NJ rail yards "lost" and "downsized"

[peconicstation]

One of the largest yards that is no more was the CNJ's Jersey City freight yards, coal dump, and engine service facility.
The junction point for the freight yards was just west of the Van Nostrand Place station, and the engine house was near where the Liberty Science Center stands today.

After the Aldene Plan went into effect these freight facilities remained in service and stayed that way through the early 70's (72 IIRC), when then complex was taken OOS and the work was moved to Elizabethport (shops and yards). It was the closing of these facilities that started the plans to take the Newark Bay Bridge OOS.

The CNJ also maintained a small freight yard to the north of it's Broad Street Station in downtown Newark.

Ken

[NYS&W142Fan]

Interesting that when I went through this forum, I didn't see any mention of the yards in Phillipsburg. The Pennsy at Kent, the CNJ and the DL&W and I think the LV had one there also. There was a small DL&W yard in Delaware NJ on the old main.

[kilroy]

The yard is on New Brunswick Ave about 1/3 of a mile from Rt 35, right after the NY&LB comes out from under the NEC.

The 1 Trk side, where they're putting in Colonia hand-switch now?

In all this snow???

Actually, I haven't been down there in a while so I have no idea if they're putting in a new switch. I'd have to look.

[wborys]

http://www.historicaerials.com/
(I THINK I may gotten this link from another thread on this forum..)

This site has aerial photographs of NJ, at approx 10 year intervals, back to 1931.
This could help track changes to suspected railyard graveyards.

[Sir Ray]

http://www.historicaerials.com/
(I THINK I may gotten this link from another thread on this forum..)

Heck, you could have gotten it from page 3 of this thread, in my post of 12 Feb 2014, where I ask about the former yard along the NEC at South St. Newark, and posted links to 3 Historic Aerials views (different years) of the site.

This site has aerial photographs of NJ, at approx 10 year intervals, back to 1931.
This could help track changes to suspected railyard graveyards.

It does, along with aerial photographs of NY & PA and other places (there is also a somewhat equivalent historical site for the UK pre-1953, Britian From Above).
Problem is (and it's not HA's fault), that sometimes the images have such poor resolution (particularly pre-1950s images) that all you can make out is shadows and blurs - as you may guess, as you get closer to the modern era (post 1990) the images become much clearer.
HA also has topo maps for many locations, which certainly can help in ROW hunting too.

[R&DB]

There was a second yard in Long Branch on the New Jersey Southern with several sidings, stubs and a turntable. It was located at the east end of Monmouth Avenue where the baseball field is now. Turntable was gone by 1947, but the sidings and stubs were in use until about 1970.

[R&DB]

Just remembered another one: CNJ Freehold. 5 or 6 stubs used for freight and passenger train layover. Wye. Interchange track with PRR Freehold and Jamesburg. Passenger service ended in 1953, freight ended around 1976. Freight house is gone but the passenger station exists and is occupied by a business.

[BigDell]

Was there once, a LONG LONG time ago, a yard or spur that ran off the PRR mainline just West of the Elizabeth Station? I DON'T know why it popped into my head, I want to say it was an old photograph or something. It belonged to PRR, not CNJ. It'd have been just west of the station I believe...
Maybe I'm dreaming....

[cobra30689]

Was there once, a LONG LONG time ago, a yard or spur that ran off the PRR mainline just West of the Elizabeth Station? I DON'T know why it popped into my head, I want to say it was an old photograph or something. It belonged to PRR, not CNJ. It'd have been just west of the station I believe...
Maybe I'm dreaming....

No, you're not dreaming LOL. There was indeed a spur off #4 track that went down to SOMETHING near West Jersey St. I know not what that something was however....I was born and raised in Elizabeth but I'm pretty sure the spur was removed and I believe the curve and/or cat poles were modified before I was born (1972).

[OportRailfan]

I believe there was a siding like you said, just east of Elmora tower? I'll have to look at the old local control panel I have for old Elmora.