Steam & Excursion > New steam train in plans at Salem-Swedesboro NJ

Southern New Jersey has never had a steam tourist railroad.  The last steam short line was the Union Transportation Co. which operated a leased PRR 0-6-0 class B-6sa which ran until July 14 1959.  On that day a PRR 44 tonner was run from Camden to Fort Dix and exchanged the diesel electric for the B-6sa, where by the crew took that last steamer across the Delair Bridge and dropped the fire in 46th and Parkside yard.  That was the last revenue move of any PRR steam locomotive and last steam in South New Jersey.

Now plans have been printed in the Elmer Times newspaper of April 23, 2022 where the Salem County Commissioner Ed Ramsay expressed the news that SMS is planning on beginning a railbike service over 7 miles of County owned trackage on June 17, 2022.  And this will expand into a Steam train between Swedesboro and Salem for holidays and tourist events, featuring a dining service and use of a wooden passenger car from 1907.  SMS has recently obtained the operating right on the county owned line.  There is still a wye at Salem but none at Swedesboro.  Last freight interchange has been handled with Conrail shared access at Woodbury where there is also a wye.

https://railfan.com/sms-rail-steam-locomotive-test-fired/

This railroad is east of the Delaware Memorial Bridge where I-95 goes from New Jersey to Delaware and is scenic with miles of open farm land and small towns.  The locomotive is a Alco formerly built for US Army and then owned by the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway at Tye River, VA, and later on New Hope & Ivyland RR in Pennsylvania.  It has been steamed up since its recent complete rebuilding and is nearing final work. SMS is a switching management service for special industries needing rails service and is based at Pureland Industrial Park in Bridgeport, NJ.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/22 05:55 by PlyWoody.