Erie's Orange Branch

From Tiffany's in Newark to Hartz Mountain in Bloomfield.

I will be getting to finish the trail to West Orange soon.

http://forums.railfan.net/forums.cgi?bo ... 1147970958

Great pix! Love them.

A note, when viewing #31, the former Bloomfield station platform was on the gravel area to the right of the tracks. At least through 1968 there was a watchtower at the Bloomfield Ave. crossing. Probably lasted longer, but that was the last time I was by there.

If you're serious about continuing the series all the way to West Orange, I strongly suggest going as early in the AM as you can before many local residents are up and about. The ROW past Hartz in East Orange and Orange passes through some pretty rough 'hoods.

Thanks for posting these wonderful shots.

snavely wrote:Great pix! Love them.

A note, when viewing #31, the former Bloomfield station platform was on the gravel area to the right of the tracks. At least through 1968 there was a watchtower at the Bloomfield Ave. crossing. Probably lasted longer, but that was the last time I was by there.

If you're serious about continuing the series all the way to West Orange, I strongly suggest going as early in the AM as you can before many local residents are up and about. The ROW past Hartz in East Orange and Orange passes through some pretty rough 'hoods.

Thanks for posting these wonderful shots.

Thanks for the info on the Bloomfield Station platform. I didn't know one existed. I know there was a freight house? at what is now a strip mall.

I agree with your advice on going early. I know the abandoned ROW that leads past Hartz Mountain to Westinghouse had some odd looking characters walking by on the one day I was looking below from the bridge on Arlington Avenue. What I would like to see is the diamond where the Erie's Orange Branch crossed today's Montclair-Boonton Branch. I hope they didn't put a wall up.

Ken -

" What I would like to see is the diamond where the Erie's Orange Branch crossed today's Montclair-Boonton Branch. I hope they didn't put a wall up. "

The ex-Erie Silver Lake/Orange branch and the ex-Lackawanna Montclair branch crossed each other on different grades. The Erie went over the Lackawanna. The Erie bridge that accomplished this has been gone for decades but some concrete supports or evidence of same might still be visible.

Bad time of year to be trying this Ken. The growth under the roadway bridge just west of Hartz is a jungle of trees and poison oak. There's a fair amount left of the ROW west over thru East Orange but much easier to see and explore in late Fall or early Spring.

Tri-State Tom wrote:Ken -

" What I would like to see is the diamond where the Erie's Orange Branch crossed today's Montclair-Boonton Branch. I hope they didn't put a wall up. "

The ex-Erie Silver Lake/Orange branch and the ex-Lackawanna Montclair branch crossed each other on different grades. The Erie went over the Lackawanna. The Erie bridge that accomplished this has been gone for decades but some concrete supports or evidence of same might still be visible.

Bad time of year to be trying this Ken. The growth under the roadway bridge just west of Hartz is a jungle of trees and poison oak. There's a fair amount left of the ROW west over thru East Orange but much easier to see and explore in late Fall or early Spring.

Tom,

Thanks for the warning. I guess it will have to wait until late fall. Do you know if here are any pictures of this crossing?

Thanks

You're right, the freight station, actually a fair sized yard with a big overhead crane, was located south of the intersection of Grove St. and Bloomfield Ave. where the stores are now. The GM parts depot and Charms factory were located just north of it, on Grove St. The passenger station I was referring to was just east of the Bloomfield Ave. crossing. There was such a concentration of industry in the immediate area, within walking distance of the station, that it was a pretty busy stop up through World War II. Besides GM and Charms, Tung-Sol was where Hartz is now, Bamberger's furniture warehouse was a block away, Westinghouse where Home Depot is now and a whole bunch of smaller companies- thousands of workers. For years after passenger service was discontinued on the Orange Branch the railroad provided bus transportation and the bus stop was on Berkeley Ave. which is just barely north of the ROW off Bloomfield Ave.

Ken -

" Do you know if here are any pictures of this crossing? "

For some reason the Montclair Branch was/has been largely ignored by rail photographers over the decades. Save for Tom Taber, it rarely is mentioned let alone covered in photographs by the multiple esteemed authors who have published books on the Lackawanna or Erie-Lackawanna.

