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  • Caldwell Branch

  • Discussion relating to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Erie, and the resulting 1960 merger creating the Erie Lackawanna. Visit the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society at http://www.erielackhs.org/.
Discussion relating to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the Erie, and the resulting 1960 merger creating the Erie Lackawanna. Visit the Erie Lackawanna Historical Society at http://www.erielackhs.org/.

Moderator: blockline4180

 #267290  by njt4172
 
NJ Vike wrote:Does the ROW still exist as it leaves the Booton Line heading towards Cedar Grove? I see the trail just as I went on the bridge that is on RT23.
NJ Vike,

Yes, I believe it is a designated bike/walking trail from Great Notch through Cedar Grove into Verona.. I think its a good 3 or 4 miles or so... There are still some concrete mileposts in the ground, but one cool structure is the old Verona Freight house that is still standing! I walked it a good 4 to 5 years ago, but I would like to bike it one of these days!

Steve

 #267337  by NJ Vike
 
njt4172 wrote:
NJ Vike wrote:Does the ROW still exist as it leaves the Booton Line heading towards Cedar Grove? I see the trail just as I went on the bridge that is on RT23.
NJ Vike,

Yes, I believe it is a designated bike/walking trail from Great Notch through Cedar Grove into Verona.. I think its a good 3 or 4 miles or so... There are still some concrete mileposts in the ground, but one cool structure is the old Verona Freight house that is still standing! I walked it a good 4 to 5 years ago, but I would like to bike it one of these days!

Steve
Steve,

Great. Thanks for the info. Sounds like a fall exploration.

 #271983  by BlockLine_4111
 
njt4172 wrote:
NJ Vike wrote:Does the ROW still exist as it leaves the Booton Line heading towards Cedar Grove? I see the trail just as I went on the bridge that is on RT23.
NJ Vike,

Yes, I believe it is a designated bike/walking trail from Great Notch through Cedar Grove into Verona.. I think its a good 3 or 4 miles or so... There are still some concrete mileposts in the ground, but one cool structure is the old Verona Freight house that is still standing! I walked it a good 4 to 5 years ago, but I would like to bike it one of these days!

Steve
Steve -

talk to Bob(bbyS) and he will go biking with you. Then pints afterwards at Egans.

4111

 #271994  by Steve F45
 
who's steel trestle goes over rt.23 in cedar grove near that sports store?

 #276307  by BlockLine_4111
 
As I remember when I had cycled this trail (pre-9/11). Trail could be cycled from the former juncture w/Boonton Line to the Peckman bridge (prior to rehab). Then one would have to cut in back of Foodtown go through their lot and walk across Pompton Ave (RT23). Then go up the stairs to the former station and cycle through Verona to the area by the freight house and apartments ending there. NOTE: I think they build residences now on the ROW here.

The small "cut" as I call it from there to Bloomfield Ave. was not accessable and the underpass was filled in back in 90s AIR (some of the CE's from NJIT worked on that IIRC). Maybe a small piece of the ROW on the opposite side of the avenue up near DD and the college could be cycled. But then they build a building on it near the college entrance.

Alot of washouts, vegetation overgrowth and wash-outs along the ROW.
An excelent project for the Boy Scouts to re-vamp the trail.
 #541549  by HerkJason
 
I know that the following stations were part of the Erie's Caldwell Branch:

West to East
1. Morristown
2. Cedar Knolls
3. Whippany
4. Hanover
5. Beaufort
6. Roseland
7. Essex Fells

I know some of the train tracks are still used by a Morristown and Erie cargo line that runs from Morristown to Roseland.

Does anyone know anything about the Beaufort station?

I am a life long resident of the Riker Hill section of Livingston, New Jersey and I live about 1/2 mile away from the Roseland border right near Beaufort Avenue.

Was the Beaufort station near what is today Eisenhower Parkway? Was it technically in Livingston or Roseland? If anyone could tell me this I have been looking for a while (I e-mailed the Roseland historical society, visited the Whippany train museum etc. and still nobody knew) I'd appreciate an e-mail to [email protected] as well as a post here.
 #541843  by henry6
 
HerkJason wrote:I know that the following stations were part of the Erie's Caldwell Branch:

West to East
1. Morristown
2. Cedar Knolls
3. Whippany
4. Hanover
5. Beaufort
6. Roseland
7. Essex Fells

I know some of the train tracks are still used by a Morristown and Erie cargo line that runs from Morristown to Roseland.

Does anyone know anything about the Beaufort station?

I am a life long resident of the Riker Hill section of Livingston, New Jersey and I live about 1/2 mile away from the Roseland border right near Beaufort Avenue.

Was the Beaufort station near what is today Eisenhower Parkway? Was it technically in Livingston or Roseland? If anyone could tell me this I have been looking for a while (I e-mailed the Roseland historical society, visited the Whippany train museum etc. and still nobody knew) I'd appreciate an e-mail to [email protected] as well as a post here.

Those stations you list are Morristown and Erie and never Erie stations except for the interchange at Essex Fells. Check Taber's Morristown and Erie book for details as well as older topographical maps from USGS. At one time in the 19th Century there was an Erie commuter service from Morristown over the M&E tracks but lasted less than a year Beaufort is evidently Eisenhower Pkwy.
 #542093  by HerkJason
 
FYI An individual at the Whippany Railway Museum sent me more information:

The Beaufort Avenue Station of the Morristown & Erie Railroad is still located at its original site on what is today known as Eisenhower Parkway. Before Eisenhower was built in the late-1960's / early-1970's, the depot was located on Beaufort Avenue, which was / is a two-lane road. The station was not moved from its original site, but Beaufort Avenue was realigned to make way for Eisenhower in that area.

