Eastern Railroad Discussion > Surviving structures along the Reading //CSX Pennington, NJ

Back in 2019, I ventured over to Pennington, NJ along the former Reading /now CSX line.
I got what I was after - namely a photo of the old restored 1876 built Reading station which now serves as a residence. See below.

I understand the building was for sale - deeded as "two" residences, but sold as a whole. The "residence" was for sale some time ago, seems the asking price dropped from $475,000 to $425.000 and it appears to have sold at a bargain $199,999 unless it was a typo. It sits right along the track, but if I recall correctly, there was a line of trees between it and the track on the back side, but it may have been cleared. The platform is long gone.

Along with the depot - to the south (to the left) is an open field with 3 structures - anyone have any details about them? No doubt a surviving old trestle for local coal deliveries (what is that structure actually called?) And then there's the two buildings next to it - not sure the build dates, history, nor ownership of either, or if they are even related to the railroad.  

Google Maps:
Historic Pennington Station (RDG)
16 Railroad Pl, Pennington, NJ 08534
https://maps.app.goo.gl/8cL8u6UbZ3zr3dcS7

Enjoy - and thanks for any details!  I made a duplicate 
post on RYPN the other day but no clues yet. 

/Mitch

PS - there was a tower near by - "Genmoore". Is it still there?

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Some more pics: 

/MItch

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Glemore, later re-named "Glen" by Conrail is long gone. When I find the photo I have, I will post it here.

Hopewell Station (the next stop going east) has similar architectural design. 

Thanks for posting. Who sold the station building at Pennington? CSX or NJT?

RGTower Wrote:
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> Thanks for posting. Who sold the station building
> at Pennington? CSX or NJT?

That's a good question, too.  Most recently, a resident 
sold to another - it's been lived in for some time.  Wiki 
suggests that the station was leased to the Reading 
for 990 years, but does not say who it was leased from.
Odd, as Wiki notes it was built by the Reading as well.

Not sure who originally transfered the property, or if it's 
even still "on lease".  Assume it goes back to Conrail, 
but it could have actually been the Reading itself, with 
 passenger train service ending in 1967.

/Mitch

Regarding the Coal Trestle, I've only heard them being called a coal unloading ramp, never a trestle, at least not that I heard.  The Reading Railroad and predecessors built some outstanding buildings in their time.  Thanks for the photos.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

ClubCar Wrote:
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> Regarding the Coal Trestle, I've only heard them
> being called a coal unloading ramp, never a
> trestle, at least not that I heard.  The Reading
> Railroad and predecessors built some outstanding
> buildings in their time.  Thanks for the photos.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland

Coal pockets..

Posted from Android

Thanks, Mitch, for the pictures and story.  Gerry

I think Pennington and Hopewell have both been in private hands for many years.

Posted from Android

Glen tower from 1981. It was about 1/4 mile north of the North Main St. overpass. A narrow road once led in there off Rt 31, but it was removed some years ago.

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Maybe the $425,000 number was the tax bill, given it is New Jersey. 

Thanks for the interesting pics...

Looks like this is a lovely apartment carved out of the building. About 1700 sf.

Nice terrace on the rail side.

Posted from Android

Thanks 'comet, for the photo of the now demolished tower. 
Too bad...

As for Hopewell Station appearing similar in style - you bet ya!
Located one (former) stop east:  See below - Hopewell Station,
take (gasp) today!

Fascinating story about the township, an anonymous donor and
a dedicated community that invested so much to preserve a part
of their (and our) heritage.  Can't thank them enough - seems
rather rare in this day and age.  Quite an investment!

Princeton Info - "Savign the Hopewell Train Station"
https://princetoninfo.com/saving-the-hopewell-train-station/

/Mitch

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As for the trestle - the only confirmation for the technical term I can find is a listing
for HO scale versions made by Walthers listed on line as "Coal Trestles".  Coal
pockets seems to represent what's beneath the trestle as there are coal pockets 
without trestles.

Looks like the asking price fell from $475,000.00 to $450,000.00 to $425,000.00
over a considerable period of time.  The sale made headlines.  The last listing I
saw said "Pending" with a list price of only $199,000.00.  Shocking if so. 

IF anyone has answers to any unanswered questions above - still all ears - namely
details regarding the 2 structures near the trestle.  I am now also curious who sold
the house for use as a residence - Reading?  Conrail?  The county? 

/Mitch
 

Pretty sure the Reading sold the building. It was not in railroad hands when Conrail came.
Coal trestle is a common term at least on the Readng. It appears on the Val maps. The Val maps would also identify every structure. I don't have a copy of the val map for Pennington or Hopewell but they are at the National archives - ICC records.
RWJ

Mgoldman Wrote:
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> As for the trestle - the only confirmation for the
> technical term I can find is a listing
> for HO scale versions made by Walthers listed on
> line as "Coal Trestles".  Coal
> pockets seems to represent what's beneath the
> trestle as there are coal pockets 
> without trestles.
>
> Looks like the asking price fell from $475,000.00
> to $450,000.00 to $425,000.00
> over a considerable period of time.  The sale
> made headlines.  The last listing I
> saw said "Pending" with a list price of only
> $199,000.00.  Shocking if so. 
>
> IF anyone has answers to any unanswered questions
> above - still all ears - namely
> details regarding the 2 structures near the
> trestle.  I am now also curious who sold
> the house for use as a residence - Reading? 
> Conrail?  The county? 
>
> /Mitch
>  

LV95032 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pretty sure the Reading sold the building. It was
> not in railroad hands when Conrail came.
> Coal trestle is a common term at least on the
> Readng. It appears on the Val maps. The Val maps
> would also identify every structure. I don't have
> a copy of the val map for Pennington or Hopewell
> but they are at the National archives - ICC
> records.
> RWJ

Thanks - great information.  I had never heard of "Val"
maps before - I think because of my browsing history,
I got lucky searching the term "Val" maps as Pennington
was one of the first links to show.  Gotta dig deeper,
but WHAT A FIND!

Not sure if the buildings changed, or the images were a
generalization, but just to see parts of 2019 on a map
from 1876 is mind blowing.

The complex was known as the "Daniel A Clarkson Coal
& Lumber Yard" - I assume that means only the trestle
was railroad owned.  Building's face a different way or
are abscent but it's a great start.

/Mitch
 

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Never heard the term "coal unloading ramp"? Certainly just "Coal Trestle" in Reading Territory. In Tamaqua there were or are the South Tamaqua Coal Pockets which is a shipper of coal but I suppose the sections under a coal trestle could be called pockets. As far as "Val" maps go that is slang for Valuation Maps. There are a great source of property data for railroads over the centuries.
Interesting discussion as I never gave either much thought.
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