High Bridge Branch
Encyclopedia
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The 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) that started in High Bridge
High Bridge, New Jersey
High Bridge is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 3,648.-History:...
, New Jersey
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...
at a connection with the CNJ main line and continued north to iron-ore mines in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
. The line followed the South Branch of the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
for much of its duration.
History
The High Bridge Branch connected to the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
(DL&W)and the Wharton & Northern Railroad just west of Wharton, New Jersey
Wharton, New Jersey
Wharton is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 6,298.What is now Wharton was originally incorporated as the borough of Port Oram by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on June 26, 1895, from portions of Randolph...
and to the Mount Hope Mineral Railroad and the Dover and Rockaway Railroad
Dover and Rockaway Railroad
The Dover and Rockaway Railroad was a section of railroad track completed in 1881 connecting Dover, New Jersey and Rockaway. It formed an important link in the developing American railroad system, connecting major trunks to the New York harbor for freight and provided passenger service to central...
in Wharton. It originally connected with the Chester Branch of the DL&W at Chester just north of U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
, but from Long Valley to Chester became the Chester Branch when the railroad was extended north from long Valley to the Wharton area. The line once carried both freight and passengers, with iron ore being its primary commodity.
Most of the line was abandoned on April 1, 1976 when Conrail assumed operations of the CNJ. The portion from Bartley to High Bridge was converted to a recreation trail, known as the Columbia Trail
Columbia Trail
The Columbia Trail is a rail trail in rural northwestern New Jersey. It was created from portions of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch and stretches from High Bridge, in Hunterdon County, to Flanders, in Morris County for a total of...
and the portion from the crossing of the High Bridge Branch and the DL&W Chester Branch to Main Street, Wharton was abandoned; the portion in Wharton is being converted to a hiking trail.
The northern portion from Bartley to Kenvil
Succasunna-Kenvil, New Jersey
Succasunna-Kenvil is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Roxbury Township, in Morris County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 12,569.-History:...
was purchased by the Morris County on July 1, 1986 and was immediately leased to regional short line
Short line
Short line or Short Line can refer to:*Short-line railroad, an independent railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance...
operator Morristown and Erie Railway
Morristown and Erie Railway
The Morristown and Erie Railway is a freight short line railroad based in Morristown, New Jersey. It operates freight rail service five days a week in Morris County, New Jersey and surrounding areas...
(M&E). Shortly thereafter, a new track connection was built just east of Kenvil with the former DL&W Chester Branch named Ferromonte Junction
Ferromonte Junction
Ferromonte Junction is a railroad junction located in Kenvil, New Jersey. It was originally formed by the crossing at grade of the Central Railroad of New Jersey's High Bridge Branch with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's Chester Branch and the connection to the Ferromonte Railroad...
.
After the county acquisition of the High Bridge Branch, freight customers were sought. The first R. P. Smith & Co., a brick customer near Route 10 in Ledgewood
Ledgewood, New Jersey
Ledgewood is an unincorporated area within Roxbury Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07852....
. Service began to that location on May 2, 1988. Within the next few years, the railroad was opened to Flanders
Flanders, New Jersey
Flanders is an unincorporated area located in Mount Olive Township and parts of Roxbury Township, in southwest Morris County, New Jersey, United States. Flanders is served by the United States Postal Service as ZIP Code 07836....
to a plastic extruding company and ultimately to Bartley where Toys "R" Us built an almost fully automated regional distribution center of 1/2 million square feet with a footprint to expand to 1000000 square feet (92,903 m²). The line currently ends in Bartley, just south of Toys "R" Us.
