia Ball Park, Phila., PA	0	40	L
Sat, Nov 15	A	Steelton YMCA at Harrisburg, PA	0	28	L

Dr. Benjamin Roller, a former University of Pennsylvania standout and established pro player who stared on Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics football club, both coached and played for the 1903 Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA eleven.

1903 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete*
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Oct 10	H	University of Penna. Scrub	Cancelled*
Sat, Oct 17	H	Jefferson Medical College	11	0	W
Sat, Oct 24	H	Princeton Scrub	0	10	L
Sat, Nov 7	A	Steelton YMCA at Harrisburg, PA	0	16	L
Sat, Nov 14	A	Frankford AA at Wistar Park, Phila., PA	0	0	T
Sat, Nov 21	A	Steelton YMCA at Harrisburg, PA	28	0	L
* The University of Pennsylvania Scrub game may have been rescheduled later in the season; another game, against Columbia University Scrub, may also have been scheduled..


1905 Season Schedule This schedule may be incomplete
Date	Loc	Opponent	Score		W-L-T
Sat, Sep 23	A	Carlisle Indian School at Carlisle, PA	0	71	L
Mon, Oct 2	A	Swarthmore College at Swarthmore, PA	0	19	L

Links to Additional Information

Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society PRR Chronologies
An excellent series of concise chronological histories of the Pennsylvania Railroad by Christopher Baer. The 1877, 1890-1894, 1900-1904 and 1905-1909 chronologies include information on the establishment and growth of the Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA of Philadelphia. .PDF file format -- Adobe Acrobat required.

Pennsylvania Railroad YMCA at Philadelphia All-Time Football Records
Paul Luchter's listing of PRR YMCA games and scores.