New Jersey West Line Railroad
Encyclopedia
The 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
. Some other remains of it can be found in Summit, Millburn
, and Union Township
.
in March 1865, for the Passaic Valley and Peapack Railroad which was to run from "some point in the county of Union or the county of Essex" via Springfield Township (Union)
, New Providence
, and Basking Ridge
to Peapack. That is, it would run between the Morris and Essex Railroad
(M&E) to the north and the Central Railroad of New Jersey
to the south.
The charter was amended in 1867 to continue the road west to the Delaware River
at any point between Milford
and Frenchtown
. In 1868, a further amendment allowed the company to vary the route up to three miles from the points stated. In 1869, the railroad was authorized to build a bridge to Pennsylvania
near Milford. This was not obviously useful since there was no railroad on the Pennsylvania side near Milford. It looked as if the Passaic Valley and Peapack was being manipulated as part of some larger plan. But money for the road had been raised by the usual procedure of selling bonds to investors in the towns along the line, so ostensibly it was under local control.
The company's name was changed in February 1870 to the New Jersey West Line Railroad. By this date, the route of the first segment had been determined. From Bernardsville
to Summit
it followed the present-day Gladstone Branch. It then crossed to the north of the Morris and Essex Railroad to pass through the northwestern part of Summit, and crossed the M&E again east of Millburn
. From there it would run through Union
and enter Newark
from the south.
Construction began in 1870. The bondholders began arguing with management in June 1870, slowing progress. In the later part of 1871 the bondholders welcomed in Asa Packer
and others involved with the Lehigh Valley Railroad
, a Pennsylvania coal carrier that wanted to secure its own route from Easton, Pennsylvania
to tidewater. As part of the plan Packer began buying shorefront land in Perth Amboy
for a coal port that he said would be reached by a branch line.
A test train was operated between Summit and Bernardsville in December 1871 and newspapers reported that a switch would be laid to allow NJWL trains to run to the M&E station in Summit. Passenger service on this segment, now part of the Gladstone Branch, began on January 29, 1872, and freight service began the next month.
In February 1872 the company under Asa Packer's control obtained authorization to continue east into Hudson County
to the Hudson River
, and to build a branch west to Phillipsburg
(opposite Easton). However later the same year the Lehigh Valley Railroad
obtained a charter for the Easton and Amboy Railroad
which was immediately put under construction, opening in 1875. Its route south of the Central of New Jersey was clearly superior with easier grades and curves. In June 1872, the contentious bondholders of the NJWL voted Packer out.
The future of the NJWL now appeared to be that of a rural branch line dependent on the Morris and Essex connection at Summit as its only connection to the national rail network. However the partially built line to Newark was not yet abandoned. Advertising for a residential development called Wyoming, between Millburn and Maplewood
in September 1872 mentioned not only the Morris and Essex station but also a station on the New Jersey West Line, "now rapidly completing". Whether this was wishful thinking is uncertain, but the Panic
in September 1873 must have killed any last hopes.
Although only the section between Bernardsville and Summit was opened by the NJWL, right-of-way
was acquired from Summit to Newark and construction was started. To varying degrees this portion was graded, bridge abutments were built, wooden trestles were installed, and portions of track may have been laid. Work stopped by 1873, but the property was not sold off until 1901. Later development has obscured much of the right of way.
In Summit the crossing of the Morris and Essex was at a point south of Kent Place Boulevard and west of High Street. At this time the Morris and Essex ran north of its present alignment so the crossing is on the north side of the present railway just east of the point where the Gladstone Branch diverges. Crossing Kent Place Boulevard, the NJWL alignment ran through what is now school grounds (the current location of Summit High School), across Morris Avenue, and behind the houses on the south side of Bedford Road. East of Woodland Avenue, Llewellyn Road follows the right of way, and east of Bellevue Avenue, a 1929 map shows another small street called Lyric Lane also on the right of way. The line took a turn southeast just before reaching the Morris and Essex Turnpike and entered Millburn just north of Hobart Gap Road. To some extent all of this route in Summit follows property lines.
