Rockaway Valley Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Rockaway Valley Railroad, affectionately known as the Rock-A-Bye Baby, was an American
short line. Built from a connection with the Central Railroad of New Jersey
(CNJ) mainline in White House Station, New Jersey
the railroad traveled north to Watnong, New Jersey (about 2 miles from the center of Morristown, New Jersey
), a total distance of approximately 25 miles (about 40 km). The railroad was constructed between 1888 and 1892, predominantly to ship peaches from orchards that were abundant along the southern part of the line, but it also carried passengers and other freight along the entire route. The Rockaway Valley Railroad (RVRR) ceased operation in 1913 and was abandoned in 1917. Much of the old railbed is now part of a rail-trail.
It should be noted that the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
investigated building a line from Morristown, New Jersey
to Mendham, New Jersey
(basically the northern half of the RVRR as built), estimating that it would cost $27,000 a mile or more to build, but declined to do so, not so much because of the cost but because it thought that the extension would never be profitable. The chief engineer of the RVRR, John E.V. Melick, on the other hand, stated that the line could be built for $15,000 or less a mile and would be immensely profitable. Ultimately, in their own ways, both Melick and the Lackawanna would be proven right: Melick, in that he could build the RVRR for $15,000 per mile; and the Lackawanna, in that the extra $12,000 per mile was justified, and, most importantly, that the line would never be profitable. (As chief engineer, Melick would also go on to build one more railroad, the Morristown and Erie Railway
(built as the Whippany River Railroad), a line that the RVRR had hoped one day to link up with in Morristown. The M&E's original line was so poorly and cheaply engineered by Melick that the entire line had to be relocated and rebuilt three years later.) The RVRR, whose engineering problems bore a striking resemblance to those of the M&E's, wasn't as lucky and was forced to endure the curse of the railroad equivalent of "you only get what you pay for" until its rails were finally pulled up.
). This was based on Melick's original $15,000 per mile estimate. Much of this funding came from local peach growers who stood to gain from a rail connection to transport their perishable crop to market. The initial grading began on May 17, 1888. All work was performed using pick
s, shovel
s and wheel barrows. A steam locomotive
, an old 4-4-0
, was christened as the P.W. Melick (John E.V. Melick's father), and was put to work constructing the line, hauling railroad ties and railroad track. Although the line to Watnong would not be fully completed until August 1892, revenue started flowing into the railroad's coffers in 1888, as gross income for that year amounted to a rather modest $992.46.
In 1889, the railroad pushed northward another 4 miles to Pottersville, New Jersey
. This section, built as the Rockaway Valley Extension Railroad, required that $70,000 in stock be sold. Black River Falls, an early tourist attraction
, was located a short distance from the depot
in Pottersville. Fortunately for the railroad, the first 8 miles to Pottersville was almost entirely flat and required no significant feats of engineering.
The next 4 miles (6.4 km) extension, from Pottersville north to Peapack, New Jersey, however, would create a virtual rollercoaster ride. This section would feature an "L"-shaped climb up a 2%-3.5% grade, with a 4% drop on the other side of the hill, and a 400 feet (121.9 m), 25 feet (7.6 m) wooden trestle, the only significant structure on the railroad. Starting late in 1889, and then after the Spring thaw in 1890, work on the Rockaway Valley Peapack Extension Railroad was performed. The railroad would bypass the Lackawanna's Peapack station
by nearly a half a mile (roughly 1 km). It's not entirely clear why Melick chose to avoid Peapack, but more than likely cost was the reason, as this section was funded for only $70,000, and any significant deviation in route in an easternly direction towards Peapack would have required much more funding from stockholders.
It was at this point in time that talks between RVRR backers and the Lackawanna Railroad took place in the hope of luring the Lackawanna's deep pockets into building a line from Morristown to a connection with the RVRR at Mendham. Unbeknownst to the RVRR's backers, however, the Lackawanna had already surveyed numerous routes to Mendham and had rejected all of them. The Lackawanna's management—or more exactly, the Morris and Essex Railroad
's management—would pay lip service
to building the line, but would never seriously pursue the project. It should be pointed out that the Lackawanna, like all well-managed railroads of the time, had planners whose jobs it was to objectively evaluate the potential profitability of new routes. The RVRR, on the other hand, only had John Melick, and he was, apparently, far from objective regarding this matter.
