Abandoned bridge in Bound Brook

David Hutchinson wrote:The bridge serviced the Ruberoid Company, makers of roof shingles.

To get an idea how much trackage there was in South Bound Brook for Ruberoid - take a look at this historical aerials photo from 1979: http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials. ... &year=1979

Ruberoid took a lot of cars in the 1960's, only to be outdone by Bakelite Plastics. The "Bakelite Shifter" would leave Port Reading each day at 4 PM and would run light to Bakelite. The switcher would stay there 8 to 10 hours or more and then return light back to Port Reading. Power was an Alco S2 until around 1963 when a 1500 class SW-900m would be used. On a rare day a Baldwin switcher or Alco RS-3 would be used.

GAF purchased the Ruberoid factory in the early 1900s. Ruberoid developed a way to manufacture asbestos roofing shingles. The cub scouts and school children used to go on tours of the plant. People in South Bound Brook used to get shingle waste for their driveways (before asbestos was considered harmful). There was a dump on the towpath between the river and canal. The dump closed, but there was still piles of asbestos located there and it was getting into the Raritan River. A high school student by the name of Jim Manning came to the Environmental Commission (about 1973) and asked what the piles were. It was tested and found to be asbestos. The State of NJ ordered the removal. I remember the bridge pilings for the railroad spur to Ruberoid when I was a kid. Also, Port Reading had a small station on the south west side of the tracks (across from the Casey Coal Company). There was a freight station on the south side of Main Street, Bound Brook just before getting to Columbus Place.