Cape May Seashore Lines
Encyclopedia
Cape May Seashore Lines is a short line railroad in southern New Jersey
. It offers two excursion services; a 30-mile round trip between Richland
and Tuckahoe
, and a 14-mile round trip between Rio Grande
, Cold Spring Village, and Cape May City. The track is owned by New Jersey Transit
and leased to CMSL. Connections are provided with Conrail's Beesley's Point Secondary, owned jointly by CSX and Norfolk Southern, at the north end in Tuckahoe. Tony Macrie has been president of CMSL since the company was formed in 1984.
CMSL operates both freight trains and excursion trains.
and later Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
(PRSL). At one time, the rail line that both excursions travel on was known as "The Steel Speedway To The Shore." Eventually it became part of Conrail, which ended passenger service on the line in 1981, ended freight service on October 10, 1983 and sold the line to New Jersey Transit as their Cape May Branch.
CMSL was founded by Tony Macrie in January 1984. Regular train service between Cape May Court House
and Cold Spring Village began in 1996. Service was extended in Cape May City in 1999 after repairs to the swing bridge
crossing the Cape May Canal
were completed.
In 2005, mechanical issues with the Cape May Canal swing bridge prevented trains from entering the city of Cape May. Although the bridge was repaired a year later, a severe storm in April 2007 damaged the tracks and left locomotives stranded in Tuckahoe. After a series of minor setbacks, passenger train service between Rio Grande and Cape May City resumed on August 17, 2010.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It offers two excursion services; a 30-mile round trip between Richland
Richland, New Jersey
Richland is an unincorporated area within Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08350....
and Tuckahoe
Tuckahoe, New Jersey
Tuckahoe is an unincorporated community in Upper Township, Cape May County, New Jersey, United States.-Bridge construction:A bridge, constructed in 1920 and renovated in 1962, connects Tuckahoe to Corbin City, its neighbor to the north...
, and a 14-mile round trip between Rio Grande
Rio Grande, New Jersey
Rio Grande is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Cold Spring Village, and Cape May City. The track is owned by New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
and leased to CMSL. Connections are provided with Conrail's Beesley's Point Secondary, owned jointly by CSX and Norfolk Southern, at the north end in Tuckahoe. Tony Macrie has been president of CMSL since the company was formed in 1984.
CMSL operates both freight trains and excursion trains.
History
The line to Cape May was built by the Tuckahoe and Cape May Railroad, and operated by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway's Atlantic City RailroadAtlantic City Railroad
The Atlantic City Railroad was a Philadelphia and Reading Railway subsidiary that became part of Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines in 1933.- History :...
and later Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines
Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines was a railroad that operated in southern New Jersey in the 20th century. It was created as a joint venture of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Reading Company .- History :...
(PRSL). At one time, the rail line that both excursions travel on was known as "The Steel Speedway To The Shore." Eventually it became part of Conrail, which ended passenger service on the line in 1981, ended freight service on October 10, 1983 and sold the line to New Jersey Transit as their Cape May Branch.
CMSL was founded by Tony Macrie in January 1984. Regular train service between Cape May Court House
Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Cape May Court House is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 4,704...
and Cold Spring Village began in 1996. Service was extended in Cape May City in 1999 after repairs to the swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
crossing the Cape May Canal
Cape May Canal
The Cape May Canal is a waterway that stretches nearly three miles from Cape May Harbor to the Delaware Bay, at the southern tip of Cape May County, New Jersey. The canal was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War II to provide a protected route to avoid German...
were completed.
In 2005, mechanical issues with the Cape May Canal swing bridge prevented trains from entering the city of Cape May. Although the bridge was repaired a year later, a severe storm in April 2007 damaged the tracks and left locomotives stranded in Tuckahoe. After a series of minor setbacks, passenger train service between Rio Grande and Cape May City resumed on August 17, 2010.
Roster
The CMSL owns and leases a diverse roster of equipment:- restored Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR) GP9GP9GP9 can refer to:* EMD GP9, a diesel locomotive* Glycoprotein IX, a human gene...
#7000; - restored Central Railroad of New JerseyCentral Railroad of New JerseyThe Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
(CNJ) GP7 #1523 (Macrie is looking into leasing *1524 as well); - restored, nine of the 12 original PRSL Budd Rail Diesel CarBudd Rail Diesel CarThe Budd Rail Diesel Car, RDC or Buddliner is a self-propelled diesel multiple unit railcar. In the period 1949–62, 398 RDCs were built by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
s (RDC); - two unrestored Boston and Maine Railroad RDC-9s
- two unrestored P70 coaches;
- New York Central RailroadNew York Central RailroadThe New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
passenger car 37; - Lehigh Valley RailroadLehigh Valley RailroadThe Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
F7A's #576 and #578; - several United Railroad Historical Society coaches;
- unrestored Long Island Rail RoadLong Island Rail RoadThe Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
lounge car; - several unrestored un-numbered PRR P70 coaches, including the last two surviving PRSL P70 coaches;
- two cabooseCabooseA caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...
s; - an RS3mRS3mThe RS3m is a diesel locomotive rebuilt from an ALCO RS-3 road switcher. There are many variations with various spotting features, the common features being the ALCO RS-3 frame, trucks, and usually cab and short hood...
, formerly Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania RailroadThe Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
8481, owned by CMSL and wearing faded Conrail blue