As such, construction on the extension from Peapack to Mendham, New Jersey
started on August 26, 1890 under the Rockaway Valley Mendham Extension Railroad Company, although the company wouldn't be legally incorporated for another 3 weeks. The first train to Mendham ran on June 25, 1891. Engineering-wise the section to Mendham, which also passed through the town of Ralston, New Jersey, was relatively unremarkable by RVRR standards, although the 1.8% grade northward to Mendham would have been significant for many other railroads.
On a rail profile map the "final" 7 miles from Mendham to Watnong (2 miles from Morristown) appears as a gently downhill ride into the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey
. Built as the Rockaway Valley Morristown Extension Railroad, the first train arrived in Watnong in early August 1892. Of all the sections of RVRR right-of-way, this would prove to be the most problematic, as the last several miles into Watnong traversed a swamp
. For most railroads this would have required that extra fill material and ballast be placed in order to build up the right-of-way well above the surrounding water table
. But the RVRR constructed the section through Washington Valley (near Milepost 22), very much like every other section on the railroad. The result: this section, particularly during wet periods, would almost literally sink into the muck.
s were common on the RVRR over the years, although none appear to have been serious. The speed limit along the line was never documented, but it is unlikely that given the track condition, and the small locomotives that the railroad used, that trains ever exceeded 50 miles per hour.
That Chief Engineer Melick built cheaply and badly should not have come as any surprise as Melick had no formal training as a civil engineer
and knew very little about railroading either. Indeed, he seemed much better suited in his role as a marketeer, than as a builder, of the RVRR project. To emphasize this point, in 1907, some 17 years after the railroad opened for business, the New Jersey Railroad Commissioners inspected the railroad and issued a report that was highly critical of the engineering of the RVRR. In part, the report stated:
The road extends from White House to Watnong, a distance of 24½ miles with 2 miles of sidings. It is a very crooked line with heavy grades and curves, built upon the same plan as a trolley
, up and down, without regard to grade or line. [The ruling grade was 4% near Peapack, New Jersey.] The track is laid with mostly 50 and 56 pound [per yard; 25 and 28 kg/m] rail, badly worn [at the time of the report, 80-to-90-pound-per-yard (40 to 45 kg/m) rail was considered to be standard]. The road is ballasted for about 4 miles with cinders in small quantities, the remainder is mud, and for miles ties lie on top of the ground with no ballast
. Cuts and fills are light. Two mixed trains are run each day on which passengers are carried. The road's equipment includes one old coach and an engine which has been furnished by the Central Railroad of New Jersey
for 6 dollars a day. The superintendent of the road is doing all he can to maintain the road with the means at his command.
As a result of this inspection, the railroad's speed limit was lowered to 18 miles per hour, and 10 miles per hour over all but the shortest bridges. The Commissioners indicated that 3,500 railroad ties be replaced on the line and that all bridges be reinforced. Many of the bridges would eventually be reinforced, some of this work oddly occurring after the railroad was closed in 1913.
Future inspections in 1908 and 1910 were equally critical of the physical plant of the railroad, and more tiework was demanded, but the RVRR had even bigger problems to deal with, such as meeting its payroll and preventing the railroad from entering bankruptcy
.
, which terminated two miles from the northern terminus of the RVRR at Watnong, or to connect with the Morris County Traction Company
in Morristown. There was even talk of extending the line to Montclair, New Jersey
, or with Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital
in Morris Plains, New Jersey
. All of these proposals were unrealistic given the railroad's financial position, but it didn't stop the RVRR from starting construction on the final segment to Morristown in October, 1910. Perhaps it was believed that if the final section were completed that it would reverse the railroad's fortunes.