In Millburn, the NJWL routing through Short Hills
is totally obscured. Short Hills was developed starting in 1874, right after the New Jersey West Line failed, so its street plan bears almost no relation to the path of the railroad. The NJWL would have crossed about the junction of Hobart Gap Road and White Oak Ridge Road, and then would have gone north to run along the south side of Western Drive, which was possibly named for the NJWL with a possible station location around Taylor Place or Highland Avenue. Early maps naturally show the NJWL property, but the chances of it being built diminished quickly as the 1870s went on.
Some remains can be found east of Glen Avenue. First the curving southern end of Woodcrest Avenue follows the NJWL alignment, and this curve continues to a dry-stone wall that can be seen on the west side of Brookside Drive (park in the dirt space on the east side of the road to view it). From here a timber trestle was constructed across the valley that was known as the Ghost Bridge (shown here http://www.getnj.com/millburn1857/23crev.shtml at getnj.com) since no track was ever laid on it. East of the river, the graded right of way can still be seen inside the South Mountain Reservation
. It starts as an embankment and continues into a wide cut, passing the site of an old quarry
, continuing past the present-day parking lot opposite Lackawanna Place, and continuing straight to Glen Avenue, and onward as a property line to the Morris and Essex tracks. The portion from the quarry to the M&E had track laid for some decades into the early 20th century as a freight siding serving the quarry, so it is well preserved.
The remaining portion in Millburn south of the M&E is totally obscured by later construction, but across the border in Union are two interesting remains. First a street named West Line Avenue runs from the river to Valley Street, and then on the other side of Valley Street a pair of streets called East Side Avenue and West Side Avenue flank the right of way for the short distance down to Springfield Avenue. The neighborhood around these latter two streets is formed entirely of narrow streets and small lots. Its relation to the NJWL is not known.
East of Springfield Avenue the right of way is impossible to discern today. It ran southeast following generally Vauxhall Road and crossed the river into Hillside
near Brookside Avenue, Union, where there were traces of a bridge abutment. It then turned northeast, crossing modern U.S. Route 22
near Liberty Avenue and entering Newark just west of Elizabeth Avenue. The proposed route in Newark is obscure.
, its only connection, for $51,580. The new company was called the Passaic and Delaware Railroad. For many years the Gladstone Branch was known to railroad employees as the "P and D", but it was operated by the DL&W from 1878 onward as a branch of the Morris and Essex. The DL&W formally leased the line on November 1, 1882.
The DL&W obtained a charter in 1890 for the Passaic and Delaware Extension Railroad, intended to continue the branch to Gladstone
. The extension was built in only six months, opening in October. The extension includes a very short tunnel west of Far Hills. Despite the grand company title, the DL&W never tried to extend the line farther west to the Delaware River
.
(This was the second railroad to reach Peapack and Gladstone, the Rockaway Valley Railroad
having opened in April the same year built its line north from White House
on the CNJ. It is indicative of the railroad fever of the 1890s that such a small village would be the object of two railroads, and that a wealthy carrier like the DL&W would react so quickly to the plans of a small and financially shaky "competitor". The RV was abandoned in 1913.)
The Gladstone Branch
was converted to electric passenger operation in January 1931, but freights continued to run on steam until dieselization in March, 1953. Passenger trains ran to the terminal at Hoboken
. The usual off-peak service for about six decades in the mid-20th Century consisted of a pair of Gladstone cars that were cut in and out of mainline Morris and Essex trains at Summit. The line was amazingly rural in nature, consisting of a single main track with passing sidings and hand-thrown switches
worked by train crews. After New Jersey Transit
took over operations in 1983 some of the sidings were removed, severely limiting reverse-peak services, and the practice of cutting cars in and out of trains ended, requiring passengers to change trains, usually at Summit. Beginning in June 1996 some peak trains were operated directly to and from Penn Station
, as part of the Midtown Direct service. Any expansion of current service levels is problematical due to lack of storage space at Gladstone.
Maps and atlases in the public libraries of Summit and Millburn.