The depot came into existence mainly because, in 1903, the M&E had no plans to build a station at this location. Angry residents of the Beaufort section put up their own 5-foot-square shelter in 1906 and eventually forced the railroad to build the present-day structure.

The station has not been owned by the Morristown & Erie for many decades. It had served in the past as the company headquarters of Beaufort Fuel Company, and then it was empty for many years. Today it serves as the office of Orange-Alden Fuel Co.

Orange-Alden's address is 10 Eisenhower Parkway, Roseland, NJ. So that should answer your question about it's town location. The Roseland Station of the M&E was located at the grade crossing (no longer there) at Harrison Avenue in Roseland.
 #612174  by Erie3319
 
RS115 wrote:Does anyone know what customers this line had for freight? All that I have seen written about it has either been passenger related (though I need to gather that data into a useful cache of info) and that it interchanged with the Morristown & Erie at Essex Fells. I am most interested in the period 1960's through the end of the branch. Thanks

Caldwell Branch Customers
All of those listed below had intact side tracks as of January 17, 1962:

Overbrook Hospital MP 19.35
Charles Bahr and Son Lumber 19.59
W.p. Johnson Fuel Company 20.08
West Essex Building Supply 20.38
The Caldwell Team Tracks 21.40
Speer Coal 21.76
Caldwell Building Supply 21.71
The Morristown & Erie Interchange at Essex Fells MP22.18

Overbrook Hospital was good for 2 or 3 cars of coal per day, plus a carload of flour or meat every six weeks.
Bahr Lumber was an active customer from the late 1920's up until the branch was embargoed by washout in July, 1975. Bahr was receiving about 100 cars per year in the late 1950's.
W.P. Johnson was a coal dealer on Fairview Avenue in Verona, but had probably not received a carload since the late 1950's.
West Essex was an active customer from about the WWII period until the end of service. I remember seeing many a car set out here.
The Caldwell team tracks were active until the end of service.
Speer's burned in a spectacular fire during the late 1960's.
Caldwell Building Supply had an intact siding, but reportedly unloaded its cars at the team track after the late 50's.
The Morristown & Erie interchange lasted until the end of service.

Opposite Bahr Lumber at Durrel Street there was a siding at MP19.56 that could be used as a passing siding. This was removed from service on 2/4/1959.

Mark Schmitt
Last edited by Erie3319 on Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
 #612189  by NJ Vike
 
Mark,

Thanks for the information.

I can't beleive how much as changed on Bloomfiled avenue. Many people pass by never knowing about this line.

Ken
 #615745  by meeks
 
It appears that NJ transit is reviewing that line for their long term (2020) plans under "projects to be defined/studied"

see http://www.geocities.com/transit383/njt2020.gif

look at # 30 on the list. If you click on the map it should enlarge.

Also, if you go to google earth view you can see that the line actaully went from morristown to little falls. Looks like the right of way goes through a Country "golf" club.
 #623859  by Port Jervis
 
meeks wrote:Here is the most current map...has our wonderful, current gov's name on it so it is current. I found it under the 2030 plans. You can see that the line/right of way continues to Great Notch/Little falls.

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/g ... /essex.pdf

Need to enlarge the PDF to at least 100%.
Anyone know where exactly this branch diverged from the Greenwood Lake (now Boonton) line? I've been in the area a lot and cannot see a diverging route anywhere between GN and LF. Did the GN yard construction destroy it?
 #623980  by Erie3319
 
Port Jervis wrote:
meeks wrote:Here is the most current map...has our wonderful, current gov's name on it so it is current. I found it under the 2030 plans. You can see that the line/right of way continues to Great Notch/Little falls.

http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/g ... /essex.pdf

Need to enlarge the PDF to at least 100%.
Anyone know where exactly this branch diverged from the Greenwood Lake (now Boonton) line? I've been in the area a lot and cannot see a diverging route anywhere between GN and LF. Did the GN yard construction destroy it?
The branch diverged from the Greenwood Lake main about three-tenths of a mile west of Great Notch station on the south side of the main. When the branch was first built, this was Caldwell Junction, in addition to the station at Great Notch. After the turn of the century the station at the junction was eliminated and Great Notch became the junction station.

The old line can best be found by approaching from the Francisco Avenue grade crossing. While the new yard desidedly altered the character of the station, the old junction can still be found in the underbrush.
 #758565  by HSSRAIL
 
CALDWELL BRANCH

DESCRIPTION Great Notch to Essex Fells, N.J., 5.7 miles single track.

GRADES Maximum – eastbound 1.73% Ruling – eastbound 1.73%
westbound 1.93% westbound 1.93%

NUMBER OF STATIONS 4

PASSENGER SERVICE 3 trains eastbound, 4 trains westbound weekdays. One train
each way on Holidays. No passenger service operated on Saturdays or Sundays.

FREIGHT SERVICE 1 crew originating & terminating at Croxton daily.

INDUSTRIES SERVED
BY SIDETRACKS 12

PRINCIPAL
INDUSTRIES Essex County Hospital, Verona, N.J. – receivers of coal.
Charles Bahr & Son, Verona, N.J. – dealer in coal and fuel oil and lumber.
Charles Bahr & Son, Caldwell, N.J. – dealer in coal and fuel oil and lumber.
Speer & Sons, Caldwell, N.J. – coal

FOREIGN CONNECTIONS Essex Fells, N.J., with Morristown & Erie R.R.

From facilities report Erie Railroad Superintendants Office