Raritan River Freight Station
Encyclopedia
The Raritan River Freight Station is the only surviving station of the Raritan River Railroad
and is located in Milltown, New Jersey
. It is currently owned by Conrail.
running day and night. And with the rail, the industry of Milltown flourished. On March 24, 1934, the station had gotten a express system and a Railway Express agent to ship mail and cargo through the Raritan River Railroad
(RRRR). As World War I
hit the United States
, the train has become busier, with an average of 22 passenger trains running per day. And with the ammunition plant in Sayreville, about 9000 passengers came through the station per day. But in the 1930s, the Depression hit Milltown and the station hard. The Michelin Tire Company (the former Meyer Company) left the mill, making freight volumes go down by nearly 50%. The freight station was almost abandoned in favor of buses, and fewer passenger trains stopped there. By 1938, there was only one passenger train left that stopped in the station. New Brunswick and South Amboy also had services choked off. By April, barely anyone would enter the station. Even the express freight would not pass through the station again. Though the station was in business, the trains didn't move as fast; not much would change over the next 30 years. World War II
brought a temporary surge of traffic to the station, as well as dirt and sand for the construction of the New Jersey Turnpike
in the 1950s. Steam engines get replaced by diesel engines in 1956, and the Lawrence Brook Mill gets rented to a few other companies. It kept the line connected, but rarely used. After that, only packages would go in and out of the station; the freight used was called the Less-Car-Load freight. But this service was discontinued in the 1960s. There was a transition from an industrial based to a commercial based economy in New Jersey. In the early 1970s, the RRRR had been subsequently owned by the Central Jersey Railroad Company, which had been bankrupt since 1967. In 1971, Penn Central Railroad also went bankrupt. The Consolidated Railroad Company (Conrail) was created by the US government to acquire all of the bankrupt companies such as Penn Central; it was necessary to keep freight moving for the economy in 1976. Amtrak
was created for the same goal in 1971; only it was to move people from city to city. The RRRR would not join the 1976 Conrail system, not until April 1980 was it absorbed into Conrail because all of the freight's parent companies had been absorbed.
Raritan River Railroad
The Raritan River Rail Road was a twelve-mile shortline railroad founded in 1888 and based in South Amboy, New Jersey, U.S., which ran as far as New Brunswick, New Jersey. It served both passengers and freight in its heyday and operated profitably throughout much of its existence...
and is located in Milltown, New Jersey
Milltown, New Jersey
Milltown is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,893.Milltown was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 29, 1889, from portions of North Brunswick Township, based on the...
. It is currently owned by Conrail.
History
The freight station was built in he early 1900s, it was a shelter that had been renovated to a station. The first passenger train had reached Milltown in 1891, possibly because at that time, the Meyer Company has the Lawrence Brook MillLawrence Brook Mill
The Lawrence Brook Mill, formerly Bergen's Mill is a closed gristmill located in Milltown, NJ. It is made up of a fulling mill, a press house, a water tower, a chimney, and various worker dwellings.-History:...
running day and night. And with the rail, the industry of Milltown flourished. On March 24, 1934, the station had gotten a express system and a Railway Express agent to ship mail and cargo through the Raritan River Railroad
Raritan River Railroad
The Raritan River Rail Road was a twelve-mile shortline railroad founded in 1888 and based in South Amboy, New Jersey, U.S., which ran as far as New Brunswick, New Jersey. It served both passengers and freight in its heyday and operated profitably throughout much of its existence...
(RRRR). As World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
hit the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the train has become busier, with an average of 22 passenger trains running per day. And with the ammunition plant in Sayreville, about 9000 passengers came through the station per day. But in the 1930s, the Depression hit Milltown and the station hard. The Michelin Tire Company (the former Meyer Company) left the mill, making freight volumes go down by nearly 50%. The freight station was almost abandoned in favor of buses, and fewer passenger trains stopped there. By 1938, there was only one passenger train left that stopped in the station. New Brunswick and South Amboy also had services choked off. By April, barely anyone would enter the station. Even the express freight would not pass through the station again. Though the station was in business, the trains didn't move as fast; not much would change over the next 30 years. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought a temporary surge of traffic to the station, as well as dirt and sand for the construction of the New Jersey Turnpike
New Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
in the 1950s. Steam engines get replaced by diesel engines in 1956, and the Lawrence Brook Mill gets rented to a few other companies. It kept the line connected, but rarely used. After that, only packages would go in and out of the station; the freight used was called the Less-Car-Load freight. But this service was discontinued in the 1960s. There was a transition from an industrial based to a commercial based economy in New Jersey. In the early 1970s, the RRRR had been subsequently owned by the Central Jersey Railroad Company, which had been bankrupt since 1967. In 1971, Penn Central Railroad also went bankrupt. The Consolidated Railroad Company (Conrail) was created by the US government to acquire all of the bankrupt companies such as Penn Central; it was necessary to keep freight moving for the economy in 1976. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
was created for the same goal in 1971; only it was to move people from city to city. The RRRR would not join the 1976 Conrail system, not until April 1980 was it absorbed into Conrail because all of the freight's parent companies had been absorbed.