Save the Raritan River Railroad Milltown Freight Station!

http://suburban.gmnews.com/news/2007/03 ... e/083.html

This is in this weeks SENTINEL, March 29, 2007

Old railroad station first on panel's agenda
Committee seeks support for relocation, restoration of depot
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

MILLTOWN - The borough's newly formed Historic Preservation Advisory Committee is looking to save a piece of the Raritan River Railroad's legacy.

One of the last standing stations on the historic line, the Washington Avenue depot has become a recent focus of the committee's efforts.

"I think it's a fantastic idea, and I fully support it," said Councilman Eric Steeber, who sits on the advisory committee. "They're already off and running. They have a lot of good ideas."

[snip- see the link to read the full story - ov]

I am very happy to hear this great news about the last remaining station of this historic rail line. Having lived in the area, I still have a newspaper clipping from The Sentinel in the late 1980's about the story of the Parlin station being torn down. I started having a renewed interest in the history of this small railroad recently, just before this story made the paper. I found a invaluable book on the history of this rail line - RAILS UP THE RARITAN "A History of the Raritan River Railroad" by Frederick W. Deibert. I am currently reading this great book about the R.R.R.R. and am contimplating possibly modeling in N scale in the future.
I hope that all goes well with effort's of the Milltown Station and that the goal of a museum dedicated to the Raritan Railroad is acceived!
Trainbuff109

As happy as I am with the real potential of restoration for it, I wish it was in the same location instead of moving it.

It's too bad the structure has to be moved... I hope it can withstand the stress of a move. But at least some effort is being made to save it.

-otto-

Some photos:

A photo of the structure taken in 2005

CSX 4412 pulling a train past the station

I contacted the owner about 2 years ago. He's the lawyer who owns the building next to the station. I told him I'd refurb the station and eat all the costs. He told me he was going to do it himself. Now almost 3 years later the station still stands rotting. I don't think moving it is such a good idea. It's in real BAD shape. I'd like to see it trackside where it's been for the last 100 years.

I believe the location that they propose to move the station to is really just across the street. The tracks are there too, although the building probably wouldn't be right next to them, but very close.

Thats proabably a good thing anyway, since a restored station would probably out-live the remaining railline anyway, since there is but once customer left in North Brunswick, Silverline Windows, and the remaining track in New Brunswick is up for abandonment and due to be cut with the Route 1 bridge replacement.

I do plan to get involved with this effort, if I can. It would be very generous of the owner to donate the station to the town, as the last I heard, he wanted a pretty penny for it last year.

Looks like the rails between US1 and Georges Rd. (thru the Squibb property) have been lifted. Construction of new condos between Remsen Ave. and the east side of Georges Rd. have now wiped out the rest of the ROW that led to the station at Remsen and Sanford Streets in New Brunswick.

Too bad. Would have made for a great park and ride on the other side of US1 for an LRT line down through the Cook and Douglass campuses and into downtown New Brunswick.

Off topic - Utility crews preparing to dig at Remsen and Commercial thought they found a water main beneath the street but turned out to be paved over PSCT trolley tracks that ran to the old car barn at that corner.

Tom have you heard anything more on the ability to move it w/out destroying it?Had seen on a show where the structure was shored up to prevent damage from the move.Check your P.M.

E-44 wrote:Looks like the rails between US1 and Georges Rd. (thru the Squibb property) have been lifted. Construction of new condos between Remsen Ave. and the east side of Georges Rd. have now wiped out the rest of the ROW that led to the station at Remsen and Sanford Streets in New Brunswick.

Too bad. Would have made for a great park and ride on the other side of US1 for an LRT line down through the Cook and Douglass campuses and into downtown New Brunswick.

Off topic - Utility crews preparing to dig at Remsen and Commercial thought they found a water main beneath the street but turned out to be paved over PSCT trolley tracks that ran to the old car barn at that corner.

Yes, this happened sometime within the last 6 months I do believe. The rails now end exactly at the northbound side of the Route 1 Bridge. That gives the SA2 enough room with a little to spare to do its work at Silverline.

Update! Update! Update!

The owner of the Milltown Freight Station has agreed to sell the station to the Milltown Historical Society for $1.

The County Freeholders has given the Boro of Milltown verbal approval to allow them to move the station to County Open Space, directly across the street!

This has re-ignited the initiative to create a local chapter of the NRHS, possibly called the Raritan River Branch of the NRHS, to help secure the needed resources to make this happen.

Our first steps are to

Create an organization so we can collect Tax Free donations. (purpose of the RR Branch of NRHS)
Meet with all the local Historical Societies for guidance and assistance.
Meet with the Boro and the County to secure approvals and plans.
Start fund raising ASAP. There are many ways to raise funds, most should be fun and exciting!

If anyone is interested in getting involved in anyway, please email me at Tom_E_Reynolds * Yahoo.com.

Looks to be about 18' wide by 32' long. And how about the upside down rail under the building. 85# rail perhaps? Looks like it is just sitting on footing like so many of the older freight houses did. Shouldn't be difficult to move. When you start digging around and asking for local photos, you are going to be surprised what shows up. It is the perfect size for an RRRR museum. Make the town proud to have such a structure and historic elements connected to it. Good luck in your endevour.

Later!
Mr. Ed

About 8 years ago I contacted the lawyer who bought the station and land from CR and offered to repair the station at my own expense. I asked him to donate it or sell it cheap. He told me he was going to fix it himself. Well, 8 years later look at it's condition. Any why move it? Keep it trackside where it's always been.

The Lawyer bought the station from Conrail, and rented it out as a storage shed for many years.

Today, the building can not be rented out, and is not worth fixing, to him. It would need a ton of work, just to get up to code.

He would like it off the property so he could build, I am guessing, more storage units. I believe he owns a bunch of property around the building, and the back too.

Thats probably why he agreed to make the deal with the historical society. He gets to write off the value of the building, as a donation, and then gets to develope the land its on.

Land in Milltown, NJ is worth a fortune today, and being zoned commercial would make it worth even more.

Tom.

P.S. I spoke also with a contractor a few years ago, who estimated $80k to make it up to code. He said it would be cheaper to just knock it down and build pole buildings on the property.

Update.

The future Raritan River Branch of the NRHS met with the Milltown Historical Society and some members of the Boro of Milltown this week.

Fund raising efforts will start as soon as the Historical Society can set up a specific account for the Station. Grant applications can start once a detailed project plan for the move is completed.

A display will be set up at Milltown Day on October 2nd. Signups for people interested in helping out will be collected.

Anyone interested in getting involved can visit us at Milltown Day or can contact me via email.

http://www.milltownday.org/

http://RaritanRiverBranchNRHS.org