Difficulties, both financial and geological, however, conspired against this section from ever being completed. The first mile above Watnong would prove to be an engineering nightmare and would require the building of a line that resembled a camel's hump, with Speedwell Avenue at the top of the hump. On either side of the Speedwell Avenue "hump" lay a half-mile of rock that would require the use of blasting just to obtain an 8% grade. To put this in perspective, an 8% grade is considered excessive even for highway construction (U.S. Interstate Highway standards, for instance, dictate a maximum of 3% grade construction, with a waiver required for any grade exceeding 3%, up to a 6% grade, but only under extraordinary circumstances). Proper construction would have requiredabout a 100 feet (30.5 m) cut, one-mile in length, similar to what was being constructed virtually at the same time on the Lackawanna Cut-Off some 20 miles distant. Even if the extension had been completed it is unclear whether any locomotive could have physically pulled itself up the 8% grade, must less a train of any length.
In the end, all construction on the extension was halted by 1912. There just wasn't any money left, and the railroad couldn't meet its payroll. As it would turn out, standard gauge
tracks were never laid upon the extension (only narrow gauge
), and dreams of a bigger RVRR never materialized.
Had the railroad managed delayed abandonment and expanded to Morristown, inroads by trucks during the 1920s would have eventually killed it anyway even if Melick's construction practices hadn't already effectively done the same thing.
, which killed thousands of peach
trees, there was very little in the way of peaches being shipped via the RVRR. This was a severe blow to whatever financial stability was left, as the annual peach crop, although never truly dependable, was the railroad's raison d'être. (In 1894, an all-time record of 324 carloads of peaches—243,000 baskets—were shipped. By 1905, this would have dropped to almost zero.) The railroad's second largest freight item, Anthracite coal
, never amounted to more than about 20% of the railroad company's annual income, and was insufficient to stave off receivership
.
Adding to the RVRR's instability was its dependency on the Central Railroad of New Jersey
. At any point during the RVRR's history, the CNJ could have jumped in and taken over the railroad's operation and saved it; but it never did. Presumably, the CNJ had an opinion of the RVRR that was similar to the Lackawanna's, and as long as the RVRR continued to pay haulage fees to the CNJ there was no problem. However, when the RVRR's financial situation became dire in 1912-13, the CNJ was the first to demand weekly, instead of monthly, payments from the railroad. This was an ominous sign and the end of the road was not far away.
, it offered free freight shipping from its depot in Watnong, which was about 2 miles outside of town. This feature was unique to the RVRR. This proved to be a significant incentive and reportedly the railroad, for as long as it operated, was the predominant freight shipper in Morristown, besting the big railroad in town, the Lackawanna Railroad, by a significant margin.
The RVRR was also known for holding trains for passengers that were late, including school children who used the railroad to commute to school. In one story, a woman, Miss Sue Blackford, recounted a story from about 1900 when she took a trip to New Germantown (now Oldwick, New Jersey
) and attempted to pay for her mother and herself with a five-dollar bill. As the conductor didn't have change for so large a bill, he asked where Miss Blackford was staying in New Germantown and, sure enough, the next morning delivered her change in person...after walking about a half-mile from his waiting train. Miss Blackford also helped dispel the notion that the moniker "Rock-A-Bye Baby" meant that passengers were gently rocked to sleep aboard the RVRR. She stated, in a letter quoted in Thomas Taber's book on the RVRR, that patrons "were 'rocked', but not to sleep".
The "last" train to Watnong ran on October 18, 1913, which picked up any freight cars that remained on the railroad, returning them to White House. The railroad's two locomotives were also returned to the Jersey Central, and the railroad's two passenger coaches were placed on a siding. Finally, the railroad's 30 employees were laid off.
Attempts to resuscitate the railroad, however, continued. The major issue would be the Jersey Central's requirement of a $30,000 bond to cover the interchange of cars, the CNJ claiming that the RVRR still owed it $15,000 from its previous operation. This would prove to be an insurmountable obstacle. Even so, one (truly) last train was run on June 10, 1914, which went up to Watnong, also delivering a car of lath to the siding at Mendham (see photo above) This freight car would never move again and would rot in place at Mendham until the railroad itself was finally scrapped. In what would be the first in a whole litany of nonsensical improvements to the line, a 135 feet (41.1 m) coaldock (sufficient to dump four cars of coal simultaneously) would be completed near Peapack in 1913, shortly after the line closed; it would never be used.
