Our
Proud History
Fox Railroad Services was originally founded by Jacob R. Fox, who was a track supervisor for the venerable Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) from 1908 to 1919. Seeing the need for an independent track contractor to build and maintain track off the railroad’s right of way and on to private property, Mr. Fox left the PRR and founded Jacob
R. Fox Company in 1919. His early work was spent in the coal mines of Northeast Pennsylvania, constructing standard and narrow gauge tracks in the mines, which were then used to ship coal throughout the region to private industry, government facilities and private homes.
In the early 1950’s, 20-year old Thomas J. Higgins, a rodman in the
engineering department of Reading Railroad, started working weekends
for Mr. Fox doing field surveying and track design to supplement his
income. At the same time, Mr. Higgins was going to night school at Drexel
University for a degree in Civil Engineering. Both career and school
were interrupted when he was drafted in the Korean War. After serving
in Korea and Japan as a topographic surveyor, Mr. Higgins returned to
his civilian life, continuing his evening college classes at Drexel (eventually
earning a degree in Civil Engineering) and working for both the Reading
Railroad as well as the newly renamed Fox Contracting Company. He assumed
the position of chief engineer in 1960 and at the same time, took over
the day-to-day operations of the business.
The increase of import/export
activity along the Philadelphia waterfront in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s ushered
in a significant expansion era for the city’s international seaport,
presenting new opportunities for the growing company. Track was needed
to transport chemicals, sugar, alcohol, salt and general freight from
various Delaware River piers, for overseas or domestic deliveries. Fox
Contracting Company was a major player during this period in developing
the private industrial rail infrastructure along the Philadelphia waterfront.
Other significant projects for the company included the reconstruction of SEPTA tracks on the Norristown High Speed Line and the PATCO High Speed Line, reconstruction of the trolley rail in Chestnut Hill, and the embedded street tracks throughout the City of Philadelphia.
Tom Higgins officially assumed ownership of Fox Contracting in 1972.
Two of his eight children followed him into the railroad business, and
currently represent the second generation in this family-owned company.
Paul and Joe Higgins joined the company in 1975 and 1980, respectively.
Both literally learned the business from the ground up, starting in the
“track gang” during their high school and college years. After college,
both joined the company full-time — Paul in 1981 and Joe in 1985 — and
eventually moved into management and supervision. With Tom now serving
as CEO, Paul assumed the role of President in 2004 and Joe became General
Manager. Both have developed outstanding reputations of their own — from
clients, their industry peers as well as their crew — for their personal
attention to each project that Fox Contracting handles.
With over 100
years of solid and diverse experience in all aspects of the industry,
the Higgins family’s solid reputation is well earned. Whether handling
multi-million-dollar construction projects or minor track repairs, Fox
Railroad Services combines family pride and professional excellence to
deliver a quality job each and every time.