Regardless of the above, the immediate area where the Erie crossed the Lackawanna here has historically been a remote/difficult to access area for the past 40 years or so. Thus, I've not seen any photos of the one-time bridge that carried the Erie. Strictly from admittedly vague memory as a youngster back in the late 50's-early 60's, the bridge was rather non-descript....just a plain black steel version type span.

Tom,

That's unfortunate about not having photographs on the Montclair Branch. I remember when there was a station called Ampere in East Orange. We used to go there and see trains.

I can remember some of the industry there such as Worthington Pump and Tastycake just to name a few. Did freight trains ever use this line? Where there any customers?

Thanks

Ken

I have seen a photo of what I believed to have been the Erie-DL&W crossing at Watessing Ave (?).... Cal's Classics in fact has it. I will try to find out more.

Ken -

" I can remember some of the industry there such as Worthington Pump and Tastycake just to name a few. Did freight trains ever use this line? Where there any customers? "

Oh sure....two customers were those you mention.

We had an extensive thread on this....in the archives here somewhere.

Tri-State Tom wrote:Ken -

" I can remember some of the industry there such as Worthington Pump and Tastycake just to name a few. Did freight trains ever use this line? Where there any customers? "

Oh sure....two customers were those you mention.

We had an extensive thread on this....in the archives here somewhere.

Tom,

Thanks - I'll look for them. Are there any EL or DL&W books that show the Orange/Caldwell branches? How about of the NY&GL or Montclair and Booton.

Thanks

snavely wrote:... At least through 1968 there was a watchtower at the Bloomfield Ave. crossing. Probably lasted longer, but that was the last time I was by there...

My dad was frequenty the conductor of the Silver Lake Drill during the late 60s and 70s, and I went to work with him a few times down there. IIRC, electric crossing gates were installed on Bloomfield Ave by 1970, possibly earlier. But the crossing guards remained on a number of crossings until 1973 or 74. I remember this because when the EL removed them, the neighborhood went into an uproar led by the infamous Councilman Tony Imperiale. They blocked the crossings in protest and the old ladies threw tomatoes at the train.

My dad, as conductor, had to sign a complaint against Imperiale. They were all actually pretty good natured toward the train crew, realizing it was not their decision. In fact, at one point during the protest, their train was held "captive" at a crossing for a few hours, and the protesters had sandwiches and drinks delivered to the crew!

Idiot Railfan wrote:

snavely wrote:... At least through 1968 there was a watchtower at the Bloomfield Ave. crossing. Probably lasted longer, but that was the last time I was by there...

My dad was frequenty the conductor of the Silver Lake Drill during the late 60s and 70s, and I went to work with him a few times down there. IIRC, electric crossing gates were installed on Bloomfield Ave by 1970, possibly earlier. But the crossing guards remained on a number of crossings until 1973 or 74. I remember this because when the EL removed them, the neighborhood went into an uproar led by the infamous Councilman Tony Imperiale. They blocked the crossings in protest and the old ladies threw tomatoes at the train.

My dad, as conductor, had to sign a complaint against Imperiale. They were all actually pretty good natured toward the train crew, realizing it was not their decision. In fact, at one point during the protest, their train was held "captive" at a crossing for a few hours, and the protesters had sandwiches and drinks delivered to the crew!

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

Any pics of anything on the line?

This is a rough area for railfanning or exploring. The only real train that operates between Tiffany's and Hartz is the Norfolk Southern train H02 out of Dover, NJ. The H02 runs down the Orange once a week with one or two cars and sometimes a caboose. I am not sure what they have been doing lately as far as servicing Hartz, as it has been a long time since I worked that job.

General wrote:This is a rough area for railfanning or exploring. The only real train that operates between Tiffany's and Hartz is the Norfolk Southern train H02 out of Dover, NJ. The H02 runs down the Orange once a week with one or two cars and sometimes a caboose. I am not sure what they have been doing lately as far as servicing Hartz, as it has been a long time since I worked that job.

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Yes, it's a rough area but to see a train in this area might be worth it as long as it's in the day light.

I know the line has increased in business with Hartz as a business in the area tells me that he has spotted a train at least twice a week. Increased business for Hartz or another business near there?