Over the subsequent two years, more than $65,000 would be spent to rehabilitate the line: replacing ties, reinforcing bridges, and filling in most of the Peapack trestle. Further proposals included the electrification of the line, connecting to the Morristown & Erie at Morristown, and even extending the line eastward to Paterson, New Jersey
and southward to Flemington, New Jersey
. The latter plan, however, was to have cost an estimated $1 million, and called for the complete abandonment of the RVRR right-of-way, with a new line to be built nearby.
In December 1915, the RVRR (actually, at that point, corporately the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Railroad) was reorganized as the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Railroad. Technically speaking, the Rockaway Valley Railroad had ceased to exist as a corporate entity in December 1904, having been merged into the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Railroad at that time. Over its 29 years of corporate life, the RVRR would exist as part of nine different corporations and numerous receiverships. The bizarre coda for this company would finally play out in 1917 with calls of a "sneaky" abandonment.
, at upwards of $80 per ton, during World War I
. A photo from the era (see New Jersey Skylands magazine link below) shows Allen, a man who was in his seventies at the time, standing in front of his Model T Ford, equipped with flanged wheels that enabled the automobile to ride on the rails, pulling a flat car that was being loaded with rail segments that were being pulled off the railbed.
), most of the right-of-way remains intact, much of it publicly or quasi-publicly owned. For instance, the right-of-way comprises part of Patriot's Path, as well as a right-of-way carrying fiber-optic cable. A full inventory of the right-of-way, however, still needs to be performed.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
short line. Built from a connection with the Central Railroad of New Jersey
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) mainline in White House Station, New Jersey
White House Station, New Jersey
Whitehouse Station is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Readington Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. At the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 2,089. Whitehouse Station takes its name from Whitehouse and Abraham Van Horn's 18th Century Tavern...
the railroad traveled north to Watnong, New Jersey (about 2 miles from the center of Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
), a total distance of approximately 25 miles (about 40 km). The railroad was constructed between 1888 and 1892, predominantly to ship peaches from orchards that were abundant along the southern part of the line, but it also carried passengers and other freight along the entire route. The Rockaway Valley Railroad (RVRR) ceased operation in 1913 and was abandoned in 1917. Much of the old railbed is now part of a rail-trail.
Why it was built
During the railroad building craze of the late 19th century a number of railroads of various sizes were built in the USA that for financial reasons probably should never have been built. The overly zealous backers for building these railroads saw nothing but profits, throwing caution to the wind, when more level-headed thinking was needed. The RVRR was one of these railroads. Indeed, from the beginning the RVRR suffered from a number of problems that sooner or later would seal its doom: namely, it was poorly financed; it served no large cities, and only ran to the outskirts of one medium-sized town; it had no significant industry located along its route; it relied heavily on a seasonal and unpredictable crop for revenue; it interchanged with only one railroad, which held it "captive"; it was built as cheaply as possible; and it was poorly maintained.It should be noted that the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
Delaware, 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...
investigated building a line from Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
to Mendham, New Jersey
Mendham, New Jersey
Mendham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,097.While New Jersey was an English colony, Mendham Township was formed on March 29, 1749 as a new governmental entity, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township,...
(basically the northern half of the RVRR as built), estimating that it would cost $27,000 a mile or more to build, but declined to do so, not so much because of the cost but because it thought that the extension would never be profitable. The chief engineer of the RVRR, John E.V. Melick, on the other hand, stated that the line could be built for $15,000 or less a mile and would be immensely profitable. Ultimately, in their own ways, both Melick and the Lackawanna would be proven right: Melick, in that he could build the RVRR for $15,000 per mile; and the Lackawanna, in that the extra $12,000 per mile was justified, and, most importantly, that the line would never be profitable. (As chief engineer, Melick would also go on to build one more railroad, the 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...
(built as the Whippany River Railroad), a line that the RVRR had hoped one day to link up with in Morristown. The M&E's original line was so poorly and cheaply engineered by Melick that the entire line had to be relocated and rebuilt three years later.) The RVRR, whose engineering problems bore a striking resemblance to those of the M&E's, wasn't as lucky and was forced to endure the curse of the railroad equivalent of "you only get what you pay for" until its rails were finally pulled up.
