Kingsland Station

Was in this area for the first time in like 15 years yesterday....

Thought the station/waiting room had been closed long ago but it was open yesterday ! At street level the neighborhood is a little better than I expected. Down below at track level the platforms and lighting could use some TLC.

About the unique frieght siding that runs thru the eastbound platform....

I had thought this was long ago OOS but the connection, ties and general rail condition looks surprisingly in operating shape. The siding heads east thru the station and then curves slightly away from the 2-track main up a slight hill into what appears to be an open field.

What biz used this siding ? I suspect this is now a MOW only siding, yes ?

That would be the connection to the Harrison Cutoff and not a siding per se, yes...?

Wow the waiting room was actually open? never saw it in my life...

As for the freight siding that runs through the platform, its abandoned. The small portion is used for some MOW storage now and then, but after it leaves sight the rails are completely covered in growth, garbage, dirt & dead cars. The tracks are in horrible condition.

The platform is the western part of the wye that connected the northern most end of the Harrison-Kingsland Branch to the DL&W Boonton Line.

The eastern end of the wye is by Omega Plastics (On the other side of Orient Way). Speaking of Orient Way, they just put up "Tracks Out Of Service" signs.

The last service I remember on that line was a local or two every now and then to service the garbage facility out in North Arlington where two green GP38's and a caboose used to be seen from Schyler Ave that shifted the trash around.

Irish Chieftain wrote:That would be the connection to the Harrison Cutoff and not a siding per se, yes...?

Yes, this track is the west leg of the Kingsland wye, although not used as such any more. Only use of this track through station area (that I am aware of) is for NJT M/W purposes. I've seen gondola cars stored east of the station on this track.

The East leg of the wye is still active for freight purposes to the plastics firm that is located there (Omega Plastics?). NS train H84 usually serves this location on weekdays, perhaps a few times per week.

Balance of the H-K line is out of service until around the Harrison Ave Undergrade bridge. Customers in Harrison are also served by NS H84.

The Kingsland station is built to the same plans as the Watsessing station on the Montclair electric line, too. Waiting room above, straddling the tracks, separate stairs down.

I'm not aware of any other DL&W stations built to this same layout, though.

I was one of the last people to buy tickets from the agent the day they closed the ticket office. Was an old black fellow nice guy. This was the late 70s/early 80s.

I think the plastic place get serviced from the meadows side of the shops. The Harrison cut off is washed out a little past where it goes under the Booton Line in Kearny. I have seen a couple of engines sitting on the bridge where it passes over Harrison Ave.

That wye connection for the Harrison Cutoff was the original mainline alignment prior to the Kingsland tunnel being constructed. The m-o-w area on the curve just east of the present station was the original station location. I believe there is a photo showing this in Tabor's book.

I like the unique design/layout of the Kingsland station with the station building above the tracks at street level, with stairs down. It is very similar to stations on the NYC Subway's BMT Brighton (Q) and Sea Beach (N) lines.

Speaking of the Harrison Cutoff, there are about a half-dozen freight cars parked near Joe Supor's. Anyone know if they are headed for Supor's or just stored near his place?

JLo wrote:Speaking of the Harrison Cutoff, there are about a half-dozen freight cars parked near Joe Supor's. Anyone know if they are headed for Supor's or just stored near his place?

It depends upon what type of cars they are. If they are flat cars or coil cars they are for J. Supor. If not they are probably being stored there by the NS H84 until they can pick them up or they are ordered in. Also, Mid Atlanic(just around the corner) gets tank cars of vegetable oil, so they could be stored out there until a spot opens up at Mid Atlantic.

Rich T wrote:That wye connection for the Harrison Cutoff was the original mainline alignment prior to the Kingsland tunnel being constructed. The m-o-w area on the curve just east of the present station was the original station location. I believe there is a photo showing this in Tabor's book.

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Yes. The original line continued around the bluff and headed on to Hoboken on the east side. The tunnel (1908?) made the bypass irrelevant but part of it was retained to service the large plant.

The Benedict-Miller Steel Company, just east of orient way, was originally the DL&W car shops building at Kingsland. It handled freight / passenger work. The shops at Keyser Valley PA handled most of the coal car work.

I've always loved this station.Back when I was in Jr.HS I walked the main line from Glen Rock to Kingsland.That was when the EL had very few
ML trains on Sat.Got to S.Paterson,waited for the 12:30 P.M. from
Hoboken to pass then kept on trekkin' to Kingsland&got last ML train back that afternoon.Didn't see another train all day 'til that one arrived.
Wouldn't recommend it to anyone but in the late,60's the EL was on a somewhat abbreviated Sat.schedule.LOL!!