New York Times, June 20, 1870; November 29, 1871; June 6, 1872; September 30, 1872.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, of which the only part constructed was what is now the Gladstone Branch
Gladstone Branch
The Gladstone Branch is a branch of New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines. The Gladstone Branch primarily serves commuter trains; freight service is no longer operated...
of New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
between Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
and Bernardsville
Bernardsville, New Jersey
Bernardsville is a borough and affluent suburb in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Bernardsville has the 10th-highest per capita income in the state. Nationwide, Bernardsville ranks 75th among the 100 highest-income places in the United States...
. Some other remains of it can be found in Summit, Millburn
Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,149.Millburn Township was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township.Millburn also...
, and Union Township
Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
Union is a Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. In the 18th century, the area that is now Union was then called Connecticut Farms...
.
The Proposed Railroad
The earliest charter was granted by the New Jersey LegislatureNew Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
in March 1865, for the Passaic Valley and Peapack Railroad which was to run from "some point in the county of Union or the county of Essex" via Springfield Township (Union)
Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey
Township of Springfield is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population increased to a record high of 15,817....
, New Providence
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
, and Basking Ridge
Basking Ridge, New Jersey
- Demographics :As Basking Ridge is not an independent municipality, the following demographic data is based on the United States Census Bureau figures for the ZIP Code Tabulation Area for the 07920 ZIP Code...
to Peapack. That is, it would run between the Morris and Essex Railroad
Morris and Essex Railroad
The Morris and Essex Railroad was a railroad across northern New Jersey, later part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.-History:...
(M&E) to the north and the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The 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...
to the south.
The charter was amended in 1867 to continue the road west to the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
at any point between Milford
Milford, New Jersey
Milford is a Borough located in western Hunterdon County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,233....
and Frenchtown
Frenchtown, New Jersey
Frenchtown is a Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,373....
. In 1868, a further amendment allowed the company to vary the route up to three miles from the points stated. In 1869, the railroad was authorized to build a bridge to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
near Milford. This was not obviously useful since there was no railroad on the Pennsylvania side near Milford. It looked as if the Passaic Valley and Peapack was being manipulated as part of some larger plan. But money for the road had been raised by the usual procedure of selling bonds to investors in the towns along the line, so ostensibly it was under local control.
The company's name was changed in February 1870 to the New Jersey West Line Railroad. By this date, the route of the first segment had been determined. From Bernardsville
Bernardsville, New Jersey
Bernardsville is a borough and affluent suburb in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. Bernardsville has the 10th-highest per capita income in the state. Nationwide, Bernardsville ranks 75th among the 100 highest-income places in the United States...
to Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
it followed the present-day Gladstone Branch. It then crossed to the north of the Morris and Essex Railroad to pass through the northwestern part of Summit, and crossed the M&E again east of Millburn
Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,149.Millburn Township was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township.Millburn also...
. From there it would run through Union
Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
Union is a Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. In the 18th century, the area that is now Union was then called Connecticut Farms...
and enter 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...
from the south.
Construction began in 1870. The bondholders began arguing with management in June 1870, slowing progress. In the later part of 1871 the bondholders welcomed in Asa Packer
Asa Packer
Asa Packer was an American businessman who pioneered railroad construction, was active in Pennsylvania politics, and founded Lehigh University.-Early life:...
and others involved with the Lehigh Valley Railroad
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...
, a Pennsylvania coal carrier that wanted to secure its own route from Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
to tidewater. As part of the plan Packer began buying shorefront land in Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
for a coal port that he said would be reached by a branch line.
A test train was operated between Summit and Bernardsville in December 1871 and newspapers reported that a switch would be laid to allow NJWL trains to run to the M&E station in Summit. Passenger service on this segment, now part of the Gladstone Branch, began on January 29, 1872, and freight service began the next month.
In February 1872 the company under Asa Packer's control obtained authorization to continue east into Hudson County
Hudson County, New Jersey
Hudson County is the smallest county in New Jersey and one of the most densely populated in United States. It takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part of its eastern border. Part of the New York metropolitan area, its county seat and largest city is Jersey City.- Municipalities...
to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, and to build a branch west to Phillipsburg
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950....