Planning and construction
The line was built in stages, from south to north, as funding became available. By February, 1888, Melick had obtained sufficient money, $60,000 from sales of stock, to begin building the southernmost 4 miles from White House to New Germantown (Oldwick, New JerseyOldwick, New Jersey
Oldwick is an unincorporated area within Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08858. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 08858 was 177.Oldwick was formerly known as...
). This was based on Melick's original $15,000 per mile estimate. Much of this funding came from local peach growers who stood to gain from a rail connection to transport their perishable crop to market. The initial grading began on May 17, 1888. All work was performed using pick
Pickaxe
A pickaxe or pick is a hand tool with a hard head attached perpendicular to the handle.Some people make the distinction that a pickaxe has a head with a pointed end and a flat end, and a pick has both ends pointed, or only one end; but most people use the words to mean the same thing.The head is...
s, shovel
Shovel
A shovel is a tool for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials, such as soil, coal, gravel, snow, sand, or ore. Shovels are extremely common tools that are used extensively in agriculture, construction, and gardening....
s and wheel barrows. A steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, an old 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
, was christened as the P.W. Melick (John E.V. Melick's father), and was put to work constructing the line, hauling railroad ties and railroad track. Although the line to Watnong would not be fully completed until August 1892, revenue started flowing into the railroad's coffers in 1888, as gross income for that year amounted to a rather modest $992.46.
In 1889, the railroad pushed northward another 4 miles to Pottersville, New Jersey
Pottersville, New Jersey
Pottersville is an unincorporated area split within Bedminster Township in Somerset County and Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States...
. This section, built as the Rockaway Valley Extension Railroad, required that $70,000 in stock be sold. Black River Falls, an early tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
, was located a short distance from the depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
in Pottersville. Fortunately for the railroad, the first 8 miles to Pottersville was almost entirely flat and required no significant feats of engineering.
The next 4 miles (6.4 km) extension, from Pottersville north to Peapack, New Jersey, however, would create a virtual rollercoaster ride. This section would feature an "L"-shaped climb up a 2%-3.5% grade, with a 4% drop on the other side of the hill, and a 400 feet (121.9 m), 25 feet (7.6 m) wooden trestle, the only significant structure on the railroad. Starting late in 1889, and then after the Spring thaw in 1890, work on the Rockaway Valley Peapack Extension Railroad was performed. The railroad would bypass the Lackawanna's Peapack station
Peapack (NJT station)
Peapack Station is a New Jersey Transit station in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey along the Gladstone Branch of the Morris and Essex line....
by nearly a half a mile (roughly 1 km). It's not entirely clear why Melick chose to avoid Peapack, but more than likely cost was the reason, as this section was funded for only $70,000, and any significant deviation in route in an easternly direction towards Peapack would have required much more funding from stockholders.
It was at this point in time that talks between RVRR backers and the Lackawanna Railroad took place in the hope of luring the Lackawanna's deep pockets into building a line from Morristown to a connection with the RVRR at Mendham. Unbeknownst to the RVRR's backers, however, the Lackawanna had already surveyed numerous routes to Mendham and had rejected all of them. The Lackawanna's management—or more exactly, the Morris and Essex Railroad
Morris and Essex Railroad
The 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:...
's management—would pay lip service
Lip Service
Lip service is an idiom meaning 'giving approval or support insincerely' .Lip service may also refer to:- Television :* Lip Service , a 2010 dramatic series broadcast on BBC Three...
to building the line, but would never seriously pursue the project. It should be pointed out that the Lackawanna, like all well-managed railroads of the time, had planners whose jobs it was to objectively evaluate the potential profitability of new routes. The RVRR, on the other hand, only had John Melick, and he was, apparently, far from objective regarding this matter.
