Nostalgia & History > Train Order Tuesday, NYS&W

Swartswood Junction, New Jersey was about as remote as one could get in the Garden State, in mountainous Sussex County, the northernmost county of the state.  Near the rural community of Swartswood, there was once a one-story train order office (Call letters JU) at the junction of the New York, Susquehanna & Western and the Lehigh & New England.  The L&NE had trackage rights over the "Susie Q" for about 18 miles between Swartswood Junction and Hainesburg Junction.  At Hainesburg Junction, the NYS&W and the L&NE had an interchange that remained active until the abandonment of the L&NE in October 1961.  Hainesburg, NJ became the western end of NYS&W operation in 1941 after abandonment of the Wilkes-Barre & Eastern, a line that once reached the anthracite fields of Pennsylvania, which was leased by the NYS&W.  The Wilkes-Barre & Eastern lost much of its traffic during the Great Depression and had no economic justification to remain in operation.  

On January 30, 1951, operator O. H. Brooks issued the attached train order to C&E Engine 252, to run extra from Swartswood junction to Hainesburg Junction.  NYS&W 252 was an RS1.  The order was completed at 5:28 AM.  At that time, I believe the only trains to pass Swartswood Jucntion were the daily NYS&W turn to Hainesburg, and a daily train in each direction on the L&NE to and from the New Haven yard at Maybrook, New York.  According to Paul Tupaczewski's book "NYS&W in Color", JU was only open from 3:00 AM to Noon in the mid-1950's, and the NYS&W operated its turn job to Hainesburg during those hours.  I'm guessing the operation was much the same in 1951.  An operator at Hainesburg Junction would have issued a train order for the return trip.  After cessation of L&NE operations in October 1961, the Susie Q had little reason to continue running to Hainesburg.  Local traffic wasn't enough to sustain the line, and the west end of the NYS&W between Sussex Junction and Hainesburg went out of service in 1963.  

Steve Salamon
Valley City, OH



 

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Thanks for sharing this time in remote northwestern New Jersey.

TJY