(opposite Easton). However later the same year the Lehigh Valley Railroad
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...
obtained a charter for the Easton and Amboy Railroad
Easton and Amboy Railroad
Easton 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....
which was immediately put under construction, opening in 1875. Its route south of the Central of New Jersey was clearly superior with easier grades and curves. In June 1872, the contentious bondholders of the NJWL voted Packer out.
The future of the NJWL now appeared to be that of a rural branch line dependent on the Morris and Essex connection at Summit as its only connection to the national rail network. However the partially built line to Newark was not yet abandoned. Advertising for a residential development called Wyoming, between Millburn and Maplewood
Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...
in September 1872 mentioned not only the Morris and Essex station but also a station on the New Jersey West Line, "now rapidly completing". Whether this was wishful thinking is uncertain, but the Panic
Panic of 1873
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe international economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879, and even longer in some countries. The depression was known as the Great Depression until the 1930s, but is now known as the Long Depression...
in September 1873 must have killed any last hopes.
Unfinished section in Summit, Millburn, and Union
Right-of-way (railroad)
A right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted, through an easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
was acquired from Summit to Newark and construction was started. To varying degrees this portion was graded, bridge abutments were built, wooden trestles were installed, and portions of track may have been laid. Work stopped by 1873, but the property was not sold off until 1901. Later development has obscured much of the right of way.
In Summit the crossing of the Morris and Essex was at a point south of Kent Place Boulevard and west of High Street. At this time the Morris and Essex ran north of its present alignment so the crossing is on the north side of the present railway just east of the point where the Gladstone Branch diverges. Crossing Kent Place Boulevard, the NJWL alignment ran through what is now school grounds (the current location of Summit High School), across Morris Avenue, and behind the houses on the south side of Bedford Road. East of Woodland Avenue, Llewellyn Road follows the right of way, and east of Bellevue Avenue, a 1929 map shows another small street called Lyric Lane also on the right of way. The line took a turn southeast just before reaching the Morris and Essex Turnpike and entered Millburn just north of Hobart Gap Road. To some extent all of this route in Summit follows property lines.
In Millburn, the NJWL routing through Short Hills
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
is totally obscured. Short Hills was developed starting in 1874, right after the New Jersey West Line failed, so its street plan bears almost no relation to the path of the railroad. The NJWL would have crossed about the junction of Hobart Gap Road and White Oak Ridge Road, and then would have gone north to run along the south side of Western Drive, which was possibly named for the NJWL with a possible station location around Taylor Place or Highland Avenue. Early maps naturally show the NJWL property, but the chances of it being built diminished quickly as the 1870s went on.
Some remains can be found east of Glen Avenue. First the curving southern end of Woodcrest Avenue follows the NJWL alignment, and this curve continues to a dry-stone wall that can be seen on the west side of Brookside Drive (park in the dirt space on the east side of the road to view it). From here a timber trestle was constructed across the valley that was known as the Ghost Bridge (shown here http://www.getnj.com/millburn1857/23crev.shtml at getnj.com) since no track was ever laid on it. East of the river, the graded right of way can still be seen inside the South Mountain Reservation
South Mountain Reservation
South Mountain Reservation covers 2,047.14 acres in central Essex County, New Jersey, in portions of Maplewood, and Millburn and West Orange, bordering South Orange, between the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains....
. It starts as an embankment and continues into a wide cut, passing the site of an old quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
, continuing past the present-day parking lot opposite Lackawanna Place, and continuing straight to Glen Avenue, and onward as a property line to the Morris and Essex tracks. The portion from the quarry to the M&E had track laid for some decades into the early 20th century as a freight siding serving the quarry, so it is well preserved.
The remaining portion in Millburn south of the M&E is totally obscured by later construction, but across the border in Union are two interesting remains. First a street named West Line Avenue runs from the river to Valley Street, and then on the other side of Valley Street a pair of streets called East Side Avenue and West Side Avenue flank the right of way for the short distance down to Springfield Avenue. The neighborhood around these latter two streets is formed entirely of narrow streets and small lots. Its relation to the NJWL is not known.