As such, construction on the extension from Peapack to Mendham, New Jersey
Mendham, New Jersey
Mendham is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,097.While New Jersey was an English colony, Mendham Township was formed on March 29, 1749 as a new governmental entity, from portions of Hanover Township, Morris Township,...
started on August 26, 1890 under the Rockaway Valley Mendham Extension Railroad Company, although the company wouldn't be legally incorporated for another 3 weeks. The first train to Mendham ran on June 25, 1891. Engineering-wise the section to Mendham, which also passed through the town of Ralston, New Jersey, was relatively unremarkable by RVRR standards, although the 1.8% grade northward to Mendham would have been significant for many other railroads.
On a rail profile map the "final" 7 miles from Mendham to Watnong (2 miles from Morristown) appears as a gently downhill ride into the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey
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....
. Built as the Rockaway Valley Morristown Extension Railroad, the first train arrived in Watnong in early August 1892. Of all the sections of RVRR right-of-way, this would prove to be the most problematic, as the last several miles into Watnong traversed a swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
. For most railroads this would have required that extra fill material and ballast be placed in order to build up the right-of-way well above the surrounding water table
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
. But the RVRR constructed the section through Washington Valley (near Milepost 22), very much like every other section on the railroad. The result: this section, particularly during wet periods, would almost literally sink into the muck.
Consequences of poor construction
DerailmentDerailment
A derailment is an accident on a railway or tramway in which a rail vehicle, or part or all of a train, leaves the tracks on which it is travelling, with consequent damage and in many cases injury and/or death....
s were common on the RVRR over the years, although none appear to have been serious. The speed limit along the line was never documented, but it is unlikely that given the track condition, and the small locomotives that the railroad used, that trains ever exceeded 50 miles per hour.
That Chief Engineer Melick built cheaply and badly should not have come as any surprise as Melick had no formal training as a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and knew very little about railroading either. Indeed, he seemed much better suited in his role as a marketeer, than as a builder, of the RVRR project. To emphasize this point, in 1907, some 17 years after the railroad opened for business, the New Jersey Railroad Commissioners inspected the railroad and issued a report that was highly critical of the engineering of the RVRR. In part, the report stated:
The road extends from White House to Watnong, a distance of 24½ miles with 2 miles of sidings. It is a very crooked line with heavy grades and curves, built upon the same plan as a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
, up and down, without regard to grade or line. [The ruling grade was 4% near Peapack, New Jersey.] The track is laid with mostly 50 and 56 pound [per yard; 25 and 28 kg/m] rail, badly worn [at the time of the report, 80-to-90-pound-per-yard (40 to 45 kg/m) rail was considered to be standard]. The road is ballasted for about 4 miles with cinders in small quantities, the remainder is mud, and for miles ties lie on top of the ground with no ballast
Track ballast
Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railway sleepers or railroad ties are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to facilitate drainage of water, to distribute the load from the railroad ties, and also to keep down vegetation that might interfere with the track...
. Cuts and fills are light. Two mixed trains are run each day on which passengers are carried. The road's equipment includes one old coach and an engine which has been furnished by the Central Railroad of New Jersey
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...
for 6 dollars a day. The superintendent of the road is doing all he can to maintain the road with the means at his command.
As a result of this inspection, the railroad's speed limit was lowered to 18 miles per hour, and 10 miles per hour over all but the shortest bridges. The Commissioners indicated that 3,500 railroad ties be replaced on the line and that all bridges be reinforced. Many of the bridges would eventually be reinforced, some of this work oddly occurring after the railroad was closed in 1913.
Future inspections in 1908 and 1910 were equally critical of the physical plant of the railroad, and more tiework was demanded, but the RVRR had even bigger problems to deal with, such as meeting its payroll and preventing the railroad from entering bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
Extension into Morristown
In spite of the RVRR's growing financial problems, the railroad pushed its plan to complete its line into Morristown. The hope was to connect to the Morristown and Erie RailwayMorristown 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...
, which terminated two miles from the northern terminus of the RVRR at Watnong, or to connect with the Morris County Traction Company
Morris County Traction Company
The Morris County Traction Company began trolley service in downtown Dover, New Jersey in July 1904. It was expanded over the years until the system was completed in 1914 all the way to Newark, New Jersey, via Morristown, New Jersey and Summit, New Jersey....
in Morristown. There was even talk of extending the line to Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, or with Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital refers to both the former psychiatric hospital and the historic building that it occupied in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township .A new facility was built on the large Greystone campus and bears...
in Morris Plains, New Jersey
Morris Plains, New Jersey
Morris Plains, billing itself "the Community of Caring," is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,236....