Local legend
Local legend has named a ghost that haunted the High Bridge Branch in Washington Township just south of Bartley "the Hookerman". It periodically appeared between Naughright and Four Bridges Roads as a yellowish-orange light being swung from side to side as if warning trains to stop.The branch today
There are few remnants of the former High Bridge Branch rail line along the present rail trail, except for the occasional rotting railroad cross tie along the trail. The former wyeWye (railroad)
A wye or triangular junction, in rail terminology, is a triangular shaped arrangement of rail tracks with a switch or set of points at each corner. In mainline railroads, this can be used at a rail junction, where three rail lines join, in order to allow trains to pass from any line to any other...
connection to the CNJ mainline is still partially present in High Bridge in the parking area for the trail as is the CNJ Ken Lockwood Gorge Trestle, high above the South Branch of the Raritan River
Raritan River
The Raritan River is a major river of central New Jersey in the United States. Its watershed drains much of the mountainous area of the central part of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean.-Description:...
in High Bridge. In the late 19th century, the trestle was the site of the worst wreck ever on the High Bridge Branch when it collapsed as a train was going over it, sending several freight cars and at least one locomotive into the river.
There is a small section of track preserved in Califon
Califon, New Jersey
Califon is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 1,076.The town was to originally be called California, but was shortened to Califon in order to fit on the welcome sign...
and a small but rarely open museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
dedicated to the High Bridge Branch history in the beautifully preserved field stone railroad station in the Califon town center.
The saving and restoration to service of the currently active portion of the High Bridge Branch (Bartley - Kenvil) was accomplished by Frank Reilly, Executive Director of the Morris County Department of Transportation Management with cooperation from the late Benjamin Friedland, President of the M&E.
Current status
The remaining northern section of the High Bridge Branch has been owned by Morris County and managed under the auspices of the County's Department of Transportation Management since 1986. It is operated under a lease agreement by the M&E. The branch starts at Ferromonte JunctionFerromonte Junction
Ferromonte Junction is a railroad junction located in Kenvil, New Jersey. It was originally formed by the crossing at grade of the Central Railroad of New Jersey's High Bridge Branch with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's Chester Branch and the connection to the Ferromonte Railroad...
, which is a switch on the M&E Chester Branch. The High Bridge Branch is served five days per week and terminates just west of U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
in Bartley, New Jersey.
South of Bartley to High Bridge is owned by the Hunterdon and Morris Counties' Park Commissions with an easement in perpetuity by the Columbia Gas Company. Bartley to just east of Kenvil is owned by the Morris County Department of Transportation Management, and just east of the County ownership in Kenvil is privately owned. A portion of the former railroad in Wharton is owned by Wharton Borough government.
Timeline
- 1868: the private 1.2 miles (1.9 km) High Bridge Railroad is built to connect the Taylor furnace at High Bridge to the Jersey Central (CNJ) mainline.
- 1872: The High Bridge Railroad obtains a charter to build from High Bridge to a connection at German ValleyLong Valley, New JerseyLong Valley is an unincorporated area located within Washington Township, in Morris County, New Jersey. Known as German Valley since its foundation during the colonial era, the community was renamed in response to anti-German sentiment during World War I...
(Long Valley) with the Chester Railroad, a Morris and EssexMorris and Essex RailroadThe Morris and Essex Railroad was a railroad across northern New Jersey, later part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.-History:...
branch leased by the Delaware, Lackawanna, and WesternDelaware, Lackawanna and Western RailroadThe Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
(DL&W). - 1874: CNJ purchases the Longwood Valley Railroad (chartered in 1867) and completes construction from German Valley to Port OramWharton, New JerseyWharton is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 6,298.What is now Wharton was originally incorporated as the borough of Port Oram by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on June 26, 1895, from portions of Randolph...
(Wharton). The line is opened in 1876. - 1876: CNJ High Bridge Branch is completed and opened for service. With branches on the northern portions extending to iron ore mining operations in Morris County.
- 1881: CNJleases the Ogden Mine RailroadOgden Mine RailroadThe Ogden Mine Railroad was a railroad that existed in the U.S. state of New Jersey from 1866, until it was abandoned in the 1930s.- 1866 - 1881 :...
and begins construction of the Lake Hopatcong Railro ad connection to the High Bridge Branch. - 1881: CNJ leases the Dover & RockawayDover and Rockaway RailroadThe Dover and Rockaway Railroad was a section of railroad track completed in 1881 connecting Dover, New Jersey and Rockaway. It formed an important link in the developing American railroad system, connecting major trunks to the New York harbor for freight and provided passenger service to central...
