Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway
Encyclopedia
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
company organized in 1891 through the consolidation of the companies that formed the Lehigh Valley's route from South Plainfield
South Plainfield, New Jersey
South Plainfield is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 23,385....
through Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
to Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
via its bridge
Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge
The Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge is a vertical lift bridge spanning the Newark Bay in northeastern New Jersey. It is used by CSX Transportation travelling through the North Jersey Shared Assets Area of the United States rail network along the National Docks Secondary line. The bridge is just north...
across Newark Bay
Newark Bay
Newark Bay is a tidal bay at the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in northeastern New Jersey. It is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the largest container shipping facility in Port of New York and New Jersey, 3rd largest and one of busiest in the United States...
. Until 1895, when the Greenville and Hudson Railway was constructed, the Lehigh Valley depended on the National Docks Railway to reach the Hudson River terminal.
In 1903, all the Lehigh Valley's lines in New Jersey were consolidated under the name of Lehigh Valley Railroad Company of New Jersey.
Timeline of the Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway
- 1871 - The Lehigh Valley leases the Morris CanalMorris CanalThe Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
, which includes the canal basin at South Cove in Jersey City. - 1872 - The Lehigh Valley acquires land on the south side of the Morris Canal basin, intending it for a proposed railroad, the New Jersey West LineNew Jersey West Line RailroadThe New Jersey West Line Railroad was a proposed railroad running east and west across northern New Jersey, of which the only part constructed was what is now the Gladstone Branch of New Jersey Transit between Summit and Bernardsville...
, which was never built. - 1875 - The Easton and Amboy RailroadEaston and Amboy RailroadEaston and Amboy Railroad was a railroad built across central New Jersey by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in the 1870s. The line was built to connect the Lehigh Valley Railroad coal hauling operations in Pennsylvania to consumer markets in New York City....
opens for traffic. Passenger traffic is routed onto the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
at MetuchenMetuchen, New JerseyMetuchen is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, which is 8 miles northeast of New Brunswick, 18 miles southwest of Newark, 24 miles southwest of Jersey City, and 29 miles southwest of Manhattan, all part of the New York metropolitan area...
. - 1887 - The Roselle and South Plainfield RailwayRoselle and South Plainfield RailwayThe Roselle and South Plainfield Railway was a railroad built by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1888 to connect the LVRR's Easton and Amboy Railroad with the Central Railroad of New Jersey , and provided access over the CNJ to the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City...
opens on Dec 17. Freight traffic connects to the Central Railroad of New JerseyCentral Railroad of New JerseyThe Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
at RoselleRoselle, New JerseyRoselle is a Borough located in Union County in the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 21,085....
. - 1887 - The Lehigh Valley settles a long legal battle with the Central Railroad of New JerseyCentral Railroad of New JerseyThe Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
, opening the way to build a Jersey City terminal on the land originally purchased in 1872 for the New Jersey West Line. - 1889 - The Jersey City terminal opens as the Jersey City Terminal Railway.
- 1890 - The Edgewater Railway is formed to construct lines on the north side of the Morris Canal basin.
- 1890 - The Newark and Passaic RailwayNewark and Passaic RailwayThe Newark and Passaic Railway was incorporated on Nov 22, 1889 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad . It was chartered as a short line in Newark, New Jersey from the Passaic River to a connection with the LVRR's Newark and Roselle Railway near Pennsylvania Avenue in Newark...
builds a freight yard and coal depot at Hamburg Place, NewarkNewark, New JerseyNewark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. - 1890 - The LVRR purchases a half interest in the National Docks Railway.
- 1891 - The Newark and Roselle RailwayNewark and Roselle RailwayThe Newark and Roselle Railway was incorporated on Aug 28, 1889 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad to advance tracks from the terminus of the Roselle and South Plainfield Railway at Roselle, New Jersey to Pennsylvania Avenue in Newark...
and the Newark RailwayNewark RailwayThe Newark Railway was incorporated on December 10, 1890 and was a short, 1-mile connection between the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Newark and Roselle Railway and the Pennsylvania Railroad...
open to connect with the PRR in Newark. On February 16, passenger traffic through Metuchen is discontinued in favor of the LVRR's own line at South Plainfield. - 1891 - The companies are consolidated as the Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway Company. The route to Jersey City is still incomplete due to legal and engineering difficulties with the Jersey City, Newark and Western RailwayJersey City, Newark and Western RailwayThe Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway was incorporated on July 6, 1889 and acquired by the Lehigh Valley Railroad . Construction was completed in 1893...
bridge across Newark BayNewark BayNewark Bay is a tidal bay at the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in northeastern New Jersey. It is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the largest container shipping facility in Port of New York and New Jersey, 3rd largest and one of busiest in the United States...
. The consolidated companies are:
-
- Roselle and South Plainfield RailwayRoselle and South Plainfield RailwayThe Roselle and South Plainfield Railway was a railroad built by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1888 to connect the LVRR's Easton and Amboy Railroad with the Central Railroad of New Jersey , and provided access over the CNJ to the Hudson River waterfront in Jersey City...
- Newark and Roselle RailwayNewark and Roselle RailwayThe Newark and Roselle Railway was incorporated on Aug 28, 1889 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad to advance tracks from the terminus of the Roselle and South Plainfield Railway at Roselle, New Jersey to Pennsylvania Avenue in Newark...
- Newark and Passaic RailwayNewark and Passaic RailwayThe Newark and Passaic Railway was incorporated on Nov 22, 1889 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad . It was chartered as a short line in Newark, New Jersey from the Passaic River to a connection with the LVRR's Newark and Roselle Railway near Pennsylvania Avenue in Newark...
- Newark RailwayNewark RailwayThe Newark Railway was incorporated on December 10, 1890 and was a short, 1-mile connection between the Lehigh Valley Railroad's Newark and Roselle Railway and the Pennsylvania Railroad...
- Jersey City, Newark and Western RailwayJersey City, Newark and Western RailwayThe Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway was incorporated on July 6, 1889 and acquired by the Lehigh Valley Railroad . Construction was completed in 1893...
- Jersey City Terminal Railway
- Edgewater Railway
- 1892 - The route opens for traffic across Newark Bay to a connection with the National Docks Railway in Jersey City. (see:Lehigh Valley Railroad BridgeLehigh Valley Railroad BridgeThe Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge is a vertical lift bridge spanning the Newark Bay in northeastern New Jersey. It is used by CSX Transportation travelling through the North Jersey Shared Assets Area of the United States rail network along the National Docks Secondary line. The bridge is just north...
- 1895 - The Lehigh Valley creates the Greenville and Hudson Railway to construct a line roughly parallel to the National Docks Railway from the Newark Bay bridge to the Jersey City terminal. Upon completion in 1900, the LVRR has a wholly owned route from the coalfields of Pennsylvania to the Hudson River.
- 1900 - The Lehigh Valley acquires complete control of the National Docks Railway.
- 1901 - The Lehigh Valley acquires the facilities of the National Docks Storage Company on Black Tom Island.
- 1903 - The Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway is consolidated into the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company of New Jersey.
- 1892 - The route opens for traffic across Newark Bay to a connection with the National Docks Railway in Jersey City. (see:Lehigh Valley Railroad Bridge
- Roselle and South Plainfield Railway