. All of these proposals were unrealistic given the railroad's financial position, but it didn't stop the RVRR from starting construction on the final segment to Morristown in October, 1910. Perhaps it was believed that if the final section were completed that it would reverse the railroad's fortunes.
Difficulties, both financial and geological, however, conspired against this section from ever being completed. The first mile above Watnong would prove to be an engineering nightmare and would require the building of a line that resembled a camel's hump, with Speedwell Avenue at the top of the hump. On either side of the Speedwell Avenue "hump" lay a half-mile of rock that would require the use of blasting just to obtain an 8% grade. To put this in perspective, an 8% grade is considered excessive even for highway construction (U.S. Interstate Highway standards, for instance, dictate a maximum of 3% grade construction, with a waiver required for any grade exceeding 3%, up to a 6% grade, but only under extraordinary circumstances). Proper construction would have requiredabout a 100 feet (30.5 m) cut, one-mile in length, similar to what was being constructed virtually at the same time on the Lackawanna Cut-Off some 20 miles distant. Even if the extension had been completed it is unclear whether any locomotive could have physically pulled itself up the 8% grade, must less a train of any length.
In the end, all construction on the extension was halted by 1912. There just wasn't any money left, and the railroad couldn't meet its payroll. As it would turn out, standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tracks were never laid upon the extension (only narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
), and dreams of a bigger RVRR never materialized.
Had the railroad managed delayed abandonment and expanded to Morristown, inroads by trucks during the 1920s would have eventually killed it anyway even if Melick's construction practices hadn't already effectively done the same thing.
Financial problems
A synopsis of the RVRR's financial woes would fill a small volume, but essentially the railroad's problems were related to a combination of inadequate financing and inadequate income. Indeed, the "good" years never quite made up for the bad years. And after 1900 (and particularly after 1904), due to the San Jose ScaleSan Jose scale
San Jose scale is a hemipterous insect in the family Diaspididae. It is an agricultural pest as it causes damage and crop losses to many fruit crops.-Distribution:...
, which killed thousands of peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
trees, there was very little in the way of peaches being shipped via the RVRR. This was a severe blow to whatever financial stability was left, as the annual peach crop, although never truly dependable, was the railroad's raison d'être. (In 1894, an all-time record of 324 carloads of peaches—243,000 baskets—were shipped. By 1905, this would have dropped to almost zero.) The railroad's second largest freight item, Anthracite coal
Anthracite coal
Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
, never amounted to more than about 20% of the railroad company's annual income, and was insufficient to stave off receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
.
Adding to the RVRR's instability was its dependency on the Central Railroad of New Jersey
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...
. At any point during the RVRR's history, the CNJ could have jumped in and taken over the railroad's operation and saved it; but it never did. Presumably, the CNJ had an opinion of the RVRR that was similar to the Lackawanna's, and as long as the RVRR continued to pay haulage fees to the CNJ there was no problem. However, when the RVRR's financial situation became dire in 1912-13, the CNJ was the first to demand weekly, instead of monthly, payments from the railroad. This was an ominous sign and the end of the road was not far away.
Innovative and "homey" operations
In spite of all the bad things that the RVRR was known for, the RVRR made the best of what little it had. For example, although the railroad never quite reached Morristown, New JerseyMorristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, it offered free freight shipping from its depot in Watnong, which was about 2 miles outside of town. This feature was unique to the RVRR. This proved to be a significant incentive and reportedly the railroad, for as long as it operated, was the predominant freight shipper in Morristown, besting the big railroad in town, the Lackawanna Railroad, by a significant margin.
The RVRR was also known for holding trains for passengers that were late, including school children who used the railroad to commute to school. In one story, a woman, Miss Sue Blackford, recounted a story from about 1900 when she took a trip to New Germantown (now Oldwick, New Jersey
Oldwick, New Jersey
Oldwick is an unincorporated area within Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 08858. As of the United States 2000 Census, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 08858 was 177.Oldwick was formerly known as...
