Eastern Railroad Discussion > West Trenton, NJ - What was I?

I spoke with Doug Lilly regarding this image he captured at West Trenton, NJ in 1987 and
posted on RP.net.  We were both at a loss as to what function the spur served?  I know
there was (is?) a wye east of the station with one leg that continued (one track or two?) to
Trenton, NJ.  So what was this spur for and when was it removed?  Doug guessed it may
have been used to spot cars?

Anyone in the know?

/Mitch

PS - "For a good time", search "Doug Lilly" over at RP.net.  Great collection of images!

---

West Trenton branch ... it was abandoned and overgrown by the time i saw it in the early 90s ...

This was a drill lead for the West Trenton Industrial track going off to the right side of the photo... The WTI once served the GM plant in the area... It is still in place and once and a while sees a bad order set out or a MOW move...

It started life in Trenton as an interurban and was bought by the Reading
as their line into the City of Trenton. Faded into oblivion by the sixties other then the previously mentioned GM plant.
Gonut

CSXRiverSub1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This was a drill lead for the West Trenton
> Industrial track going off to the right side of
> the photo... The WTI once served the GM plant in
> the area... It is still in place and once and a
> while sees a bad order set out or a MOW move...

Did it ever connect with the Bel-Del?

pal77 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Did it ever connect with the Bel-Del?

no

Not directly, it terminated near the PRR station in Trenton but in the early 1900's a branch continued off that line through Trenton northward, paralleled and eventually connected to the PRR mainline north of the city limits. I'm not certain if that was Reading or PRR rails.
gonut

Gonut1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not directly, it terminated near the PRR station
> in Trenton but in the early 1900's a branch
> continued off that line through Trenton northward,
> paralleled and eventually connected to the PRR
> mainline north of the city limits. I'm not certain
> if that was Reading or PRR rails.
> gonut

Thanks for the info.  How did the Pennsylvania Railroad connect with the GM plant at Ewing? or did it?

I beleive the train is headed east and located between the yard (and the wye that
had the leg headed to Trenton).  If so, the spur is not part of the line to Trenton.

What is odd is that it seems to not come from the main by the station and head
off to the yard and wye, but instead, appears to come form the yard behind and
vear away from the main but towards the station. 

Wasn't the GM plant on the other side of the wye behind the yard?

And again -so long as we are on the subject - what happened to the wye with
CSX's new run around track - was it seververed?   Was the branch from West
Trenton to Trenton 2 track or was it always a single track?

Odd - it would seem an important passenger link between the two stations
though I guess no one needed to get between the two cities, only from and
to Philly.

/Mitch

Here's another photo © Doug Lilly showing the spur which appears to head towards
and possibly even behind the station:

Actually, in this shot, it would appear a good place to spot an RDC, but in the first
shot posted, it vears away from the main.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/15 13:28 by Mgoldman.

---

Google maps has a very good view of the property line for the former railroad line from its current terminus. There's a long narrow strip of property which continues southeasterly, on the south side of Homan Avenue, then across an open space. The streets on both sides are dead ends. The strip continues into Mill Hill, on the south side of Oakland St, and skirts the south side of MIll Hill park.  More dead end streets on the south side.  Looks like there's lots of new construction beyond that point, about four blocks from the Bel-Del line.

The Pennsy Triumph book might have better maps on the topic, I'll take a look at that later.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/15 15:36 by Lackawanna484.

In the mid-1990's, Conrail still served a Homasote plant that was located on the old industrial track.

Posted from Android

the GM plant was on the other side of the RofW ... there was a battery plant on that side ... i forget the name of it

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the GM plant was on the other side of the RofW ...
> there was a battery plant on that side ... i
> forget the name of it

Delco-Remy?

That's the Orange Blossom Special, by the way, CSX/Conrail's hot intermodal train.  I think it was 175/176 back then, but it changed numbers over the years.  The RF&P leader was for the cab signals, and it operated through between Philadelphia, I think, and Richmond.   

I think that train's labeled Q032/Q033 these days, but I'm sure a more knowledgeable CSX fan can correct that if it's wrong.

This is where the Reading's Trenton station was, just down the street from the Battle Monument, on the west side of Warren St between Tucker and Ringgold, bottom right in this aerial photo: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2257905,-74.7679079,390m/data=!3m1!1e3 Drag the map to the left, curve a little along Fairway Drive and the parallel Louise Lane and you'll see trees that look like they have a gap in them.  Go across Prospect St, through West Ward Park and it becomes more evident where the Trenton branch used to be.  It roughly parallels Oakland and then Homan and enters the woods where Homan Ave ends.  The railroad still exists west of the woods.

Here's a postcard view of the Reading station on Warren St in Trenton: https://www.cardcow.com/images/set516/card00054_fr.jpg  and a wonderful photo here: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PLXhzRy3Ty8/UDTj5Ku0TfI/AAAAAAAAW_o/7owqp9sdevI/s1600/1939%2BREADING%2BTERMINAL.jpg Here's a 1932 view looking north on Warren St., the Reading station on the left, a trolley in front, and the Battle Monument at back right http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N_-W1PmSNqg/SGw3lRQz84I/AAAAAAAAFBo/TdFSHlqZ1Bo/s1600-h/1932+NO.+WARREN+AND+TUCKER+ST..JPG.  The Reading station was served by shuttle trains from West Trenton, later replaced by shuttle buses.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/15 16:27 by knotch8.

Awesome links, Knotch!  Thanks for sharing those - I had never seen any photos of the station
in Trenton till now.  Looks like they tore the station down - and put up the Henry J Austin Health
Center.... the humanity!

Just behind is the still standing freight house which serves as a retirement home today.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/N+Warren+St,+Trenton,+NJ/@40.2257704,-74.765326,201m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c159cc371660d5:0xbce0b13b3e36431f?hl=en

Back to the side questions - was the branch two track or one?

Has the wye since been removed now that the CSX main goes around the yard in West
Trenton vs the northern most main it once claimed?

/Mitch



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/15 18:20 by Mgoldman.

The actual wye has bee gone for many years, CSX did install a new switch though to allow the WTI to remain in service if needed... It is a west facing switch.

Mitch, check www.historicaerials.com and search on Trenton, NJ.  This website is a gold mine for railroad archaeologists.  The Reading station is easy enough to find from the shape of the park south of the monument.  It looks like the station was demolished between the 1958 and 1963 aerials.  It's fascinating to see how much local-freight industry there was, including a diamond crossing in one of the industrial areas.  Looks like most of the line was 2 tracks (not exactly the same as double track) with some single-track segments.

Someone with a 1950's Reading employee timetable could tell us what the tracks were designated, rules in effect, etc.

Thanks Knotch - everyone needs a regular reminder that that site exists!
You can get lost in it!

/Mitch