(organized in 1880) for 999 years. The lease connects the High Bridge Branch to the Hibernia Mine RailroadHibernia Mine RailroadThe Hibernia Mine Railroad was a railroad in Morris County, New Jersey that operated between Hibernia and Rockaway from 1863 to 1946.- History :...
. - 1882: High point of the railroad traffic with 118 cars filled with iron-ore using the tracks in one day.
- 1890: The Hibernia Mine Railroad is leased by the CNJ.
- 1890s: An estimated 50,000 passengers per year ride the excursion trains to Lake HopatcongLake HopatcongLake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in the state of New Jersey, USA, approximately 4 square miles in area. The lake is located in the mountains of northern New Jersey, north of Netcong and along the border between Sussex and Morris counties.The lake is within the borders of four...
on up to six daily passenger trains during the summer months. - 1930: CNJ purchases the Wharton & Northern Railroad, obtaining a connection with the New York, Susquehanna, and WesternNew York, Susquehanna and Western RailwayThe New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway , also known as the Susie-Q, or simply the Susquehanna, is a Class II American freight railway operating over 500 miles of track in the northeastern states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It was formed in 1881 from the merger of several...
at Green Pond Junction. The purchase includes 68% of the Mount Hope Mineral Railroad. By that time, those roads carried freight, but had no scheduled passenger service. - 1930s: Last passenger train runs on the line.
- 1971: CNJ petitions to abandon the High Bridge Branch, but the planned Sears, Roebuck & Company warehouse in Mount Olive TownshipMount Olive Township, New Jersey-Transportation:The major roads that pass through include U.S. Route 46 through the center, U.S. Route 206 in the east and northeast part and Interstate 80 in the north .-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,193 people, 9,068 households, and 6,374 families residing in the...
saves the branch. - 1976: CNJ becomes part of the federally created Conrail system. The High Bridge Branch line is deactivated by Conrail, because it duplicates other routes in the newly created system.
- 1980: The line up to just beyond the Sears warehouse in Flanders is maintained, but the portion south of it from Bartley to High Bridge abandoned.
- July 1, 1986: portion of the High Bridge Branch from Kenvil to Bartley was purchased by the County of Morris; leased for operation and maintenance to the M&E, a regional shortline operator, who continues to operate it today under a lease agreement with the County.
- 1988: first portion of the County owned High Bridge Branch (Kenvil - Ledgewood) was opened on May 2, 1988 with NS business car "Blue Ridge" and one box car load of bricks from Georgia as the entire train. Several officials were on board for the historic re-opening of the northern portion of the railroad.
- 1990s: Columbia Gas TransmissionColumbia Gas TransmissionColumbia Gas Transmission is a natural gas pipeline that gathers gas in the Gulf of Mexico and transports it to New York. It is owned by NiSource. Its FERC code is 21....
of West Virginia construct a gas line under the former rail bed, and the surface rights for the former High Bridge Branch line are transferred to the Hunterdon County Department of Parks and Recreation and Morris County Parks and Recreation for use as a recreational trail, known as Columbia TrailColumbia TrailThe Columbia Trail is a rail trail in rural northwestern New Jersey. It was created from portions of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch and stretches from High Bridge, in Hunterdon County, to Flanders, in Morris County for a total of...
. - 1995: A New Jersey Department of TransportationNew Jersey Department of TransportationThe New Jersey Department of Transportation is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey. It is headed by the Commissioner of Transportation...
Rail Freight Program grant was obtained by the County to restore the railroad to FRA Class 2 track. - 2004: The Columbia TrailColumbia TrailThe Columbia Trail is a rail trail in rural northwestern New Jersey. It was created from portions of the former Central Railroad of New Jersey High Bridge Branch and stretches from High Bridge, in Hunterdon County, to Flanders, in Morris County for a total of...
was resurfaced by the county parks departments. - 2009: M&E occasionally operates a special passenger train over the High Bridge Branch as a fund raiser for various non-profit organizations.