) and attempted to pay for her mother and herself with a five-dollar bill. As the conductor didn't have change for so large a bill, he asked where Miss Blackford was staying in New Germantown and, sure enough, the next morning delivered her change in person...after walking about a half-mile from his waiting train. Miss Blackford also helped dispel the notion that the moniker "Rock-A-Bye Baby" meant that passengers were gently rocked to sleep aboard the RVRR. She stated, in a letter quoted in Thomas Taber's book on the RVRR, that patrons "were 'rocked', but not to sleep".
Revival efforts (1913-17)
Although the RVRR was unusual in the way it was built and operated, what made it unique were the truly heroic efforts that were made to save it after it closed in 1913.The "last" train to Watnong ran on October 18, 1913, which picked up any freight cars that remained on the railroad, returning them to White House. The railroad's two locomotives were also returned to the Jersey Central, and the railroad's two passenger coaches were placed on a siding. Finally, the railroad's 30 employees were laid off.
Attempts to resuscitate the railroad, however, continued. The major issue would be the Jersey Central's requirement of a $30,000 bond to cover the interchange of cars, the CNJ claiming that the RVRR still owed it $15,000 from its previous operation. This would prove to be an insurmountable obstacle. Even so, one (truly) last train was run on June 10, 1914, which went up to Watnong, also delivering a car of lath to the siding at Mendham (see photo above) This freight car would never move again and would rot in place at Mendham until the railroad itself was finally scrapped. In what would be the first in a whole litany of nonsensical improvements to the line, a 135 feet (41.1 m) coaldock (sufficient to dump four cars of coal simultaneously) would be completed near Peapack in 1913, shortly after the line closed; it would never be used.
Over the subsequent two years, more than $65,000 would be spent to rehabilitate the line: replacing ties, reinforcing bridges, and filling in most of the Peapack trestle. Further proposals included the electrification of the line, connecting to the Morristown & Erie at Morristown, and even extending the line eastward to Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
and southward to Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington, New Jersey
Flemington is a borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 4,581. It is the county seat of Hunterdon County....
. The latter plan, however, was to have cost an estimated $1 million, and called for the complete abandonment of the RVRR right-of-way, with a new line to be built nearby.
In December 1915, the RVRR (actually, at that point, corporately the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Railroad) was reorganized as the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Railroad. Technically speaking, the Rockaway Valley Railroad had ceased to exist as a corporate entity in December 1904, having been merged into the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Railroad at that time. Over its 29 years of corporate life, the RVRR would exist as part of nine different corporations and numerous receiverships. The bizarre coda for this company would finally play out in 1917 with calls of a "sneaky" abandonment.
Closing up shop
The greatest irony, when it comes to the Rockaway Valley, is that the only man ever to make money from the RVRR was Frank B. Allen, the final owner of the line, and the one who sold the railroad for scrap in 1917. It is estimated that Allen netted more than $150,000, and possibly much more, for the 2,200 short tons (2,000 t) of rail due to the inflated scrap value of ironIron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, at upwards of $80 per ton, during 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...
. A photo from the era (see New Jersey Skylands magazine link below) shows Allen, a man who was in his seventies at the time, standing in front of his Model T Ford, equipped with flanged wheels that enabled the automobile to ride on the rails, pulling a flat car that was being loaded with rail segments that were being pulled off the railbed.
What is left of the RVRR?
Although the railroad was completely abandoned and all its rail removed in 1917 (the exception being a short section near White House that was retained into the 1920s in order to serve a creameryCreamery
In a dairy, the creamery is the location of cream processing. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream returned to the skimmed milk....
), most of the right-of-way remains intact, much of it publicly or quasi-publicly owned. For instance, the right-of-way comprises part of Patriot's Path, as well as a right-of-way carrying fiber-optic cable. A full inventory of the right-of-way, however, still needs to be performed.
External links
- New Jersey Skylands: Rock-A-Bye Baby
- http://members.tripod.com/njrails/19th_Century/Rockaway_Valley/RockawayValley.htm - provides a map of the RVRR