Mr. Cushwa grew up in Narberth in a railroad family; his parents worked in the accounting department of the Pennsylvania Railroad. After earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Villanova University, he was a track supervisor for the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. He then worked for the Budd Co., a manufacturer of trolleys and railcars in Philadelphia.

In 1965, he joined Louis T. Klauder & Associates in Philadelphia. The company, now in Ambler, is a major rail-transportation consulting firm. Mr. Cushwa's first project with Klauder was the Metroliner train, which began running between Washington and New York City in 1969.

He later wrote specifications and prepared contract drawings for the New Jersey Transit Authority's Comet commuter cars. The Comet's design proved so durable that almost 1,000 have been built for transit companies in New York, Boston, Montreal and elsewhere.

Mr. Cushwa was also involved in specifications for the Lindenwold Line in New Jersey, and in the early 1970s he led a team of engineers who planned a new commuter line for the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority.

His work took him to Australia, Japan, France and Belgium for extended periods, his daughter Martha Short said. After retiring in 1993, he continued to consult for Klauder on special assignments.

Mr. Cushwa graduated from St. Joseph's Preparatory School. He attended Villanova under the Navy V-2 program to train officers during World War II.

He had been married to Martha Castaldi Cushwa since 1950. They lived near the Cynwyd train station, and he always preferred train travel to driving, their daughter said. For a vacation several years ago, she said, her parents took commuter trains from their home to the airport, flew to France, and then traveled by rail in that country.

Mr. Cushwa enjoyed model railroading, woodworking, and sailing on the Chesapeake.

In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by sons David and Jim; another daughter, Molly Voss; and 13 grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass was said Tuesday at St. Matthias Church in Bala Cynwyd, where Mr. Cushwa served on the parish council. Burial was in St. Denis Cemetery, Havertown.

Memorial donations may be made to Pennsylvanians for Human Life, 590 Snyder Ave., West Chester, Pa. 19382.