East of Springfield Avenue the right of way is impossible to discern today. It ran southeast following generally Vauxhall Road and crossed the river into Hillside
Hillside, New Jersey
Hillside is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 21,404.Hillside was incorporated as a township on April 3, 1913, from portions of Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 29, 1913.The town...
near Brookside Avenue, Union, where there were traces of a bridge abutment. It then turned northeast, crossing modern U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22
U.S. Route 22 is a west–east route and is one of the original United States highways of 1926, running from Cincinnati, Ohio, at US 27, US 42, US 127, and US 52 to Newark, New Jersey, at U.S. Route 1/9 near the Newark Liberty International Airport.US 22 also carries the names of the William...
near Liberty Avenue and entering Newark just west of Elizabeth Avenue. The proposed route in Newark is obscure.
Completed Section: Gladstone Branch
The operating segment of the New Jersey West Line did not have enough income to pay its costs, as it served small farms and an undeveloped region, and the company fell into receivership in 1878. The property was foreclosed on and sold on August 3, 1878 an official of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
, its only connection, for $51,580. The new company was called the Passaic and Delaware Railroad. For many years the Gladstone Branch was known to railroad employees as the "P and D", but it was operated by the DL&W from 1878 onward as a branch of the Morris and Essex. The DL&W formally leased the line on November 1, 1882.
The DL&W obtained a charter in 1890 for the Passaic and Delaware Extension Railroad, intended to continue the branch to Gladstone
Gladstone, New Jersey
Gladstone is an unincorporated area within Peapack-Gladstone in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07934....
. The extension was built in only six months, opening in October. The extension includes a very short tunnel west of Far Hills. Despite the grand company title, the DL&W never tried to extend the line farther west to the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
.
(This was the second railroad to reach Peapack and Gladstone, the Rockaway Valley Railroad
Rockaway Valley Railroad
The Rockaway Valley Railroad, affectionately known as the Rock-A-Bye Baby, was an American short line. Built from a connection with the Central Railroad of New Jersey mainline in White House Station, New Jersey the railroad traveled north to Watnong, New Jersey , a total distance of approximately...
having opened in April the same year built its line north from White House
White House Station, New Jersey
Whitehouse Station is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Readington Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. At the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 2,089. Whitehouse Station takes its name from Whitehouse and Abraham Van Horn's 18th Century Tavern...
on the CNJ. It is indicative of the railroad fever of the 1890s that such a small village would be the object of two railroads, and that a wealthy carrier like the DL&W would react so quickly to the plans of a small and financially shaky "competitor". The RV was abandoned in 1913.)
The Gladstone Branch
Gladstone Branch
The Gladstone Branch is a branch of New Jersey Transit's Morris and Essex Lines. The Gladstone Branch primarily serves commuter trains; freight service is no longer operated...
was converted to electric passenger operation in January 1931, but freights continued to run on steam until dieselization in March, 1953. Passenger trains ran to the terminal at Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
. The usual off-peak service for about six decades in the mid-20th Century consisted of a pair of Gladstone cars that were cut in and out of mainline Morris and Essex trains at Summit. The line was amazingly rural in nature, consisting of a single main track with passing sidings and hand-thrown switches
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
worked by train crews. After New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
took over operations in 1983 some of the sidings were removed, severely limiting reverse-peak services, and the practice of cutting cars in and out of trains ended, requiring passengers to change trains, usually at Summit. Beginning in June 1996 some peak trains were operated directly to and from Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
, as part of the Midtown Direct service. Any expansion of current service levels is problematical due to lack of storage space at Gladstone.
Sources
Thomas T Taber and Thomas T Taber III. The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Muncy PA: Thomas T Taber III, 1977-1980 (two volumes).Maps and atlases in the public libraries of Summit and Millburn.
New York Times, June 20, 1870; November 29, 1871; June 6, 1872; September 30, 1872.